Florida Beaches North West Coast

St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge
The 68,000-acre St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge protects most of the coastline south of Tallahassee. Hiking, boating, fishing and camping are popular activities across the miles of coastal marches, island, tidal creeks and estuaries. On site is St. Marks Lighthouse, which built in 1830, is the only lighthouse in Florida with wooden stairs.

Dekle Beach
This is a quiet community that is popular for boating, fishing and scalloping. Swimming beaches are limited.

Keaton Beach
Located halfway between Perry to the north and Steinhatchee to the south, Keaton Beach is an outpost town with a laidback, relaxing atmosphere. The wild, natural public beach has a shaded picnic area, restrooms, and a 700-foot fishing pier and boat ramp. These are prime scalloping waters from mid to late summer, and the area is famous for year-round fishing.

Mexico Beach
Mexico Beach has been known as one of the top ten beaches in the past five years. White sugar beaches, high dunes and rare shells for the picking have attracted young and old here year after year. There is also a 117-year-old lighthouse. A small town center nearby offers a sprinkling of local shops and dining.

St. Joe Peninsula State Park, Cape San Blas
St. Joe was Voted #1 Beach by Dr. Beach in 2002! Sun lovers flock to the 10 miles of white sand beach during the summer where the water temperature averages around 84 degrees. Swimming, sunbathing, fishing, and kite-flying are some of the activities that take place here. St. Joseph Peninsula State Park has some of the oldest and highest sand dunes in the state and the park offers 2,516-acres bounded on three sides by the waters of St. Joe Bay and the Gulf of Mexico where snorkelers are drawn to the clear water of St. Joseph Bay in search of sea horses, brittle stars and horseshoe crabs.

Frank Pate Park
Located in downtown Port St. Joe, this park lines the Gulf of Mexico and offers a boat ramp, fishing pier, picnic area and stunning views of one-of-a-kind Florida sunsets.

St. Vincent National Wildlife Refuge
This natural barrier island set off the Apalachicola coast has well over 12,000 pristine acres and is only accessible by boat. Hike along the miles of beach and it's possible you won't see another person, and definitely not a single man-made structure. Hiking, bicycling, and limited camping, hunting and fishing are also available.

St. George Island State Park
Situated at the western tip of Florida's Big Bend, St. George offers silent beaches that are perfect for sunning and shelling and surf fishing. The east end of the island is occupied by the 1,800-acre St. George Island State Park, which has eight miles of unspoiled coastline. It features picnic areas with bathhouses, boardwalks, observation decks, nature trails and camping facilities.

Dog Island
Accessible only by boat or plane, Dog Island is nearly devoid of any modern development, with the exception of a few private homes. Spend an afternoon here walking the dune swept beaches and gazing off into the horizon.

Panama City Beach and Pier
This wide, soft-sand beach is at the center of lively waterfront Panama City Beach. Everything sun and surf can be done here, from body surfing and parasailing to sunbathing and castle building.

Bay County Pier and Park/Miller Park
This popular stretch of sand is vibrant with activity. The pier is open 24 hours and the beach is perfect for skim boarding, volleyball and body surfing. Miracle Strip Amusement Park is nearby.

Rick Seltzer Park
Located near Bay Point, this 4.7-acre community park is one of the newest in the area, with a recreational area, gazebo, nature trail, and beautiful beaches.

St. Andrews State Park
St. Andrews State Park was voted the #1 Beach in America in 1995, and today still lives up to the honor with more than 1,260 acres, two fishing piers, jetties and 1.5 miles of pristine shoreline. The park offers swimming and snorkeling in the warm waters of the Gulf and in the shallow, protected pool behind the jetties. Camping, hiking and more are available on site.

Shell Island
As part of St. Andrews State Park, this 700-acre barrier island is open to ferries for sightseeing tours of its white-sand shores. It is a peaceful spot for swimming and collecting shells. Shuttles run to the island spring and summer.

Blue Mountain Beach
This beach is the highest point on the Gulf of Mexico in the United States, offering majestic views of the glimmering ocean and fabulous Florida sunsets.

Sandestin Beach
Sandestin is a family-friendly beach town alive with activity along its shimmering shores. Snorkeling, fishing and relaxing are the keys to enjoyments in Sandestin.

Santa Rosa Beach
Located on scenic Highway 30-A, Santa Rosa Beach is a stretch of rounded dunes and soft white sands. Nearby upscale shopping areas and restaurants make this a quiet, refined beach area.

