MAY 2023

The St. Johns County Parks and Recreation Department is committed to a thriving local park system, the opportunity for our residents and visitors to enjoy healthy, active lifestyles, and the preservation of the natural beauty of our environment. Explore the many ways parks and recreation make our communities happier and healthier by providing a place where community, innovation, and stewardship come together.

The beaches of St. Johns County are home to several species of endangered or threatened sea turtles. Sea turtle nesting season begins May 1, and St. Johns County officials are asking residents, visitors, and businesses to help protect natural habitat by observing all nesting season laws and regulations.

Beginning on May 1, St. Johns County staff will close gates at 7:30 p.m. and reopen them at 8 a.m. to allow nesting sea turtles to have a safe beach throughout the night.

Beach visitors can have a positive impact on nesting sea turtles by taking the following actions while enjoying the beach:

• Refrain from using fireworks and open fires.

• Remove ruts and sandcastles at the end of your beach day.

• Do not leave beach chairs or canopies on the beach overnight.

• Flashlights are strongly discouraged as they can harm sea turtles.

• Avoid entering dunes and conservation zones (15 feet seaward of the dune line).

• Refrain from releasing balloons, which can fall into the ocean and harm marine life.

• Never approach sea turtles emerging from or returning to the sea. Nesting sea turtles are vulnerable, timid, and can be easily frightened away.

Never push an injured animal back into the ocean. If you encounter an injured, sick, or deceased sea turtle, please call the St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office non-emergency dispatch line at 904.824.8304.

Leave only your footprints, providing the turtles with a safe and clean habitat to nest and hatch. St. Johns County is grateful to volunteers, residents, visitors, and businesses for supporting habitat conservation efforts and keeping our beaches beautiful.

For more information, please call St. Johns County Habitat Conservation and Beach Management at 904.209.3740 or visit www.sjcfl.us/hcp.

Memorial Day weekend is one of the busiest holiday weekends on St. Johns County’s beaches. To reduce traffic congestion, St. Johns County Beach Services offers two free shuttles.

St. Johns County Ocean and Fishing Pier shuttle

• May 27-29
• 10 a.m.-4 p.m.
• From St. Augustine Beach City Hall (2200 A1A South) to Fishing Pier parking lot

Mickler’s Landing Beachfront Park shuttle

• May 27-29
• 10 a.m.-4 p.m.
• From Ponte Vedra Concert Hall (1050 A1A N) to Mickler’s Beachfront Park parking lot

Staffing

The St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office, the St. Augustine Beach Police Department, and St. Johns County Marine Rescue personnel will patrol the beaches throughout the weekend. St. Johns County Marine Rescue lifeguards will be stationed along the beaches from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Beach flags indicating water and surf conditions will be displayed. The absence of a flag does not mean there is no danger. Please see a staffed lifeguard tower for local conditions.

On-Beach Driving

On-beach driving hours are between 8 a.m. and 7:30 p.m. Vehicle traffic must remain in the designated driving lanes. Beach driving conditions can change throughout the day at each access. Beachgoers are encouraged to monitor daily updates on driving conditions by following @SJCBeaches on Facebook and Twitter and downloading the Reach the Beach mobile app. Residents and visitors can also monitor the St. Johns County Beach Services website for beach access updates.

For a complete list of SJC Beach Safety Rules and Regulations, please visit our website.

Explore St. Johns County with Park Naturalists

Youth Outdoor Camps

Kayak Trips

Nature Book Club

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For more information about the St. Johns County Parks and Recreation Department, please contact our main office, 2175 Mizell Road, St. Augustine, FL 32080, (904) 209-0333.