Boating, Fishing, and Travel Information for Apalachicola, FL

N and S of the John Gorrie Memorial Bridge are numerous private docks with small-craft berths. The municipal pier and basin are about 300 yards S of the bridge. Berths and a launching ramp are available. In 1982, the pier had a reported depth of about 3 feet alongside the outer face, with 5 feet reported in the basin.
Two marinas are at the head of small bayous 0.8 and 0.6 mile SE of the railroad bridge. The southeasternmost facility is accessible through two channels with reported controlling depths of 3½ feet in 1982, while the other is accessible through a channel with a reported controlling depth of 5 feet. Gasoline, water, ice, limited marine supplies, berths, outboard motor repairs, and a launching ramp are available at each facility.
Navigation:
Click the “Map View” button above to see a chart of this harbor.
Apalachicola is on the N shore of Apalachicola Bay at the mouth of the Apalachicola River. The principal industries are fishing and oystering. The port is the gateway for the extensive river systems of the Chattahoochee and Flint Rivers. The Intracoastal Waterway enters Apalachicola River, passes the town, and then continues W through Jackson River.
The Apalachicola River entrance lighted range is partly obstructed by the highway bridge. The front range is a flashing light suspended below the bridge deck in the third bent W of the swing span and is difficult to see from the channel entrance. The rear range shows above the bridge deck, but may be difficult to identify in the daytime if vessels with tall masts are docked at the wharves north of the bridge.
The John Gorrie Memorial Bridge, a highway causeway, crosses the mouth of the Apalachicola River from East Point to Apalachicola. The bridge has a fixed span with a clearance of 65 feet over the main channel. Overhead power and telephone cables immediately N of the bridge have a clearance of 84 feet.
About 3.7 miles above the mouth, the river is crossed by a railroad swing bridge with a clearance of 11 feet.