Bald Point State Park
Alligator Point, FL
Bald Point State Park sits at the tip of the peninsula between Ochlockonee Bay and Apalachee Bay, with two separate beach areas facing different water. Eighteen miles of trail cut through pine flatwoods and salt marsh behind the dunes, and the park is a known stop for migrating monarch butterflies each fall.
Two beaches facing different water and real distance from the nearest town keep it uncrowded, though the lack of boardwalks or much shade means coming prepared.
How we score beachesCheck the wind direction before picking a beach, the bay side stays calmer when the Gulf side gets choppy from an onshore breeze. Fall visits around October can coincide with the monarch migration through the park, worth timing a trip around if butterflies interest you.
The entrance fee is 4 dollars per vehicle, 2 dollars for pedestrians or cyclists, paid at the gate. The park has about 70 parking spots total, split between its two beach areas.
Both beach areas are a short, mostly flat walk of soft sand from their lots. There's no boardwalk here, so the last stretch is loose sand rather than a paved path.
Leashed dogs are welcome on the park's trails, but pets aren't allowed on either beach.
Fall brings cooler hiking weather and the monarch migration, while summer's heat and hurricane season, June through November, make the shadeless trails tougher going. Water stays swimmable from late spring through early fall.
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