St. Andrews State Park
Welcome to St. Andrews State Park, the stunning 1200 acre state park located just 3 miles east of Panama City Beach. This park is a true outdoor lover sanctuary, offering guests beaches, nature trails, camping options, and seasonal Shell Island boat tours.
Here at St. Andrew's State Park you will be able to enjoy 5 distinct ecological landscapes in one stunning location. See the Gulf of Mexico on one side and the St. Andrew's Bay on the other, the park offering 1.5 miles of sparkling sugar-white sand beaches and emerald surf. Water recreation junkies will love the options available for swimming, snorkeling, surfing, and scuba diving throughout the area, as well as fishing, birdwatching, and people-watching.
Outside of the beach area you can enjoy strolling the pines, dunes, and coastal plants, with a couple nice nature trail options available in the area. You will likely encounter wildlife all throughout the area, this being a popular migratory bird and butterfly stopover. See herons, hawks, horned owls, and reptiles such as Southern racers, soft-shelled turtles, skinks, and alligators. There is actually a man-made gator lake onsite specifically for wildlife watching!
For more in-depth educational experiences head to the onsite visitor center and check out the interpretive exhibits covering park history and wildlife. You can learn about Theodore Tollefson, the man who shipwrecked here after a 1929 hurricane and decided to stay, see an authentic Turpentine Still donated in 1964, and meet with park rangers for specific information on nature trails and wildlife sightings.
