Fort Matanzas and the Matanzas Inlet

***** TRIP COMPLETED *****


TRIP REPORT:

Two members, Frank and Lisa enjoyed this trip. It was a beautiful day. We decided to skip the tour of the fort and just hit the water. The launch from the National Park was very easy and convenient. We first paddled out of the inlet into the Atlantic Ocean to a sand bar and enjoyed a rest and the view. The outgoing current was very strong and we expected a difficult paddle back into the Matanzas River. We were pleasantly surprised to have an easy paddle back. Once inside the inlet, we headed across the mouth and took a lunch break on a small beach. A storm cell was passing to the south, then one formed just to the north of us. We decided to wait out the weather on the beach. After our shower, thanks Mother Nature, we paddled from the inlet past the fort to the Intracoastal. We concluded the trip after 4 or so hours. It was an enjoyable day.

Getting ready to go.




The launch site was just across from the fort.

A view from our Atlantic Ocean sand bar.

A "Private Island".

The beach we had lunch on and waited out the storms.

Heading to the Fort.

Fort Matanzas.


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Date: Wednesday, July 12, 2007 -- Dated changed!

Time: 9:15 am for those wishing to attend the Fort Tour at 9:30 am. **10:30 am for those wishing to Kayak only.

Length: 4-6 hours; 1 hour for a tour of the Fort

Difficulty: Beginner/Intermediate: Easy to Moderate

Location:Fort Matanzas National Monument Park

Leader: Lisa Beardsley

Cost: Free. Yes free, even for the tour of the Fort.

Gear: Be sure to bring plenty of fluids, sun screen, bug spray, a bathing suit and don't forget a hat and lunch. Also have your Coast Guard regulated PFD and whistle!

TRIP INFORMATION:

This is an exploration trip as we have not been here before.... so be ready for some adventure.

We can car pool from Queen's Harbour or meet at the launch site.

We will tour Fort Matanzas taking the 9:30 am ferry to Rattlesnake Island, before we begin the kayak trip (I think the guides will appreciate a "fresh" group). The tour lasts about 45 minutes. Afterwards, we will unload our gear, launch from a beach in the Park and kayak around the Inlet. We should be ready to launch by 10:45 am with a plan to return around 3:00-ish.

If you want to tour Fort Matanzas with the group, plan to arrive at the launch site at 9:15 am. If you wish to tour the fort following the kayak trip on your own, or skip the fort tour all together, plan to arrive at 10:30 am. The last Fort tour is at 4:30 pm so you should have time to pack your gear and "clean up" following the kayak trip.

The float plan is to paddle around the Inlet with a pass by of Rattlesnake Island and if winds and tide permit, paddle out of the inlet into the Atlantic Ocean for a beach stop. We will then re-enter the inlet and head south down the Matanzas River along a barrier island breaking for lunch on a beach. Following lunch we will paddle back to our put in site at Fort Matanzas National Monument Park. We will be taking some beach stops and swim breaks along the way, to escape the July heat, so be sure to wear a bating suit and have a change of clothes for the ride home.

Kayak Rentals: There are rental kayaks available from an outfitter near the park and from Aqua East. If you are interested in partaking in this trip and need to rent a kayak, e-mail me at backcountrykayakadventures@yahoo.com and we can discuss your options. Also, sometimes there are members that have an extra kayak available and offer it for use.

SITE FACTS/INFORMATION:

The Matanzas River is a body of water located in St. Johns and Flagler Counties. Contrary to its name, it is not actually a river at all but a narrow saltwater bar-bounded estuary sheltered from the Atlantic Ocean by Anastasia Island. It is roughly 20 miles in length and extends from St. Augustine Inlet in St. Augustine, southward to approximately 8 miles south of the Matanzas Inlet on the southern tip of Anastasia Island. The river is part of the Intracoastal Waterway.

The Matanzas inlet is one of the few remaining "inlets" in northeast Florida not protected by a jetty, thus presenting an easy study of what an inlet might have looked like in the past. Today's inlet is significantly south of the inlet which existed in 1740 when the Spanish began construction of Ft. Matanzas on Rattlesnake Island to protect the southern approach to their "Castillo de San Marcos" in St. Augustine.

In the 18th Century, the Matanzas River was considered the "backdoor" to the city of St. Augustine and control of the river was considered a strategic necessity. The Spanish build Fort Matanzas to monitor and limit access to the river.

"Matanzas" means "massacre" in Spanish. The river derives its name from the massacre of a group of 250 shipwrecked French Huguenots from Fort Caroline, lead by Jean Ribault, (the name of the St. Johns Ferry) by Spanish settlers led by Pedro Menénde de Avilés. The Huguenots were executed near the present site of the Matanzas Inlet in 1565. Menéndez had been ordered to kill all Protestants he found in the New World by the King and Queen of Spain - (This was the height of the Spanish Inquisition).

Today, this area supports an extensive tidal marsh habitat and conservation efforts have been established to preserve the ecosystem. The preserved areas include salt marshes, mangrove tidal wetlands, oyster bars, estuarine lagoons, upland habitat, and marine environments. As a result of the conservation efforts, wildlife is abundant.

WILDLIFE:

Dolphin and Manatee are common in this area and hopefully we will see some. Migrating and resident birds abound and we should see Great Blue Herons, Egrets, Ibis, Pelicans, Cormorants, and many others.

DIRECTIONS:

The park is about 62 miles from Queen's Harbour if you take I-95. It will take about an hour and a half to reach the park from Queen's Harbour.

The launch site is located just north of the Matanzas Inlet Bridge on the west side of A1A. If you cross the bridge, you have gone too far.

The Parks address and phone number are:

8635 A1A South, St. Augustine, FL 32080.

904-471-0116

Via A1A:

Take A1A south to St. Augustine, cross the Lions Bridge and continue down A1A through Anastasia. Once you pass State Road 206 and A1A intersection; the park is about 4 miles south. There is a sign "Fort Matanzas National Monument" on the west (right) side of the road.

Via I-95:

Take I-95 south to Exit 305 to State Road 206.Turn left heading East on 206 to A1A.Turn right onto A1A heading south.About 4 miles south, you will see the National Monument sign on the right.

Please click on "comment" below and leave a message if you are interested in participating.

See you on the water.