The Panhandle

We’ve compiled the best of the best in The Panhandle - browse our top choices for the top things to see or do during your stay.

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  • 1. Alfred B. Maclay Gardens State Park

    From January to April (and especially in March), the grounds at this 1,200-acre estate, one of Florida's most stunning ornamental gardens, are abloom with azaleas, dogwood, magnolias, spring bulbs of tulips and irises, banana shrubs, honeysuckle, silverbell trees, pansies, and camellias. Wander along the brick path lined with oaks draped in moss to a reflecting pool and a tiny walled garden and around the lakes and woodlands. See if you can find the secret garden. Once the winter home of Alfred Maclay, a banker and financier from New York, the Maclay residence (open January through April) is furnished as it was in the 1920s. Picnic areas and a playground, as well as swimming, kayaking, and boating facilities on Lake Hall are open to the public. Outer portions of the park include 11 miles of trails used for walking, running, bicycling, and horseback riding.

    3540 Thomasville Rd., Tallahassee, Florida, 32309, USA
    850-487-4556

    Sight Details

    Rate Includes: $6; garden extra $6 during blooming season (Jan.–Apr.)
  • 2. Dr. Julian G. Bruce St. George Island State Park

    On the east end of the island are 9 miles of undeveloped beaches and dunes—the longest beachfront of any Florida state park. On the Gulf side, there's plenty of room to spread out and make a day of it sunning, swimming, picnicking, and watching shorebirds dart about as you walk at the waterline. Sandy coves, salt marshes, oak forests, and pines provide shelter for many birds, including bald eagles and ospreys on the bay side. Pavilions throughout the park offer spotless restrooms and plentiful parking. Boaters are welcome, as are campers, but the sites fill up quickly, so you'll need to reserve one in advance. Amenities: parking; showers; toilets. Best for: swimming; walking.

    1900 E. Gulf Beach Dr., St. George Island, Florida, 32328, USA
    850-927–2111

    Sight Details

    Rate Includes: $6 per vehicle
  • 3. Edward Ball Wakulla Springs State Park

    Known for having one of the world's largest and deepest springs, this very picturesque park retains the wild and exotic look it had in the mid-20th century, when two Tarzan movies and Creature from the Black Lagoon were shot here. Beyond the 1930s-era Spanish Mediterranean-style lodge (with 27 guest rooms) is the spring where Jungle Cruise boats (reservations required) set off deep into the vegetation-lined waterway to catch glimpses of alligators, snakes, and waterfowl. There's a swimming area and an observation tower that offers the daring a chance to plunge 20 feet into the springs' heart-stopping 69-degree water. In winter, a climb to the top of the tower also affords a great opportunity to see visiting manatees. In the dining room, you can enjoy spring views and a shake at the classic soda fountain.

    465 Wakulla Park Dr., Wakulla Springs, Florida, 32327, USA
    850-561–7276

    Sight Details

    Rate Includes: $6 per vehicle; boat tour $8
  • 4. Grayton Beach State Park

    One of the Gulf Coast's most scenic spots, this 2,220-acre park is composed primarily of untouched Florida woodlands within the Coastal Lowlands region. It also has salt marshes; rolling dunes covered with sea oats; crystal-white sand and contrasting blue-green waters; and Western Lake, a 100-acre rare dune lake that you can explore by canoe and kayak (rentals are available). Other offerings include facilities for swimming, fishing, and snorkeling; an elevated boardwalk that winds over the dunes to the beach; and walking trails around the marsh and into the piney woods. Note that the "bushes" you see are actually the tops of full-size slash pines and Southern magnolias, which have been partially buried by the shifting dunes. Thirty fully equipped cabins and a campground provide overnight options. Accessible cabins, campsites, and beach access are also available. Amenities: parking; toilets; water sports. Best for: swimming; sunrise; sunset; walking.