Grayton Beach State Park
Rated a best overall beach by Florida Travel Magazine in 2002 thanks to its large, mile-long stretch of white dunes, Grayton Beach State Recreation Area offers 356 acres of pine woodlands, freshwater lakes and white beaches. This 2,228-acre coastal park is a prime spot to watch the migration of the monarch butterflies in the fall on their way to Mexico.

Seaside
Play in the clean, crashing surf and run along the shores of this beach community that is best known as the location for the film "The Truman Show" starring Jim Carey. Shopping, dining and activities are all a short bike ride or walk away.

Eden Gardens State Park
Looking like it must have over a hundred years ago, the park center is in a beautiful plantation-style home overlooking Choctawhatchee Bay. Picnic areas and walking trail are on the grounds, and tours of the welcome center are given hourly.

Seagrove Beach
A mile and a half long beach encircling a small cove, Seagrove Beach lures visitors with its beauty and serenity. Nature lovers will appreciate the seemingly untouched shoreline and nearby nature trails.

Phillips Inlet Area
Situated at the Bay County line, Inlet Beach has 19 acres of undeveloped shoreline to explore. The inlet on the eastern shore is a popular place to view marine life.

Newman Brackin Wayside Park/Okaloosa Island Pier
Located on Santa Rosa Island across the bay from Fort Walton Beach, this is a 40-acre park with a fishing pier. The pier area is frequented for surfing and fishing, as well as people-watching and light dining.

Beasley Wayside Park
Situated on the largest stretch of public beach on the Gulf side of Okaloosa Island, 22-acre Beasley Wayside Park includes showers, picnic pavilions and a 400-seat restaurant, a beach club, children's playground, beach volleyball and plenty of fun for everyone.

Fred Gannon Rocky Bayou State Park, Niceville
This 357-acre park has 42 campsites, several of which overlook scenic Rocky Bayou, an arm of Choctawhatchee Bay. Fishing in Rocky Creek is popular and three hiking trails circle through the park's sand pine forest.

Henderson Beach State Park
Gleaming stretches of pure white sand characterize Henderson Beach. The natural 6,000-foot beach is protected by sand dunes and sea oats. Dolphins and rays can be seen frolicking in the emerald waters offshore. There are 60 campsites, as well as nature trails, picnic areas, restrooms, grills and more.

Ed Walline Roadside Park
As the name indicates, this park is found directly off scenic Hwy. 30-A, just east of Destin. Ed Walline Roadside Park offers public beach access, parking, picnic tables, showers and restrooms.

Pensacola Beach
Pensacola Beach occupies nearly eight miles of the 40-mile-long Santa Rosa barrier island. It is surrounded by the Santa Rosa Sound to the north, the Gulf of Mexico to the south and on either side by the federally protected Gulf Islands National Seashore. An array of shopping, lodging, restaurants, beach bars and entertainment compliments the natural beaches.

Casino Beach
This energetic place is the geographic center of Pensacola Beach, where many gather for swimming and fun.

Quietwater Beach
Located just a bit away from the commercial core of the beach, Quietwater offers many deserted alcoves where you can hide away with a book or snooze on the warm sand without being disturbed.

Pensacola Beach Fishing Pier and Observation Post
At 1,471 feet the pier is the longest on the Gulf of Mexico, stretching across emerald green waters beyond two sand bars, providing breathtaking views of the shoreline.

Perdido Key
This barrier island offers wide swaths of beaches and protected dunes. As part of the Gulf Islands National Seashore, more than half the island is undeveloped, offering a picture-perfect view of pristine dunes and emerald waters.

Gulf Islands National Seashore
Run by the National Park Service, the seashore encompasses several beaches, picnic areas, campsites, historic areas and diverse wildlife along the Santa Rosa Island and part of Perdido Key.

Fort Pickens
Located at Perdido Key's western end, this beach offers uncrowded, pristine beaches as well as a little bit of history thanks to the fort, which was one of three local forts built in the 1820s to protect Pensacola Bay.

Opal Beach
Newly refurbished and named for the 1995 hurricane that damaged part of the coast, Opal Beach is located halfway between Pensacola Beach and Navarre Beach. The park offers ample parking, picnic facilities and bathrooms.

Big Lagoon State Park
On the mainland, 590-acre Big Lagoon State Park is an especially attractive setting for hiking, boating, swimming, fishing and has 30 campsites. Island golfing, tasty dining, and quirky shops abound. An observation tower at the East Beach area provides a panoramic view of Big Lagoon, the park and Gulf Islands National Seashore across the Intracoastal Waterway.

Navarre Beach
Nestled between tall shady oaks and the Santa Rosa Sound, Navarre Beach is a family beach of snow-white sands and emerald green surf perfect for surfing.