George Crady Bridge Fishing Pier State Park is one of those odd state parks that we’ve never been sure how to characterize. Technically, it shares the same parking lot as Amelia Island State Park. And the only restrooms you’ll find for either park is at the end of the pier nearest the parking area on Amelia Island. It used to be a segment of A1A that crossed the inlet between Amelia Island and Big Talbot Island.
Resources
Overview
Location: Amelia Island
Lat-Long: 30.522094, -81.444751
Length: 1 mile
Fees: $2 per person
Open: 24 hours
Restrooms: Yes, at the north end
Location
Details
The thing to do here is fish, of course. But George Crady Bridge Fishing Pier State Park is also part of the East Coast Greenway – although we’ll warn you, there isn’t a lot of room for cyclists to cross, since people do set up clusters of lawn chairs and fishing poles off both sides of the bridge.
Unlike most state parks, it is open 24 hours, for anglers to take advantage of the tides flowing through this pass, it’s popular for sport fishing as well as bringing home a catch for dinner.
What surprised us on our visit is what a popular family destination this is, thanks to the sandy strand that stretches from the far side of the pier along the shoreline. On a sunny Saturday, the beach was packed with families picnicking and playing in the shallow water – more than likely while Dad was up on the pier fishing.