Opened in 1951, nestled in the Panhandle on the Gulf of Mexico in Panama City Beach, this 1,260 acres of state park is one of the most popular state parks in Florida. What a gem this place is. You can explore the natural coastal dunes, wetlands and forests of this place forever. Should you choose to go camping here, you can fish, go boating, they have a ramp to accommodate larger boats, go swimming, take out a canoe or a kayak, go bird watching and have a picnic. At
St. Andrews State Park you can also hike the nature trails, scuba dive, go kiteboarding or snorkel.
They have approximately 176 campsites, with water and electric hookups, at least four bathhouses dotted throughout, and a laundry to accommodate the camping area. Reservations are required and RV's are welcomed, as are church groups and Scout troops. Campfires are allowed too, when there are no fire threat warnings, so be sure to check with the Park Ranger. They have few concession stands throughout the Park too, opened from March to Labor Day. The concession stand is by the pier, where you can get what you want to snack on and also grocery items, and a souvenir or two for those back home.
In the spring and summer months, you can catch a shuttle to Shell Island, a 700 acre barrier island there which, as the name suggests, is a great place to get a collection of shells to remember your visit. They have two and a half miles of white sand beaches which lead you into the emerald green waters of the Gulf of Mexico. If you'd like to take a bike tour of the park, bikes can be rented during the summer months and boat tours are offered most of the year. The park is open 365 days a year from 8 a.m. to sundown.
Fishing
One of the things to do at the Park mentioned before was fishing. Fishing in Florida is a favorite pastime, and why not? Florida is, after all, a peninsula, so there are many places to hook 'the big one'.
St. Andrews has a deep-sea jetty and a fishing pier, which offer excellent vantage points all year. Sea Trout, Flounder, Spanish Mackerel, Dolphin, Red Fish, Bonito, Bluefish and Cobia are some of the fish usually caught at St Andrews State Park.
