The Gamble Rogers State Park is a memorial to Gamble Rogers and folk singer as well as Henry Flagler a railroad tycoon. It is nestled between the Atlantic Ocean and Intracoastal Waterway. Many people come from all over just to enjoy the sunbathing, swimming and beachcombing on the Atlantic side of the park.  The sand is extremely golden brown and very preserved. During the months of may one can see the rare Loggerhead, Green and Leatherback sea turtles lay their eggs in the soft sand. 

On the Intracoastal  side of the park their is trails, picnic pavilions, a boat launch, and sea wall great for fishing. Many people come here to observe the bird life in the winter or have a picnic at one of its pavilions. Along the trails they wind threw a forest of scrub oaks and saw palmettos. This is one of the only beaches in the area you can camp on as well. There is a real serene feeling here smelling the sea salt hearing the ocean waves and the beautiful lush foliage that grows around this state park. But their are some dismal feelings but only in certain parts of the park. Nonetheless its all Timucuan Indian land at one time. 

As far as Henry Flagler goes he purchased the narrow gauge railway that served the area in 1885 and converted it to a standard gauge greatly increasing access for cattle, timber, turpentine, potato and citrus. The county was named in his park as well as this state park. An inlet water route between Jacksonville and New Smyrna was begun in 1881 by the construction of a canal connecting the Matanzas and Halifax Rivers. This waterway would eventually extend to south Florida and is called the Intracoastal Waterway. Visiting this state park is a way to provide access to the waterway as well as the Atlantic Beach. 

If you wish to learn a little bit more about Gamble Rogers the folk singer his link is below. He passed on 1991 and perhaps he is the one haunting this 144 acre state park. http://www.gamblerogers.com/ 

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Rick-LordOfThyNight