The Ultimate Gulf Coast Road Trip Adventure: 4 Must-Visit Gems from Apalachicola to Carrabelle!
Known for beautiful beaches, amazing shelling, and gorgeous sunsets, Florida’s gulf coast is a popular destination for intrepid travelers.
Now, I love the beach about as much as a sand crab (that’s a lot, by the way), but there’s so much more to see on a gulf coast road trip! Especially along the roughly 22-mile stretch between Apalachicola and Carrabelle is known as the Forgotten Coast.
From stunning state parks to exotic wildlife — and even history from the Second World War — Florida’s gulf coast is brimming with amazing destinations that go beyond just sun and sand. Perfect for a long weekend with the entire family, our Florida gulf coast road trip itinerary will guide you to some of the coolest places off the beaten path.
Let’s get going!
1 – Explore the Wild Wonders of St. Vincent National Wildlife Refuge on Your Gulf Coast Road Trip!
Starting in Apalachicola, the first stop on our road trip along the Forgotten Coast is the fantastic St. Vincent National Wildlife Refuge!
Located on its very own islands — St. Vincent Island and Pig Island — the refuge offers sanctuary to migratory birds, alligators, and endangered species like red wolves. Delightfully undeveloped, the St. Vincent Island National Wildlife Refuge spans 12,300 acres of unspoiled natural habitats. (Pig Island spans a rustic 46 acres.)
Unlike other wildlife reserves or state parks, St. Vincent does not have a visitor center or drinkable water. However, that’s part of what makes it so special! Nature is truly king here and remains undisturbed by human infrastructure.
This also means you can only access the refuge via boat ride. While it’s free to explore the refuge during daylight hours, if you don’t have your own aquatic transportation, you will need to hire one of the local vendors to taxi you across the waves.
Once you’re on St. Vincent Island, you can explore the beach and find some amazing shells before heading inland toward the hiking and biking trails. There are some directional signs posted as you go along, but you’ll definitely want to grab a map at the kiosk by the boat dock. For the most part, you’re on your own out here! Just remember to pack water, sunscreen, and plenty of bug repellent, and you’ll be good to go.
Enjoy beautiful vistas of rolling dunes, lively marshland, and dense forest, and be sure to bring along a camera (or your smartphone) for capturing the local wildlife. St. Vincent National Wildlife Refuge is an absolute treasure trove for birdwatchers! Songbirds, warblers, raptors (no, not the Jurassic Park kind), shorebirds, and even bald eagles call this place home at various times of the year.
Little Known Fact about St. Vincent Island
In 1948, the Loomis brothers purchased St. Vincent Island in Florida for $140,000 and transformed it into a private game reserve by introducing several non-native animal species. Among the imported creatures were zebras, elands, black bucks, ring-necked pheasants, Asian jungle fowl, bobwhite quail, and semi-wild turkeys. This action was a reflection of the prevailing attitudes towards wildlife during that era, where private individuals sought to create unique attractions or recreational spaces with exotic animals.
However, as conservation practices evolved over time, the island’s purpose changed. In 1968, the Loomis brothers sold St. Vincent Island to the U.S. government, which subsequently designated it as St. Vincent National Wildlife Refuge, shifting its focus towards preserving and protecting the native wildlife and coastal habitats that thrive there today.
2 – St. George Island State Park: A Gulf Coast Road Trip Oasis Awaits!
Another gem nestled within our gulf coast road trip is the Dr. Julian G. Bruce St. George Island State Park.
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A full day at St. George Island State Park can include swimming, sunbathing, hiking, kayaking, and fishing. But it doesn’t have to stop there! You can opt for an overnight stay at this state park during your gulf coast road trip. With primitive and RV campsites, you can forgo the cost of a hotel and enjoy a pet-friendly environment beneath a sky full of stars and a lullaby of night birds and lapping waves.
