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Stump Pass Beach State Park – A Retrospective in Photos

This is a pic
It is easy to see how the park got its name

Stump Pass Beach State Park is located in Englewood, Florida.at the southern tip of Manasota Key. The park is bordered by the Gulf of Mexico to the west and Lemon Bay to the east. The pass itself connects the two bodies of water. The park is a favorite among locals and the parking lot is often filled to capacity early in the morning even on weekdays.

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Dead trees line the beach along the Gulf of Mexico

Boaters can access the park as well and the Lemon Bay waterway has been known as “Ski Alley” for years. On the Gulf side bathers crowd the northern portion of the park while walkers enjoy the 1.3 mile trail from the parking lot to the pass. It is a favorite among bird watchers. Rare terns nest in the area every spring. Sea turtles lumber ashore to lay their eggs in the sand.

A skier throws up a rooster tail along “ski Alley”. The area is favored for the sport as the long straight waterway is protected from the wind meaning few waves to spoil the fun.
These terns are protected and their nesting area is roped off
The terns just lay their eggs in the sand.
I used a telephoto lens for this shot. The birds will not let you get too close

The park was transferred from the Port Charlotte Beach State Recreation Area to the state of Florida in 1970 and the state park opened to the public in 1971. Back then the park offered no services, but today there are restrooms, showers and picnic tables. Boardwalks crossed over the dunes offering passage to the beach.

A unique aspect of the park is that it is always changing. Trees and brush die off due to saltwater intrusion and erosion. Years ago it was easy to see how the park got its name. Dead trees and stumps lined the water’s edge. With each passing year storms and wave action brought down trees along the water. Some stood out n the water as the beach eroded. Eventually they would fall into the water and be gone. A coastline that made it hard to follow without getting wet turned into wide beaches. Today it is different. Few stumps remain and most large trees are gone. Grasses, sea grapes and palm trees still cover the sandy ground. Shells can be found in abundance along the waterline. Some of those shells end up as decoration on bushes.

A trail starts near the parking lot and leads the pass. It starts on a boardwalk and then turns into a very sandy path. Along the way one was treated with views of the Gulf and bay. Some wild flowers brightened the landscape, attracting insects and butterflies. Ospreys and other birds could be spotted as well as turtles and an occasional rabbit. One section beneath a canopy of trees stayed wet and a colony of fiddler crabs could be heard scuttled off the trail into the brush, their movement sounding like rain on the leaves. At the past one could find a beach often crowded with boats. The flats offered sanitary for the terns and other shore birds. We would often sit in the water here as the water was protected from the hind and was seldom choppy. My hope is the trail will once again be usable.

A rock jetty was added to the beach just north of the pass to help prese3rve the beach on the Gulf side. It worked. At least temporarily.

This is the rock jetty that was built
The rocks were soon buried in sand. At the center of this pic is a sign warning visitors to keep off the rocks.

Weathered picnic shelters sit low to the ground as sand is piled from passing storms
Shells piled up. Check out the visitor in the center.
A turtles journey to find a good spot for her eggs before returning to the Gulf Of Mexico
Shells decorate a tree stump
The perfect Christmas card from paradise

The land is low enough that waves from storms wash across the park. Hurricane Ian took down many if not all of the tall trees within the park in 2022. Then came 2024. Hurricane Helene moved north through the Gulf sending storm surge and crashing waves along Florida’s west coast. Manasota Key took a beating. Before the residents could recover Hurricane Milton moved up the coast. This storm brought new storm surge to the key already devastated by Helene. Homes and businesses were destroyed and roadways torn apart.  A new pass opened in the state park just south of the parking lot. As a result the park is now closed. While it listed as a temporary closing, I have doubts that the park will be able to open to foot traffic any time in the near future.

Temporary comfort station put in place after Hurricane Ian in 2022
These trees are long gone
Sometimes the park held a surprise or two. An abandoned bot washed up after a storm.
The beauty of this park cannot be overstated

In case you did not get enough, you can find more of my Stump Pass pics here:https://robertwilderjr.com/collections/stump+pass+beach+state+park

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Why Monochrome Sundays?

