National Parks Traveler Episode 93: Crab Island Party At Gulf Islands National Seashore

In this week’s show, we’re taking a look at some of the crowding issues that national park managers are struggling to address. But this one at Gulf Islands National Seashore in Florida is a bit more unusual than many others. You might have heard about Crab Island, Florida. It’s a lively spot within the national seashore that attracts throngs of partiers, personal watercraft, and businesses that sell everything from frozen bananas to hot boiled peanuts.  

What’s wrong with that? Well, not only are there fatalities associated with this partying, but this "island" really is just a submerged sand bar, and it serves as a vital nursery area for Gulf of Mexico fisheries and has been identified as a critical resource in the national seashore.

This area -- with its dozens of unauthorized floating food vendors, bars, and large moored structures -- has been for the most part unregulated and unmanaged over the past decade or so due to jurisdiction complexities between the National Park Service, the state of Florida, Okaloosa County and Eglin Air Force Base.  

So to determine an appropriate level of commercial activity in this area and its relation to the severe safety and environmental problems there, the National Park Service has begun developing a Commercial Services Strategy that will provide a guide to regulating and managing the area.  

Traveler’s Lynn Riddick reached out to Gulf Islands Superintendent Dan Brown to discuss the early stages of strategy development, including the collection of public input from various commercial stakeholders.