Fred Gannon Rocky Bayou State Park is a Florida State Park located on the northwestern coast of the U.S. state of

Florida Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and to ...

, southeast of

Niceville Niceville is a city in Okaloosa County, Florida, United States, located near Eglin Air Force Base on Boggy Bayou that opens into Choctawhatchee Bay. The population was 11,684 at the 2000 census. The 2010 census population for Niceville was 12, ...

. The address is 4281 Highway 20. Native American

midden A midden (also kitchen midden or shell heap) is an old dump for domestic waste which may consist of animal bone, human excrement, botanical material, mollusc shells, potsherds, lithics (especially debitage), and other artifacts and ecofact ...

s and artifacts can be seen throughout the park.

Recreational activities

The park has such amenities as

bicycling Cycling, also, when on a two-wheeled bicycle, called bicycling or biking, is the use of cycles for transport, recreation, Physical exercise, exercise or sport. People engaged in cycling are referred to as "cyclists", "bicyclists", or "bike ...

birding Birdwatching, or birding, is the observing of birds, either as a recreational activity or as a form of citizen science. A birdwatcher may observe by using their naked eye, by using a visual enhancement device like binoculars or a telescope, by ...

boating Boating is the leisurely activity of travelling by boat, or the recreational use of a boat whether Motorboat, powerboats, Sailing, sailboats, or man-powered vessels (such as rowing and paddle boats), focused on the travel itself, as well as sp ...

canoeing Canoeing is an activity which involves paddling a canoe with a single-bladed paddle. Common meanings of the term are limited to when the canoeing is the central purpose of the activity. Broader meanings include when it is combined with other acti ...

fishing Fishing is the activity of trying to catch fish. Fish are often caught as wildlife from the natural environment, but may also be caught from stocked bodies of water such as ponds, canals, park wetlands and reservoirs. Fishing techniques inclu ...

, hiking,

kayaking Kayaking is the use of a kayak for moving over water. It is distinguished from canoeing by the sitting position of the paddler and the number of blades on the paddle. A kayak is a low-to-the-water, canoe-like boat in which the paddler sits fac ...

picnic A picnic is a meal taken outdoors ( ''al fresco'') as part of an excursion, especially in scenic surroundings, such as a park, lakeside, or other place affording an interesting view, or else in conjunction with a public event such as preceding ...

king, tubing, wildlife viewing and full camping facilities.

Biology

The park's Sand Pine (''Pinus clausa'') forest has large, mature Sand Pines towering over other

scrub Scrub(s) may refer to: * Scrub, low shrub and grass characteristic of scrubland * Scrubs (clothing), worn by medical staff * ''Scrubs'' (TV series), an American television program * Scrubs (occupation), also called "scrub tech," "scrub nurse," ...

vegetation, such as Florida Rosemary (''

Ceratiola ericoides ''Ceratiola'' is a genus of flowering plants with a single species, ''Ceratiola ericoides'', the sand heath, sandhill-rosemary or Florida-rosemary, is a species of shrub usually included in the plant family Ericaceae, though treated by some bota ...

''), Reindeer Moss ('' Cladonia'' spp.), and scrub oaks: sand live oak (''Quercus geminata''), sandhill oak (''

Quercus inopina ''Quercus inopina'', the sandhill oak, is an uncommon North American species of oak shrub. It has been found only in the state of Florida in the southeastern United States. It is a branching shrub up to 5 meters (17 feet) in height. The bark is ...

''), myrtle oak (''

Quercus myrtifolia ''Quercus myrtifolia'', the myrtle oak, is a North American species of oak. It is native to the southeastern United States (Mississippi, Alabama, Florida, Georgia, South Carolina). It is often found in coastal areas on sandy soils. It is an eve ...

''), and Chapman's oak (''Quercus chapmanii'').

External links

Fred Gannon Rocky Bayou State Park
a
Florida State Parks
State parks of Florida Parks in Okaloosa County, Florida Protected areas established in 1966 1966 establishments in Florida {{OkaloosaCountyFL-geo-stub