*Families with small children please use caution at this location. The beach area is on the other side of the river and there are currents. If you are looking for a place to swim with small children I recommend Blackwater River State Park or Krul Lake Recreation Area.

Fillingim Landing Map

View Fillingim Landing Kayak Launch in a larger map

Fillingim Landing Photos

Fillingim Landing Launch

Fillingim Landing Launch

Fillingim Landing

Fillingim Landing Hiking Trail

Fillingim Landing Picnic Area

Our mission was completed successfully. We had a nice time together in the great outdoors while getting exercise and we even learned a few things. After the nature walk we spent some time skateboarding before heading home.

There is so much to do at UWF for outdoor fun and it is centrally located for most people in Pensacola. The landscape is too beautiful not to enjoy time there. Whether you’re a student, a local or a vacationer, there are many activities from which you can choose. Here’s a list of activities to help get you motivated.

Whatever you decide to do, download the UWF Trail Maps for easy navigation and have a great time!

Trail Running

The cross country trail is near the multipurpose field on Campus Lane. There’s nothing like having a huge deer stand centered on the trail staring at you to wake you up on a morning run. That actually happened once. We also saw deer another time on the same trail while out geocaching with the family. Mostly you’ll hear lots of squirrels and birds and have a peaceful time.

Trail Biking

You can get to the bike trails off of the boardwalk for some moderate terrain riding.

Walking/Hiking/Birding

The whole campus is worth exploring. Walk the sidewalks on the weekend that meander through a variety of trees, shrubbery and flowers. Hike any of the wooded trails. Spend a morning bird watching and give yourself time for contemplation before getting back to the busyness of life.

Geocaching

There are geocaches all over campus. We’ve found a few geocaches during the day and even one night cache with friends.

Canoeing/Kayaking/SUP

Canoes are available to students for rental or bring your own kayak or stand up paddleboard and paddle through the marshes.

Weekend Skateboarding

There aren’t any signs and there are few people on campus during the weekend, so we take our kids and our longboard down the smooth, hilly sidewalks.

Ready to explore the lower sections of Blackwater River? A good location to launch a boat, kayak or stand up paddleboard (SUP) is the Oyster Pile Boat Ramp  located in Bagdad, FL  (right outside Milton). The boat ramp gives you access to the tributaries just off the Blackwater River. Although you can take larger boats out here to explore and catch fish, this area is great place to explore on a kayak or SUP.

The park includes a boat launch, picnic tables, and a portable bathroom. If you are looking for a new place to explore, this is a perfect destination.

View Oyster Pile Boat Ramp in a larger map

Deadman's Island

Looking for a paddle destination on the Florida Panhandle? Consider Deadman’s Island in Gulf Breeze. Deadman’s Island is a small island located in Gulf Breeze. The island is only accessible by boat and is a perfect place to enjoy white sandy beaches, calm water, snorkeling, fishing and paddleboarding or kayaking.

Visitors to Deadman’s Island can enjoy many coastal birds, crabs, fish and visiting dolphins. There are also a few man-made oyster reefs off of the island. This attracts fish and is also a nice place to snorkel and enjoy sea life.

Accessing Deadman’s Island

To access the island by kayak or paddleboard there are a few launch points within a close range.

Option 1:

Park at the public boat ramp at Wayside Park in Gulf Breeze. Approximately .5 mile

View Wayside Park in Gulf Breeze in a larger map

Option 2:

There is a small city park located in Gulf Breeze called Woodland Park. The park has picnic tables, a playground and a small dock. The dock makes a nice place to launch a kayak or paddleboard. Paddle out the canal and go left to access Deadman’s Island. This route is about one mile long.

View Deadman’s Island Option 2 in a larger map

Photos of Deadman’s Island

Our family with paddleboards on Deadman's Island

Beach view with boards

Dolphin just off Deadman's Island

St. Andrews State Park in Panama City is a great place to explore for the outdoor enthusiast or beach lover. The state park is located on the east side of Panama City. It has water on three sides, a coastal lake, and swamp areas.

We’d been looking forward to the opportunity to explore this park. This past spring we got the opportunity to do just that. We set up camp and had so much fun exploring this beautiful park. During our stay we saw nesting Egrets, deer, dolphins, snakes, and even an alligator. Yes, you’ve got to watch your step on the trail by Gator Lake. You never know what you may come across.