    357 Main Park Rd., Grayton Beach, Florida, 32459, USA
    850-267–8300

    Sight Details

    Rate Includes: $5 per vehicle; $2 pedestrians/cyclists
  • 5. National Naval Aviation Museum

    In addition to being where the U.S. Navy Flight Demonstration Squadron Blue Angels launches its practice flights, the Pensacola Naval Air Station (NAS) is home to a 300,000-square-foot museum with more than 140 aircraft representing more than 100 years of naval aviation. Currently, however, access to the NAS is not available to the general public unless they're accompanied by someone who holds a Department of Defense ID card (e.g., active or retired military personnel or a member of their families). If you don't have someone to accompany you, it's worth calling ahead or checking online to see if this requirement has changed, and, if so, make time for a visit. On display are the NC-4, which, in 1919, became the first plane to cross the Atlantic; the famous F-6 Hellcat World War II fighter; the Skylab Command Module; an atomic bomb (it's defused, we promise); and the restored Cubi Bar Café, a very cool airmen's club transplanted here from the Philippines. The museum also offers a giant-screen theater showing Magic of Flight, Aircraft Carrier, and other educational films. If you're feeling more adventurous, the MaxFlight Simulator—featuring interactive, 360-degree, pitch-and-roll technology—offers the chance to experience air-to-air combat or stunt flying. Alternatively, you can see what it's like to fly with the Blue Angels or take off from an aircraft carrier and do battle in the Iraqi desert in an HD Motion-Based Simulator. If you'd rather reach for the stars, opt for the Apollo 11 VR Experience.

    1750 Radford Blvd., Pensacola, Florida, 32508, USA
    800-327–5002

    Sight Details

    Rate Includes: Museum free; movies $11; MaxFlight 360 Simulator $25 for one or two people; HD Motion-Based Simulator $7.50 for up to 15 people; Apollo 11 VR Experience $10
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  • 6. St. Andrews State Park

    At the southeastern tip of Panama City Beach, the hotels, condos, and traffic taper off, and a pristine, 1,260-acre park appears, offering a peek at what the entire beach area was like before development arrived. Although swimming is a very popular activity here, the waters around the park also are ideal for fishing, snorkeling, paddling, and surfing. A rock jetty creates a calm, shallow play area that's perfect for young children, and you can hike clearly marked nature trails. You'll also find camping facilities (including glamping tents), a snack bar, and rental concessions. In high season, board a ferry to Shell Island, a 700-acre barrier island in the Gulf of Mexico with still more stretches of pristine beach, as well as piney woods that attract butterflies and migrating birds. Amenities: food and drink; parking; toilets; water sports. Best for: surfing; swimming; sunset; walking.

    4607 State Park La., Panama City Beach, Florida, 32408, USA
    850-708–6100

    Sight Details

    Rate Includes: $8 per vehicle, up to 8 people
  • 7. St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge and Lighthouse

    Natural salt marshes, tidal flats, and freshwater pools used by early Indigenous peoples set the stage for the once-powerful Ft. San Marcos de Apalache, which was built nearby in 1639. Stones salvaged from it were used to construct the lighthouse. In winter, the refuge on the shores of Apalachee Bay is the resting place for thousands of migratory birds of more than 270 species, but the alligators seem to like it year-round (keep your eyes open and your camera ready). Fishing is allowed, and the visitor center has information on more than 75 miles of marked trails. One of the most popular times to visit is in October, when Monarch butterflies flock to the refuge for a little R&R during their winter migration to Mexico. The refuge is 25 miles south of Tallahassee via Route 363.

    1255 Lighthouse Rd., St. Marks, Florida, 32355, USA
    850-925–6121

    Sight Details

    Rate Includes: $5 per vehicle
  • 8. Air Force Armament Museum

    The collection at this museum just outside the Eglin Air Force Base's main gate contains interactive displays and more than 5,000 armaments from World Wars I and II and the Korean, Vietnam, and Gulf wars. Included are uniforms, engines, weapons, aircraft, and flight simulators. You can't miss the museum: there's a squadron of aircraft—including a B-17 Flying Fortress, an SR-71 Blackbird, a B-52, and a B-25—on the grounds in front. A continuously playing 32-minute movie, Arming the Future, features current weapons and Eglin's history and its role in their development. You can take a self-guided tour, and you're allowed to take photos.

