St. Joseph Peninsula State Park Recreation Area

Pros: Campsites convenient to beach, naturally beautiful, pristine beach, clear water, good facilities, isolated.
Cons: Mosquitoes and raccoons, raccoons, raccoons!. Isolated, which for me is a pro!

I call this park "a paradise" because there are certainly many breathtakingly beautiful natural areas in our country. However, St. Joseph Peninsula State Park (officially the T.H. Stone Memorial Park) definitely ranks among the best. Named the best ...

Pros: quiet, beautiful, and full of wildlife.
Cons: biting insects.

I am a 21 year old college student from Indiana. I had a 14 hour drive from my home and it was well worth it to see this gorgeous park! St. Joseph Peninsula State Park is my paradise! I arrived last year, 2006, in mid-March with my boyfriend prepared ...

Pros: Snow-white beaches with sparkling, crystal clear water. No crowds.
Cons: Small campsite which can be difficult for larger RV's to back into.

This park was named the #1 beach in the US (including Hawaii) for 2002, by Dr. Beach as declared on the Today Show during the Memorial Day holiday. St. Jo park is a Gilligan's Island and a tropical paradise. It is located on Cape San Blas which lies at...

Pros: remote, beautiful, pristine
Cons: The yellow biting flies of Florida

My girlfriend and I camped at St. Joseph's in early June 2004. Since it was right after Mem. day, we could have easily secured a regular campsite, but instead we opted for "primitive camping", which requires one to hike at least a mile into the park. ...

Pros: Beautiful. Quiet. Natural.
Cons: Lots and lots of mosquitoes.

We visited Port St. Joe the summer of 2003. We decided to to go to this area after it was rated by "Mr. Beach" as a great beach. We were not disappointed. It is rather isolated and quiet. The sand is beautiful and the views incredible. The entire area has been left naturally beautiful. There is a short walk from the campground to the beach that bikes are allowed. We will most definitely return to St. Joe.

Pros: Bay and beach access; abundant wildlife in and out of the water; beautiful uncrowded beaches.
Cons: Remote from attractions and stores; clouds of biting insects; occasional poisonous snakes.

You'll either love or hate TH Stone Memorial St. Joseph Peninsula State Park. According to park rangers, it's not uncommon for first time campers or cabin occupants to pack up and leave the day after arriving!

The good stuff you've read is true: St. Joe is beautiful, filled with wildlife, uncrowded and scenic. Both beach and the bay are endlessly fascinating to my family.

But what's left out is the bad stuff. The park prohibits spraying so the mosquitoes vary from bad to terrifying. We just returned covered with bites. In years past, we've been stung by jellyfish; bitten by fire ants, black flies (which eat DEET!), horse flies; even spined by a sting ray. Add in the remote location, far from restaurants and stores, and you've got a vacation from hell for many. We still love it, but most won't. Inviting friends to join us was a HUGE mistake.

Pros: Beautiful beaches, great bay adventures, dolphins...the 60'dunes are worth the trip!
Cons: NONE!

The State Park has 3 miles of road and then the remaining 7 miles is unpaved, pristine wilderness! It's not unusual to see deer, fox, bald eagles and plenty of fun things in the water!

The beaches have up to 60' dunes that look like they have been there since the beginning of time. The sand is sugar soft and white and the beach is wide a beautiful. Don't overlook the bay side. A walk along the shores will lead you to a treasure trove of wonderful finds--sea urchins, sand dollars, shells and more!

There are several places to picnic during the day and plenty of grills, but never a crowd!

You don't have to stay at the State Park! Barrier Dunes in a wonderful, family friendly and pet friendly complex just outside the entrance to the state park! It has 2 pools, lighted tennis courts and the beach is right there! Never a crowd or a "wild bunch" there---just relaxing and quiet!

See: www.TheCapeEscape.com for more information

Pros: Staff are great, Facilities always clean, Park is well maintained.
Cons: Mosquitoes depending on the time of year.

The natural beauty of the park is wonderful. The white sand dunes and beaches are breath taking. The camp sites vary in size. There is a very good selection of sizes for your RV. Wildlife is abundant and some are very friendly. The two camping areas give you a choice of open or wooded sites. Both are just a short walk to the beach. It is the best for a quiet and restful vacation. I call it my little paradise.
I found this web site to be very informative.
http://www.gtcom.net/~caretta/welcome.htm

It has a few pictures so you can see some areas of the park.
The park is well maintained and the park staff are very helpful and informative.
Port St. Joe is about a 30 minute drive were you can find shopping and grocery stores. I found that the merchants in Port St. Joe to be very helpful in finding things that you may be looking for.