A sandy path between sea oats and a dune fence leading to the beach
Beaches

Panama City Beach beaches, access and rules

Visit Panama City Beach counts 96 public beach accesses from the west end of Front Beach Road to Thomas Drive. Only some have parking: the city's three lots cost $2 an hour, and the state parks charge entry. Glass is banned all year, alcohol in March, and in the city dogs are only allowed at Dog Beach.

Pick a beach
Checked November 1, 202696 public accessesCity parking $2/hour

Panama City Beach · Photo: Michael Monahan / Unsplash · Credits

The short answer

Which beach suits your day

The rest of the beach is reached through the numbered public accesses between the hotels and condos.

  • Lifeguards and shops nearbyRussell-Fields City PierStationed city lifeguards from April to September, across the road from Pier Park.Free beach
  • To bring your dogDog BeachThe only stretch of the city's beach where dogs are allowed, on a leash.No fee published
  • Fishing from a pierM.B. Miller County PierOpen 24 hours, with a bait shop and restrooms.$6 to fish
  • Jetties and a state park beachSt. Andrews State ParkGulf beach, bay side and jetties, with outdoor showers.$8 per car
  • A quiet park at the west endCamp Helen State ParkNo lifeguards and no alcohol.$4 per car
  • An island with no facilitiesShell IslandNo restrooms and no shade.By boat only
Piers, parks and the island

Fees, lifeguards and hours

"Not stated" means the official page doesn't say either way, so don't read it as a no. Before you swim, check the flag and where lifeguards are on duty.

  1. Russell-Fields City PierPier Park areaCostThe beach is freeLifeguardsYes, April 1 to September 30HoursThe city says the pier is open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year
  2. Dog BeachPier Park areaCostNo fee publishedLifeguardsNot statedHoursNo hours published
  3. M.B. Miller County PierOpen Sands areaCostPier fishing $6, pier watching $3LifeguardsYes, May 27 to Labor Day weekendHoursOpen 24 hours
  4. Rick Seltzer ParkGrand Lagoon areaCostFree parking, says the tourism officeLifeguardsYes, May 27 to Labor Day weekendHoursDaylight to dusk, according to the tourism office
  5. St. Andrews State ParkGrand Lagoon areaCost$8 per vehicle with 2 to 8 peopleLifeguardsNot statedHours8 am to sunset
  6. Camp Helen State ParkWest End areaCost$4 per vehicle, $2 on foot or by bikeLifeguardsNoHours8 am to sunset
  7. Shell IslandGrand Lagoon areaCostBy boat onlyLifeguardsNone, say Visit Florida and the Shell Island ShuttleHoursDepends on the boat
Place by place

Fees, parking and facilities at each beach

Area names are from the Visit Panama City Beach map.

Pier Park area · 16101 Front Beach Road (the city says 16201)

Russell-Fields City Pier

The beach is free

Best for Swimming with lifeguards, across the road from Pier Park

Cost
The beach is free. Walking the pier costs $4 a day and fishing $7, according to the tourism office
Hours
The city says the pier is open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Lifeguards April 1 to September 30, 10 am to 6 pm
Parking
The tourism office lists the Pier Park/City Pier area at 16101 Front Beach Road as one of four public beach parking areas. Parking at the Pier Park shopping center is free, it says; for the city pier lot it gives no fee. The city's three paid lots are further down
Facilities
The only beach with stationed city lifeguards: two to four on the east and west sides of the pier
Alcohol
Banned all year on the sand within 400 feet of the pier
Pets
No dogs; Dog Beach is just west of the pier
Full guide to Russell-Fields City Pier

Sources: City of Panama City Beach: beach safety, Visit Panama City Beach: piers, City of Panama City Beach: Russell-Fields Pier

Pier Park area · accesses 56 and 57

Dog Beach

No fee published

Best for Bringing your dog to the beach

Cost
No fee published
Hours
No hours published
Parking
No parking is listed for Dog Beach itself. It's next to the Pier Park/City Pier area, one of the tourism office's four public beach parking areas, which it lists without a fee
Facilities
400 feet of beach west of the city pier, opposite Pier Park. Free waste bags at the accesses
Alcohol
Banned at the city's beach accesses all year and on the beach in March. Ask before you bring any at other times
Pets
Dogs on a leash. Leash length isn't published. The city's dog page allows up to three dogs per person and the parks code two, so bring no more than two
Full guide to Dog Beach

