Overview
Bald Point State Park is a smaller state park on the beautiful Forgotten Coast of North Florida and makes for a nice half-day outing with the kids type of park. The park’s main attractions include beaches, fishing, boating and hiking. Picnic benches are nestled among shady trees for snacks for lunch breaks. We saw multiple fishermen – it seemed a popular thing to do with families – both on a fishing pier and wading out to a sandbar in the water. Kayaking and sunbathing and wading in the shallow water all seemed to be popular attractions. Bald Point State Park is a wonderful place to visit if you want a glimpse of untouched natural coastal scenery.
Location
Bald Point State Park is a little over an hour’s drive south of Tallahassee in the panhandle area known as the Forgotten Coast. Florida’s Forgotten Coast is located in, for lack of a better word, the “armpit” of the panhandle and has not yet succumbed to the high-rise hotels and tourist attractions that have overtaken most of Florida. The area consists of St. George Island, Apalachicola, Carrabelle, Eastpoint, and Alligator Point. The area is quiet and beautiful and reminiscent of a different time. A pleasant drive on two-lane road US-98 W takes you past seafood restaurants and bars, marinas and fishing boats.
The park entry has no guard hut and the entrance fee of $4 is on the honor system. Once inside, there is basically one road that dead-ends at a beach entrance. There are two beach entrances, the first on your right just past the entrance. This parking area tends to get the most crowded as it is near the restrooms. Another parking area is ahead on your left by the entrance to the nature walk and boardwalk.
This is where we parked and walked to the second beach entrance at the dead-end of the road. There is a park map here, and a porta-potty for those who completely missed the first rest area!
What to Do
Over the sand and scrub brushes a path winds along over the sand dunes and leads to a beach inlet with a small lagoon and fishing pier.
Fishing seemed to be very popular here. There were a good number of families having fun out on the pier.
We walked around the beach lagoon area and saw the most hermit crabs I have ever seen in my life. There were hundreds of them just hanging out in the shallow water. Our daughter loved watching them peek out of their shells. On the other side of the lagoon was an outcrop of sand we called Ava’s Island with more hermit crabs, birds, and fishermen.
The main beachside also has a blue walkway great for strollers or beach carts. One guy was pulling his kayak along it which seemed to work very nicely for him. (Turns out the blue walkway is for beach wheelchairs to have easier access!)
The water is extremely calm with barely any waves. The sand is fine and white and pretty. The water was clear when you stood in it although it had a yellowish-brown tint from the shore. It was possible to wade out a good way although we didn’t on this trip. Ava had a great time splashing in the shallows and the baby got his first trip to the beach. Steve got a workout pushing the stroller in the sand!
The beaches in this area are different than what I’m used to. I grew up with the cold Atlantic Ocean and huge waves, and when I moved to Florida I loved the wide white sand beaches and the most beautiful clear blue water I had ever seen in Panama City Beach. The beaches here to the east of PCB have little waves and murkier water from the geography of the area. Although a small beach, I did enjoy the mix of beach with coastal lagoons and marshes and nary a highrise in sight. These smaller beaches are so great for little kids too, with calm water and fewer crowds and a relaxed atmosphere.
After some beach time, we headed over to the picnic area for a snack, then walked to the boardwalk to find some alligators!
And while we saw some cool gator trails through the marsh, we unfortunately saw no gators. We did see these two lizards participating in some questionable activity.
The nature walk is perhaps a quarter-mile long and ends in a high deck above the waters and marshes. It offers a great view of the surrounding park if you look up and opportunities to see alligators, fish, and birds if you look down.
What to Eat
Take a picnic lunch or at least some snacks and water. There is no concession here. We ate lunch at Myra Jean’s restaurant in Crawfordville on our way back to Tallahassee. The drive down US-98 offers a plethora of local seafood joints especially around Panacea that looked pretty hopping around lunchtime.
What Else to Do?
Alligator Point is a popular beach area probably a five-minute drive nearby. Mashes Sands is another calm beach across the Ochlockonee Bay and is popular with day-trippers from Tallahassee. The Gulf Specimen Marine Lab is an education center and aquarium that is lots of fun for kids.