Bald Point State Park, State park in Franklin County, Florida.
Bald Point State Park covers about 4,860 acres on St. James Island, south of Ochlockonee Bay and roughly seven miles southeast of Panacea. The park holds beaches, coastal forest and wetlands along Apalachee Bay, with trails for hiking and biking and launch points for kayaks. Its address is 146 Box Cut.
Florida bought the first 1,349 acres along Apalachee Bay in 1999. In 2002 the state paid $10.3 million to St. Joe Company for 2,851 acres on Ochlockonee Bay, east of the Crooked River, and by 2006 the park covered about 4,860 acres. Its Tucker shell midden spans the Deptford to Fort Walton periods, and the Yent Mound, dug by Clarence B. Moore in 1902, held 74 burials.
The park serves as a nesting site for sea turtles and a resting place for coastal birds that stop during their journeys. Local wildlife relies on these habitats for food and shelter throughout the year.
The entrance is at 146 Box Cut, reached from U.S. 98 about seven miles southeast of Panacea. The sign at the entrance lists hours as 8 a.m. to sunset, seven days a week, with information at (850) 962-2771. Trails, beach access and kayak launches serve hikers, cyclists and paddlers.
The park serves as a critical stopover point for migrating raptors, wading birds, and monarch butterflies as they travel along the Gulf coast. Millions of these creatures rely on the habitats here for food and rest during their long journeys.
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