Tony and I went over to Shell Point Beach off the Gulf Coast in Florida near our Airbnb. This beach…read morehas a lot of condos and senior citizens communities. It was free to go to beach it's open sunrise to sundown. There is plenty of parking and public restrooms but no lifeguards so you swim at your own risk. Very lovely beach with some shells. Definitely recommend and will go back when in the area.

Originally we were going to go to another beach, but we wound up at Shell Point Beach due to time…read moreconstraints. It was practically sunset and the day was nearly done, so four of us went and just ate snacks and chatted the night away until we got kicked out. Beach is small, water is blah, but the views are lovely and the wind in my hair felt nice. We managed to snag a table right in front of the action and we saw many people pass us by. Coming from Miami, a beach like this one is unlike anything I've seen before. It's not crazy full of people doing who knows how many things at once. In all honesty, I only wish I had brought a paper and pen with me. It was the type of scene that gave me inspiration to write.

St. Marks, Florida. Late March, 2025. We were on a road trip, visiting the southeastern corner of…read morethe US. We saw the sign for the St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge, and just had to stop. For those unaware, the National Refuge System (System) is an extensive network of lands and waters protected and managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, especially for wildlife and its habitat. There are over 560 refuges, stretching from above the Arctic Circle in Alaska to the subtropical waters of the Florida Keys. The St. Marks Refuge was established in 1931 to provide winter habitat for migratory birds, and is one of the oldest refuges in the System. It encompasses about 86 thousand acres, and includes about 43 miles of north Florida's Gulf coast. About 350 thousand visitors come to St. Marks NWS each year to birdwatch, photograph, hike, fish, picnic, hunt, bike, and relax. We only touched the surface of what was available to do at the refuge. *We stopped at the Visitor Center, where you can pick up maps and view displays about Refuge wildlife and habitats. *We drove Lighthouse Road, which is a slow-moving 7-mile road which connects the Visitor Center to the historic St. Marks Lighthouse at the end of the road. (See my separate listing on Yelp). The road is shared by people in cars and on bike who are hopeful to spot migratory birds, monarch butterflies, and even alligators. *We parked at the Lighthouse (which was closed to visitors), walking around the short paths there, and taking photographs of the lighthouse and surrounding waters. Note that this is a fee-area, and entrance fees are required of all Refuge visitors traveling behind the Visitor Center on Lighthouse Road. Passes are accepted. You can also support your national refuge by supporting the Nature Store, where you can buy field guides, postcards, t-shirts, sunscreen, insect repellant, and more.

While attending the annual butterfly fest this year we had to wait for an hour or more then we're…read moretold it was another 7 miles to the actually lighthouse and where they were releasing the butterfly's. The lighthouse was beautiful and wildlife was wonderful. A big thing with this even was it stated very directly in the instructions no Dogs allowed. There were many dogs there some of which were not properly being attended to. One lady brought 5 or 6 small puppies then when a Ranger explained she needed to get them away from the water because the alligators would come out of the water and take them out of her arms she argued with her that she had already taken them but she would not move away from the waters edge.

Ranger Brock took our entrance fee - $4, and it was well worth it! When we first entered we saw two…read moredeer. We did not drive the scenic road as it was open only to Rangers. Signs are everywhere, asking visitors to follow social distancing guidelines and to avoid crowds. We didn't see too many campers, and the sign at the entrance indicated that the campground was full, so they are limiting capacity. Today we drove to the parking area by the river. Longer trails start here. We only wanted a mile or less round trip trail, so we drove to the boat ramp, past the campsites. The River Trail starts here, .7 miles each way. We walked 1.2 miles round trip. We saw butterflies and bobwhites. We also visited the bathrooms, which have showers, too. Water fountains, a sink, bulletin board, and pet station are outside this comfort station. Both bathrooms are cleaned daily between 10:30-11:30. This is where we will return to camp for meteor showers! It has no lights, except at the bathrooms, and I think it is $18 a night. We are over 65, so I think we get it for 50% off. Today's hike was a good one, and we will definitely be back.

Great camping area for families. There's fishing, swimming, bike and hiking trails. There is also…read morea playground. My grandchildren and I always enjoy camping at Ochlockoknee River State Park.

