Welcome to the Old Coast Guard Road!
Mala Compra Park is bisected north/south by a trail now known as the Old Coast Guard Road. This trail was used by Guardsmen stationed in the area to patrol our coastline during World War II. In the first half of 1942, German submarines sank more than 35 ships off the Florida coastline with one making a successful landing south of Jacksonville before being intercepted by our military. This prompted the military to establish a local Coast Guard Station and beach patrol specifically to watch for German subs and U-boats dropping off saboteurs on the coast.
The new Station was established at Marineland which was closed down at the beginning of the war and used for dog handling by the Coast Guard. The Marineland Station was under the supervision of Godfrey Pomar, boatswain's mate, second class who had a force of Coast Guard handlers and 75 patrolmen. The dog handlers and dogs received two months basic training at the army base in Front Royal, Virginia before deploying to Marineland. These Guardsmen then used the road to set-up patrols. Each patrol consisted of two men and one dog that would patrol the beach on foot and horseback for six hours at a time. The patrolling was done entirely at night and was broken up into two shifts. The beach was broken up into patrol stretches with watch/spotting towers located every six to eight miles and manned by the U.S. Army Air Corps Observers searching for enemy aircraft. These watch/spotting towers were located at Flagler Beach, Painter’s Hill and one just north of Mala Compra. Flagler residents were required to darken their windows at night during the war to make it more difficult to pick out landmarks because of the enemy attempts to penetrate our coasts.
This trail is listed on the Florida Master Site File as archaeological site # AFL 255 and still exists in its WWII era condition. It was and is an un-vegetated, natural-sand trail from 10’-15’ in width and currently requires no restoration. In 2006 documentation on the Old Coast Guard Road was requested by the State Department of Transportation in relation to the A1A Scenic Byway project and possible historic preservation of this trail. The plan was to add new boardwalks and trails on south Mala Compra. According to the State Historic Preservation Officer, Frederick Gaske, it was determined that the unique nature of the trail and its historic physical integrity makes it potentially eligible for the National Register for Historic Places. As such, Gaske stated that the trail’s historic physical appearance should be maintained and any alterations to parking, shelters or roads should be avoided or minimized. “The Old Coast Guard Road is one of the few resources remaining in Florida that represents the patrolling of the state’s shore line during World War II.”
You are looking for a glass jar that has been painted to blend in. This cache will not require you to bushwhack or venture far from the trail. Beware of Muggles as this location can be popular on the weekends and sunny days. You will need to bring your own pen to sign the log.