Bay County Attractions
By troysteuwer | November 23, 2007
One of the great aspects of living in our area, are the many attractions near Bay County. Sure we have Destin with its abundant shopping, Pier Park right in the middle of Panama City Beach, Ripley’s Believe It Or Not and Shipwreck Island Water Park. But, today, I’m going to talk about our Florida State Parks.
In fact, the two that are rarely talked about, seem to be the most memorable. I’m talking about Falling Waters State Park and Florida Caverns State Park.
Falling Waters State Park is a little over an hour away from Panama City Beach. It’s located North of Bay County, off of Highway 77 (view map). The park consists of 171 acres of camping, fishing, hiking and swimming. The most obvious feature of the park is the highest waterfall in Florida, with a total of 73 feet, to be exact. It’s an astonishing view, and amazing to see water fall into a sinkhole created over thousands of years ago. It’s a memory to be made with every person that visits the park. Another feature of Falling Waters State Park is swimming. It’s a bit cold right now, but during the summer, I’m sure it’s a blast. Other activities include hiking through the trails, camping and fishing. I had the privilege of camping this weekend and here are some pictures of the park and waterfall.
Florida Caverns State Park is another great attraction near Bay County. Located in Marianna, Florida (view map), this park is only about an hour and a half from Panama City Beach. With its numerous activities including hiking, camping, fishing, swimming and horseback riding, you’ll surely find something to do. The cavern is spectacular, covering over 2 acres of the entire park. In the cave you can find the remains of shells and other organisms that make up the ceilings, back when Florida was completely covered by the ocean millions of years ago. The Florida Caverns is a great place to camp, however, I recommend scheduling your trip weeks in advance. We tried staying there this weekend but were unable to since it was completely booked a week and a half ago.
After thinking about all the great things to do near Panama City Beach, it’s no wonder I haven’t even thought of moving to another part of the country. Bay County Florida and the surrounding areas offer such diverse activities and attractions that makes you want to stay.
Topics: Attractions, General |