PANAMA CITY BEACH, Fla., August 3, 2017 – You may find it surprising that Panama City Beach is one of the top destinations for eco-tourism. With secluded stretches of sand, dense woodlands and wild wetlands, Panama City Beach is perfect for your next outdoor excursion. With ecotourism more popular than ever, Panama City Beach offers nature lovers the opportunity to “make it yours” with ecologically responsible, fun-filled outings with the potential for discovery around every turn.

Outdoor enthusiasts can enjoy hiking, bird watching along scenic trails, boating, fishing, diving, kayaking, off-road cycling; stand up paddleboarding (SUP) and more. In addition, Panama City Beach provides distinctive wildlife viewing opportunities. From bottle-nosed dolphins and large schools of baitfish in the Gulf of Mexico to alligators and egrets in the marshes and dune lakes, wildlife thrives in this area. And, with everything from airboat adventures to glass-bottom boat tours and marine rescue programs, there are many ways to experience and observe the surrounding wildlife.

Bracketed by state parks and home to miles of on and off-road bike trails in protected conservation areas, Panama City Beach also offers award-winning beaches and chances to encounter nature both above and below water.

Visitors to Panama City Beach are invited to construct a customized itinerary for their ecotourism adventure by taking the “Find Your Vacation Vibe” Quiz which will offer suggestions for how they can “make it yours” during their stay.

Key points of interest for nature lovers include:

Panama City Beach Conservation Park

This 2,900-acre tract of West Bay Ecosystem is being restored using reclaimed water to return a natural balance back to a once-threatened set of wetlands. Visitors can enjoy the Conservation Park’s boardwalks and 24 miles of unpaved trails as they hike, bicycle or run loops that range from half-a-mile to 11 miles. Gayle’s Trails connects the Conservation Park trails with other trail systems throughout the beach and honors one of the project’s visionaries, former mayor of Panama City Beach Gayle Oberst. Public restrooms, picnic areas, a guide to local flora & fauna, and a pavilion are located near the main parking lot, while an outdoor classroom provides a venue for group educational and enrichment opportunities. Additionally, eight boardwalks totaling over a mile in length are scattered throughout the park, providing excellent views of natural wetland areas.

St. Andrews State Park

St. Andrews State Park ranked number two on the list of “Top 10 Beaches in the United States” by Trip Advisor®. One of the most popular outdoor recreation spots in Florida, the park is characterized by rolling, white sand dunes separated by low swales of pinewoods and marshes. Visitors are encouraged to hike the Blue Heron Trail that winds through myriad plant communities. Here, freshwater and saltwater marshes teem with wildlife and birds. The Gator Lake Trail provides visitors with an elevated vantage point for spotting alligators and a variety of waterfowl, wading birds and other small animals. Button Bush Marsh is a favorite feeding place for a variety of birds including herons and ibis.

The 1,260-acre area, located on the eastern edge of Panama City Beach, has more than 1.5 miles of beach on the Gulf of Mexico and the Grand Lagoon. Swimming, diving and snorkeling can be enjoyed in the Gulf and in the shallow, protected pool behind the jetties. A deep-sea jetty and surf fishing offer opportunities for anglers, as do two fishing piers, a boat ramp and concession stands. For visitors who want to get the most out of this outdoor experience, two campground loops are nestled in the pine woods along the Grand Lagoon. The park’s campsites can accommodate everything from tents to 40-foot RVs. There is also a “primitive” camping area for non-profit groups, equipped with a bathroom, water pump, and picnic table. Park visitors can also rent bicycles, canoes, kayaks and snorkeling equipment.

Shell Island, a pristine barrier island situated just across the shipping channel from the mainland, is a 700-acre undeveloped island that provides a peaceful spot to relax in nature or snorkel. The area surrounding the island is home to one of the largest concentrations of bottlenose dolphins in the country. Shuttle boats are available to bring guests to the island in the spring and summer months.

Camp Helen State Park

Camp Helen State Park is bordered by the Gulf of Mexico and Lake Powell – one of the largest coastal dune lakes in Florida. Natural areas range from coastal dunes and salt marshes along the Gulf to freshwater wetlands and sand pine scrub along the lake. Activities include swimming, beachcombing, nature study, hiking, and both freshwater and saltwater fishing.

Preserving ‘The World’s Most Beautiful Beaches’

The pure white color of Panama City Beach’s sand results from quartz crystals washing down from the Appalachian Mountains centuries ago. The crystals were bleached, ground, smoothed and polished along their journey, eventually washing up along the shore of the Gulf of Mexico.

To maintain these award-winning beaches, Panama City Beach completed a beach renourishment project in the spring of 2017. Working with the United States Corps of Engineers, 840,000 million cubic yards of sand were pumped onto approximately 3.5 miles of beach, extending the shoreline by 100 feet in many locations. This is the fourth major beach replenishment undertaking the destination has completed since 1999.

The Dune Vegetation Project, an effort spearheaded by the Bay County Tourist Development Council, preserved the dunes just east of St. Andrews State Park through Pinnacle Port on the west end of Panama City Beach. The planted vegetation, all native to the area, include sea oats, dune panic grass, beach elder, sea purslane and railroad vine. In addition, new post and rope fencing lines the seaward edge of the new vegetation to protect the plants and allow them to grow and stabilize. Plantings will help trap and secure windblown sand, thereby growing sand dunes without actual sand replacement.

More information about how to “make it yours” on an ecotourism themed vacation can be found at https://www.visitpanamacitybeach.com/make-it-yours/ecotourism/