The Forgotten Coast refers to a largely undeveloped and sparsely populated coastline in the panhandle of the US state of

Florida Florida ( ; ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders the Gulf of Mexico to the west, Alabama to the northwest, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia to the north, the Atlantic ...

. The trademarked term was first used in 1992, but the Forgotten Coast's exact extent is not agreed upon.

Description

The Forgotten Coast is a trademark first used by the Apalachicola Bay Chamber of Commerce on September 1, 1992. The name is most commonly used to refer to a relatively quiet, undeveloped and sparsely populated section of coastline stretching from Mexico Beach on the

Gulf of Mexico The Gulf of Mexico () is an oceanic basin and a marginal sea of the Atlantic Ocean, mostly surrounded by the North American continent. It is bounded on the northeast, north, and northwest by the Gulf Coast of the United States; on the southw ...

to St. Marks on Apalachee Bay in the U.S. state of

. The nearest major cities are Tallahassee, about 90 miles northeast of Apalachicola, and

Panama City Panama City, also known as Panama, is the capital and largest city of Panama. It has a total population of 1,086,990, with over 2,100,000 in its metropolitan area. The city is located at the Pacific Ocean, Pacific entrance of the Panama Canal, i ...

, home of

Tyndall Air Force Base Tyndall Air Force Base is a United States Air Force Base located east of Panama City, Florida. The base was named in honor of World War I pilot 1st Lt. Frank Benjamin Tyndall. The base operating unit and host wing is the 325th Fighter Wing (3 ...

, about 60 miles to the northwest. The Tourist Development Council of Franklin County defines the Forgotten Coast as Franklin County itself. They add that the Forgotten Coast got its name "because it’s the last remaining stretch of unspoiled, pristine Gulf Coast beaches that haven’t been overrun by high rises and strip malls." In the council's definition of the Forgotten Coast, there are 200 miles of coastline, 5 islands, and nearly 100 historic sites, and it is a part of the Big Bend geographic region.

Communities

In addition to the endpoints, it encompasses the coastal communities of (west to east): * Port St. Joe * Cape San Blas * Apalachicola * Eastpoint * Carrabelle * Lanark Village * Alligator Point * Panacea * Shell Point These communities are located in the following counties, which by extension may be included in references to the Forgotten Coast by some writers: *

Gulf County, Florida Gulf County is a County (United States), county located in the Florida Panhandle, panhandle of the U.S. state of Florida. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 14,192. Its county seat is Port St. Joe, Florida, Po ...

Franklin County, Florida Franklin County is a County (United States), county along the Gulf of Mexico in the Florida Panhandle, panhandle of the U.S. state of Florida. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 12,451, making it the third-leas ...

* Wakulla County, Florida The area is renowned for its

oyster Oyster is the common name for a number of different families of salt-water bivalve molluscs that live in marine or brackish habitats. In some species, the valves are highly calcified, and many are somewhat irregular in shape. Many, but no ...

and

shrimp A shrimp (: shrimp (American English, US) or shrimps (British English, UK)) is a crustacean with an elongated body and a primarily Aquatic locomotion, swimming mode of locomotion – typically Decapods belonging to the Caridea or Dendrobranchi ...

production, marine wildlife, and fine white-sand beaches.

Peninsula A peninsula is a landform that extends from a mainland and is only connected to land on one side. Peninsulas exist on each continent. The largest peninsula in the world is the Arabian Peninsula. Etymology The word ''peninsula'' derives , . T ...

s and barrier islands along the coast include: *Gulf County: ** St. Joseph Peninsula ** Cape San Blas *Franklin County: ** St. Vincent Island ** Cape St. George Island ** St. George Island ** Dog Island Protected natural and historic areas include: * St. Joseph Peninsula State Park * Apalachicola National Estuarine Research Reserve * Prospect Bluff Historic Sites * St. Vincent National Wildlife Refuge * St. George Island State Park * Tate's Hell State Forest * Bald Point State Park * Wakulla State Forest * Edward Ball Wakulla Springs State Park * San Marcos de Apalache Historic State Park * St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge * Tallahassee-St. Marks Historic Railroad State Trail

References

External links

* {{North Florida Regions of Florida Gulf County, Florida Franklin County, Florida Bay County, Florida Wakulla County, Florida Gulf Coast of the United States Coasts of Florida

Description

Communities

See also

References

External links