Deer Lake State Park

ABOUT THIS PLACE

A boardwalk three-tenths of a mile long runs from the parking area over the dunes to the beach. It is accessible, railed the whole way, and has two roofed observation decks with benches where people stop and look at the water. Under it are dunes too fragile to walk on, which is the reason the boardwalk exists. Florida rosemary grows on the higher sand and pine flatwoods stand behind it. Deer Lake itself is a coastal dune lake, the same rare kind found here, in Australia, in New Zealand and in Madagascar and almost nowhere else. The Deer Lake Trail explores the northern end of the lake, with up to three miles of walking available, and a beach walk of about seven-tenths of a mile round trip takes you to the point where the lake spills out to the Gulf. Entry is three dollars a vehicle in a drop box. There is a restroom and a water filling station at the trailhead. Open eight until sunset