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Cayo Costa State Park Island Like 'A Picture'

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By THOMAS BECNEL

Sarasota Herald-Tribune

Published: September 21, 2008

Mike Kwoka has seen rangers come and go at Cayo Costa State Park.

One guy only lasted five weeks.

Island life is not for everyone, even with air conditioning, satellite TV and Internet access. Three resident rangers visit the mainland for groceries and errands just a few times each month.

They learn to love the quiet barrier island at the mouth of Charlotte Harbor. Or they don't.

"This is total seclusion," said Kwoka, 66, who has been at Cayo Costa six years. "There's nothing. You can't hear anything. Maybe the surf in the distance."

Kwoka paces himself, moving slowly through a steamy September afternoon, but sweat soaks his green uniform. A mosquito spears the side of his nose, but he completes his thought before swatting it off.

"It's not an easy life out here; it's a tough environment," he said, checking for blood on his hand. "It takes a special temperament."

The pay is low - rangers start at $24,000 a year - but perks include a rent-free house and a million-dollar view.

Kwoka, a former contractor, lives with his girlfriend. During the day, he is busy with park maintenance, guest services and volunteer projects. In the evening, they go fishing, collect seashells and walk along seven miles of deserted beach.

"What's not to like?" he asked.

Barry Stevens, the resident park manager, spent 20 years in the Army. He has a regulation haircut and a non-regulation attitude.

The 54-year-old clearly loves the idea of doing his own thing at Cayo Costa.

Less supervision equals more freedom.

Wednesday, a fuel boat got stuck on a sandbar next to the dock. Stevens dropped his shoes and socks, then waded out and pushed it off. No problem - but he worried how that might look in the newspaper.

Some park supervisor might decide that barefoot rangers have gone crazy on the island.

After working for the state park service on the east coast, Stevens moved to Cayo Costa in February.

"There's nothing like this," he said. "This is the largest undeveloped barrier island in Florida."

The state park occupies some 2,400 acres. A few homesteads are grandfathered in, but the park service controls almost all of the island. There is a ranger station on the bay side, with sandy trails leading to 12 rustic cabins and 40 campsites along the Gulf of Mexico.

The park can only be reached by boat, but still draws 100,000 visitors a year.

Most of those guests arrive in winter, when rangers hustle to shuttle the crowds across the island. Summertime is for park repairs and worrying about tropical storms, not necessarily in that order.

Stevens wasn't around for Hurricane Charley, which destroyed a canopy of trees over the Cayo Costa campground, but his first year has been eventful. Summer floods followed an April wildfire that threatened to scorch the entire island.

Stevens and his wife have made themselves at home in a bayside house with a wide view and a low ceiling.

They may be physically cut off from the world, but they enjoy an electronic connection. Stevens surfs the Internet daily. He treats himself to NFL and NASCAR packages for his high-definition TV.

A perfect day ends with a frosty beer and a steaming soak in the Jacuzzi.

"They knew we were here to stay when we brought the hot tub," Stevens said.

The third state park ranger, Deborah King, 44, has been on the island just two months. Like Kwoka and Stevens, she is starting a second career.

In Nashville, she worked as a photographer and makeup artist.

Even with sweat dripping from her chin on the Cayo Costa dock, King looks ready for a photo shoot.

She accepted a ranger position on the mainland hoping for a transfer to Cayo Costa.

"I was just starving for the job," she said. "It took me a year to get out here, but it was worth it."

King brought cameras and photo equipment, along with paint and canvas. The quiet life appeals to her.

"I'm a bit of a hermit, even more so out here," she said. "What surprised me was that I could leave the luxuries behind and not blink."

One of those luxuries was her Porsche. During a storm, it was flooded in a parking lot on Pine Island. A total loss.

After the hassle of insurance and replacing the vehicle - a pickup, this time - King looked at the bright side of life on Cayo Costa.

No car, no traffic, no noise. Just sand, scrub and surf.

"It's like I'm living in a picture," she said. "I can see breathtaking sunsets every night."

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