    100 Museum Dr. (Rte. 85), Fort Walton Beach, Florida, 32542, USA
    850-882–4062

    Sight Details

    Rate Includes: Free, Closed Sun.
  • 9. Big Lagoon State Park

    Set on the north shore of Big Lagoon, this well-maintained state park is known for a variety of natural wonders that include marshes, lakes, woods, and rivers. Take in the stunning surroundings from a three-story observation tower overlooking the beach. Bird-watching is a popular activity during migrations in the spring and fall. The 3.5-mile Sand Pine Loop is perfect for hikers of all abilities. Amenities: parking (fee); toilets. Best for: swimming; walking.

    12301 Gulf Beach Hwy., Florida, USA
    850-492–1595

    Sight Details

    Rate Includes: $6 per vehicle
  • 10. Camp Helen State Park

    This state park is small—only 180 acres—and only open in the daytime, but its location can't be beat. It's on the shores of Lake Powell, the area's largest coastal dune lake and a great place to kayak, paddleboard, or fish (you'll need a license). The park was also once a retreat for employees of Avondale Textile Mills, and the lodge and some of the original cabins have been restored and are used as venues for weddings and meetings. The bucolic surroundings are good for bird-watching, but the main draw may be the beautiful, powdery beach. It's a ½-mile hike down to the sands, but this means you're almost guaranteed to find peace. Amenities: parking. Best for: solitude; swimming; walking.

    23937 Panama City Beach Pkwy., Panama City Beach, Florida, 32413, USA
    850-233–5059

    Sight Details

    Rate Includes: $4 per vehicle; $2 per person for pedestrians or bicyclists
  • 11. Carillon Beach

    Beach

    You're likely to find absolute solitude at the powdery beach of this planned community west of Panama City Beach proper. Public parking is available at the entrance to the development, and then it's a several-block stroll to one of the seven over-dune walkways. You'll expend some effort, but it's worth it if you want to find a groomed beach without crowds. The development has several restaurants, but the only on-beach services are for members only. Amenities: restrooms. Best for: solitude; swimming; walking.

    100 Market St., Carillon Beach, Panama City Beach, Florida, 32413, USA
  • 12. Casino Beach

    Named for the Casino Resort, the island's first tourist spot when it opened in 1931 (the same day as the first Pensacola Beach Bridge), this beach offers everything from seasonal live entertainment to public restrooms and showers. You can also lounge in the shade of the Pensacola Beach Gulf Pier. Casino Beach has the most parking for beach access on the island and is just a short stroll from dining, entertainment, and major hotels. Amenities: food and drink; lifeguards (seasonal); free parking; showers; toilets. Best for: swimming; walking.

    735 Pensacola Beach Blvd., Pensacola Beach, Florida, 32562, USA

    Sight Details

    Rate Includes: Free
  • 13. Challenger Learning Center

    Visitors of all ages can't help but get excited about math and science at this "edutainment" center, featuring a space-mission simulator and an IMAX 3-D theater that shows popular movies as well as documentaries. Also on-site is the Downtown Digital Dome Theatre & Planetarium, where the high-definition, 50-foot-high theater's booming surround sound and state-of-the-art projectors make educational films and musical odysseys thrilling.

    200 S. Duval St., Tallahassee, Florida, 32301, USA
    850-645–7796-box office

    Sight Details

    Rate Includes: Planetarium $5, IMAX from $8
  • 14. Chautauqua Winery

    Open since 1989, this winery has won honors in national and international competitions, with most wines crafted from two varieties of sweet muscadine grapes: the white Carlos and red Noble. Take a free tour to see how ancient art blends with modern technology. Most of the action takes place during harvest season, from late August through September, when the owners invite visitors to pick and eat some grapes from their on-site preview vineyard (the 50-acre vineyard is about 12 miles north of Defuniak Springs). Wine tastings are held daily throughout the year, and the under-21 set is invited to sample muscadine grape juice.

