FEBRUARY 2022

Florida Panhandle

Where:  northwest Florida south of Georgia and east of Alabama 

Directions: US 98 along the coast; US 90 through the Panhandle

Good to Know:

There are many, many beaches that won’t allow dogs. Other places you may want to go that won’t be tail-friendly include:

  • Apalachicola Bluffs and Ravines Preserve 

  • Eglin Air Force Base 

  • Perdido Key State Park 

  • St. Vincent National Wildlife Refuge 

Why so good:   

DOG-FRIENDLY BEACHES.

Florida tourism likes to tout its dog-friendly beaches but the reality is that the vast percentage of the Sunshine State’s 1,350 miles of shoreline are out of bounds to dogs. There are are more “dog beaches” than there were ten years ago, certainly. But along the Atlantic Ocean and the west coast on the Gulf of Mexico this usually means a small sliver of sand where dongs are permitted. Don’t even think about long walks on the beach with your dog. For that experience the Florida Panhandle is your best bet. On St. George Island you can walk for hours on the sugar sand beaches. In Carrabelleyou can park your car for free and walk your dog right onto the beach of Saint George Sound. Dogs are welcome on all Gulf County beaches, save for those in St. Joseph Peninsula State Park. Rules for dogs on the beach can change with the tides so do a little research before you go and maybe things will have turned for the better in some restrictive towns.

THE SATE PARKS.

There are so many excellent state parks in the Florida Panhandle that it is worth it to buy a pass for even a short stay. Along the Gulf of Mexico hiking in the coastal dunes of Topsail Preserve State Park on the Morris Lake Nature Trail is a standout adventure. At Grayton Beach State Park your dog can mix sand dunes and maritime forest in one fun hike. Camp Helen State Park is another place to hike with sand under the paws. You can’t get much beach time at Bald Point State Park but the sandy trails through the pine flatwoods will keep tails wagging. Away from the coast Eden Gardens State Park is an easy-going walk around an estate you may recognize from the 1970s horror flick, Frogs. 

THE SINK HOLES.

The land beneath Florida is limestone with a nasty habit of dissolving and crumbling, ergo sinkholes. The unexpected ones are no fun, of course, but the ancient sinkholes make for fascinating hikes. In Falling Waters State Park Florida’s tallest waterfall - 73 feet - falls mostly underground, and your dog can hike right to the edge. At Leon Sinks Geological Area the four-mile Sinkhole Trail connects more than a dozen depressions, including the Big Dismal Sink that cave divers explore 130 feet below your dog’s paws. At Florida Caverns State Park the sinkholes are mostly dry and you dog can explore tunnels as long as 100 feet even without going underground.

THE STATE FORESTS.

For multi-day canine hiking adventures the celebrated Florida National Scenic Trail traverses the Panhandle, with 69 miles in the Apalachicola National Forest alone. The many Florida state forests are ideal for day hiking. The Bear Creek Education Forestserves up a sporty 1.4-mile loop on the Ravine Trail that introduces many of the state’s arboreal residents. At the Blackwater River State Forest head for the 3.5-mile circuit hike around Bear Lake. For a pure get-out-in-the-woodsand-hike-with-your-dog outing, it is hard to top Pine Log State Forest. The Division of Forestry has carved three trail systems through the slash and longleaf pine forests. Of course your dog will want to explore Tate’s Hell State Forest to see what that is about. Cebe Tate’s “hell” was a week he spent lost in a swamp in 1875 tracking a panther that was killing his livestock. He was bitten by a snake and forced to drink rancid water. Finally he burst into a clearing near Carrabelle, living only long enough to murmur the words, “My name is Cebe Tate, and I just came from Hell!” A recently built parking area make’s your outing less likely to wind up that way but bring plenty of fresh water since the thick sand can make for some slow going in the coastal scrub habitat.