10/24 Fort Clinch SP, Amelia Island, FL - Updated

This campground is one of my favorite because it is directly on the Atlantic Ocean and because the beach is generally almost empty because there are no hotels or homes for at almost a mile in either direction.  

And, yes, the price of gas in Waycross, GA, on the way to Fort Clinch SP was $2.67 per gallon.  I have a 55 gallon tank, but had put some gas in it at $2.99 near Atlanta, so I was only able to fill it up with this purchase.  Yea, for cheap gas!!

Fort Clinch SP is on Amelia Island, which is in the far northeast corner of Florida, directly on the Atlanta.  

One of the nicest things about this state park is the canopy drive entrance.  A canopy drive usually consists of old live oak trees where the spreading limbs hang over the road, making a sort of tunnel. Need to watch out for low limbs here.  

 

 There are places where you have to drive down the center of the road to avoid low branches like the ones on the right in the following photo.  If another vehicle is coming, you just have to wait until they pass. 

There seem to be a lot of deer in this area.  

My campsite is on the right down a few spots.  

 

 

 

This is the view behind my campsite--lots of sand dunes and a view to the north over the sound in the distance.  Deer walk around here occasionally. 

You are not allowed to walk on the dunes, but there is a boardwalk to get to the beach. 

There is a waterway, aka sound, to the north of the park, and across it is Georgia.  Saw this fishing boat in the distance. 

Low tide, so a wonderfully wide beach.   Plus, very seldom more than a handful of people in sight, so nice and private. 

This is some kind of a beacon on the way through the sound. 

And a jellyfish on the beach.

Ship coming out of the St. Mary's river.  

These beach views were towards the south.  

This is the remnant of the long pier that used to be here.  It was washed away during Hurricane Matthew in 2016.  I was staying here with a friend, and we walked on the pier on one of the last days, just before the state park was closed before the storm.  Wish they would replace it someday, but right now it is just a pile of rocks that goes quite a ways out.  

Strangely enough, birds NOT of a feather do flock together on Florida beaches.  If you look closely, you will find at least 4-5 types of terns and gulls. 

The birds with the black on their heads and orange bills are Royal Terns.  The one at about 3 o-clock with an orange and black bill and a lot of black on its top body is a Black Skimmer.  There are some other species, as well.  The grey birds with a black cap and a black bill are Gull-billed Terns.  

I am always disappointed when I am on the West Coast because while they may have a few gulls, I have never seen such large groups as are easily found in Florida.  

Notice how this bird blends into the beach shells.  The only reason you can see him at all is because of his white underside.  

Check out my video of the birds and the damaged pier here.  

Back to the campground.