Anastasia Island is the barrier island that sits just across the Bridge of Lions from downtown St. Augustine, separated from the mainland by the Matanzas River and connected to the Atlantic Ocean on its eastern shore. It is where visitors go for the beach, the lighthouse, the state park, and a completely different side of St. Augustine than the cobblestone historic district. The island spans roughly 15 miles from north to south, running from St. Augustine Inlet at its northern tip down through St. Augustine Beach and continuing south toward Crescent Beach and the Fort Matanzas National Monument. The bulk of the island is residential and beachside commercial, but the northern third contains three of the most visited destinations in the entire St. Augustine area. Anastasia State Park occupies a substantial section of the northern island, protecting ancient coquina rock outcroppings, salt marshes, tidal lagoons, and 1,600 acres of coastal ecosystem. The park beach is considered one of the finest stretches of sand on Florida's northeast coast - wide, clean, and far less crowded than the public beach access points to the south. The park also offers kayak and paddleboard rentals, hiking and biking trails, a campground, and access to the Salt Run lagoon that separates the park from the rest of the island. The St. Augustine Lighthouse and Maritime Museum stands at the northern end of Anastasia Island, visible from miles away with its distinctive black and white spiral pattern. T