This state park was apparently a turpentine collection area in the early 1900s, and became a private resort and finally a state park. (Need to check dates.) It is located on Santa Rosa Beach about 10 miles west of Destin on Florida's Panhandle. Like the rest of the panhandle, it has the extremely white, soft sand beaches and crystal clear water of the Gulf of Mexico.
I had been here before and chose to make my reservation for a site in the northern loop. Both loops have full hookups, but the southern one is older and sites are smaller and more cramped. Plus the northern sites are more open, so I can get satellite TV, which is very important to me!!
Here are some photos of my campsite and the state park. FIrst, here is my campsite. I ended up not getting the spot I thought i was getting because the map was confusing and did not include all the sites. The fourth site from the loop entrance, was really the fifth site, so it was too shady for me. Most people like to camp in shady places, but I like open sites or at least sites that face southwest so I can get a satellite signal. It was hard, but I went cold-turkey on TV for five whole days!!
Many of the sites were tucked far back into woods.
One disadvantage of this state park is that the beach is a very long way from the campground, and there is no parking near the beach. Luckily, they have a shuttle that runs every 30 minutes.
Love all the warning signs at the beach. Don't think any of them get read, however.
Beaches and dune areas protect the land from hurricanes, so it is forbidden almost everywhere to walk on the dunes. Instead, boardwalks are provided, and I like them because it is so much easier to walk on them than trudge through the sand.
I dunes area is very interesting. Only a few human prints, but lots of animal prints to look at, as well as unique dune vegetation. And you can see that these were pretty wide dunes.
I took this photo as an example of one of the little holes dug on the dunes. The hole was really only about 3-4" in diameter, but the prints around it look like a crab lives in it. I watched it and some other similar holes, and no one came or went, so I have no idea who lives here.
Long walk, but finally the beach is in view!
The beaches at state parks are usually a lot less crowded than the ones at the big hotels in cities like Destin.
Water on the panhandle is amazingly clear with white, white sand.
This state park also has an area with cabins which are really mobile homes. They are fully furnished and have AC as well as screened-in porches.
On to Grayton Beach in the morning!!
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