Camp Helen State Park Hosts Summer Movies & More

The Family Movies & More Series returns to Camp Helen State Park this summer. The third annual summer fun series will take place on Wednesday evenings on these dates: June 1, June 15, June 29, July 13 and 27.  

The evenings begin at 5:30 p.m. at Camp Helen Recreation Hall with a brief interpretive program led by a Camp Helen Park Ranger or other expert. The program will be followed by an old-fashioned campfire cookout of hot dogs and s’mores provided by the Friends of Camp Helen. Each evening will conclude with a family-oriented movie in the Recreation Hall where seating will be provided.  A parent or guardian must accompany all children.

These special movie nights are sponsored by Florida’s Department of Environmental Protection and the Friends of Camp Helen State Park.  Admission into the park for this event is free, although donations are accepted. Donations will go directly to the Friends of Camp Helen State Park to benefit the park's resource management projects and interpretive programs.
 

Wednesday, June 1
The movie “Planes: Fire & Rescue” will be featured. In this movie, the highflying adventure continues when Dusty Crophopper learns that his engine is damaged and he may never race again.  He joins forces with the Fire and Rescue helicopter Blade Ranger and his ATV team, The Smokejumpers, to battle a massive wildfire. (Rated PG). The interpretive program will be about Prescribed Fires by the Florida Forest Service.

Wednesday, June 15
The movie “Yogi Bear” will be shown. Jellystone Park is celebrating its 100th anniversary, but the park will likely close, because low attendance has caused Mayor Brown to decide to sell the land for logging. If the park closes, Yogi Bear and Boo Boo will lose their home. They join forces with Ranger Smith to save the park from closing. Yogi must prove in this endeavor that he is indeed “smarter than the average bear.” (Rated PG). The interpretive program will be about Florida Black Bears by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.

Wednesday, June 29
“A Turtle’s Tale: Sammy’s Adventures” will be featured.  You can follow the wonderful adventures of the green sea turtle Sammy as he searches the ocean for his lost true love.  During the epic journey that all turtles accomplish before returning to where they were born, Sammy dodges every possible danger, including battling with piranhas, escaping an eagle and searching for a mysterious secret passage, hoping to meet Shelly again. (Rated PG). Gulf World will present the interpretive program on Sea Turtles.

Wednesday, July 13
The movie “Hoot” will be shown. This movie, based on Carl Hiassen’s novel, follows a group of children trying to save a burrowing owl habitat from destruction. The habitat is located on the construction site of a pancake house. The developer of the project intends to proceed, regardless of the environmental damage it would cause. “Hoot” features live burrowing owls and music by Jimmy Buffet. (Rated PG). The interpretive program, facilitated by a Camp Helen Park Ranger, will be about Birds and Owls.

Wednesday, July 27
“Open Season” will be the last movie shown in the 2016 series. This movie features Boog, a domesticated grizzly bear with no survival skills, who meets Elliot, a scrawny, fast talking mule deer with only one antler. When Elliot convinces Boog to leave his comfortable home in a park ranger’s garage to test the great outdoors, Boog’s life spirals out of control. The two find themselves in the forest with open season only three days away. To acclimate in a hurry, they must join forces to unite the woodland creatures and take back the forest. (Rated PG). The interpretive program topic, presented by Gulf World, will be about King Snakes and Wild Animals in an urban setting.

More Summer News at Camp Helen!

Camp Helen State Park is offering kayak rentals this season. Sponsored by the Friends of Camp Helen, kayak rentals on Lake Powell are available full time throughout the summer. Come out to explore this beautiful Florida State Park located just at the Bay County/Walton County line on Hwy 98. Get out on Lake Powell and enjoy the day... Read more about kayak rentals in our story in the SoWal Community Forums.

Follow Friends of Camp Helen State Park on Facebook for updates on park events.

Camp Helen is a beautiful Florida State Park preserve on the Gulf of Mexico and along the shores of Lake Powell, the largest coastal dune lake in Florida. The park provides hiking, swimming, beachcombing, nature study, and fishing. The 180-acre park is for day use only and is located west of Panama City Beach on U.S. 98 at the west end of the Phillips Inlet Bridge, just inside Bay County.