A long barrier extending north between St. Joseph Bay and the Gulf of Mexico, this 2,516-acre park will appeal to a wide range of interests. Its miles of fine natural beach are good for swimming and fishing. The fall is best for catching large redfish, sharks, bluefish, and flounder, while spring is excellent for pompano, whiting and speckled trout.

Three overlooks placed among the high palmetto-dotted dunes provide panoramic views of pristine terrain similar to that countered by the first Spanish settlers to arrive in this area.

These vantage points are popular with birders interested in the vast arrays of resident and transient species found here. Besides the many brown pelicans, willet, and great blue and green herons, more rarely seven species include while pelicans, magnificent frigate birds. American golden plovers and Arcadian flycatchers, according to the season. In autumn this park is one of the best places in the country to observe migrating hawks, including the rare peregrine falcon.