Maritime Hammock Trail, Bald Point State Park

Beaches in the Big Bend are uncommon, since this stretch of shoreline is defined by coastal estuaries and there is a lack of barrier islands.

Still, along the shallows of the Gulf of Mexico between Apalachicola and Cedar Key, you’ll find slim ribbons of sand creating tiny slivers of beach.

White streaks reveal beaches among the marshes

At Bald Point State Park, the Maritime Hammock Trail draws within view of a slender peninsula to where Ochlockonee Bay meets the Gulf of Mexico.

A half-mile’s worth of round-trips off the hiking loop enable you to take in the sweep of the estuary along the bay and a view of Bald Point itself.

Sweep of estuary below the maritime hammock

Add more beach walking and you can follow the strand to the very tip of the peninsula, a place where seabirds call and waves strum.

The core beauty of this park is its solitude. Except on sunny weekends, you will encounter few visitors at this remote Gulf Coast beach.

The peninsula at Bald Point

Resources

Resources for exploring the area

North Florida Panhandle Explorers Guide book cover

Hikers Guide to the Sunshine State book cover

Disclosure: As authors and affiliates, we receive earnings when you buy these through our links. This helps us provide public information on this website.

Overview

Location: Alligator Point
Length: 1.3 mile loop
Trailhead: 29.940572,-84.338035
Address: 146 Box Cut Rd, Alligator Point
Fees: $4 per vehicle, $2 pedestrian or cyclist
Restroom: at the parking area
Land manager: Florida State Parks
Phone: 850-349-9146
Open 8 AM to sunset. Dogs are not permitted on the beach.

Sunscreen and a hat are suggested for this hike, since the majority of the walk is in full sun.

Carry insect repellent, as you may need it in the estuary for the mosquitoes. Yellowflies can be a major problem here in early summer. Unfortunately, repellent doesn’t work on them.

Directions

From Tallahassee, follow US 319 to US 98 at Medart. Drive west on US 98 through Panacea to Ochlockonee Bay, crossing the bay on a long bridge. Continue one mile to SR 370, the road to Alligator Point. Follow this road for 3 miles to the turnoff for Bald Point Road. Follow Bald Point Road into the park entrance. Park at the first parking area on the right.

Hike

Starting at a picnic table and kiosk shelter with a bench, a sidewalk leads into the coastal scrub.

Most visitors follow it to the picnic area, the restrooms, or the beach itself, accessed by a boardwalk crossing the dunes.

Start of the Maritime Hammock Trail

For purposes of this hike, that’s the return portion of the loop. On the left before the restrooms, a green blaze beckons you onto a sand path into the maritime hammock.

The oaks are wizened by wind and salt. To circumvent a low-lying marsh, the trail winds into the oak scrub, drops to marsh level, and climbs towards small pines on the forested dunes.

Path into the pines

The view from a high spot takes in a sweep of marsh and pines that deftly hides the park entrance road. The trail descends to a low spot with no blazes visible.

Cross the low spot to its far end to pick up a faint path between the saw palmetto. That choice is quickly rewarded with an interpretive sign about songbirds.

Confusing low spot. Proceed straight ahead.

The footpath widens and enters a coastal pine forest, quickly coming up to the loop junction. The hiker sign to the right is the return loop along the beach.

Save that for after you visit the observation decks along Ochlockonee Bay. Pass it by and the trail emerges at a parking area.

Skip this return loop junction for now

Cross the parking area to the handicapped parking spot to pick up an accessible pathway into the estuary. It winds past salt ponds and a meandering creek.

The end of this sidewalk is at a boardwalk and platform overlooking the estuary and Ochlockonee Bay beyond, nearly 360 degrees of beauty.

Estuary and viewing platform

Return the same way to the parking area. This time, make a left and head towards the far end of the circle where the park road ends.

An opening in the forest leads to the picnic area, pavilions along the dunes. Straight ahead is a boardwalk leading to an accessible mat to cross into the dunes.

Mat across dune swales

The mat climbs up and over a dune and drops through a swale with a salt pond before the mat ends just shy of the beach itself.

On the beach, look left and you can see the tip of Bald Point. Depending on wind and wave and insect conditions, you can hike down to it if you like.

Mouth of Ochlockonee Bay

Return up the mat to the picnic area and turn right to follow the path to the fishing area and launch. Along it is an interpretive sign about Camp Gordon Johnston.

All of Bald Point State Park and adjoining public and private lands were a part of this massive World War II camp where soldiers trained for amphibious assaults and learned artillery skills.

Interpretive sign

Today, these shores are quiet, remote and calm. Cicadas, shorebirds and surf echo in your ears.

Reach the fishing pier and walk out to the end for an excellent view of the peninsula at Bald Point. Across the expanse is Mashes Sands Park with its own stretch of pine-edged beach.

Fishing pier and peninsula

Return to the park road and walk back up to the hiker symbol sign across from the accessible walkway. Follow the footpath briefly and turn left into the wooded corridor.

Ascending through the pines and palmettos to the peak of the dune ridge, the trail provides a panorama of the dune swales to be crossed to reach the beach.

Dune ridge and signage

Drop into them on less-firm footing, some of the swales damp or marshy and a little buggy. Reaching the slender shoreline on the Gulf of Mexico, turn right.

The sands are relatively firm, the water generally shallow and calm. Fishing boats lie at anchor a mile or more offshore.

Reaching the beach

Shimmering schools of baitfish swim close to the surface of the sea. Shorebirds chatter as your shoes squeak on the sand. Feel free to walk barefoot.

It’s an easy stroll, a time for contemplation, a mindful walk. The sea oats on your right are mimicked by the pine forest beyond.

Furrow marking the path

A furrow in the dunes marks where the Maritime Hammock Trail leaves the beach. Follow it to a boardwalk that crosses the dune swales to reach the picnic area.

The sidewalk beyond leads into the maritime hammock, past the picnic pavilions and the restrooms and the start of the hike on your right. Return to the parking area after 2 miles.

Boardwalk back to the picnic area and trailhead

Trail Map

Explore More!

Learn more about Bald Point State Park

Bald Point State Park From its namesake point at the Gulf of Mexico to the sandy heights of St. Teresa Bluffs, Bald Point State Park protects miles of waterfront along Ochlockonee Bay while providing extensive trails to roam.

Slideshow

See our photos of Bald Point State Park

Nearby Adventures

More worth exploring while you’re in this area.

Bald Point Sundew Trail A remarkable variety of wildlife inhabits dry and wet pine flatwoods along this loop trail dotted with tiny carnivorous sundew plants.

Bald Point Sand Pine Trail Crossing a rolling landscape of sandy ridges, the Sand Pine Trail explores the largest scrub community found in Bald Point State Park.

Bald Point Tucker Lake Trail Circling the largest body of water in Bald Point State Park, the Tucker Lake Trail showcases a blend of dry upland ecosystems and expansive marshlands.

Ochlockonee River State Park Trails Create a 2.6-mile loop around scenic Ochlockonee River State Park by linking the Pine Flatwood Nature Trail and the Ochlockonee River Nature Trail.

Trail Map (PDF) Official Website