Take a walk on the wild side on your next vacation to Panama City Beach with these family fun activities that take you on an ecological adventure. Northwest Florida is often referred to as The Undiscovered Florida Coast due to the abundance of the natural environment. The Panama City Beach area is a key region where diverse and rare species flourish, and where many travelers explore natural wonders and enjoy outdoor adventures. Outdoor enthusiasts can hike and bird-watch along scenic trails, camp along the shore, enjoy boating, fishing, and diving, take kayaking tours, go off-road cycling, stand-up paddleboarding, and more.
Panama City Beach provides distinctive wildlife viewing opportunities. From exotic animals at the zoo and bottlenose dolphins in the Gulf to alligators and egrets in the marshes and dune lakes, wildlife thrives in this area. With everything from airboat adventures to glass-bottom boat tours and hiking trails among the state parks, there are many ways to experience and observe the surrounding wildlife.
Panama City Beach Conservation Park
Panama City Beach Conservation Park was developed through collaboration between local officials and environmental agencies to restore thousands of acres of protected wetlands. The 2,900-acre park features boardwalks and 24 miles of unpaved trails, allowing visitors to hike, bicycle, or run loops ranging from half a mile to 12 miles. Gayle’s Trails connects the Conservation Park with other trail systems throughout the beach, honoring one of the project’s visionaries, Mayor Gayle Oberst. The park offers public restrooms, picnic areas, a guide to local flora and fauna, and a pavilion near the main parking lot. An outdoor classroom provides opportunities for group education and enrichment. Eight boardwalks totaling over a mile in length are scattered throughout the park, offering excellent views of natural wetland areas.
St. Andrews State Park
St. Andrews State Park is one of the most popular outdoor recreation spots in Florida, featuring rolling white sand dunes, pinewoods, and marshes. Visitors can hike the Blue Heron Trail, which winds through diverse plant communities where freshwater and saltwater marshes teem with wildlife and birds. The Gator Lake Trail offers an elevated vantage point for spotting alligators, waterfowl, wading birds, and other small animals. Button Bush Marsh is a prime feeding area for a variety of birds, including herons and ibis. The 1,260-acre park, located on the eastern edge of Panama City Beach, boasts more than 1.5 miles of beach on the Gulf of Mexico and the Grand Lagoon. Visitors can swim, dive, and snorkel in the Gulf or in the shallow, protected pool behind the jetties. Fishing enthusiasts can take advantage of a deep-sea jetty, surf fishing, two fishing piers, and a boat ramp. For those wanting an extended outdoor experience, two campground loops are nestled in the pine woods along the Grand Lagoon.
Shell Island
Shell Island is a pristine, seven-mile-long barrier island located just across the shipping channel from the mainland. The undeveloped island offers a peaceful escape into nature, ideal for relaxing or snorkeling. The waters surrounding the island are home to one of the largest concentrations of bottlenose dolphins in the country. Shuttle boats transport visitors to the island during the spring and summer months.
Zoo World
Zoo World in Panama City Beach provides an opportunity to get up close with exotic animals. Visitors can cuddle with a lemur, feed giraffes and alligators, and observe more than 200 animals, including lions, tigers, wolves, prairie dogs, and monkeys. This smaller yet interactive zoo makes for an exciting experience for families with children.
Camp Helen State Park
Camp Helen State Park is situated at the westernmost edge of Panama City Beach, bordering the Gulf and Lake Powell. Lake Powell is one of the largest coastal dune lakes in the world, giving visitors a unique look at the area’s diverse environment. The park showcases dunes, marshes, wetlands, and pine forests, providing a snapshot of the region’s various ecosystems. Visitors can access the beach, hike nature trails, bike, picnic, and enjoy wildlife viewing.
