Carrabelle today is far different than the tiny fishing village in panhandle Florida of 1942. While the year round population is currently less than 3,000, at the beginning of World War II the inhabitants’ numbers had barely reached a thousand.
Chartered in 1893, fishing, logging and subsistence farming sustained the residents during those early and much simpler years. This Gulf County, Florida, community was secondary to the much larger and strategically located town of Apalachicola, about 23 miles west, which was a major cotton shipping port in the antebellum years.
The Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor shattered the tranquility and ended the geographic obscurity of this panhandle location. In less than a year Camp Gordon Johnston was opened as a training facility which focused on the amphibious landings soon to occur in Europe and Asia.
From a mid-20th century military perspective, the site had a number of positive features. Located on Florida’s gulf coast inter-coastal waterway, the relatively shallow waters and shifting channels offered protection from roving German submarines.
Coastal cities like Jacksonville and Miami lived under the constant threat of attacks on shipping within sight of their deep-water ports. A Nazi U-boat even landed saboteurs a few miles south of Jacksonville, but fortunately they were captured soon after.
The undeveloped acreage also offered excellent training grounds for the rigorous terrain which would challenge American soldiers in the years to come. Originally called Camp Carrabelle, the name was changed to honor a Congressional Medal of Honor winner from the 1906 Philippines Insurrection, Colonel Gordon Johnston.
Today’s Carrabelle shows little resemblance to the WWII training center. A small museum and a few historical markers are all that remains of the base which closed in 1946.
Still there are many reasons to visit the area. The unspoiled north Florida environment is the top feature attracting both visitors and new residents.
On the beaches where soldiers once waded ashore, locals and tourists now sun themselves. The sugar-white sands slope gently into the calm waters shielded from the open Gulf of Mexico by barrier islands.
Anglers can fish from the shore, bring a boat, or charter one for a trip to one of the many off-shore “honey spots”.
Water activities are not limited to the marine resources. The Carrabelle River and its tributaries provide excellent canoeing/kayaking, along with fishing opportunities.
For those wishing to stay on terra firma, the area’s public lands offer a variety of hiking and camping opportunities. Tate’s Hell State Forest, an area with many stories and legends, is managed by the Florida Forest Service.
The area is blissfully deficient of tacky tourist traps. There are no roadside gator-petting enterprises or snake-a-toriums, but there are plenty of tee-shirt and souvenir shops during the summer tourist season.
In addition to the Camp Gordon Johnston Museum, the two other cultural sites are the New River Lighthouse and the “world’s smallest police station (a phone booth)”. Both are located on the U.S. Highway which passes through the center of town.
What to Expect
Visitors can enter the town either by U.S. 98 from the east or west, or Florida 67 from the north. If taking Florida 67, be sure to have a full tank of fuel as there are very few facilities on this route and cellphone service is intermittent.
Visitors staying longer than a day have the choice of beachfront rentals, several RV parks, and a few traditional lodgings. Prices vary by season.
The town, though small by 21st century standards, has a good selection of businesses which serve the residents and visitors. Restaurants, gas stations, grocery and convenience stores and more are easily available.
The level of traffic and tourist activity varies by season. Typical of many north Florida coastal sites, the summer is very busy. School breaks do increase the number of visitors, but not like the better known coastal cities which offer far more entertainment venues.
No doubt many WWII soldiers from midwest farms, northeastern cities and other regions found the area an unspoiled region with much potential. Luckily much of that charm remains today.
Sliders sidebar: The natural resources and strategic location of Carrabelle made it an important place to safely practice for the seaborne invasions. Today, tourists and pleasure craft have replace soldiers and landing craft.
Les…. we have enjoyed Carrabelle several times, as we have good friends who have a house there. Thanks for another interesting article!