A barrier island in the Northern Gulf of Mexico, St. George Island has a history as vividly colorful as its unspoiled native flora.  It was first inhabited by the Creek Indians between the 10th and 15th centuries. The arrival of European colonists to the area in the late 1700's was followed by an intense struggle for control.  In 1803, the Creek Indians ceded a large tract of land, which included St. George Island, to trader John Forbes and Company, known as the "Forbes Grant".  The historic 78 foot-high St. George Island lighthouse, originally built in 1833, still stands today on what is commonly called Little St. George, across Bob Sikes Channel from St. George Island.  The channel, used by the fishing fleet from Apalachicola, provides  access to the Gulf waters from the bayside.  During the early and mid-1900's, the Island's pine forest was turpentined for the production of naval stores.

The Island was the location of numerous training exercises during World War II by troops from bases located on the adjacent mainland.

Use of the beaches for recreation has been the major activity of recent island visitors, especially since the completion of the bridges in 1965. A new bridge was completed in 2004. Dr. Julian G. Bruce St. George Island State Park now occupies 1,883 acres at the eastern end of the Island.  Other areas of the Island on the bayside and all of Little St. George have also been purchased by the State of Florida, thereby ensuring preservation of their natural state.

Development on St. George Island has been orderly, and the beauty of the land has been well protected by low density zoning regulations.  Strict building codes require minimum square footages, allows only one single family dwelling per lot and limits height to 35 feet from the first habitable floor elevation (which means no high rises). Additional architectural controls in several areas, particularly St. George Plantation, ensure the integrity of the Island.

An Unspoiled Florida Beach

There's a gentle magic about the Island.  Watching gorgeous sunrises, sunsets, seeing the dolphins play, listening to the pounding of the surf, or watching the fog roll in, brings an inner peace that is all too rare for most of us.  With approximately 1,000 permanent residents, St. George Island is never crowded, even during the peak summer season.  Everyone can find something they enjoy from swimming, sunbathing, strolling the near primitive white sand beach in search of seashells, to bay watching, throwing your cast net or fishing from the shore or your own boat.

To add to the romance, legend has it that pirates buried a treasure on St. George Island in the late 1700's.  Whether it's true is unimportant really, for the treasure of St. George Island is the island itself.

You, your family and friends will love St. George Island.  Your pets will love it, too!