St. Andrews State Park occupies the southeastern tip of the peninsula that separates St. Andrews Bay from the Gulf of Mexico. The 1,200-acre park has sugar-white sand beaches on both the Gulf and bay sides, two long jetties enclosing a calm-water swimming and snorkelling lagoon, twin freshwater ponds, and several miles of pine and palmetto trails behind the dunes.
The bay-side jetties are the easiest snorkelling in the area, with rocks down to about 4 metres and clear water on a calm day. The Gulf-side beach is a long open stretch with parking close by, lifeguards in summer, and rolling waves. A small shuttle boat runs across to Shell Island, a 7-mile undeveloped barrier island where you can walk for hours and rarely see another person. There is a state fee per vehicle, but at the kind of money charged it is the bargain of the Panhandle.