St Andrews State Park
St Andrews State Park Recreation area is a wonderful 1260 acre park comprised of natural coastal dunes, forests and wetlands. It is bordered by the Gulf of Mexico and the Grand Lagoon. It is open 8 a.m. to sunset. As with most state parks, there is a nominal entrance fee. Upon entering the park, the main road runs in a giant circle around the park. Turn right to get to the fishing pier, beaches and jetties along the Gulf of Mexico or Left to get the camping areas on the Grand Lagoon Side.
Pier Area
Jetty Area Continuing along the main road, you will pass Gulf side beaches and swimming areas. The next parking area you will come to is by the Jetty Store. The Jetty Store offers beach supplies and rentals of lounge chairs and umbrellas as well as snorkeling gear.
The Jetties are a beautiful rock formation around St Andrews State Park.
Shell Island is an undeveloped island between the Gulf of Mexico and St Andrews Bay. It's about 7 miles long and less than a mile wide covering 700 acres. It is a beautiful place to enjoy nature and the beaches and look for seashells. The beautiful clear waters also make it a great place to enjoy the views while snorkeling or scuba diving.
The area around St Andrews State Park and Shell Island is home to one of the world's highest concentrations of bottle-nosed dolphins.
Boat Launch Area
The next major stop along the main road is near the Camp Store. On this furthest point of St Andrews State Park, called Sandy Point, is where you'll find the primitive youth camping area which is available for small non-profit organized groups. In this area, you can visit the authentically reconstructed turpentine still and learn more about the turpentine industry that was once big in the area due to all the pine trees. You will also find a playground, a picnic area with grills, the concrete boat launch, kayaks, canoes and more fishing.
Campgrounds Area
Return from St Andrews State Park to Beaches and Parks
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Heading to the right, the first parking area will be near the Gulf Pier. In this area you can enjoy fishing and picnic facilities as well as the Pier Store. 
Even if you don't fish, a walk down the pier can offer the opportunity to view some wildlife and beautiful scenery. If you have small children you will appreciate that this pier has chain link fence or vertical posts all the way around rather than the typical two rails (that are so tempting to climb on).
If you plan to visit Shell Island, pick up your shuttle tickets at the Pier Store and take advantage of the trolley service to the boat. You may also wish to rent snorkeling gear or kayaks for your excursion.
The protection they provide makes the waters of the beaches in this area much calmer than surrounding areas. They are also a popular fishing spot. While you're in this area, you may also enjoy the hiking trails that go to Gator Lake.
The shuttle boat to Shell Island also launches from this area.
There is a pretty good chance of seeing dolphins.
Enjoy interacting with them, but remember it is illegal to feed or harass them. 
The shuttle goes back and forth to shell island regularly, so you can go for an hour or bring a cooler and go for the day. There are no restrooms and no shade on the island, so plan accordingly.
Located nearest the campgrounds and boat launch, the Camp Store offers camping supplies, canoe and kayak rentals and bait and tackle.
Finally, the last stretch of road before arriving back at the entrance of the park, passes the Lagoon Campground and the Pine Grove Campground. A parallel road, which can be accessed near the Camp Store and near the entrance to the park, runs through the camping areas. There are 176 campsites in the park with water and electric hook up. 
The Lagoon Campground has more hiking trails and a playground in addition to waterfront campsites along the Grand Lagoon. Camping at St Andrews State Park allows you to enjoy all of the amenities of the park. Once the park closes at sunset, the campers have the beaches and park to themselves.
