Last Updated on April 30, 2025 by JJ
More Than Spring Break and Sandcastles
Say “Bay County,” and most people think of Panama City Beach—the spring break capital, the souvenir shops, the airbrushed T-shirts. But if that’s all you see, you’ve missed the real story.
Because behind the sunscreen and sunburn lies a patchwork of pine flatwoods, bayous, shrimp docks, old timber towns, and quietly stubborn communities. This is the Florida panhandle with its boots still on—a place where history clings to the live oaks, and locals still greet you like they mean it.
Bay County isn’t just the beach. It’s the forgotten corners, the back roads, and the inland bends that tell the real tale of Florida’s working heart.
A History Built on Pine, Paper, and the Port
Long before the high-rises and resort strips, Bay County was a port town with pine sap under its nails. Its earliest boom came not from tourism, but timber and turpentine—industries that left behind ghost railways, company towns, and place names like Callaway and Youngstown.
Then came the St. Andrews Bay Shipyard, which cranked out Liberty ships during World War II. In the 20th century, paper mills perfumed the air with sulfur and provided decades of employment—though not always affection. Locals joke that the town smelled like “money,” but everyone knew what that really meant.
And now? The mills are closing. The beach has taken over. But Bay County hasn’t forgotten where it came from—you can still feel it in the red clay roads and the shrimp boats lining the docks.
What to Do (When You Step Off the Beach)
🌲 Explore Conservation Park
Built on reclaimed timberland, this 2,900-acre park offers boardwalks and trails through cypress swamps and pine savannas. A rare chance to see Florida as it once was, before condos and chlorine.
🐚 Visit the St. Andrews Waterfront Market
Held Saturdays under the oaks near the bay, this little market is packed with handmade soaps, local honey, and shrimp caught that morning. Get there early—the best stuff goes fast.
⚓ Take a Charter from Panama City Marina
Skip the booze cruise. Book a working charter boat, where you’ll pull traps, chase Spanish mackerel, and maybe even spot dolphins tail-walking the bay.
🦅 Hike the Econfina Creek Trails
An inland gem where the water runs clear over limestone ledges and cypress roots. It’s cooler, wilder, and quieter than the coast—and it might just be the best-kept secret in the county.
📍 Econfina Creek Water Management Area
Where to Stay (Beyond the Strip)
🏨 Hotel Indigo – Panama City Marina
Modern, upscale, and downtown—not on the beach. Great views of the bay and walking distance to seafood joints and the marina. Visit site
🛏️ The Old Calhoun House
Inland near Youngstown, this historic B&B sits on 10 wooded acres. Ideal for writers, birders, or anyone trying to escape spring break. More info
🏖️ St. Andrews State Park Cabins
Rustic, quiet, and close to trails and water. No party crowds. Just herons and moonlight. Visit site
Where to Eat: Bay-to-Table
🍤 Hunt’s Oyster Bar
A Panama City classic since 1966. Low ceilings, plastic menus, and some of the best oysters in the Gulf. Visit site
🦀 Uncle Ernie’s Bayfront Grill
Located in a Victorian house right on the water. Grab the grouper sandwich and sit upstairs for a sunset view that’ll make you believe in Florida again. Visit site
🌮 Finns Island Style Grub
Tacos, poke bowls, and cold beer served from a surf shack with picnic tables under the palms. A local favorite for a reason. Visit site
A Forgotten Town Worth the Turn: Fountain, Florida
Take U.S. 231 north until the beach disappears in your rearview and the road turns red. Welcome to Fountain—a barely-there town where the gas station doubles as the post office and the old men on the porch can tell you about the time it snowed in ’89.
There’s a junkyard. A bait shop. A few caved-in barns and a church with a crooked bell tower. And somehow, in all this, a strange peace.
You won’t find Fountain on any tourism brochure, and that’s the point. It’s the kind of place that reminds you Florida didn’t start with Disney—or end with Miami.
Why Bay County is Florida’s Hidden Heart
Bay County is a contradiction.
It’s party beach and quiet swamp. It’s beer coolers and bald cypress. It’s old money and fish blood. It’s a place where you can order oysters by the dozen, hike through ancient pines, talk to a shrimper who’s been on the water for 40 years, and watch kids in camo shorts fish off the pier like it’s 1952.
And if you stay long enough, you’ll hear it—that low, humming heartbeat under the wind and waves.
Ask the bartender at a dockside shack, and she’ll tell you: “The sand’s nice, sure. But the people inland? That’s the soul of the place.”
She’s not wrong.
