In the 1990s, popular Flagler Beach State Park was renamed for a beloved Florida folksinger who gave his life trying to rescue a drowning man from the Atlantic surf.
This strand of orange sand attracts many beachgoers, but its breezy campgrounds within the sound of the sea are just as compelling.
Dune crossover to oceanfrontPart of the Great Florida Birding Trail, it’s a place to watch for pelicans from the beach or settle in with a camera along the Intracoastal Waterway.
It is also along the calving grounds of the North Atlantic Right Whales, bringing whale watchers to the bluffs mid-November to mid-April.
Information on whale watchingResources
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Overview
Location: Flagler Beach
Beach parking: 29.43935, -81.10857
Address: 3100 S Oceanshore Blvd, Flagler Beach
Fees: $5 per vehicle
Restroom: At the trailhead and beach parking
Land manager: Florida State Parks
Phone: 386-517-2086
Open 8 AM to sunset. Leashed dogs permitted except on beach. Pay close attention to beach warning flags as the surf can whip up quickly.
Directions
From Interstate 95 exit 284 at Palm Coast, follow SR 100 three miles west to Flagler Beach. Turn south on A1A and continue 2 miles to the park entrance on the right.
About the Park
Gamble Rogers, a folksy Florida folk singer, was a fixture at the Florida Folk Festival in White Springs every year.
A storyteller extraordinaire, he captivated audiences with his retellings of Florida history.
The Gamble Rogers MemorialHe was camping at Flagler Beach State Park in October 1991 when a young girl begged his help to save her father, who was caught in rough surf.
Not much of a swimmer himself, Gamble grabbed an air mattress and tried to save the man, and drowned too.
Coquina shell fragments make up the orange sandIt’s still the same beach as it was back then, with thick orange coquina sand and rollicking surf and a campground within earshot of the melodic waves.
From the riverside day use area, the Joe Kenner Trail winds through a coastal hammock under the thicket of windswept oaks west of A1A.
At the loop junction on the Joe Kenner TrailThere is a small butterfly garden and picnic area within this complex, along with restrooms and a launch into the Intracoastal.
Anglers can also drop a line or try their hand at kayak fishing. Birders can watch ibises pecking across the mud flats.
Garden area near the Intracoastal WaterwayCamping
The park has two distinctly different campgrounds. There are 34 sites perched above the Atlantic Ocean on the east side of A1A south of the day use area.
Another 34 sites are in a sun-splashed area by the Intracoastal Waterway. All sites have water, electric, picnic table, and fire ring.
Both campgrounds have several accessible sites. Tent campers will find the riverside campground far less breezy than the oceanfront.
Beachfront campgroundHiking
Starting from a sidewalk within the riverside day use area, the Joe Kenner Trail treats you to a walk in the woods through a coastal hammock.
Joe Kenner Trail Explore two sides of Gamble Rogers Memorial State Recreation Area on a mile loop encompassing a lush coastal hammock and a view of the Atlantic Ocean.Biking
The East Coast Greenway, a marked route between Maine and Key West, passes right through the park along A1A. It’s a road ride through Flagler Beach.
A crosswalk across A1A connects the day use areasTrail Map
Explore More!
Video
Hiking at Gamble Rogers
Slideshow
See our photos of Gamble Rogers
Nearby Adventures
More worth exploring while you’re in this area.
Betty Steflik Preserve Betty Steflik Memorial Preserve protects 320 acres of mangrove marsh, mud flats, and coastal uplands fronting downtown Flagler Beach.
North Peninsula State Park Neatly accessed via a scenic drive extending north from Ormond Beach, North Peninsula State Park has two tantalizing miles of oceanfront along a palm-rimmed line of dunes.
Bulow Plantation Ruins State Park History and natural beauty meet on a 1.4 mile hike under a dense canopy of ancient live oaks to the ruins of one of Florida's oldest sugar mills.
Bulow Creek State Park At Bulow Creek State Park, walk among the ancients in Bulow Hammock, starting with the imposing Fairchild Oak, one of Florida's largest live oak trees.
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