Sources: City of Panama City Beach: dogs, Visit Panama City Beach: pet-friendly

Open Sands area · 12213 Front Beach Road

M.B. Miller County Pier

Pier fishing $6, pier watching $3

Best for Fishing from a 1,500-foot pier, with restrooms

Cost
Pier fishing $6, pier watching $3. Fishing is $3 for seniors 65+, active military and people with disabilities, and free for children 6 and under. Cards only
Hours
Open 24 hours. Lifeguards May 27 to Labor Day weekend, 10 am to 6 pm, according to the tourism office, which gives no year
Parking
$2 an hour or $12 a day by Passport, according to Bay County; Bay County residents park free
Facilities
1,700 feet of beach and six beach accesses. Restrooms, Mobi-Mats, a bait and tackle shop and a seasonal drinks stand
Alcohol
Banned on the beach in March
Pets
Bay County bans dogs on its beaches, except on areas it has approved

Check before you go: The tourism office still lists the parking lot as free; Bay County charges.

Source: Bay County: M.B. Miller County Pier

Grand Lagoon area · 7419 Thomas Drive

Rick Seltzer Park

Free parking, says the tourism office

Best for A beach park with lifeguards at the east end

Cost
Free parking, says the tourism office. Bay County lists no fee
Hours
Daylight to dusk, according to the tourism office. Lifeguards May 27 to Labor Day weekend, 10 am to 6 pm; the tourism office gives no year
Parking
One of the four public beach parking areas the tourism office names. Its January 2026 beach guide calls the parking free; Bay County, which runs the park, lists parking without a fee
Facilities
Restrooms, a boardwalk, a gazebo and a beach access with mobility mats, according to Bay County. The tourism office also lists outdoor showers and picnic pavilions
Alcohol
Banned on the beach in March
Pets
Not on the beach under the city and county rules

Check before you go: The tourism office also lists the county pier lot as free, and Bay County charges there. Check the parking signs.

Sources: Bay County: Rick Seltzer Park, Visit Panama City Beach: Rick Seltzer Park, beach guide, lifeguards

Grand Lagoon area · 4607 State Park Lane

St. Andrews State Park

$8 per vehicle with 2 to 8 people

Best for Gulf beach, bay side and jetties at the east end

Cost
$8 per vehicle with 2 to 8 people. $4 with one, $2 on foot or by bike
Hours
8 am to sunset
Parking
Included in the park entry fee
Facilities
Outdoor showers at the day-use lots. Free beach wheelchairs at the Jetty Store and Pier Store if you leave a driver's license or ID
Alcohol
The state park has its own rules; ask before you bring any
Pets
Not on the park's beach
Full guide to St. Andrews State Park

Sources: Florida State Parks: St. Andrews fees, amenities

West End area · 23937 Panama City Beach Parkway

Camp Helen State Park

$4 per vehicle, $2 on foot or by bike

Best for A quiet state park beach at the far west end

Cost
$4 per vehicle, $2 on foot or by bike. Paid at an honor box
Hours
8 am to sunset
Parking
Included in the park entry fee
Facilities
Restrooms and a shower station. Ask for a beach wheelchair at the visitor center or call 850-233-5059
Alcohol
Not allowed
Pets
Not on the beach or boardwalks: Florida State Parks bans pets there. Where pets are allowed, leashes can be up to 6 feet

Sources: Florida State Parks: Camp Helen, pet policy

Grand Lagoon area · across the pass from St. Andrews State Park

Shell Island

By boat only

Best for An island with no facilities, reached only by boat

Cost
By boat only. The park's ferry, a private shuttle, a tour or your own boat
Hours
Depends on the boat
Parking
Where your boat leaves
Facilities
No restrooms and no shade
Alcohol
Bay County's March ban leaves out Shell Island. The state park has its own rules, so ask before you bring any
Pets
Not on either ferry
Full guide to Shell Island

Source: Our Shell Island guide

Sources: Visit Panama City Beach FAQ, piers and pet-friendly pages, City of Panama City Beach: beach safety and dogs, Bay County: M.B. Miller County Pier, Florida State Parks: St. Andrews fees and amenities and Camp Helen, city code chapter 4.

Parking

Where you can park, and what it costs

The tourism office names four public beach parking areas: the Russell-Fields City Pier, the M.B. Miller County Pier, Rick Seltzer Park and St. Andrews State Park. Some of the other 96 accesses have parking and many don't. The tourism office's beach access map shows where the accesses are.

