Florida's Forgotten Coast is the name commonly used to refer to a quiet section of coastline stretching 130 miles through 3 counties (Bay, Gulf, Franklin and Wakulla) from Mexico Beach to St. Marks, Florida including the areas of Port St. Joe, Cape San Blas,Indian Pass, Apalachicola, St. George Island, Eastpoint, Carrabelle, Dog Island and Lanark Village…extending east to St. Marks, Shell Point, Mashes Sands, Panacea and Alligator Point and St. Teresa in Franklin County. This portion of Old Florida was indeed "forgotten" during the period when much of North Florida's coastline was developed...and subsequently over- developed. The Forgotten Coast is a special place today, more for what has been preserved than for what has been developed. Pristine bays, sugar white beaches, coastal marshlands, estuaries rich with sea life, and barrier islands with impressive dune formations...this is what the Forgotten Coast has to offer!
​
This journey is from west to east along a remote and quite rural portion of the Florida Panhandle between hectic Panama City and an area due south of equally hectic Tallahassee, the state capitol. At the urging of this publication & publisher, it was labelled “Florida’s Forgotten Coast” in the early ‘90s because state tourism promoters most often ‘forgot’ to even include this area on their maps. Ironically it has since evolved into quite possibly the leading ecotourism destination in Florida.
​
You are travelling along US Highway 98, a mostly two-lane road along the Gulf of Mexico. It is about 15 to 20 miles between communities. Population of the communities generally ranges from a few hundred to a few thousand. Traffic signals are rare as are shopping malls, bungee jumps, bowling alleys and parking meters. What you will see is lots of trees. More than 60% of this entire land mass is either a reserve, preserve or in the hands of one private landowner.
​
The scenery is fantastic and you can pull over to the side of the road most anywhere and enjoy the view, take a dip or dip a hook.
​
​
​
​