To get to Caladesi Island State Park you must go to Honeymoon Island State Park and then take a ferry over to Caladesi Island. My ticket was $14 round trip and it was good for about a four hour stay on the island which was plenty of time for me.
I arrived on the island, excited about the exploration ahead of me. While everyone headed to the beach, I headed for the hiking trail. I glanced in the direction of the concession stand wondering if I should grab a snack and another bottle of water but I thought, nah, I will just do the hike and hit the stand on the way back. That was not the correct decision!
The beginning of the trail had a sign that informed me I was about to embark on an easy 2.5 mile hike. Like a fool, I believed what I read. If you know me personally then you would know that hiking is just really not my thing. Still, I have managed to make the most of a lot of trails and there is usually a nice ‘prize’ at the end to make it worth it the work. Although the end of this trail was extremely beautiful, I must confess, the journey was horrific!
I sprayed on an ample amount of bug spray on me and I headed down the hiking trail, equipped with a bottle of water and my next to empty hiking bag. I quickly realized that one bottle of water was not going to be enough. The air was sticky and stale and the only noise I could hear, besides my own footsteps, was the sound of mosquitoes buzzing in my ears. The layers of bug spray kept them off of my body but they literally surrounded me from head to toe. It was as if I was wearing a mosquito suit.
I stumbled upon mile marker 1 and I nearly died from disbelief! I was not even halfway done. Another mile and a half to complete? No way! I snapped a picture of myself and sent it to Sherri and Amanda, informing them that this could, indeed, be the last time that would see me.
I trudged along in the soft sand, stopping to look at things highlighted on the trail, semi reading the signs but not really caring about anything I was looking at. I just wanted out. I wanted the hike to be over. I was ready to get off that damn island.
A burst of excitement came over me when I started to hear the sound of the ocean. I knew freedom was near! When I busted out of the woods a couple that went in right before me was walking out of the ocean. They had to jump in the water to save themselves from their own mosquito attack. The man shared with me that he will never do that again in the summer. I turned to him and expressed how I would never actually do that again, ever. He then confessed that was his thought too. I know I am not exactly built for nature but it did make me feel better that someone who was built for it was just as miserable as I was. It’s true, misery does love company.
I finished my hike and headed to the concession stand to hydrate! I then found the man in charge of boarding and asked if I could jump on the next ferry off the island. Three hours seemed to be plenty of time for me. We chatted for about 20 minutes and then it was time to board. I’m happy I got to see the island but I was very happy to be heading back to civilization.
Before you visit, make sure you check out the parks website for all of the up-to-date park information: https://www.floridastateparks.org/index.php/parks-and-trails/caladesi-island-state-park
