Containing almost 175 state parks within its borders, Florida is the place to go if you love to explore and play in the great outdoors.
In fact, such is the quality of their state park system, The Sunshine State has been honored with the National Gold Medal Award for Excellence on no less than four separate occasions (1999, 2005, 2013 and 2019)!
Boasting landscapes that range from the wildest of wetlands and the most pristine of beaches to deep, gaping caverns and rampaging rivers, these state parks provide outstanding opportunities for walking, hiking, fishing, swimming, boating and a range of other outdoor recreational activities.
For residents of Panama City, many of these state parks are easy to get too. So they are great destinations to explore on a day trip, or longer period of vacation.
If you need a break from city life for a while and want to reconnect with nature, there are a wide range of options available to you.
Outlined below is a list of 5 state parks near Panama City we highly recommend you go to.
Map of State Parks Near Panama City FL
Here is a map of the Florida state parks covered in this post:
List of State Parks Near Panama City
The following five state parks near Panama City all provide lucky visitors with spectacular scenery, fantastic options for outdoor recreational activities, and various arrangements for camping. Below you’ll also find their distance from Panama City and what makes each worth a trip.
1. St. Andrews State Park
Distance from Panama City: about 5 miles west of Panama City (straight-line).
Location: 4607 State Park Ln, Panama City, FL 32408
Tucked in between St Andrews Bay and the Gulf of Mexico, this gorgeous Florida State Park is the perfect place to soak up the sun.
See our full St. Andrews State Park guide for fees, hours, and what to expect.
2. Camp Helen State Park
Distance from Panama City: about 21 miles west of Panama City (straight-line).
Camp Helen State Park is a Florida State Park and historic site located west of Panama City Beach, in northwestern Florida.
See our full Camp Helen State Park guide for fees, hours, and what to expect.
3. Pine Log State Forest
Distance from Panama City: about 22 miles northwest of Panama City (straight-line).
Pine Log State Forest covers 8,037 acres in Bay and Washington counties, Florida. Established 1936. It is a state forest, not a state park: the Florida Forest Service manages it and sells its own day-use pass.
See our full Pine Log State Forest guide for fees, hours, and what to expect.
4. Point Washington State Forest
Distance from Panama City: about 29 miles northwest of Panama City (straight-line).
Location: Santa Rosa Beach, Florida
Point Washington State Forest covers 15,407 acres in Walton County, Florida. It is a state forest, not a state park: the Florida Forest Service manages it and sells its own day-use pass.
See our full Point Washington State Forest guide for fees, hours, and what to expect.
5. T.H. Stone Memorial St. Joseph Peninsula State Park
Distance from Panama City: about 31 miles southeast of Panama City (straight-line).
Location: 8899 Cape San Blas Road
Port St Joe, FL 32456
On the St. Joseph Peninsula near Port St. Joe, this park pairs white-sand Gulf beaches and tall dunes with bayside marsh; you can stay in the 46-site Shady Pines campground, one of eight cabins or 14 primitive sites in the Wilderness Preserve. Source: Florida State Parks, checked October 2026.
See our full T.H. Stone Memorial St. Joseph Peninsula State Park guide for fees, hours, and what to expect.
6. Deer Lake State Park
Distance from Panama City: about 26 miles northwest of Panama City (straight-line).
Deer Lake State Park is a Florida State Park located in Santa Rosa Beach, on CR 30A, in northwestern Florida.
See our full Deer Lake State Park guide for fees, hours, and what to expect.
7. Eden Gardens State Park
Distance from Panama City: about 31 miles northwest of Panama City (straight-line).
Location: 181 Eden Gardens Road
Santa Rosa Beach, FL 32459
Eden Gardens State Park is a 163 acres (0.66 km2) Florida State Park and historic site located in Point Washington, south of Freeport, off U.S.
See our full Eden Gardens State Park guide for fees, hours, and what to expect.
8. Grayton Beach State Park
Distance from Panama City: about 32 miles west of Panama City (straight-line).
Location: 357 Main Park Rd, Santa Rosa Beach, FL 32459
Grayton Beach State Park is a Florida State Park located between Panama City Beach and Destin, near the unincorporated area of Grayton Beach, on CR 30A, in northwestern Florida.
See our full Grayton Beach State Park guide for fees, hours, and what to expect.
9. Falling Waters State Park
Distance from Panama City: about 40 miles north of Panama City (straight-line).
Location: Chipley, Florida
Falling Waters State Park is a 171-acre (69 ha) Florida state park located three miles (5 km) south of Chipley, Washington County in northwestern Florida.
See our full Falling Waters State Park guide for fees, hours, and what to expect.
10. Topsail Hill Preserve State Park
Distance from Panama City: about 41 miles west of Panama City (straight-line).
Location: 7525 W County Hwy 30A Santa Rosa Beach, FL 32459
Topsail Hill Preserve State Park is a 1,640-acre (6.6 km2) Florida State Park located in Santa Rosa Beach, ten miles (16 km) east of Destin, off U.S.
See our full Topsail Hill Preserve State Park guide for fees, hours, and what to expect.
