Rocky Bayou State Park was transformed from a bombing practice range during World War II to a picturesque state park. The property now preserves beautiful old-growth longleaf pine trees, several over 300 years old, that once dominated this area of Florida.

Rocky Bayou, the main feature of the park, is the trailing arm of Choctawhatchee Bay and is popular for boating and fishing. A double-lane boat ramp makes this one of the best boat launching locations on the bay, where both freshwater and saltwater fish are found.

The beautiful freshwater spring at Ponce de Leon Springs State Park is named for Juan Ponce de León, who led the first Spanish expedition to Florida in 1513, as legend has it - in search of the "fountain of youth."

Visitors might well regain their youth by taking a dip in the cool, clear waters of Ponce de Leon Springs where the water temperature remains a constant 68 degrees Fahrenheit year-round. The main spring is a convergence of two underground water flows, and produces 14 million gallons of water daily.

NOTE
Florida Caverns State Park suffered major damage from Hurricane Michael in 2018. Call the park to check status before you go. Visit the Florida State Parks Storm Updates page for more information.   

Florida Caverns State Park is about an hour and a half northeast of SoWal just north of I-10 in Marianna, Florida. One of the few state parks with dry (air filled) caves and the only Florida state park to offer cave tours to the public.

About an hour northeast of SoWal, just off I-10 at Chipley, Florida, Falling Waters State Park features huge trees and fern-covered sinkholes that line Sink Hole Trail, the boardwalk that leads visitors to Florida's highest waterfall.

Falling Waters Sink is a 100-foot deep, 20-foot wide cylindrical pit into which flows a small stream that drops 73 feet to the bottom of the sink. The water's final destination remains unknown. Only a few miles south of I-10, the park provides travelers with a quiet, serene stop on their journey.

Topsail Hill Preserve State Park offers a wide variety of natural resources including 3.2 miles of secluded, white sand beaches with majestic dunes over 25 feet tall. Three rare coastal dune lakes provide excellent freshwater fishing. Although boats are not allowed, fishing from the shoreline yields bass, bream, panfish, and catfish.

Point Washington State Forest is not as recognizable to SoWal lovers as the beaches or State Parks, but the protected forest is crucial to the entire ecosystem of the area. The protected forest is not only a precious place for plants and wildlife, it also keeps development from completely overtaking South Walton. Point Washington State Forest must be defended to keep SoWal beautiful enclave for future generations.

Deer Lake State Park is a 1,920-acre park which shares its name with the coastal dune lake within its boundaries. Coastal dune lakes are extremely rare worldwide and in the United States they occur only along the Gulf Coast. Deer Lake State Park is located on Scenic 30A, just east of Seagrove Beach.

Camp Helen State Park is bordered on three sides by the Gulf of Mexico and Lake Powell, one of the largest coastal dune lakes in Florida. Coastal dune lakes are extremely rare worldwide; in the United States they occur only along the Gulf Coast. Prehistoric middens and mounds indicate that humans lived in the area more than 4,000 years ago. From 1945 until 1987, Camp Helen was a company resort for employees of an Alabama textile mill and some of the buildings are now being restored.