Trails at Camp Helen

Camp Helen State Park offers an assortment of trails throughout unique areas of the park.

The North Trail, 1.8 miles long, begins with a nice paved path alongside Lake Powell and reaches an earth-packed mile loop. There are numbered posts throughout the loop that correlate with our native plant brochure found at the beginning of the loop or in the visitor center. This brochure is great for learning about which native plants exist within the park. A few include the prickly pear, sand and slash pine, and the saw palmetto.

The Oak Canopy Trail, 0.5 miles long, is a short earth-packed path through the scrub oak forest. The tree tunnels create a peaceful stroll and it’s a great area to hear melodies of local songbirds like the tufted titmouse. Bald eagles are commonly spotted flying over.

A beautiful half-mile of beach is reachable by taking a marked 0.75-mile round-trip journey through the historic district and sand dunes from the main parking lot. While the beach isn’t too far away, the soft sand adds to the challenge of this hike. The protected areas on both sides of the path are a favored nesting site by nine protected bird species, including least terns and snowy plovers. This area of the Panhandle is also home to the rare Choctawhatchee beach mouse. 

Trail Access

• Entrance is located at 23937 Panama City Beach Parkway, Panama City Beach, Florida 32413.
• All trail access stems from the day-use parking lot.  
• Make sure to stop by the visitor center to pick up a trail map or ask any questions.