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< Jan/Feb 2001
	Destinations
Sea Kayaking Florida's Lighthouses by Arthur Rubinstein

Mention a vacation in Florida and most people picture theme parks. Consider a more natural sea kayak tour of Florida's lighthouses. There's something irresistible about these venerable sentinels of the sea--each with its own history of tragic shipwrecks, heroic rescues and day-to-day survival.

It's hard to feel their romance when viewing them through the window of a tour bus. What's missing is a sense of adventure and discovery, which can be found by touring them from the seat of a kayak. So hoist your boat onto the roof rack and head south to experience the real Florida, as different from Mickey Mouse as can be imagined.

Cape St. George
For most people arriving from the North, the best place to start the tour of Florida's offshore lighthouses is in the Panhandle. The Cape St. George Lighthouse graces the dunes near the southernmost point of Little St. George Island, about 9 miles south of Apalachicola. This is one of Florida's most scenic and most endangered lighthouses. Badly damaged by recent hurricanes, this 150-year-old veteran was abandoned by the Coast Guard a few years ago "due to imminent collapse." But thanks to the efforts of volunteers, it has been stabilized and, for now at least, appears to be out of danger.

There is a choice of suitable put-ins, but Indian Peninsula, 15 miles west of Apalachicola, is my favorite, with ample parking and a comfortable campground. From the boat ramp, cross the channel known as Indian Pass, then turn south and paddle along the sandy shoreline of St. Vincent Island, home to 12,000-acre St. Vincent National Wildlife Refuge. Little St. George is separated from St. Vincent Island by a quarter-mile-wide pass. From here, you're less than an hour away from the lighthouse; its distant silhouette will soon become visible over the coastal scrub. The total trip is about 12 miles, doable in one day. But once you set foot on the white sand of the island dunes, you won’t want to leave so soon. Camping is permitted on the western end of the island, and you'll probably have the whole place to yourself. Make sure to pick a good vantage point for the evening--sunsets here are stunning. Cape St. George. To get to Indian Peninsula from Apalachicola, take US 98 W for 8 miles. Turn left on SR-30A and go 10 more miles to SR-30B. There'll be a sign there pointing to St. Vincent Wildlife Refuge. Turn left at the sign and follow SR-30B to the dead end at the boat ramp. For more information, contact Apalachicola Chamber of Commerce at 850-653-9419.

Anclote Key
Next stop is the Anclote Key Lighthouse, another endangered lighthouse that bears scars from years of neglect. It’s located on a narrow strip of land three miles offshore from Tarpon Springs.

No matter which road you take into town, follow signs to Howard County Park and the road will take you onto a promontory jutting three-quarters of a mile into the Gulf of Mexico. From the parking area, look northwest. The island is Anclote Key, and the tall object near its southern tip is the lighthouse. It’s a leisurely one-hour paddle in the calm, clear waters between Howard Park and the lighthouse. If you want to spend more time exploring the area's mangroves and its 30-40 species of birds, paddle along the shore and make camp on the northern end of the island. Anclote Key. Tarpon Springs Chamber of Commerce/Visitor Center, 727-937-6109.

Egmont Key
Tampa Bay meets the Gulf about 30 miles south of Anclote Key. In 1848, to protect heavy shipping traffic in and out of Tampa, a lighthouse was built on a small reef rock near the center of the entrance. It proved no match for hurricanes, and within 10 years it had to be replaced by a structure with three-foot-thick reinforced masonry walls. The Egmont Key Lighthouse, as it is known, has survived more than 140 years of hurricanes and is still active today.

The easiest way to reach it is from Fort De Soto Park on the northern side of Tampa Bay. The island is only about three-quarters of a mile from the fishing pier. Although the distance is short, the currents can be brisk, and if you're not careful, you may find yourself swept out into the Gulf. Consider a put-in farther east, away from the narrow part of the channel. Egmont Key. To get to Fort De Soto Park from Tampa, take I-275 S. Go through St. Petersburg and take the last exit before Sunshine Skyway. Turn right off the ramp and stay on SR-682 for 2.5 miles. Turn left on SR-679 and follow the road all the way into the park. For more information call 727-893-2627.

Alligator Reef, Sombrero Key and Sand Key
Around the middle of the 19th Century, lighthouse builders discovered that an open skeleton tower survives hurricanes better than a masonry one, because it lets wind pass through with little or no damage. Nowhere has this idea been tested more thoroughly than in the Florida Keys. The chain of coral reefs that spans the Atlantic side of the Keys from Largo to Key West is home to the largest group of wrought-iron skeleton lighthouses in the world.

Paddling the aquamarine, corral-filled waters of the Florida Keys is every kayaker's dream. But for a lighthouse buff, the sight of distant iron towers rising out of the water makes it especially tempting. Unfortunately, coastal development has made some of these lighthouses inaccessible to kayakers. But three of them--Alligator Reef, Sombrero Key, and Sand Key--are still well within reach.

The Alligator Reef Lighthouse--the northernmost of the three--is just south of Islamorada on Upper Matecumbe Key. You'll see it from the highway as you drive into town. The best put-in is along the bridge that connects Upper and Lower Matecumbe Keys. Park on the bayside and paddle through the Indian Key Channel. The lighthouse is about four and a half miles from that point. And don't bother looking for alligators--the reef and lighthouse derive their name from the USS Alligator, a valiant pirate-fighter that ran aground and sank here in 1822.

If you happen to be on the Sevenmile Bridge at night and look to the south-south-east, you'll notice a light flashing five times every 60 seconds. This is the signature of the Sombrero Key Lighthouse. At 160 feet, this is the tallest of the Reef Lights and perhaps the most impressive. It can be reached by paddling 4.6 miles from Sombrero Beach Park near the town of Marathon on Vaca Key.

Your last and longest open-water trip takes you to the legendary Sand Key Lighthouse, about eight and a half miles southwest of Key West. On a clear day you can make out its distant contours from the pier at the south end of Duval Street, a good starting point for this paddle. When you arrive, you’ll find a tiny island at the foot of the lighthouse--a great place to take a break and stretch your legs. At one time the island was big enough for a storehouse, wharf, boathouse and weather station. More than once these structures have been swept away by hurricanes and then painstakingly rebuilt. In 1941, the Coast Guard finally automated the lighthouse and left the island to the birds and the sea. Alligator Reef. Since The Overseas Highway (US 1) is the only road in and out of the Keys, the best way to get around is to know the mile marker of your destination. Thus, to find your put-in for the Alligator Reef paddle, look for mile marker 79. And make sure to stop at Islamorada Chamber of Commerce (mile marker 82) for your complimentary NOAA Chart.

Sombrero Key. At mile marker 50, turn left on Sombrero Beach Road and follow it to the park's entrance. There's no admission fee, but the park closes at sunset.

Sand Key. As you get into Key West, stay on US 1 until you come to Duval Street, then turn left and go all the way to the dead end. If parking is a problem (and it might be), try White Street Pier a few blocks to the east. Key West Chamber of Commerce can be reached at 1-800-LAST-KEY.