The park has many hiking trails, a spot to snorkel, kayaking areas, boat rentals, and even a boat launch. for your own boat. You may bring your own boat when you camp or rent a pontoon boat for exploring Shell Island.

St. Andrews Park at one time was a military reservation. Visitors can enjoy miles of beaches along the Gulf of Mexico and Grand Lagoon.

View St. Andrews State Park in a larger map

Camping Information

Camping April 2011

The campground at St. Andrews park is located on Grand Lagoon. The park has some really nice waterfront camp spots. The campground includes two loops with 176 camp sites. The sites range from tent to RVs up to 40 feet. The grounds include nice bath and  laundry facilities. Within a short distance of the camp sites are hiking trails, beaches, boat launch, and a camp store.

Hiking Information

Choose from two hiking trails at St. Andrews State Park. The trails are Heron Pond and Gator Lake Trails. Gator Lake gives you great views of the lake which, yes, does include alligators. The Heron Pond trail takes you on a science hike through the Flatwood pine forest and past a historic turpentine still.

We hiked a portion of Gator Lake and enjoyed many surprises along the way such as snakes and even an alligator. These are great trails for view the beauty and wildlife these parks have to offer.

Boating Information

Pontoon boat we rented

The park includes a public boat ramp and a loading and unloading area. The ramp is located on Grand Lagoon. In addition, a local vendor is available to rent pontoon boats, kayaks, and jet skis.

From this location we launched our stand-up paddleboards. We had a wonderful experience paddling Grand Lagoon. While paddling at sunrise we had the welcome company of playing/feeding dolphins.

During our stay, we also had a great experience renting a pontoon boat. The staff were helpful and showed us the popular spots to go which included a wonderful place to stop and snorkel where you could see live sand dollars, sea urchins, and other sea life. After snorkeling, we anchored at Shell Island, which is an undeveloped island between the Gulf of Mexico and St. Andrews Bay.

Snorkel and Dive

The jetties located in the park are an excellent place for beginner divers and snorkelers. The area inside the jetties is called the kiddy pool. The protected and shallow water creates a safe place to explore the sea life in St. Andrews Park.

Didn’t bring your own equipment? You may rent equipment at any of the concession stores in the state park.

Beach Access & Day Use

Plunge into the emerald waters of the Gulf of Mexico at the public beach area. The park has over one and a half miles of sugar white sandy beaches and emerald waters. The public beach area gives you access to the open waters of the Gulf or a protected shallow water area in the inlet.

In addition, the state park offers shuttle boat tours over to Shell Island where you can enjoy both bay and gulf swimming.

Photo of St. Andrews State Park

Snorkeling Area

St. Andrews State Park Beach Area

Deer

Nesting Egrets

Nesting Egrets Viewing Area

American Alligator in Gator lake

Gator Lake Hiking Trail

Come on out this Saturday, May 14th from 10 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. It’s being held at the Oyster Bar and Marina in Perdido Key off River Road. Admission is FREE and it’s going to be a great time.

There will be a variety of hands-on activities including:

• Paddleboarding demos
• Scuba and snorkeling demos
• Cast net and fishing demos
• Reptile show
• Alabama Gulf Coast Zoo- World’s First Environmentally Sustainable Zoo opening in 2K12
• Kid’s Zone

The Rotary Club raffle will include free parasailing  adventure for six, $150 gift card to Academy Sports and lots more. . .

The other day I was talking to Shawn about some of the exciting things we have going on in Navarre. One of the things I was bending his ear about was our great Navarre Beach Science Station. The science station is a former ranger residence on Navarre Beach that was given to the Santa Rosa school board for dual enrollment marine science classes. The Science Station is located on Santa Rosa Island, one of Florida’s barrier islands, midway between the Gulf of Mexico and Santa Rosa Sound.

The Station is more than just a classroom, it’s also a center for hands on marine environmental education. The students that take classes there don’t only learn, they also teach. High school students teach younger students about the Gulf of Mexico in action packed, standards-driven two hour festivals to include learning stations focused on fishing limits, marine debris, casting skills, and various topics of study.   A major goal of the project is to provide meaningful outdoor experiences for all students.

