Destinations: Cape San Blas

A scenic, 10-minute drive east of Port St. Joe will take you to our most hidden beaches of Cape San Blas and Indian Pass. Each offers a character of its own with miles of shell-strewn, pet-friendly shorelines and a vast array of eco-excursions.

Begin your adventure into the (truly) wild blue yonder by heading east out of Port St. Joe, to scenic C-30A. Follow this two-lane road through the St. Joseph Bay Buffer Preserve and take a right onto C-30E. Until you've actually laid eyes on the coastline of Cape San Blas, you're bound to underestimate this sandy stretch of splendor. Like a giant arm, the seventeenmile long barrier peninsula, curves around St. Joseph Bay offering playful surf and white sand beaches on the Gulf side, with just a short walk across to spectacular fishing on the bay side. Once you arrive, you'll understand why it was America's #1-Ranked Beach, for its natural beauty, in 2002.

The Cape is known for its clear, sometimes blue, sometimes green water and low, gentle surf-but there's a lot more to do than swim. Drag a chair to the beach with a book, throw a line to the surf, or comb the shore for treasures... but be sure to keep an eye out for dolphins schooling by. Scattered with shells including as giant cockles, angel wings, olive shells and lightening whelks, this pooch-friendly paradise is super soft and sparkling white.

Tired of relaxing? It does happen. Peddle Loggerhead Run bike trail for a different view (or better yet- for ice cream when you hit the end of the trail at Cone Heads!), browse through kitschy beach stores, or grab a few pounds of bay shrimp to steam while you watch the sun go down.

Looking for something more adventurous? Local outfitters will get you rigged...horseback riding is available, (and yes, you get to ride on the beach). Prefer something smoother? Canoe, kayak and sailboat rentals are nearby as well as diving, snorkeling and eco-excursions. Explore the bay. It's a giant aquarium! Wade fish grassy flats, or rent a kayak with your kids and glide above two feet of water for miles. Clear, shallow water offers hours of safe play and discovery for little ones as well as adults. Sand dollars, starfish, scallops and schools of colorful fish are fun to find-ten times more fun with a scoop net and mask! Our bay is a safe haven to fragile marine life that depend on sea grass for food and shelter, until they are old enough to swim out to the real world. (So, please don't let your boat propeller drag across the grass, it takes three years to grow back!)

St. Joe Bay is one of the few remaining areas in Florida where there is a significant bay scallop population. St. Joseph State Park is a great way for visitors to get to the bay and scoop them up. Wade out from shore or launch your boat from Eagle Harbor-you'll see why scalloping is one of our most popular summer activities.

St. Joseph Peninsula State Park
FloridaStateParks.org describes our 2516-acre facility as miles of sugar white sand, superb views from high dunes and over 240 species of birds, with a boat ramp at Eagle Harbor. Or, you can just read what TripAdvisor visitors had to say...

"My favorite state park in Florida" This is the best State Park in the Florida system, period. Miles of walking and biking. I don't know about the campsites but the cabins are excellent, all with their own little beaches, good swimming and even windsurfing....I am writing this from a cabin here and my Verizon 3g is good but bring a USB stick antenna if you need to be online...

"The Forgotten Coast" This was the most awesome state park I've ever seen! The white sandy beach on one side and the bay on the other. We could sun and swim on the secluded beach or go boating and snorkeling in the bay. Scallop season was plentiful and delish! For nature lovers like me, you will be amazed by all the state park...