Beach · 42 min west
Grayton Beach State Park
Often named one of the best beaches in the country, with a rare coastal dune lake right behind the sand.
- Half day · Easy
- Year-round, 8 am-sunset
- $5 per vehicle (check)
Day Trippin' › Florida › From Panama City
Day trips from Panama City
From Panama City, Panama City Beach and St. Andrews State Park are under 20 minutes away, Camp Helen and Rosemary Beach about half an hour, Grayton Beach under 45, Seaside about 50, Falling Waters under an hour, and Apalachicola a little over an hour. The best day trips from Panama City, by drive time.
73 places within a 3-hour drive, by real roads.
10 day trips from Panama City
- Grayton Beach State Park 42 min west
- Seaside, Florida 49 min west
- Eden Gardens State Park 49 min northwest
- Wiregrass Museum of Art 1 hr 27 min north
- Dothan Area Botanical Gardens 1 hr 36 min north
- Tallahassee-St. Marks Historic Railroad State Trail 1 hr 51 min east
- Edward Ball Wakulla Springs State Park 1 hr 56 min east
- Blue Springs State Park 2 hr 13 min north
- Thomasville 2 hr 21 min northeast
- Providence Canyon State Park 2 hr 49 min north
Within an hour from Panama City 7 spots
Small town · 49 min west
Seaside, Florida
The pastel beach town on 30A with food trucks, Airstream Row, shops and a sweet Gulf beach.
- Half day · Easy
- Year-round
- Free to walk around
Garden · 49 min northwest
Eden Gardens State Park
A white-columned mansion under huge live oaks draped in moss, with camellia and azalea gardens.
- 1-2 hrs · Easy
- Year-round, 8 am-sunset
- $4 per vehicle (check)
Waterfall · 52 min north
Falling Waters State Park
Florida's tallest waterfall drops into a deep sinkhole. Short boardwalk trails and a small lake.
- 1-2 hrs · Easy
- Year-round, 8 am-sunset
- $5 per vehicle (checked Nov 2026)
State park · 31 min west
Camp Helen State Park
A quiet beach and old lodge on a lake that opens to the Gulf, at the west end of Panama City Beach.
- 1-2 hrs · Easy
- Year-round, 8 am-sunset
- $4 per vehicle, $2 walk-in or bike (checked Nov 2026)
Beach · 57 min west
Topsail Hill Preserve State Park
Huge white dunes, three dune lakes and a quiet beach along 30A.
- Half day · Easy to moderate
- Year-round, 8 am-sunset
- $6 per vehicle, $4 single occupant, $2 walk-in or bike (checked Nov 2026)
Small town · 34 min west
Rosemary Beach
A walkable 30A town with cobblestone paths, boardwalks to the beach and good places to eat.
- 2-3 hrs · Easy
- Year-round
- Free to walk around
1 to 2 hours from Panama City 29 spots
Springs · 1 hr 56 min east
Edward Ball Wakulla Springs State Park
One of the world's largest and deepest springs. River boat tours show off manatees, gators and birds, and there's a swim area with a diving platform.
- Half day · Easy
- Year-round, 8 am-sunset
- $6 per vehicle, $4 single occupant, $2 walk-in or bike; boat tour ages 13+ $8, ages 3-12 $5 (checked Nov 2026)
Museum · 1 hr 27 min north
Wiregrass Museum of Art
A free art museum in downtown Dothan with rotating shows and a hands-on gallery for kids.
- 1 hr · Easy
- Year-round (check hours)
- Free
Garden · 1 hr 36 min north
Dothan Area Botanical Gardens
Fifty acres of themed gardens and woods on the north side of Dothan.
- 1-2 hrs · Easy
- Daily 8 am-5 pm (winter) or 9 am-6 pm (summer)
- $5 ages 16+; under 16 free
Bike trail · 1 hr 51 min east
Tallahassee-St. Marks Historic Railroad State Trail
A flat, paved rail trail about 16 miles from Tallahassee to the riverside town of St. Marks. Great for an easy bike ride.
- 2-4 hrs · Easy
- Year-round, 8 am-sunset
- Free
Family fun · 1 hr 14 min west
Destin Harbor Boardwalk
A lively harbor walk with fishing boats, cruises, restaurants and sunset views in Destin.
- 2-3 hrs · Easy
- Year-round
- Free to walk; paid parking in Destin
Water park · 1 hr 10 min west
Big Kahuna's
A big water park in Destin with wave pools, slides, a lazy river, mini golf and a Skycoaster.
- Full day · Easy
- Seasonal; closed for the season in Nov 2026
- Ticket prices (check)
Cave · 1 hr 11 min northeast
Florida Caverns State Park
The only Florida state park with guided cave tours, through rooms full of stalactites and flowstone.
- Half day · Easy to moderate
- Cave tours 9 am-4 pm Central (check days)
- $5 per vehicle; cave tour ages 13+ $16, ages 3-12 $9 (checked Nov 2026)
Food town · 1 hr 12 min southeast
Apalachicola
An old Gulf port known for oysters and seafood, with a historic downtown of shops, galleries and B&Bs.
- Half day · Easy
- Year-round
- Free to walk around
2 to 3 hours from Panama City 36 spots
State park · 2 hr 49 min north
Providence Canyon State Park
Colorful eroded canyons with rim and floor trails.
- 2-3 hrs · Moderate
- Year-round
- Georgia State Parks ParkPass $10 per vehicle (checked Nov 2026)
Springs · 2 hr 13 min north
Blue Springs State Park
Two sandy-bottom pools fed by a clear spring that stays at 68 degrees all year. A classic Wiregrass summer swim.
- Half day · Easy
- Mar-Sep 9 am-6 pm; Oct-Feb 8 am-4 pm
- $5 ages 12-61; $3 ages 4-11 and 62+
Small town · 2 hr 21 min northeast
Thomasville
A Victorian town with a brick downtown and big rose festival.
- Half day · Easy
- Year-round
- Free
State park · 2 hr 51 min west
Meaher State Park
A small park on the Mobile-Tensaw Delta with a long fishing pier and a boardwalk over the wetlands. Great sunset views over the bay.
- 1-2 hrs · Easy
- Year-round
- $3 per person gate fee; boat launch $5
Wildlife · 2 hr 2 min east
St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge
Salt marsh, pine woods and the historic St. Marks Lighthouse on the Gulf. Famous for winter birds and fall monarch butterflies.
- Half day · Easy
- Year-round, sunrise-sunset; Lighthouse Road gate opens 6 am
- Entrance fee required (check amount)
Historic site · 2 hr 14 min northeast
Pebble Hill Plantation
A grand estate home near Thomasville with tours of house and grounds.
- 2 hrs · Easy
- Check hours
- Tours (check)
Theme park · 2 hr 53 min west
OWA Parks & Resort
A resort park in Foley with family rides, a downtown of shops and food, and Tropic Falls, a big indoor water park with a retractable roof plus an outdoor wave pool.
- Full day · Easy
- Year-round; hours vary by season
- Paid admission (check)
Family fun · 2 hr 58 min west
The Wharf
A waterfront shopping and dining district in Orange Beach with a tall Ferris wheel, marina and summer concerts.
- 2-3 hrs · Easy
- Year-round; Ferris wheel hours are seasonal
- Free entry; ride tickets extra (check)
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Drive times are by road on a typical day from ZIP 32401 (OpenStreetMap data with the OSRM route planner). Facts checked against official sites; passes and hours change, so check before you go.