St George Island Lighthouse Beach

If you haven’t taken your kids to the playground behind the lighthouse yet, you’re missing out on one of the better low-key beach setups on this stretch of the panhandle. The beach itself stays remarkably clean, and the shell collecting here is genuinely good — little ones can wander the shoreline and fill their pockets without walking far at all. Restrooms, shaded picnic tables, and a decent parking situation mean you’re not hauling stuff a mile from your car, which parents around here will tell you matters more than anything. Stick around toward evening and the sunsets over the water are the kind that make you stop what you’re doing.