Most of my photos are monochrome (black and white) so it is not that big a deal to only post monochrome on Sundays. Still, I made the rule because Sundays are a day for stories.

Color paints pictures but monochrome tells the story.

It is a simple philosophy. I feel that monochrome makes for a more dramatic scene. One can get lost in the “prettiness” of colors and not see what lies below the surface. Monochrome pulls you right into the subject exposing all the beauty of light, shadow, lines and imperfections. Yes, there are times when a photo is meant to show the imperfections that are a part of the beauty.

There is another reason for my use of monochrome. that is more pragmatic. Florida landscapes are a passion of mine. While Florida is pretty green much of the year, during the dry (and cool) winter months the grass turns brown as it goes dormant. It is still Florida, just less green. I know that might sound like a contradiction to my imperfection comment earlier, but it is not, really. When I have shown people a color photo of Florida in winter they immediately comment on the lack of green. In monochrome there are no greens, just the beauty that is always a part of the Florida landscape.

Even during the wet season (it rains almost daily during the summer months) there are always some browns mixed in with the greens. Palm fronds die and hang in the tree for a bit before wind, rain and time make them fall. The dead brown fronds are a distraction. One does not notice them so much in monochrome.

One could call it a bias, I suppose. My desire is to show the beauty of Florida so I am hiding its imperfections. There may be some truth to that.

Enough philosophy. On to the dramatic effects of monochrome and the stories the lack of color tell.

Here are two photos I took just seconds apart of a rain cloud moving into the Gulf of Mexico in Venice, Florida, my home. In the color photo you can see the rain but it is not so distinct. The blues blend together and the spots of blue sky (a feature of Florida weather that I’ll discuss more at another time) are a distraction.

Rain storm moving into the Gulf of Mexico

I could adjust the colors and contrast of this photo to make the rain stand out, but that’s not my style. As it is the rain just seems to fade into the background, it is just part of the clouds.

In the monochrome photo there is more of a contrast. The dark clouds and rain stand out. It seems more moody, a bit more dramatic. I can feel the approaching rain. It seems real, scary even.

Rain storm in monochrome

One can make color photos more dramatic. Contrast and saturation levels can be adjusted to make certain aspects stand out. I have no qualms about making some minor adjustments and will sometimes make some major changes to the saturation levels. You can see this in my “postcards”. I will always point out those changes in my description.

Sunny Florida Postcard

Many of the spectacular sunset photos you see have had major adjustments made. Nothing wrong with that. It is art, after all. I just prefer to show the world as it is, even if I do try to cover up some of the imperfections now and then. There’s enough beauty there for me. Such changes also remove details, the kind of details that monochrome highlights.

Most people will comment on the bright colors of a flower, the green of the grass or blue of the water. These are all valid observations, but I hope to provide a more intimate experience. I want you to look beyond the bright colors to see the lines and shapes of the petals, the interaction of the light and shadows.

In this photo of a tiger lily in the rain you can see the water drops, the variations of shading in the petals and their irregular edges. Those details become lost with color. There is nothing wrong with having pretty flowers hanging on your wall, I just want to show you what lies beyond the colors.

Tiger Lily in the Rain

I took this photo while on vacation in the mountains of North Carolina. It had been raining all day. No chance to stop and take photographs as the rain was too heavy. It finally slowed to a drizzle as we stopped for lunch. It was not a shot of a waterfall along a trail I had hoped for, but it was a photo waiting to be taken. I snatched it and went inside to keep dry.

Here’s another comparison. This is a pond alongside our local library. Both photos were taken on the same day just seconds apart. I think the difference in mood is evident.

The Pond in Color

I really love the monochrome version. It captures the difference in light from shadow to sun, an effect I find particularly pleasing. It’s as if the pond is in the spotlight as it should be. The grass in the foreground is in darkness as is the audience, you and me.

The Pond

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