Florida Hikes

Hike Bike Paddle Camp Florida with authors Sandra Friend and John Keatley as your guides

Trail into bluff forest in deep shade

Rocky Bayou Nature Trail

Stroll through sand pine scrub and bluff forest to savor a series of views on Rocky Bayou, a brackish arm of Choctawhatchee Bay.

Niceville (30.498430, -86.425242)   1.5 miles   Fred Gannon Rocky Bayou State Park

Of the trio of well-groomed nature trails within Fred Gannon Rocky Bayou State Park, the Rocky Bayou Trail is a must-see for its nature-framed views of the brackish bayou.

The footpath drops to the edge of the shoreline in several locations, with benches where you can settle in with binoculars and watch the birds.

Shallow tannic water edged by cedars and pines
A cove at the northern end of Rocky Bayou

Coves and tiny beaches provide places to ponder the natural beauty of Rocky Bayou, once a part of the gunnery and bombing practice ranges of Eglin Air Force Base.

It’s thanks to Colonel Fred Gannon and the U.S. Air Force for carving this corner out of Eglin and creating this state park for the general public to enjoy.

Camper in campground The campground is one of the nicest in the state park system

Resources

Resources for exploring the area
The Florida Trail Guide book cover Florida Trail Hikes book cover North Florida Panhandle Explorers Guide book cover Hikers Guide to the Sunshine State book cover Hiking the Gulf Coast 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: Niceville
Trailhead: 30.498430, -86.425242
Address: 4281 SR 20, Niceville
Fees: $5 per vehicle
Restroom: At the day use area
Land manager: Florida State Parks
Phone: 850-833-9144
 
Open 8 AM until sunset. Leashed pets welcome.

Directions


 
The park is along SR 20 east of Niceville, west of SR 293. Follow the entrance road into the park. Unless you’re here to camp, turn left to drive down to the Red Cedar day use area, the primary access point for all of the trails. Park by the kayak launch.

Hike

While the Rocky Bayou Trail is only a half mile long, it takes a half mile to reach its starting point and a half mile to return to Red Cedar day use area.

Hike it in tandem with the adjacent Sand Pine Trail, or as part of a 3.3 mile trio including the Red Cedar Nature Trail.

bark chip path in bluff forest Connector trail from day use area to the campground

From the kayak launch at Red Cedar day use area, walk up a broad bark-chipped path beneath a bower of sand live oaks to the campground.

Reaching the paved loop, turn left and walk between the campground and the shoreline of Rocky Bayou, views framed by the boughs of live oaks.

Bridge in a sand pine forest Bridge over Puddin’ Head Stream

Pass the restrooms and the campsites. As the road swings away from the water, follow it to the small trailhead within the campground.

Continue straight across the bridge over Puddin’ Head Stream to reach two trailheads at a large kiosk a half mile into the walk. Turn left for the Rocky Bayou Nature Trail.

Wooden routed sign with loop map Starting point for the Rocky Bayou Trail

The trail is broad and gentle, an interpretive loop winding through a deeply shaded bluff forest sloping to the bayou.

Enter a very pretty coastal scrub with tall older sand pines, younger fluffy sand pines, and deer moss growing on pine duff.

Puffs of light green moss Deer moss grows thickly on the forest floor

Sand live oaks made up the middle canopy and myrtle oaks grow beneath them. Tiny sand pines look like Charlie Brown Christmas trees.

Pass a bench at a half mile. The thunderous roars above the forest canopy are jets flying over Eglin Air Force Base, of which this park used to be a part.

Broad path in shady woods Fluffy sand pines dot the forest

A cool breeze wafts off the bayou near the next bench, and the understory gets denser, filled with young oaks. At the fork in the trail, turn right.

Pass another bench as the trail twists and winds between the oaks and pines. A small cluster of southern magnolia frame both sides of the trail.

Magnolia in woods with open understory Forest transition past the magnolias

The trail curves left past a split rail fence, the bright blue shimmer of Rocky Bayou ahead. At 0.7 mile, a bench at the base of a tall pine overlooks the bayou.

Stop and enjoy the view. Sunlight dapples across the surface to create ripples across the crystal-clear water. A second overlook offers a similar view.

Broad blue water with houses in woods on far shore Rocky Bayou

Dense saw palmetto and a mint with pale lilac-white blooms lines the trail. Tall slash pines line the shoreline between the trail and the bayou.

Passing another bench, the trail turns away from the water, becoming sandy but firm underfoot. Low bush blueberries grow between the saw palmetto.

Trail between large clump of palmetto Path through the palmetto

At the next bench, the bayou is no longer visible, but the breeze persists. The trail then draws closer to the water past a series of snags.

At the next fork in the trail, turn right to walk down to the bayou to a driftwood-strewn beach, gulls calling in the distance.

Driftwood in clear tannic water with ripples Although brackish, Rocky Bayou is tannic

Return along the spur trail and turn right to continue the loop, passing another bench. The trail gains a slight bit of elevation.

Rise out of the bluff forest and into the sand pine scrub, reaching the trail junction with the Sand Pine Trail after 1 mile.

Path in dappled shade of dense bluff forest Bluff forest on the return loop

Continue along the Sand Pine Trail next to add another mile to your hike. Or turn right and follow the path back across the bridge to the campground and connector trail.

Returning directly to your vehicle at Red Cedar day use area nets a 1.5 mile hike, 2.4 miles if you also hike the Sand Pine Trail.

A third trail at Red Cedar day use area, the Red Cedar Trail, adds another 0.9 mile walk. The trio of trails tallies 3.3 miles.

Split oak with path through it and bench beyond Rocky Bayou Hiking Trails Explore the uplands of Fred Gannon Rocky Bayou State Park in Niceville on a trio of showy nature trails that can be interconnected into a 3.3 mile day hike.

Trail Map

Rocky Bayou State Park Trail Map
Red: Red Cedar. Purple: Rocky Bayou. Green: Sand Pine. Blue: Connector.

Explore More!

Learn more about Fred Gannon Rocky Bayou State Park

Shallow tannic water edged by cedars and pines Fred Gannon Rocky Bayou State Park Hugging the eastern shore of Rocky Bayou, this beautiful state park preserves both shoreline and forested uplands along a estuarine arm of Choctawhatchee Bay.

Slideshow

See our photos of Fred Gannon Rocky Bayou State Park

Nearby Adventures

More worth exploring while you’re in this area.

Shallow tannic creek edged by floodplain Turkey Creek Walk A clear tannic stream draining 67 square miles of forests in the sandhills encompassed by Eglin Air Force Base, Turkey Creek is the centerpiece of a linear boardwalk in Niceville.
Florida Trail, Eglin Alaqua Florida Trail, Alaqua 12.8 miles. With significant botanical beauty, rugged climbs, and nice campsites, the Alaqua section of the Florida Trail in Eglin Air Force Base is one of the most scenic parts of the trail statewide.
Anise Creek Florida Trail, Catface 14.2 miles. Climbing to the highest elevations along the Florida Trail, the challenging Catface section traverses hilly terrain along the northern edge of Eglin Air Force Base.
Silver Creek, Eglin Florida Trail, Titi 14.8 miles. Paralleling the floodplain of Titi Creek and its tributaries, this hike on the Florida Trail across Eglin will surprise you with its mature longleaf pine forests and its steep descents into creek basins.

Trail Map (PDF) Reserve Campsite Official Website

Sandra Friend
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