My in-laws watched the boys for us while we went on our own little couple adventure to St. Andrews State Park, Shell Island and Pineapple Willy’s. Before we get into our time at St. Andrews make sure you check out our adventures that led up to this. We have a Gulf Coast Overview Article that will show you all about the road trip that led us here.
St. Andrews State Park – From Emerald Green Waters and Sugar White Sands to Salt Marshes and a Gator Lake
Everything you need to know about St. Andrews State Park in Panama City Beach, Florida?
St. Andrews State park has over 1,260 acres of land and 1.5 miles of it being beach accessible. The park has marshes, dunes, pine flatwoods, and scrub.
The beach was voted America’s best beach in 1995. The beach is amazing, the sand is so soft and the water is so clear blue/green. You can play in the sand, get your tan on, view wildlife, snorkel, boat, fish and more.
St. Andrews State park is more than a beach. They have wooded areas, a marsh and a gator lake. A visitor center with tons of interactive exhibits and detailed information on the area. There’s also multiple campsites and restrooms with showers.
Our experience at St. Andrews State Park in Panama City Beach, Florida
We woke up early and drove from our hotel to the state park. It took around 25 minutes to get there. First thing we did was pay the entrance fee of 8$ per vehicle. The fee is totally worth. The beach was much less crowded than the hotels beach.
After getting our map and receipt we headed to the store to rent our kayak and pay for our passes for the Shell Island Shuttle. (Shell Island is part of St. Andrews State Park but you can find out all about it in an upcoming article.)
After visiting Shell Island we we dropped off the rentals and grabbed our packed lunches. There was a small ice cream shack that made nitro frozen ice cream, I couldn’t resist. They mixed in brownies and handed it to me while it smoked from the nitrogen. It was a perfect treat for a beach day.
Later, we walked to the G.C. Tiller Memorial Pier. The Pier was perfect for photos. I love the photos I took of my wife there. We even sat the camera down on a bench, set the timer and got a photo of us together.
After walking the pier, we went down to the beach where I did a quick fly by with my drone. Then we headed to Gator Lake.
The environment around Gator Lake was so different. We loved it, the greenery was so vivid. It made another great spot for photos. We did a little hike on the trail keeping an eye out for gators. We were sad but also happy we didn’t see any.
Things to keep in mind
Hours:
St. Andrews State Park is open 365 days a year from 8:00 a.m. to sundown.
Entrance fee :
$8 per vehicle or $4 for a single occupant vehicle. $2 for pedestrians or cyclist.
Boat launch fee:
$12 for one person or $16 for two to eight people.
Camping :
$28 a night to camp which includes water and electricity.
Where is St. Andrews State Park?
St. Andrews state is located in the north western panhandle of Florida just east of Panama City. Check it out on the map below.
More info:
For more information about current park conditions, updates and everything else check out the official website for St. Andrews State Park.
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What’s Next?
Next, we headed to Pineapple Willy’s for a delicious meal and fun environment. Keep an eye out for that article!