At one time, sinkholes served as dumpsters for locals. Cherokee Sink was one of these "free…read moredumpsters" for a long time until a few years ago. People used to chunk beer bottles into the water. Rumor has it that someone torched a stolen car out there, but I wouldn't know anything about that. There was a clean-up effort a few years ago when the sinkhole became part of Wakulla Springs State Park. They built platforms and boardwalks. All seemed improved. Shortly after that, the sinkhole closed down. As one reviewer mentioned, the closure occurred because of a lack of facilities necessary to run a state park. Now, however, the sinkhole has reopened. But things have changed. If you've come here in the past, you may remember being able to drive 70 mph on a tiny, winding path through the woods and then park almost close enough to the sink to drive your vehicle into the water. Not so anymore. Be prepared to walk about a mile. The county shut that road and turned it into a "nature path," though there is really nothing remarkable about the scenario. Also, no alcohol allowed--and there is always a park ranger out looking for someone to fine. The boardwalks and platforms are still there, but there is no longer a spot to jump from the platform. In short, the county cleaned up the sinkhole and baby-proofed it, and now it is a pretty spot for family fun if you are ready to walk a mile through the woods on a thick sand trail to get there. Also, you have to pay to park.

It's still here- just a mile away down a pretty, sandy shaded path. My husband has found memories…read moreof hanging out here playing in the water. We finally took a walk out here together and it really is lovely. I had never heard of a "sink" outside of my kitchen but apparently these are somewhat common in north Florida. It's like the ground just opened up here ages ago and "sank" and all that remains is a very deep clear freshwater pool. The water did look inviting in a natural way. Facilities here could be enhanced but for a natural setting it is clean and nicely preserved. Worth the modest hike if you are in the area!

Nice well-kept little out-of-the-way city park. has about 16 spots for other RV or tent camping…read more Modern showers and bathroom right on the river with the boat ramp and place to fish, playground for the kids. And it's a steal of a deal only $15 a night. A very nice setting with plenty of shade and no crowds. It also has electric and water hookups.

If you love sometimes just getting lost on a back road, Tate's Hell is definitely the place for…read moreyou! I've come here so many different times of year, so many different times of day & I genuinely never see another soul, which is a beautiful thing especially when you consider that this is Florida. It's a really cool wild area that is well cared for. Tate's Hell offers so many on road and off-road capabilities not to mention hikes, campsites & bodies of water. It truly just has a little bit of something for everybody and is beautiful at all times of year no matter if it's day or night! The tree canopy over the road alone makes it worth visiting, especially under a full moon!

Tate's Hell state forest is an exclusive location for hunting. We stopped for an overnight RV camp,…read moreand the facilities included electric hookup, restrooms and boating. The space was secluded in the middle of Hells forest and we had about 2-3 RVs with us making it an exclusive campsite. We were disappointed not finding water hook up which pretty much was only available in the restrooms. It made it difficult for us to use water in the RV itself. There were numerous trucks exclusively for hunting and the area was dotted with many as we drove back. Price was pretty reasonable, under $20 for a day.

Very nice place if you are into fishing , the campground store is very nice and everyone is very…read morehelpful

4 stars because the prices are right, motel clean, great location…read more We try to book this hidden gem every scallop season. Yeh, the motel isn't the Hilton but this is a fish camp! Clean, cold air conditioned rooms after a long day on the water is great. They offer a nice bait/ship store with super friendly people. We enjoy renting their 24' center consoles. They're super fast, stable, easy to operate, and reliable. Not only can some of our group find scallops but others fish for trout while we drift along the grassy flats of St. Marks. Other amenities include a covered fillet station with running fresh water, trailer parking, joining rooms, etc... Tip: Try to book a cottage. Two rooms and a screened porch but they book very early in the season. Also, if you see the cute little otter swimming around while your filleting your fish, toss him a few fish scraps. Adorable!

Used to be the best RV park around when Kenny was running it. Kenny, he tried so hard to make…read moreeverything so good. The new owners suck. They have completely and totally destroyed the park. And the Steven guy they have running it is just a yes ma'am worst park ever. The new owners only care about lining their pockets and not the people in the park. They use it yearly.

December 2025 I stayed several days. I enjoyed it at the park. price was good. next door the golf…read morecourse Wakulla Sands is excellent. I came for the golf and found the park to have nice bathrooms and a small laundry. I'll be back