In the spring and summer there are many opportunities for children from all over to go to:

Summer day camps, camp sessions emphasize marine science and coastal ecology while nurturing the curiosity and stewardship potential in each child. They offer informal, field oriented, memorable camp experiences that balance detailed study with exploration. Using elements of environmental and experiential education as well as creative arts, each session is tailored to meet the learning stages and styles of kids’ grades 3-5 and 6-8.

Saturday by the Sea programs, which use hands-on activities, stories, songs, crafts, and live animal encounters to introduce them to the Gulf of Mexico. With a four hour program packed full of activities including kayaking and field studies.

Creep into the Deep Overnight Sleep Overs- 2 sessions for boys and 2 for girls in April and May. Want to know why the ocean glows at night? Grab your sleeping bags and experience a true nocturnal adventure! Explore the station as you’ve never seen it before – in the dark by flashlight. We will begin our evening with a twilight plankton tow using our kayaks.  An evening exploring the outdoors and hands-on labs await you!

I have volunteered, mostly with the kayaking portions, at the Station since before it’s inception and I have to say this is great environmental education made fun. The students and participants are enthusiastic and thrilled to be there.

All the details and charges for programs are available at

http://www.navarresciencestation.org/ Do you and your children a favor and check out their website and keep your eyes open for their Open House this year, big fun!

Kayak Dave

http://www.navarrebeachkayaks.com/

This area is now added our paddle map. We’ve launched our kayak from this location in the past and recently, we put in our paddleboards. It’s a beautiful place to paddle and enjoy the lower section of Blackwater River.

Although parasails have been launched from land for nearly 30+ years, with the swing in the boat market toward multiple sporting activities, increasing numbers of people are out to have fun high over water. If you’ve never parasailed, the freedom of flight awaits you.

How To Parasail

A preflight inspection of all the necessary gear insures flight readiness. Take-off should be into the wind. When all is ready, the parasailor hooks into the parasail. The boat then idles out until the towline is taut.

The flight crew holds up the canopy of the chute on both sides; the signal is then given to “hit the accelerator.” The parasailor resists the forward aerodynamic pull in a tug-of-war. Soon, lift-off occurs.

Once aloft, flyers get comfortable in the harness by sitting down. Altitude is controlled by boat speed.

My First Flight

It began in my dreams. I raced along the beach and flapped my arms. Before I knew it, I was high over the water and feeling euphoric. Then, I woke up knowing I was closer to making my dream a reality—I was going parasailing.

On a delightfully warm day near Pensacola, FL, I found myself airborne by design, having been launched into the void behind an outboard in the name of fun and adrenaline rush. I had a swatch of silk, which was connected to me by a tangle of paper-thin lines, flying over my head.

My first flight was both horrifying and inspiring. I hadn’t been in charge, my boat driver told me afterwards; the winds had been in charge of me. No kidding. I could have told him that when the first thermal flung me skyward, and I realized then I was where humans, anatomically speaking, shouldn’t be. In a short 60 seconds, I learned that parasailing, just like downhill skiing, demands full concentration. Also like downhill skiing, the ride seems too short only after it’s over; by then, the fear has faded enough that you’re eager to go back up.

In August of 2010, being at the mercy of the winds was something new to me, so unnerving that at first I fought their bullying influence. But that was missing the point. A great parasailing flight means achieving a state of grace, not by fighting wind conditions but by working with them. When I finally stopped resisting, I learned that the winds were not bullies after all.

In the beginning, mankind could fly no better than rocks. People endured this seemingly unalterable feature for eons, even as they dreamed of sprouting wings. But along came the 20^th and 21st century and a relatively simple arrangement of cloth and cable—plus a dash of daring—allows most anyone to soar high over water. Now after my first parasailing adventure, I endorse the activity as one of the best outdoor experiences around!

Places To Parasail

ABC Parasail- Outcast Marina, Orange Beach, AL

Perdido Key Parasail, Gulf Shores, AL

Radical Rides, Pensacola Beach, FL

Key Sailing, Pensacola Beach, FL

Just Chute Me Parasailing, Destin Harbour, San Destin, Navarre, Ft. Walton and Pensacola Beach, FL

Flicker Photo

About the Author: Mary Syrett is a freelance writer and photographer who frequently vacations on the Gulf Coast. She has a variety of articles published in both online and print magazines.