Mussallem Beachfront Park Photography Guide

About Mussallem Beachfront Park

Mussallem Beachfront Park sits on Coastal Highway (A1A) in the Vilano Beach area of St. Johns County — not downtown St. Augustine, even though its mailing address uses the St. Augustine, FL 32084 ZIP. The county reopened it in April 2025 after an 18-month, $1.5 million renovation, and what it gives a photographer that the open beaches nearby don't is real shade: the 8.5-acre park runs from the Atlantic on one side to the Intracoastal Waterway on the other, with a wooden boardwalk and stairs carrying visitors up and over the dune to the beach, plus a walking trail through the trees on the marsh side.

We shot a family session here that started at Vilano Beach and moved over to Mussallem for the second half once the kids had had enough open sun — the tree-lined path and boardwalk on the Intracoastal side gave them somewhere cool to walk (and something more fun to climb on) while the light went soft and dappled instead of flat.

For a family or portrait session, that's the real pitch: pair it with Vilano Beach for two different looks in one booking — open sand and dunes on one end, a shaded trail and boardwalk on the other, a few minutes apart.

Best Time to Photograph

Because the shaded trail is the draw, Mussallem holds up later into the morning and earlier into the evening than open beach light does — the tree canopy softens the sun in a way bare sand can't. If you're pairing it with a Vilano Beach session, shoot the beach portion first for sunrise or golden-hour light, then move over to Mussallem for the second half once the sun climbs higher or starts to drop too low for flattering beach light. On its own, most of the mid-morning through late-afternoon window works fine under the trees; you lose the direct golden-hour glow, but you gain even, forgiving light that's a lot more cooperative with squinty kids.

Photographer Tips

• Use the boardwalk and trail as a frame. The shaded, tree-lined path makes a natural leading line, and it gives younger kids somewhere to walk that isn't hot sand.
• Pair it with Vilano Beach in the same booking. Same general parking area, a few minutes apart, and two very different backdrops in one session.
• Bring bug spray. It's shaded and close to the marsh, so mosquitoes are a real factor, especially near dusk.
• Watch the dappled light. Full tree cover means moving highlights and shifting shadows; a wider aperture and a quicker shutter help freeze kids in motion under patchy sun.