Shired Island
Shired Island is a quiet gulf island located about halfway between the towns of Horseshoe Beach and Suwannee on Florida’s Gulf Coast.
After arriving on the island from CR 357, visitors will find a public boat ramp which features a spacious parking area and a small fishing pier overlooking Shired Creek and the surrounding marshlands. When we visited in November, several people were at the dock fishing and wading in the creek catching blue crabs.
Adjacent to the boat ramp is a walking trail leading .8 miles through a salt marsh to an outlying island. Tall cedars and palm trees shade a portion of the path. On the island driftwood & fallen trees can be seen lying on the beach like twisted, gray sculptures. The sight of sea shells harkens back to the days when Indians harvested shellfish for food and discarded the shells which in time formed mounds or midden.
Continuing south on CR 357 for about ½ mile is a campground situated on a sandy beach with palm trees and a long fishing pier leading out into the Gulf of Mexico. In the afternoons, sunlight shines on the beach in a bluish-white hue and shimmers off the Gulf creating a polarizing effect. Because of the beach’s concave shape, we believe Shired Island offers one of the best vantage points to view the setting sun in the Lower Suwannee Region of Florida’s Gulf Coast.
If you’re coming from Cross City, follow CR351 south for 8 miles then make a left onto CR357 for about 11 miles to reach the island. If you’re staying in Horseshoe Beach, follow CR351 north for about 11 miles then make a right to follow CR357 for about 11 miles to reach the island.
Once on the island, the first road on the right leads to the boat ramp and nature trail while the second road leads to the campground. CR 357 terminates on a cul-de-sac at the south end of the island. While visiting the island, we recommend keeping to the beach and in the public areas so as not to disturb the wildlife and archeological site.
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