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St. Joseph Peninsula State Park

Boasting some of the largest natural sand dunes in the United States, St. Joseph Peninsula State Park is one of the jewels of the Florida State Park System.  Located just off of Highway 98, the Florida Gulf Coast highway, St. Joseph S.P. is a 2-3 hour drive from Panama City, and just south of the quaint bayside town of Port St. Joe.

Camping is spectacular in this Gulf front location.  The state park and St. Joseph’s Wilderness Preserve encompass the entire peninsula, featuring St. Joseph Bay on the north side, and the Gulf of Mexico on the South. The state park offers 199 improved campsites, along with 8 cabins. Reservations can be made online www.reserveamerica.com.  Over 20 miles of shoreline make this a beach goers paradise.

And what about reservations and the weather…  Tucked away in the curve of the Florida Panhandle Gulf Coast, this area is a target for hurricanes.  Our experience had been that, when a tropical Storm Warning is issues for an area, the State Park in question closes.  Everyone there has to leave, and all incoming reservations are cancelled.  Unfortunately, we have felt like Murphy’s Law has been upon us for the past few years. Three years in a row, we had reservations to camp during scallop season, which is also hurricane season, only to have our reservations dashed by storms with landfall the day of or the day before we were to arrive!  Our positive news is that, in each case, refunds of our camping fees were quick, automatic and trouble-free.

Snorkeling, kayaking and canoeing in St. Joseph bay are all popular activities.  The bay hosts wildlife both over and under the water.  Snorkeling in the clear, fairly shallow waters introduces you to starfish, seahorses, sea urchins, and many different shellfish. The state park has an interesting museum, identifying all the shells you might come across.

Bay scallops are plentiful.  These small, tasty morsels can be harvested only during the scallop season.  Running from July  to September,  you need a Florida fishing license www.MyFWC.com; the exact dates and regulations are all spelled out for you at their website.  The Annual Scallop Festival is a special event each August www.Gulfchamber.org.

Bird watching is a year-long treasure at St. Joseph S.P.  Over 220 varieties of birds can be seen annually.   Riding our bikes to the end of the paved road in the Nature Preserve, we saw several people, camera aimed skyward.  The subjects in question were a pair of majestic bald eagles, perched high on the tops of pine trees near the bay.  The Northwest Florida Birding Festival, held in October each year, celebrates and explores the migratory fowl that grace the region www.joe.com.

As a sidetrip, the quaint town of Port St. Joe is a great place to enjoy a scrumptious meal at one of the many restaurants that dot the bayside.  Rentals of small boats, canoes and kayaks for explore the bay waters on your own are plentiful. www.Portstjoe.info If you are a history buff, the Florida Constitution Convention State Museum, also part of the state park system, is not far off the main highway www.exploresouthernhistory.com.

Exploring the breath-taking sand dunes on the 1,750 acre nature Preserve has always been the highlight of any visit to St. Joseph S.P. for us.  Hiking trails traverse the preserve all the way to the tip of the peninsula.  Just a warning – it is all hiking in the sand!  You will get a workout.

One particularly special evening, we had hiked over the dunes down to the Gulf Beach.  The sunset was spectacular beyond description.  It was February, and a cold wind was whipping off the Gulf of Mexico, blowing the sand to reveal shells buried in the beach.  As we sat in silence, listening to the windsong and watching the pelicans go for a last bite to eat before dark, a herd of deer appeared over the top of a dune.  They made their way down a well-worn path to the edge of the water, and drank from the Gulf.  It was the most amazing sight.

St. Joseph Peninsula is a magical place.  If you can pass up the sunbathing, give it a try during the winter and spring.  You will not be disappointed.