T.H. Stone Memorial St. Joseph Peninsula State Park
Sugar-white sands, picturesque beach oats, sand pine scrub, stunning high dunes and sparkling blue oceans comprise some of the many scenic wonders of T.H. Stone Memorial St. Joseph Peninsula State Park. In 2002, this nine-mile beach was ranked Number 1 on "Dr. Beach's List of America's Top Beaches." Camping, cycling, swimming, hiking and snorkeling are just a few of the activities available within the park that are sure to please the outdoor enthusiast. Because of its geography as a coastal barrier peninsula, St. Joseph's makes an ideal bird-watching destination---more than 240 bird species have been documented within the park. Full-service campgrounds and primitive campsites within the wilderness preserve are both available.
T.H. Stone Memorial St. Joseph Peninsula State Park
8899 Cape San Blas Road
Port St. Joe, FL 32456
(850) 227-1327
floridastateparks.org/stjoseph/default.cfm
Forgotten Coast
More than 200 reefs along the so-called "Forgotten Coast" near Port St. Joe create premier shallow diving and snorkeling opportunities. Excellent fishing (including recreational scalloping) abounds in this area, as well as the chance to observe dolphin and other marine life in their natural habitat. Numerous charters in the area cater to the outdoor enthusiast's love of ocean adventures and wildlife.
Cape San Blas
This lovely area of Gulf County provides a perfect setting for paddling canoes or kayaks over calm sand flats, grassy glades, estuaries and salt marshes. Paddlers might well sight the sea turtles and bottle-nosed dolphins who make this area their home. Be on the lookout for the horseshoe crabs or starfish that frequent the sandy bottom of the tidal flats. Replete with birds such as the osprey, snowy egret, blue heron and other endangered species, Cape San Blas presents the outdoor enthusiast with all the sights and sounds of Gulf County nature at its most stunning.
Article Written By Misty Murray
Misty Murray has been writing professionally since 1987. An award-winning, senior advertising copywriter, she's written for major clients in Southern California and Hawaii. As lead writer for a popular Big Island home magazine, she specializes in Hawaii homes and interior design. She has also written for national magazines. Murray holds a Bachelor of Arts in English from the University of California, Los Angeles.