Fun Fact about St. George Island State Park
One not-so-commonly-known fact about St. George Island State Park is that it boasts a fascinating historical feature hidden within its sandy shores. During the mid-20th century, the park was not an island at all. It was originally a peninsula connected to the mainland by a narrow strip of land.
However, in 1954, Hurricane Edna, followed closely by Hurricane Flossy, caused a natural event known as a breach to occur. The powerful storm surges and relentless winds carved a new inlet through the land, separating St. George Island from the mainland and transforming it into the barrier island we know today.
This natural process of breaching is not uncommon for barrier islands along the Gulf of Mexico, where hurricanes and tropical storms can significantly shape the landscape. The breach created by Hurricane Edna and Flossy has since become known as “The Cut” and is a remarkable reminder of the dynamic forces of nature that continue to shape the Gulf Coast.
Visitors to St. George Island State Park can still witness the impact of these historical storms by exploring “The Cut” and appreciating the ever-changing coastal environment. The breach has not only added to the island’s charm but also increased its ecological diversity, making it an even more captivating destination for nature enthusiasts and history buffs alike.
3 – Step Back in Time: Camp Gordon Johnston Museum – A Fascinating Stop on the Ultimate Gulf Coast Road Trip!
Moving along to Carabelle, our next stop is the Camp Gordon Johnston Museum.
Did you know an important piece of WWII history played out right here in the Sunshine State?
Just about everyone is familiar with D-Day — the amphibious invasion of Normandy that turned the tide of the war in the Allies’ favor — but you might be surprised to learn Florida played a key role in the operation’s success.
Camp Gordon Johnston opened in 1942 for the express purpose of training soldiers in amphibious invasion tactics. Infantrymen trained tirelessly along these beaches and in the forests, preparing to land on hostile shores an ocean away. Needless to say, even with a beach, being in Carabelle was no vacation.1
The camp’s newspaper, The Amphibian, ran a poem with a stanza that read:
The heat in the summer is one hundred and ten
Too hot for the Devil, too hot for the men.
Come see for yourself, and you can tell.
It’s a helluva place, this Carrabelle.2
We still think Carabelle is a heck of a place, but that’s because of the Camp Gordon Johnston Museum! Now a testament to the men and women who trained here, you can tour the museum (which is free!) and see photographs of daily life at camp, artifacts from battles across the sea, uniforms, equipment, and more.
We deeply appreciate how the CGJ Museum works hard to preserve the legacy of these brave people, making sure this part of the Forgotten Coast isn’t actually forgotten. It’s especially important as WWII is in the process of passing from living memory into history.
4. The World’s Smallest Police Station: A Charming Curiosity on Your Gulf Coast Road Trip!
Our last stop along the Forgotten Coast is a fun little place known as the World’s Smallest Police Station.
With strong Doctor Who vibes, this tiny, blue phone booth stands beneath a chinaberry tree as Carabelle’s sentinel against crime. Of course, this small police station is just a replica of the original (that one is located inside the Carabelle History Museum), but this location is where the story all began.
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In the 1960s, the police station wasn’t even a booth — it was just a phone bolted to the side of the building. Unfortunately, that meant miscreants took advantage of the phone for long-distance calls, and the town’s only officer was often stuck conducting police business in the rain.
Thankfully, Johnnie Mirabella of the St. Joe’s Telephone Company made the call (pun totally intended) to put the police phone in a phone booth. It was at this time the police box moved to its current, touristy location on Highway 98.
Through the years, the World’s Smallest Police Station has been vandalized, shot at, run over by a pickup truck, and even blown over by a hurricane! Nevertheless, it’s always gotten back up again (with help from friendly humans) and continues its watch over Carabelle, a symbol of justice and novelty.
Today, it’s not uncommon for the World’s Smallest Police Station to be hopping. Fun, quirky, and cute, it’s a favorite photo-op for gulf coast road trippers!
These are just a few unique and wonderful stops along the Forgotten Coast, but there’s even more to explore! What’s your favorite place to spend the day between Apalachicola and Carabelle? Let us know in the comments below!
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