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. The beaches of St. Johns County are home to several species of endangered or threatened sea turtles.
From May 1 to Oct. 31, St. Johns County staff will close vehicular beach access 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. Have a positive impact with these tips.
This crescent-shaped shoreline surrounds beachgoers with a beautiful stretch of quiet and a family-friendly shoreline.
With its sweeping coastline carving out a huge “C” where it meets the Atlantic Ocean (the crescent shape, of course, giving the area its name), Crescent Beach is tucked between the traditional tourist attractions of St. Augustine and Matanzas Inlet to the south. But for visiting beachgoers, Crescent Beach is slightly off the proverbial beaten path.
Why Locals Love Crescent Beach
Locals love Crescent Beach because it is wide, has convenient parking, and isn't as congested as many beaches tend to be. Because it is in the southern end of Florida’s Historic Coast, it maintains an “old Florida” vibe as a quieter beach with white sand and located in a mostly residential area. The few restaurants and taverns seem to pop out of the horizon at Cubbedge Road intersecting with Florida State Road A1A. The uninitiated could easily drive through Crescent Beach without knowing it. It’s absolutely a “family-friendly” beach.
Amenities
The center of Crescent Beach is the beachfront park with picnic gazebos, dune crossovers, restrooms, and convenient parking. Several incredible shops and restaurants also exist in the area.
The main public beach access runs to the ocean and, in a throwback to Florida’s age gone by, there is vehicle-driving permitted on the beach (although there are fees and passes required between March 1 and September 30).
