St. Andrews State Park
Panama City Beach, FL
St. Andrews State Park sits at the east end of Panama City Beach, where a rock jetty splits the Gulf from a calmer lagoon. The jetty pool draws swimmers and snorkelers who want clear water without real surf. Two nature trails and a boat ramp round out the park, and Shell Island sits just offshore, reachable only by boat or shuttle.
The jetty pool is about as reliable a calm water swim as the Panhandle gets, though the entrance fee and a lot that fills fast on weekends keep it from being anyone's quiet secret.
How we score beachesRent snorkel gear right at the park instead of bringing your own, since the jetty pool is calmest early before the wind picks up and the boat traffic starts. Get there at 8am when the gate opens if you want the jetty parking lot instead of one further down.
The entrance fee is 8 dollars per vehicle, 4 dollars for a single occupant, paid at the gate from 8am to sundown. The jetty area has its own lot that fills first on weekends, with more parking spread through the rest of the park.
Paved paths lead from the main lots to the jetty pool and the two nature trails, both mostly flat. The beach itself is a short walk of soft sand from the parking areas.
Dogs are not allowed on the beach at St. Andrews State Park, though leashed dogs are welcome in the campground, picnic areas, and on the hiking and biking trails.
Panhandle summers bring the warmest water, well into the 80s, along with the thickest crowds and the start of hurricane season in June. Spring and fall keep the jetty pool just as swimmable with a fraction of the people.
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