When searching for the perfect secluded beach, try St. Andrews State Park and Shell Island!
Located near Panama City Beach, Florida this coastal park offers awesome scenic nature and an untouched and incredible secluded beach.
The 1,200 acre St. Andrews State Park is in close proximity to Panama City Beach, Florida and is tucked between St. Andrew Bay and the Gulf of Mexico. St. Andrews State Park’s immaculate beaches makes it the ultimate go to experience for fishing, swimming surfing, snorkeling and more fun to do activities. With the calm waters of the Bay on one side and the bouncing waves of the gulf on the other, visitors have best of both worlds to enjoy St. Andrews State Park’s water activities!
The St. Andrews State Park is recognized as having one of the best beaches in the United States. It’s perfect for all ages. It makes a fantastic day trip or camping adventure!
St. Andrews State Park is open to the public from 8 a.m. to sundown. There is an admission fee to enter with includes accessibility to the pier. St. Andrews State Park is dog-friendly in its picnic areas, campgrounds, and trails.
Check out the St. Andrews State Park’s Visitor Center. The Environmental Interpretive Center is an awesome place to begin your journey to St. Andrews State Park. The center has a video to welcome and introduce you to the park, topographical map and aerial photographs. See the Center’s ecosystem displays, including the jetty underwater life, piney woods, and marshlands. Spend time enjoying the butterfly, bird egg and sea shell collections, and the amazing sea turtle nesting exhibit.
St. Andrews State Park’s has 3 concession stores. The Camp Store offers bait and tackle, ice, camping supplies, firewood and rentals for golf carts, bicycles, pontoon boats and kayaks. The Jetty Store has food, snacks, drinks, beach chairs and umbrellas, and more. The Pier Store offers limited food snack items and souvenirs. The Pier Store is the place to load up for the bus to get on the ferry for a ride over to the marina for the Shell Island Shuttle.
The main part of St. Andrews State Park is accessible by vehicle while Shell Island is only accessible by watercraft.
Shell Island, part of St. Andrews State Park, is a 700-acre undeveloped barrier island with august natural beauty. Shell Island extends for some 7 miles where land and water remain in its natural origin without any interruption or hindrance from development. There are no motels, restaurants, no buildings…just pure untouched marvelous nature at its best.
St. Andrews State Park is located at 4607 State Park Ln, Panama City, FL
What are 10 things to do at St. Andrews State Park and Shell Island?
BUT BEFORE PROCEEDING, here’s a short youtube video on Destin that will be TONS OF FUN for a day trip while you are SPLASHING at Shell Island!
Contents
- 1. Go on a Hike at St. Andrews State Park
- 2. Go Biking at St. Andrews State Park
- 3. Grab Your Camera and Snap Awesome Photos
- 4. Go Swimming at St. Andrews State Park and Shell Island
- 5. Go Camping or Glamping at St. Andrews State Park
- 6. Go Fishing at St. Andrews State Park and Shell Island
- 7. Ride the Ferry to Shell Island
- 8. See Wild Bottlenose Dolphins at Shell Island
- 9. Collect Unique Shells of all Shapes, Sizes and Colors at Shell Island
- 10. Rent a Pontoon Boat and Enjoy Shell Island
- There you have it! 10 Things to do at St. Andrews State Park and Shell Island | Panama City Beach
1. Go on a Hike at St. Andrews State Park
St. Andrews State Park is perfect for taking a scenic hike through its trails.
The half-mile Gator Lake Trail runs along the freshwater Gator Lake in St. Andrews State Park. At the Lake’s vicinity, you will have opportunities to see amazing wildlife including alligators! And why not! Its not called Gator Lake for nothing!
Another trail is Heron Pond Trail that leads to Sandy Point. This trail goes through a pine forest.
It is a half mile hike just like the Gator Lake Trail.
The Park also has a 2-mile paved trail that is good for bike rentals.
All trails are not too challenging and abounds with nature all around them.
2. Go Biking at St. Andrews State Park
Rent a bike according to your choosing at the Camp Store and go biking on the Park’s paved 2-mile trail. Enjoy nature’s scenery as you leisurely trek down the path and see abundant wildlife including deer, alligators, birds and more.
3. Grab Your Camera and Snap Awesome Photos
St. Andrews State Park and Shell Island are filled with all types of wildlife and plant life.
Explore the vast marshlands inside the park itself and see intercoastal birds, shorebirds and alligators!