Sources: City of Panama City Beach: public parking, Bay County: M.B. Miller County Pier, Visit Panama City Beach: beach access map

Official beach access map

A numbered public beach access with rule signs at the entrance
One of the numbered public beach accesses, with the rules posted at the entrance.Panama City Beach · Photo: Christopher Vega / Unsplash

  • City lots

    Location9941 Thomas Drive, 600 Henley Drive, 11209 Front Beach RoadCost and rules$2 an hour up to 6 hours, $12 a day, $84 a week. Pay with the Passport Parking app or website, using the zone number on the signs

  • Overnight

    LocationOnly on the three city lotsCost and rulesNo sleeping in vehicles; no RVs or trailers

  • M.B. Miller County Pier

    Location12213 Front Beach RoadCost and rules$2 an hour or $12 a day by Passport, according to Bay County; Bay County residents park free. The tourism office still lists the lot as free

  • St. Andrews and Camp Helen

    LocationIn the parksCost and rulesIncluded in the park entry fee

  • Russell-Fields City Pier and Rick Seltzer Park

    Location: 16101 Front Beach Road; 7419 Thomas Drive

    Cost and rules: Named by the tourism office as public beach parking areas. No fee published for the pier lot. The tourism office calls Rick Seltzer's parking free; Bay County lists no fee

  • Other beach accesses

    LocationAbout 100 along the beachCost and rulesSome have parking, many don't. See the tourism office's beach access map
Beach rules

What's allowed on the sand

The city, Bay County and the state parks each have their own beach rules. The rules on holes, dunes, vehicles and fires are from the city's beach page; outside the city, check the county code.

Glass
Banned on the beach all year, even in coolers. City fine: $50 the first time, $25 if you don't contest it
Alcohol
Banned on the beach in March in the city and in the county's beach zone. Banned all year in city parks, at the city's beach accesses and on the sand within 400 feet of the city pier
Dogs
In the city, only service dogs on the beach; other dogs only at Dog Beach west of the city pier. Bay County bans dogs on its beaches too, except on areas it has approved
Leave No Trace
Don't leave belongings unattended on the beach from 7 pm to 7 am, or in the public accesses at any time. The city and county treat them as abandoned and can remove them
Holes
No deeper than 2 feet, and fill them in before you leave
Dunes
Stay off them, and don't set up in the emergency lane that runs along the dunes
Vehicles
No driving on the beach, golf carts and low-speed vehicles included
Tents
On the sand within 400 feet of the city pier and at the city's beach accesses, ask park staff first; anything over 10 by 10 also needs a building permit and a fire inspection
Fires and grills
The city's beach page says no open flames and no grills. In the city, only city-approved vendors may hold beach bonfires, with a fire department permit, so you book one through a vendor. The code sets the permit at $50 for propane and $75 for wood, unless the council has set other fees; that is the permit fee, not the vendor's price. Bonfires only 5 pm to midnight, not on January 1, July 4 or December 31, and no wood fires in winds over 10 mph. Outside the city, bonfires only on private land with a county permit
Music
From 7 am to 10 pm, speakers mustn't be heard 50 feet away; at night, not by anyone else. First fine: $500
Sleeping
No sleeping or camping on the beach
Fireworks
Only with a city permit, never 10 pm to 7 am except on New Year's Eve, and not after sunset from Sunday to Thursday

Sources: City of Panama City Beach: going to the beach and beachside fires; city code chapter 3, chapter 4, chapter 7, chapter 16; Bay County code chapter 3, chapter 4, chapter 5, chapter 10, chapter 15, chapter 17.

Common questions

Private beaches, drinks and golf carts

Are there private beaches?

Visit Panama City Beach says all beaches in Bay County are public and counts 96 public accesses. It doesn't say where hotel or condo property ends on the sand, so use the public accesses and don't cut through hotel or condo grounds.

Can you drink on the beach?

Not in March, and never in city parks, at the city's beach accesses or within 400 feet of the city pier. Outside those, the tourism office says you must be 21. Glass is never allowed, and the city requires a photo ID with your name, address and age when you drink on the beach.

Can you drive a golf cart?

Not on the beach, and not on Front Beach Road in the city. The city code treats street-legal low-speed vehicles, which have four wheels and go faster than 20 and up to 25 mph, separately from golf carts. Where you can drive one is in our getting around guide.

Sources: Visit Panama City Beach FAQ, city code chapter 3, chapter 4, chapter 22.

Beach services

Beach wheelchairs

At St. Andrews State Park, the concession lends powered and floating beach wheelchairs for free at the Jetty Store and Pier Store if you leave your driver's license or ID; reserve the park's EcoRover beach wheelchair ahead. Raised boardwalks lead to the beach and the jetty lookout. At Camp Helen State Park, ask at the visitor center.

Sources: Florida State Parks, St. Andrews State Park concession FAQ.

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