Frank Butler County Park West

The beach is named after Frank Bertran Butler (1885–1973), a prominent African American businessman and civic leader in St. Augustine's Lincolnville neighborhood. Frustrated by the pervasive Jim Crow laws that enforced "whites-only" beaches throughout the region, Butler began purchasing undeveloped oceanfront land on Anastasia Island in 1927. A Contrast to Segregation: The peaceful recreational community at Butler Beach provided a stark counterpoint to the violent confrontations occurring at "whites-only" beaches nearby, where "wade-ins" (protests where Black and white activists attempted to swim together) were often met with police brutality and civilian violence. Frank Butler Beach thus stands as a monument to Black self-determination and economic power, proving that even under the most restrictive laws, Black leaders could carve out spaces for community, culture, and resistance that fundamentally shaped the struggle for American equality.

One of my favorite local beaches. Lots of parking, even on crowded days. Changing rooms, outdoor showers, and bathrooms (enter at your own risk, sometimes they are really gross). The ramp is relatively easy to walk over and reach the beach in a short distance. We often see tortoises nearby, and the wildflowers and beach grasses smell so sweet. It's very scenic and a good swimming, shell collecting beach too. It gets crowded on holidays and weekends, but is still one of the quieter beaches in the area with nice soft sand and clean ocean water.

What a lovely little park. We visited here in our RV, March 4th and it was very quiet with plenty of parking spaces. There are three shaded picnic tables underneath roofed structures and at least 6 small charcoal BBQ grills. Plenty of green space to let the kids or dogs run around for a bit, though it is surrounded by moving water, so be watchful. There is no actual playground here. The boat ramp is nice and easy to back into and there were water access points from land as well, easy to put in on a kayak or canoe as well as jet skis or a boat. Public restrooms are available and clean with running water. The entire park is handicap accessible.