Manatees and sea turtles have been spotted in the waters along with various fish species, sea slugs, crustaceans, loggerhead turtles, and dolphins. Here’s some niffy advice, make sure your camera is waterproof so you can take as many photos as you want while even in the gulf or bay waters.
St. Andrews State Park and Shell Island are perfect to snap magnificent photos and have fun doing so!
4. Go Swimming at St. Andrews State Park and Shell Island
St. Andrews State Park is enclosed with awesome pristine white sandy beaches, and its emerald waters. Take a dip in the gulf waters or swim in the bay. You have a choice!
Go to Shell Island and swim the day away! Enjoy the barrier island’s unharmed and untouched beaches.
5. Go Camping or Glamping at St. Andrews State Park
Enjoy nature at its very best by camping overnight at the West Loop of the campground. Many of the campsites have a scenic view of the Lower Grand Lagoon.
Campsites accommodate tents all the way to RVs up to 50 feet long.
The campground is pet-friendly but not allowed in the buildings or swimming areas of the park.
Each campsite features amenities including connectibility to water, electric, and sewer. Each site is provided with a picnic table and grills. Restrooms and bathhouses are nearby along with laundry facilities.
Just a short distance away from the campgrounds are the Park’s trails, beaches, boat launch and park store.
Instead of pitching a tent or bring a RV, try GLAMPING!
St. Andrews State Park has eco-tents, with the view of the water. Each comes with modern conveniences including electricity, a queen bed, a twin-sized cot and other amenities.
6. Go Fishing at St. Andrews State Park and Shell Island
St. Andrews State Park has several outstanding options for anglers.
Enjoy fishing off the 500-foot pier that stretches out to the Grand Lagoon. Please be aware for safety reasons of the possibility of the closure of the “T” part of the pier at the seaward end of the gulf. It has been closed due to storm damage and will open back up when repairs have been completed.
Throw a line out while fishing on the jetties or inshore. Reel in catches including Spanish mackerel, red fish, flounder, sea trout, bonito, cobia, dolphin and bluefish.
Reach out to St. Andrews State Park about Florida fishing limits, regulations and licenses.
7. Ride the Ferry to Shell Island
Enjoy nature at its best! Shell Islands’ white sandy beaches and clear waters is an adventure that you will never forget!
Spend time picking up shells, relaxing on the beach, playing in the sand, swimming and more!
Go snorkeling while at Shell Island. Shell Island is considered to be one of the best places around Panama City Beach to go snorkeling. Its shallow pools of water with abundant fish and marine life make snorkeling a fun thing to do!
8. See Wild Bottlenose Dolphins at Shell Island
Shell Island is a area of significant wild bottlenose dolphin activity where they tend to group together. In Shell Island’s unspoiled beach and waters, bottlenose dolphins often are actively seen jumping, playing and feeding in the waters.
While there is always the strong urge to feed Bottlenose Dolphins, as they say JUST DON’T DO IT! It’s illegal to harass or feed bottlenose dolphins. It’s always best to stay a good distance away and just enjoy their entertainment.
Bottlenose dolphins are magical aren’t they! Just enjoy their show!
9. Collect Unique Shells of all Shapes, Sizes and Colors at
Shell Island
Shell Island lives up to its name for a reason! Many varieties of native shells can be found at Shell Island including moon snails, sand dollars, periwinkles, conch shells, olive shells and more.
If you love to collect shells, Shell Island is where you want to go!
There is one restriction on collecting shells. Many take home shells as a memento of Shell Island. And that’s perfectly fine with 1 RESTRICTION! Don’t collect any shells that have in it any marine animals like live snails or crabs.
10. Rent a Pontoon Boat and Enjoy Shell Island
Rent a Pontoon boat and enjoy the day in the waters at Shell Island. Rentals are available at the Camp Store in St. Andrews State Park or through the services of the Shell Island Shuttle.
Since the waters of Shell Island are usually calm and shallow it provides an excellent opportunity to have tons of fun.
There you have it! 10 Things to do at St. Andrews State Park and Shell Island | Panama City Beach
St. Andrews State Park and Shell Island is recognized as one of the best beaches in the United States.
When visiting Panama City Beach make sure that you include as part of your itinerary this majestic St. Andrews State Park and its unspoiled Shell Island!
It’s perfect for all ages and makes a fantastic day trip or camping trip!
Read my article on Panama City Beach. I think you will enjoy learning about PCB’s many attractions that compliment this gem.
If you are looking for a road trip or to add a adventure, check out my articles on Fort Walton Beach and Destin!
Travel safe and most of all have tons of FUN as you come to the Emerald Coast of the beautiful sunny State of Florida!
