Around Apalachicola, the “Forgotten Coast” is dotted with parks, forests, and refuges along US 98 and the barrier islands, none of which are easily accessed from Tallahassee or Panama City.
Apalachicola National Forest
The Apalachicola National Forest is the largest National Forest in Florida, sweeping around the southern edge of Tallahassee. It is noted for its botanical beauty.
Apalachicola River
There is something magical about the Apalachicola River, surrounded by deeply folded ravines at its upper end and wet pine flatwoods farther south, home to unusual plant species along its length.
Bald Point State Park
Where Ochlockonee Bay meets the Gulf of Mexico along the Forgotten Coast, quiet Bald Point State Park protects the tip of the peninsula, providing beaches to roam and estuaries and uplands to explore.
High Bluff Coastal Trail
In Tate’s Hell State Forest, the High Bluff Coastal Trail along US 98 near Carrabelle leads you over relict dunes covered with scrub plants like Florida rosemary and scrub mint.
Ralph G. Kendrick Dwarf Cypress Boardwalk
Leading to a stand of dwarf bald cypress centuries old and less than 15 feet tall, the Kendrick Boardwalk at Tate’s Hell State Forest is one of the weirder botanical spots in the Florida panhandle.
Tallahassee
Florida’s capital city, Tallahassee is an outdoor town, with thousands of acres of natural lands surrounding the city just waiting for exploration.