Parks In Panama City, Florida

Leslie Porter Wayside Park: Let me start with a close-by park, located at 200 Michigan Ave in Lynn Haven. You'll find a couple playground areas, picnic areas, a walking and golf cart bridge, beach access to North Bay, and boat launches. Read about my adventures at Leslie Porter Park right here. 

A.L. Kinsaul Park, which can be found at 1146 W 5th St, also in Lynn Haven, is a great place to stroll the water's edge with that mug of coffee I talked about and watch boats, jet skis, and bird life. It's nice and quiet there. It has a charming little gazebo to relax in, a fenced dog park area where you can bring the pooch, a pirate themed water park to let the kid's play, and it offers a Frisbee golf course to play through. In July, they host one terrific fireworks show, live music, and food booths. You haven't seen a great fireworks show until you've seen them blast off over the water. It's really lovely!

Sharon J. Sheffield Park, located at 901 Ohio Ave, sits more in the central area of Lynn Haven, right next to the city hall. I call it Turtle Park, because of the small body of water that flows underneath a charming walking bridge, that is home to many smallish turtles. They are fun to watch swim up to the surface, around the lily pads, and down the waterway. Once, I watched one eat a Froot Loop someone had dropped in the water. It seemed to enjoy it. 😁

The park has a nice size play area for the kids with lots of swings and things to climb around on. It's clean and well maintained, as are all parks here. They host a number of events here, including the Lynn Haven Winter Wonderland with a bunch of vendors and fun things to do, the Christmas Tree Lighting Extravaganza, and a week-long Fall Concert Series. You can come and sit on the lawn and watch a different band entertain you, every evening during the Concert Series, all for free!

The Lynn Haven Bayou Park & Preserve, located on 4800 County Road 2321 in Lynn Haven is really amazing! It's a large 98-acre park outside of the central area, so it's always nice and quiet, far away from the hustle and bustle of the city. There's so much I want to share, I'm working on a page that is dedicated to it. I really love this place! Bookmark this page so you check it out when I have it done. You may want to subscribe to my newsletter to stay updated. I'd love to stay in touch. Read more about it here.

Oaks by the Bay Park is a lovely five-acre park in Panama City, just up the street from St Andrews Marina. It's located at 2715 W 10th St, and is home to The Old Sentry, a huge, live oak tree that is estimated to be over 250 years old and was standing during the Civil War. Every weekend, the park hosts a local Farmer's Market that draws a lot of people looking for artisan crafts and fresh foods. You'll find yourself close to water access to watch boats and wildlife, beyond the marina. Stay tuned for my soon-to-come page for more about this particular park.

Frank Brown Park: This is the largest park in Panama City Beach, at just over 100 acres and you can find it at 16200 Panama City Beach Pkwy in Panama City Beach. There's a ton of things to choose from and do here. Here's a short and sweet list of the highlights:

• An Aquatic Center that includes an outdoor Olympic size pool and a Kid's Splash Pool,
• Multiple baseball and softball fields,
• Batting cages,
• Basketball courts,
• T-Ball field,
• Soccer fields,
• Shuffleboard courts,
• Tennis courts,
• Multiple playgrounds for the kids,
• Picnic areas all over,
• A freshwater fishing pond,
• Multiple dog park enclosures to let your pup run,
• A 20-acre festival site,
• And Gayle's Trails, where you can hike or bike for up to 18 miles!

Just a warning that some things do cost money, so check in to find out and bring your wallet with you.

Aaron Bessant Park: This park is located at 500 W Park Dr in Panama City Beach, right next to the Pier Park shopping area. It's a large, open area to stroll and enjoy, with a couple nice lakes, but the main attractions are the popular music concerts and events that they host there. The amphitheater in the middle of the property has a capacity of 10,000 and there are happenings throughout the year. It's clean, well-manicured, with a very nice Veteran's Memorial near the entrance. A real plus is that the beaches of Panama City Beach are right down the street, within walking distance.