Some of the best beach running in Florida can be found in the stretch from Panama City Beach west to Destin. The names of the beaches change along the way, but this is 40+ miles of wide, continuous beach. The sand, especially near the water, is reliably compact for running. And with the exception of Panama City Beach proper, the area is generally free of high-rises. A few highlights:
St. Andrews SP. Creative Commons
Panama City Beach Area. Popular, signature beach. A nice stretch is ~5 miles east to St. Andrews State Park, where there some additional trails for running, a 2-mile paved park road that makes for a decent running loop, and a fun pier to run out on.
Or, head west for up to 15 miles to Camp Helen State Park. Be sure to include a jaunt out the fishing pier, ~1 mile out and back!
There’s a break at Camp Helen State Park, which depending on season/tides can be crossed by foot.
West of Camp Helen State Park. Nearly 30 miles of continuous beach running is possible west to Destin. It’s ~10 miles to Grayton Beach State Park, starting at Rosemary Beach and passing Ayls Beach and Seacrest Beach, among others. From Grayton Beach continuing west: ~2 miles to Blue Mountain Beach, 10 miles from there to Miramar Beach, another 6 miles to Henderson Beach, and another 3 miles to the Destin East Jetty.
Some of the best beach running in Florida can be found in the stretch from Panama City Beach west to Destin. The names of the beaches change along the way, but this is 40+ miles of wide, continuous beach. The sand, especially near the water, is reliably compact for running. And with the exception of Panama City Beach proper, the area is generally free of high-rises. A few highlights:
St. Andrews SP. Creative Commons
Panama City Beach Area. Popular, signature beach. A nice stretch is ~5 miles east to St. Andrews State Park, where there some additional trails for running, a 2-mile paved park road that makes for a decent running loop, and a fun pier to run out on.
Or, head west for up to 15 miles to Camp Helen State Park. Be sure to include a jaunt out the fishing pier, ~1 mile out and back!
There’s a break at Camp Helen State Park, which depending on season/tides can be crossed by foot.
West of Camp Helen State Park. Nearly 30 miles of continuous beach running is possible west to Destin. It’s ~10 miles to Grayton Beach State Park, starting at Rosemary Beach and passing Ayls Beach and Seacrest Beach, among others. From Grayton Beach continuing west: ~2 miles to Blue Mountain Beach, 10 miles from there to Miramar Beach, another 6 miles to Henderson Beach, and another 3 miles to the Destin East Jetty.
Essentials
From Panama City Beach, it's ~5 miles east to St. Andrews State Park; west for ~15 miles to Camp Helen State Park; and further west for ~30 miles to Destin East Jetty
Near downtown Panama City, it's possible to stitch together a pleasant run on waterside roads with sidewalks, with views to Saint Andrew Bay and East Bay. Full loop is up to 10 miles, including Bunkers Cove. Some pretty residential streets as well.
The best opportunity for off-road running near Panama City. Conservation Park has 24 miles of trails and 1 mile of boardwalks through wetlands and pine forest. Can connect to Gayle's Trails, a continually developing network of multi-use paths.
This area is 35 miles west of Panama City, offering some wonderful beach running around St. Joe Beach and miles of undeveloped beaches and dunes around Cap San Blas out to the end of the St. Joseph Peninsula.
One of the longest, seamless waterfront running opportunities in northwest Florida. Located in Eastpoint, just across the causeway from Apalachicola, Highway 96/30 goes east along the water for 8 miles. Good shoulder and great views of Saint George Sound.
A 15,000-acre preserve In the Santa Rosa Beach/Grayton Beach area, with 27 miles of trails through a pine forest. There are marked loops of several distances, with mile markets. Flat, compact sand surface. Good shade option.
One of our favorite spots in the area for running. The 1,640-acre park features a variety of habitats and terrain: pristine beaches, freshwater coastal dune lakes, old-growth long-leaf pine forests, and wetlands. Numerous trail and route options.
Located near Elgin Air Force Base, this area features several miles of mainly forested, shaded trails. It's easy to moderate trail running, and popular with mountain bikers too. We've mapped 5k and 11k loops.
For a longer off-road run in the area, the Timpoochee Trail is a good option. The paved multi-use path runs for 19 miles along Highway 30A between Santa Rosa and Rosemary Beach. Not all that scenic.
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Essentials
From Panama City Beach, it's ~5 miles east to St. Andrews State Park; west for ~15 miles to Camp Helen State Park; and further west for ~30 miles to Destin East Jetty
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