Resources
Resources for exploring the area
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Exploring Port St. Joe
Deeply steeped in history, Port St. Joe is on the shores of St. Joseph Bay in Gulf County, one of Florida’s earliest cities and the location of the state’s constitutional convention.
With bike paths and parks in town and hiking and biking trails along the Cape San Blas peninsula on the Gulf of Mexico, it’s a fascinating area to explore.
Trails and Parks near Port St. Joe
Dead Lakes Park Centered around a mysterious 6,700-acre swamp forest with open waters and shrunken bald cypresses, Dead Lakes Park provides paddlers, hikers, and campers with a place to play.
Paddle to Dead Lakes One of Florida's most unusual and beautiful places to paddle, the Dead Lakes include 6,700 acres of mazy cypress and tupelo swamps in the Chipola River floodplain.
Salinas Park With a boardwalk over a beautiful coastal scrub to a beach on the sparkling waters of the Gulf of Mexico, Salinas Park provides a picnic grove in a pine forest.
St. Joseph Peninsula Bayview Trail Explore the quieter side of St. Joseph Peninsula State Park along the Bayview Trail, a 1.7 mile loop through salty coastal scrub and pine flatwoods ecosystems.
St. Joseph Peninsula Maritime Hammock Trail Under a mile in length, the Maritime Hammock Trail showcases a remarkable variety of upland, wetland, and coastal habitats along with a bayside shell midden.
St. Joseph Peninsula State Park Protecting fragile coastal habitats on the tip of Cape San Blas as it curves around to shelter St. Joseph Bay, T.H. Stone Memorial St. Joseph Peninsula State Park provides a sweep of beachfront on both bay and Gulf to enjoy.
St. Joseph Peninsula Wilderness Preserve Trail If you’ve dreamed of camping on a deserted beach, here’s your chance. Spend a night under the stars along the Gulf of Mexico amid the quiet of the Wilderness Preserve.Articles
Paddle to Dead Lakes (6/16/2014) One of Florida's most unusual and beautiful places to paddle, the Dead Lakes include 6,700 acres of mazy cypress and tupelo swamps in the Chipola River floodplain.
Eagle Eye View (5/25/2014) An unexpected eye-to-eye encounter with a bald eagle from the top of the Cape San Blas Lighthouse in 2011, before it closed due to hurricane damage.