“Fishing within the park is quite popular and the park provides multiple options for anglers to enjoy a full day of fishing. Popular locations within the park include pier fishing from the half-mile long accessible fishing pier at the beach parking area, surf fishing along the Atlantic shoreline and St. Mary’s Inlet as well as adjacent to the jetties near Fort Clinch which is accessible by the east and west inlet parking areas.Fort Clinch is one of the most well-preserved 19th century forts in the country. Although no battles were fought here, it was garrisoned during both the Civil and Spanish-American wars. Fort Clinch is one in a series of masonry forts constructed between 1816 and 1867 known as the Third System of Fortifications. Fort Clinch was built at the mouth of the St. Mary’s River to protect the natural deep-water port of Fernandina from becoming a point of invasion by a foreign power. In addition to serving as a sentinel against invasion, Fort Clinch also protected the eastern link of Florida’s only cross-state railroad.”