The 2,516-acre St. Joseph Peninsula State Park lies off the Florida panhandle about 60 miles southeast of Panama City. St. Joseph's Bay and the Gulf of Mexico border the peninsula. The park hosts amenities such as showers, parking and drinking water. Besides water-based activities, such as swimming, windsurfing, fishing and boating, outdoor enthusiasts will find trails both short enough for day hikes and long enough for overnight backpacking trips.
Cape San Blas Inn, three miles from St. Joseph's state park, has six rooms, four of which feature patios. Rooms feature Sleep Number beds that allow you to adjust the bed's firmness. The television in each room comes with DVD player. The hotel maintains a movie collection. Waves lap on the shore across the street. The hotel is on the same peninsula as the state park and not on the mainland.
The Turtle Beach Inn, set on a span of remote St. Joseph Peninsula beach called Indian Pass, is 17 miles from the state park. From this inn, you can take a shuttle to the wildlife preserve on St. Vincent Island. The inn has four guestrooms, each with a private entrance. The rate includes breakfast. Groups can opt for the two-bedroom, two-bathroom Sand Dollar Cottage, which features a screened porch with ocean views. The Turtle Tower contains two efficiency units with kitchens -- each unit can sleep up to six people. Both units in the Tower feature screened porches with views of surrounding water.
Set close to the shores of St. Joseph Bay, the 21-room Port Inn also features proximity to downtown Port St. Joe's shops and restaurants. The inn is 23 miles from St. Joseph Campground by road, but you can rent or charter a boat to sail across the bay to the state park. Eat dinner at the onsite Thirsty Goat, which offers a limited menu of pizzas and a few salads. The Thirsty Goat's has an extensive drink and cigar menu, which features flavored martinis, specialty cocktails, bourbons and scotches. You can also choose from more than a dozen cigars. The Thirsty Goat also hosts live music.
The state park offers eight cabins that can each sleep up to seven people. Each structure has a main floor, loft and kitchen. Outside the cabin, a screened porch offers views of St. Joseph Bay. The cabins feature central heating, air conditioning and a fireplace. Outdoor showers are available and linens are included. The cabins do not have televisions or phones. Reserve America, a private company, handles cabin reservations.
