Rocky Bayou State Park

Fred Gannon Rocky Bayou State Park is named for the Air Force colonel who was responsible for restoring this area into a nature preserve from its former role as a WW2 military bombing range. This 357-acre park is loctated along the brackish shores of Rocky Bayou in the southeastern corner of Okaloosa County, and sits directly across Choctawhatchee Bay from the urban bustle of U.S. 98 with its strip malls and throngs of beach bound tourists. Once you are deep within the quiet woods of this lovely park you'd hardly ever know you were so close to the pressing mass of the multitudes.

Rocky Bayou

Quiet solitude of the Rocky Bayou Trail

The park is a great place to see one of the best remaining examples of coastal scrub forest in the western panhandle of Florida. This particular forest contains many fine specimens of old-growth long leaf pine, some of which are over three-hundred years old, that once covered much of Florida before large scale logging in the last century removed them. Some of the other trees found here include the sourwood, chinquapin, live oak, Alabama oak, sand pine, magnolia and cypress.

The most scenic loop trail in the park.

There are three principal nature trails in the park: the Red Cedar, Rocky Bayou and the Sand Pine Trail which hugs the shores of pristine Puddin' Head Lake. According to the book Exploring Wild Northwest Florida, "One of the most interesting aspects of these trails is the conglomeration of trees and shrubs that occurs here. Though none of these plants are outside of a habitat that might be expected for the species, the diverse assortment of species and sheer number of individuals make this an excellent place for botanizing."

The rare trumpter swan can be found here as well as bald eagles, osprey and a wide assortment of reptiles and mammals.

Puddin' Head Lake

This park has a large picnic area, boat ramp and 45 full-service campsites. It is open year-round and is conveniently located near stores and a wide array of services on nearby Florida Hwy. 20.

The author taking a break on the Sand Pine Trail.

For more information: http://www.floridastateparks.org/rockybayou/default.cfm