North Florida's Gulf Coast
Steinhatchee & Keaton Beach
There's not a lot of development along the Gulf Coast
of the North Florida peninsula. The main road through the area (US Hwy.
19 & 98) is miles away from the water, and any roads that reach the
coast require a long drive through flat wilderness.
In Cross City, you'll see a sign for Horseshoe Beach.
I decided to check it out, and found almost nothing of interest. The
road stretched for miles, and when I finally arrived, there were only a
few blocks of expensive waterfront homes, and a very small public
beach--that's it. No scenic fishing piers, no businesses. In other
words, you can definitely skip Horseshoe Beach.
Continue on up US Hwy. 19 & 98. A few miles north of
Cross City you'll see a turnoff for County Rte. 358. Make a left, and in
a few miles, you'll reach the town of Steinhatchee.
This old boat, now used as a billboard, is near the
end of the road. You can cross a small bridge into Steinhatchee, then
take a left. This will take you up Beach Road. While there's not a lot
of development, there are several small beach communities along the
road.
One of the biggest is Keaton Beach, where you'll find
a small stretch of sand and a long fishing pier.
Throughout the area, you'll also see these brightly
painted poles. The numbers show you how high the Gulf would be, if a
category 1, 2, 3, or 4 hurricane came ashore. There's no number 5, I
think, because if a storm of that magnitude hit, the pole would be GONE!
Beach Road ends just a few miles outside of Perry. If
you're looking for a place to spend the night, you should check for
rooms in Perry, or
about 50 miles away, in
Tallahassee.
Interstate 10 is about 25 miles away.
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