Three Day Road Trip: Florida’s Forgotten Coast

Florida’s Forgotten Coast is the ideal location for a road trip! There are several different small towns, Florida State Parks, and lighthouses to make this an unforgettable road trip. Continue reading for my three-day road trip itinerary along Florida’s Forgotten Coast.

Me at the entrance of the Cape San Blas lighthouse.

Overview: Florida’s Forgotten Coast Road Trip Itinerary

Day 1: Edward Ball Wakulla Springs State Park
Day 2: Road Trip Day (Crooked River, Port St. Joe, and Apalachicola)
Day 3: St. George Island

Day 1 – Edward Ball Wakulla Springs State Park

The first place I recommend exploring on Florida’s Forgotten Coast is Edward Ball Wakulla Springs State Park! This was one of my favorite places we visited on our long weekend trip. Below are my recommendations on how to spend your day at the park.

Drive from Tampa to Crawfordville which took about 4 hours
Go hiking! We chose the Wakulla Hammock Spur Loop which is a 1.5-mile trail rated as easy
Enjoy lunch at the picnic tables (we packed PubSubs)
Go swimming in the springs
Enjoy an afternoon Jungle Cruise Boat Tour (this was one of our favorite activities!)
Consider grabbing a root beer float or ginger yip at the Soda Parlor
Check in to a room at The Lodge and relax in the room before dinner
Enjoy dinner at the Edward Ball Dining Room

Blue-green water of the springs surrounded by trees.

Make sure to check out my full review of The Lodge at Wakulla Springs to start planning your trip. One other stop I would suggest if you had the time is going to St. Marks Wildlife Refuge where there is another lighthouse. However, this lighthouse you cannot climb.

Day 2 – Road Trip Day

The second day on our road trip was truly that. It was a jam-packed day with several different stops! We drove from Wakulla Springs State Park to Port St. Joe and finally ended up at St. George Island. One of the best parts of this drive was cruising along the coast on the Big Bend Scenic Byway!

Enjoy breakfast in the Edward Ball Dining Room
Drive from Crawford, FL to Crooked River Lighthouse (1 hour drive)
Climb the Crooked River Lighthouse (cost $5 per person)
Drive from Crooked River to Cape San Blas Lighthouse (1 hour drive)
Climb the Cape San Blas Lighthouse (cost $5 per person)
Drive to Apalachicola (30-minute drive)
Enjoy a drink at Water & Craft Brewery Company
Have lunch at The Owl Cafe
Check out the Orman House Historic State Park
Explore the John Gorrie Museum State Park
Drive to St. George Island (25-minute drive)
Climb the last lighthouse of the day, St. George Island Lighthouse (cost $5 per person)
Check into the St. George Inn
Enjoy dinner by the beach at the Blue Parrot

Day 3 – St. George Island

Our last day was spent exploring St. George Island, a little piece of paradise along Florida’s Forgotten Coast. Unfortunately, the weather wasn’t as nice as we were hoping to spend time on the beach as you can likely tell from the pictures. However, we still enjoyed the day!

Grab donuts from Weber’s Little Donut Shop (cash only!)
Head to Dr. Julian G Bruce St. George Island State Park
Hike the East Slough Overlook Trail (1mile)
Spend the rest of the day on the beach (weather permitting)
Relax in the room
Enjoy dinner at Paddy’s Raw Bar or Mango Mikes Sports Bar & Grill

Bright blue donut with a lama and sprinkles on it.

A girl standing on the beach holding a coffee tumbler.

What to do with extra time on a Florida Forgotten Coast Road Trip

While we felt like we packed A LOT into this trip, there were still so many things we could’ve done. There are a lot of Florida State Parks in the area as well as many along the way between the Forgotten Coast and Tampa.

Below are other Florida State Parks that you will be driving by or are a short drive from this road trip itinerary.

Bald Point State Park
Ochlockonee River State Park
TH Stone Memorial St. Joe Peninsula State Park
Constitution Convention Museum State Park

Other ideas include spending more time exploring Port St. Joe or visiting St. Mark’s Wildlife Refuge.

Me standing on the boardwalk trail with trees in the background.

Ready to take a road trip along Florida’s Forgotten Coast?

This road trip could be done at any time of year, but April through October will likely provide warmer beach days. We spent a long weekend along Florida’s Forgotten Coast in mid-May and the weather was warm! Unfortunately, the day we planned to spend on the beach was overcast and rained on and off, but otherwise we had no complaints! This road trip was the perfect get-a-way without breaking the bank. Have you visited Florida’s Forgotten Coast? Comment below and let me know where we should go next!