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Washington County, Florida

by ShanaCorbin

Come for a Day or Short Getaway. We Know You’ll Come Back

In the Florida panhandle, away from the busy beaches, there is more beauty to be found. In fact, there is an abundance of natural beauty that is surprising to many. Along I-10, midway between Pensacola and Tallahassee, travelers find a respite in Washington County, Florida. Here, they find a convenient, refreshing getaway spot and a wonderful mix of natural beauty, unique attractions and outdoor adventure.

Whether you’re looking for the adventure of paddling or hiking, the excitement of equestrian or off-road trails or the challenge of fishing or hunting, Washington County has a day trip or weekend getaway for you. There are outfitters to send you on your way to enjoy the miles of rivers, creeks and lakes. And you’ll find the crystal-clear springs are second to none. Those same waters attract anglers from across the region. Acres of beautiful lands offer the perfect spots for hunting or riding, whether on horseback or for off-road adventure.

This is home to the tallest waterfall in Florida, hidden amid the trails and lake at Falling Waters State Park and to the first state forest in Florida, Pine Log State Forest. Nearby, you may see the endangered flying Gulf Sturgeon in the Choctawhatchee River and, talk is, you might even catch a glimpse of the thought-to-be-extinct Ivory Billed Woodpecker, which some say still exists in pockets along its banks.

As rare encounters go, you’ll find another amazing one here. Washington County is also home to the largest wolf preserve in the lower 48, Seacrest Wolf Preserve, dedicated to providing a safe and humane sanctuary for displaced captive wolves and fostering “preservation through education.” This is one of the rarest opportunities in the world for humans to interact with wolves. For an up-close gator encounter, Orange Hill Gator Farm is the place to go. With approximately 200 gators in residence, visitors can interact with alligators, learn about their growth cycles, habitats and conservation efforts.

Here, visitors can enjoy the challenge of hitting the links at Sunny Hills Golf Club, the excitement of the poker room at the Ebro Poker Room, or an evening of entertainment at the Spanish Trail Playhouse, and feel like a part of the community. The quality of Washington County’s surprising array of things to do is matched only by its genuine hospitality.

Your getaway to Washington County will leave you with lifetime memories and you’ll leave feeling like you’re part of the family. And you know what family says around here: Y’all come back, now!”

Fast Facts and Trivia

  • “Upside down footprints” can be seen in trails across the ceiling of Moss Hill Church, one of Florida’s oldest, in the Holmes Valley community.
  • On the side of State Highway 77 in Wausau stands what may well be Florida’s most unique roadside memorial – the Possum Monument. Unveiled in 1982, the inscription reads: “Erected in grateful recognition of the role the North American possum, a magnificent survivor of the marsupial family pre-dating the ages of the mastodon and the dinosaur, has played in furnishing both food and fur for the early settlers and their successors. The 1982 session of the Florida Legislature further recognized the possum by passing a joint resolution proclaiming the first Saturday in August as “Possum Day in the Great State of Florida.”
  • Seacrest Wolf Preserve is the largest wolf preserve in the lower 48 states and offers one of the rarest opportunities in the world to connect in nature with wolves.
  • Washington County is home to the tallest waterfall in Florida at Falling Waters State Park.
  • Chipley’s Third Street Historic District has some of the best examples of Queen Anne architecture in the state.
  • Washington County is home to three of the five highest points in Florida.
  • Chipley is home to one of the last remaining all volunteer theatres in Florida, Spanish Trail Playhouse.
  • The Choctawhatchee River is home to the endangered Gulf Sturgeon.

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Falling Waters State Park | Credit: Washington County Tourist Development Council
Sunshine Riding Trails | Credit: Washington County Tourist Development Council
Sunny Hills Golf Club | Credit: Washington County Tourist Development Council
Orange Hill Gator Farm | Credit: Washington County Tourist Development Council

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