    364 Hugh Adams Rd., DeFuniak Springs, Florida, 32435, USA
    850-892–5887

    Sight Details

    Rate Includes: Free
  • 15. Crab Island

    This sandbar in Destin's East Pass, just north of the Destin (aka Marler) Bridge, is favored by locals, who drop anchor or wade in by the hundreds on fair-weather days, especially weekends. Area businesses offer boat and other rentals. People are friendly, so it's a great place to make new buddies, and the shallow waters are good for families. A food barge as well as slides and other water activities are available seasonally. Amenities: food and drink; water sports. Best for: partiers; snorkeling; swimming.

    Destin, Florida, USA
  • 16. Destin History and Fishing Museum

    To understand why Destin calls itself the "World's Luckiest Fishing Village," visit this museum, and meet the descendants of the 19th-century New England families who transformed the land from winter fishing ground to major tourist attraction. In addition to historic and genealogical data on Destin's founding families, there are displays of antique boats and tackle and an impressive gallery of fish mounts. Knowledgeable guides can explain to everyone from small children to science scholars why the sand on Florida's Emerald Coast is so white.

    108 Stahlman Ave., Destin, Florida, 32541, USA
    850-837–6611

    Sight Details

    Rate Includes: $5, Closed Sun. and Mon.
  • 17. Eden Gardens State Park

    If you can tear yourself away from the sand and sea, there's a lovely green alternative just a few miles inland at the restored home of lumber magnate William Henry Wesley. Tours of the mansion are given throughout the day, and furnishings inside the spacious rooms date from as far back as the 17th century. The surrounding grounds—the perfect setting for a picnic—are beautiful year-round, but they're nothing short of spectacular in mid-March, when the azaleas and dogwoods are in full bloom.

    181 Eden Gardens Rd., Santa Rosa Beach, Florida, 32454, USA
    850-267–8320

    Sight Details

    Rate Includes: $4 per vehicle; house tours $4, House closed Tues. and Wed.
  • 18. Eglin Air Force Base Reservation

    Some of the 250,000 acres of the Eglin reservation are conditionally open to the public for hiking, mountain biking, swimming, canoeing, and fishing. To gain access, you must obtain a permit from the Natural Resource Division (also known locally as the Jackson Guard). The reservation has 21 ponds and plenty of challenging, twisting, wooded trails.

    107 Rte. 85 N, Niceville, Florida, 32758, USA
    850-882-4165

    Sight Details

    Rate Includes: Closed Sun.
  • 19. Falling Waters State Park

    This site of a Civil War–era whiskey distillery and, later, an exotic plant nursery (some species still thrive in the wild) is now best known as the site of the Falling Waters Sink. The 100-foot-deep cylindrical pit provides the background for a waterfall, and there's an observation deck for viewing this natural phenomenon. The water free-falls 73 feet to the bottom of the sink, but where it goes after that is a mystery. Once you've seen the cascade, stay for the birding—more than 100 species have been seen here. Campsites are available.

    1130 State Park Rd., Chipley, Florida, 32428, USA
    850-638–6130

    Sight Details

    Rate Includes: $5 per vehicle, up to 8 people
  • 20. Florida Caverns State Park

    You won't want to miss the cave tours revealing stalactites, stalagmites, soda straws, columns, rim stones, flowstones, and "waterfalls" of solid rock at these underground caverns, where the temperature hovers at an oh-so-pleasant 68°F year-round. The park includes a visitor center with museum exhibits and a video in addition to picnic pavilions, campsites, a small playground, and a ½-mile loop trail. Tours can be booked in advance online ( www.floridacavernsgiftshop.com).

    3345 Caverns Rd., Marianna, Florida, 32446, USA
    850-482–1228

    Sight Details

    Rate Includes: Park $5 per vehicle, up to 8 people; cave tours $10 plus tax., Cave tours closed Tues. and Wed.

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