It's Turtle Time Along the Forgotten Coast!
May 1 marks the beginning of sea turtle nesting season on St. George Island and other beaches throughout Franklin County and Florida. The turtles will lay their eggs from May – September, with 50-150 baby turtles hatching after 45-60 days, usually at night. One female may nest several times in a season. May also heralds the season when local volunteer turtlers begin walking the beach to find, mark and protect turtle nests. When homeowners and visitors are educated about measures they can help nesting sea turtles such as turning off lights and clearing the beach of gear at night. Last year St. George Island saw a total of 345 nests with produced 27,288 hatchlings. Beginning in June, the Apalachicola National Estuarine Research Reserve and Visitor Center will host weekly turtle talks on Wednesday afternoons.
In the meantime, visitors interested in learning about sea turtle nesting can visit the St. George Island Visitor’s Center (at the St. George Island Lighthouse Park) to pick up turtle information. You can also click here to download the updated turtle guide produced recently by the Franklin County TDC in cooperation with the Apalachicola National Estuarine Research Reserve.
Please note that Franklin County has a Leave No Trace Ordinance that requires chairs, umbrellas and equipment to be removed nightly from the public beaches to help mama turtles more easily navigate the beaches to nest and allow hatchlings to take a clear path back to the water from their nests in the dunes. And, if you dig a hole on the beach during the day, fill it in! Also, turtles use the moon light to find their way back to the water. Please turn off lights in or under your beach house that might disorient the turtles. That includes pool lights. Click here to learn more about our turtles and how you can help protect them.
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Celebrate Estuaries Day at ANERR May 1
The Apalachicola National Estuarine Research Reserve will celebrate Estuaries Day on Friday, May 1st, from 1:30-5:30 pm E.T. in Eastpoint. The event is free and will include fun educational activities for kids and adults, and estuary-themed games. Please note that all children must be accompanied by an adult.
New activities will be debuting this year such as ink block art printing, Be Bay Aware, the junior water quality lab, and living shoreline demonstrations. Old favorites will also be returning, including the cast net game, the wacky waterfront race, aquatic animal touch tanks, live oyster microscope viewing, glass grinding and sand art, Be-A-Bear, and more! Attendees can also tour ANERR’s 5,400 square-foot Nature Center with its three large aquariums filled with local estuarine and marine life, an 80-foot-long mural depicting the area ecosystems, and a hands-on Bay Discovery Room. Details.
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Lighthouses Host Full Moon Climbs May 1 and again on May 30, 31
The May Sunset and Full Moon Climb at the Cape St. George Lighthouse on St. George Island will be held on Friday, May 1 from 8:15 - 10:15 p.m. Fifteen-minute time slots will be allotted for each group on a first come, first served basis. No advanced reservations will be taken. A second full moon climb is scheduled for Sunday, May 31 from 8:30 - 11:30 pm. May 1 Details. May 31 Details.
The Crooked River Lighthouse will be hosting Twilight at the Tower on Friday, May 1 from 7-10 pm at the lighthouse located at Carrabelle Beach. A second full moon climb is scheduled for Friday, May 30 from 7-10 pm. May 1 details. May 30 details.
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Camp Gordon Johnston Hosts Women in WWII Exhibit May 5-30
The Camp Gordon Johnston WWII Museum in Carrabelle will present an exhibit on the U.S. Women of WWII. This exhibit will open on Tuesday, May 5 and be on display at the museum until Saturday, May 30. The museum is open every Tuesday through Saturday from 11 am to 5 pm. There is no charge for admission, but donations are gladly accepted. During WWII, American women played a crucial role, serving in the war effort as members of the Women’s Army Corps (WACs), Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Service (WAVES) of the U.S. Navy, the SPARs of the United States Coast Guard Women’s Reserve (Semper Paratus, Always Ready), the U. S. Marine Corps Women’s Reserve (MCWR), and as WASPs (Women Airforce Service Pilots), as well as civilians working in war industries throughout the country. More than 350,000 American women served in the U. S. Armed Forces during World War II, taking on over 200 different roles. Details.
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| Historic Home Tour May 2 in Apalachicola
The Historic Apalachicola Home and Garden Tour returns Saturday, May 2, inviting visitors to explore some of the community’s most distinctive homes. A featured highlight this year is a residence redesigned by noted Modernist architect Hugh Newell Jacobsen, known for his work on a Martha’s Vineyard home for Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis. The weekend begins Friday, May 1, with a 6 p.m. Evensong service and reception. On Saturday, a public silent auction opens at 9 a.m. on the church grounds. Details.
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More History!
If This House Could Talk May 2-17
The Apalachicola Area Historical Society (AAHS) announces the return of its popular self-guided history tour, “If This House Could Talk,” taking place May 2 through May 17, 2026, throughout historic Apalachicola. This free event transforms the town into an open-air museum with 30 locations expected where visitors can explore local history through engaging visual storyboards. Guests are invited to view the storyboards (but not enter the properties) at their own pace during this event. Details. Are you a fan of historic cemeteries? You're in luck! On Friday, May 1, the historic society will also host "Legends of the Chesnut Cemetery" at the Chesnut Street Cemetery on Highway 98 in Apalachicola. Come "meet" some of the cemetery's most interesting inhabitants from an era gone by. The 5 pm event occurs at the Avenue E (Hwy 98) gate at 5pm. $10 admission.
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Take a Hike Through History
Can’t make the tours but want to learn more on your own? Explore Apalachicola, Carrabelle and the historic lighthouses on St. George Island and Carrabelle Beach with the help of a self-guided tour brochure. Follow any of these tours at your own pace and experience the history and beauty of the Forgotten Coast. Download a brochure below or visit any of the Franklin County visitor centers and pick up a brochure and map of these self-guided tours.
APALACHICOLA
Chestnut Street Cemetery Walking Tour Take a 30-minute walk through the Chestnut Street Cemetery, and discover some of Apalachicola’s heritage.
Historic Apalachicola City Squares Walking Tour Did you know that Apalachicola’s squares and the grid of streets were designed to model the city of Philadelphia? This tour will have you leisurely wandering through the historic squares of Apalachicola and imagining life here more than a hundred years ago.
Apalachicola Historic Walking Tour This self-guided tour brochure features dozens of historic homes, cottages, and museums.
Walk the Hill “The Hill” is the affectionate name for the Apalachicola’s African American community in existence since the antebellum era. The Hill tour will take you as far back as the Civil War when Apalachicola was a major cotton shipping port. Download the associated app and listen to stories about the area and community as you walk to specified locations. Apalachicola Museum Trail Tour and Map This self-guided tour features Apalachicola’s museums, parks, and historic sites.
CARRABELLE
Snapshot Tour of Carrabelle Carrabelle is a walkable community with daily conveniences, shopping, and restaurants close by. Have a photo shoot at the World’s Smallest Police Station or explore the Camp Gordon Johnston WWII Museum. Tour the Carrabelle River Walk and Wharf and land on Carrabelle Beach.
ALONG THE FORGOTTEN COAST
Lighthouse Driving Tour Take some time to visit the beautiful and historic lighthouses of the Forgotten Coast. While they are beautiful to look at, nothing can top the views they provide.
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