The beaches are the reason you came, but some of the most memorable days on the Emerald Coast happen an hour inland. Drive north from Destin or 30A and the condos give way to longleaf pine, tea-colored rivers and small towns that predate the beach boom by a century. These are our three favorite day trips from Destin and 30A: a float down one of the purest sand-bottom rivers in the country, a slow afternoon around a nearly perfectly round lake, and a Saturday at a farm distillery and a zoo where you can feed a giraffe. Each one works as a rainy-day backup, a break from the sun, or a reason to see a different side of Northwest Florida.
Quick answer
- For outdoor lovers: paddle the Blackwater River near Milton, about an hour and a half from Destin.
- For history, antiques and a good lunch: DeFuniak Springs, about 45 minutes from 30A.
- For families and whiskey fans: Crestview, about an hour from Destin, for the zoo and Timber Creek Distillery.
1. The Blackwater River and Milton
Best for: paddlers, families with older kids, anyone who wants to swim somewhere other than the Gulf.
The Blackwater River runs clear but golden brown, tinted by tannins, over a bottom of clean white sand, with sandbars at nearly every bend. Florida State Parks calls it one of the most pristine rivers in the nation, and Santa Rosa County is known as the Canoe Capital of Florida. Blackwater Canoe Rental has run shuttled canoe, kayak and tube trips from the entrance to Blackwater River State Park since 1981, and Adventures Unlimited Outdoor Center adds ziplines and cabins on nearby Coldwater Creek.
Afterward, downtown Milton has The Prost Office Brewery in the town’s 1940s post office and dinner at Blackwater Bistro, in a house more than a century old. Next door in historic Bagdad, Miss Luci’s Tea Room serves a proper Southern tea by reservation.
Plan it: Blackwater River: Florida’s Canoe Capital
2. DeFuniak Springs
Best for: history lovers, antique hunters, couples, and holiday lights in December.
DeFuniak Springs circles Lake DeFuniak, a spring-fed lake so nearly round that it is often called one of only two like it in the world. The town grew up around the Florida Chautauqua, a winter program of lectures and concerts that drew crowds by train from 1885 to 1927. The columned Chautauqua Hall of Brotherhood still stands on the lake, and Victorian homes line Circle Drive around it.
Spend the rest of the day on Baldwin Avenue: pastries at Perla Baking Co., hot dogs at H&M Hot Dogs (billed as Florida’s oldest hot dog stand), antiques at Funky Pumpkin and Nook & Cranny, and hand-rolled pasta at Iron & Grape Italian Kitchen. From late November through New Year’s Eve, Christmas Reflections lights up the lake every night.
Plan it: DeFuniak Springs: A Perfect Small-Town Day Trip
3. Crestview
Best for: families with young kids, bourbon and whiskey fans, barbecue lovers.
Crestview is the Hub City, where I-10, U.S. 90, State Road 85 and the railroad meet. Its headliner is Timber Creek Distillery, a grain-to-glass distillery on a 240-acre family farm with more than 40 competition medals, open to the public on Saturdays with wood-fired pizza. For kids, the Emerald Coast Zoo offers giraffe feedings and encounters with sloths, kangaroos and penguins, Tuesday through Sunday.
Round it out with steaks at Samuel’s Roadhouse, a Crestview favorite since 1989, and antique browsing at Old Time Antiques & More.
Plan it: Crestview, FL: Where to Eat, Drink & Explore
Which day trip should you choose?
- Hot summer day: the Blackwater River. The water is cool, shady and shallow.
- Rainy or gray day: DeFuniak Springs or Crestview, with museums, antique malls and long lunches.
- Traveling with little kids: Crestview, for the zoo, the splash pad at Twin Hills Park and donuts.
- Just the two of you: DeFuniak Springs for a slow lunch and antiques, or Timber Creek for a tasting.
- Staying on 30A: DeFuniak Springs is the closest, straight up US 331.
- Staying in Destin or Fort Walton Beach: Crestview is the quickest, straight up State Road 85.
Drive times
- Destin to Milton and the Blackwater: about an hour and 15 minutes to downtown Milton and an hour and a half to the state park.
- 30A to DeFuniak Springs: about 45 minutes via US 331. From Destin, a little over an hour.
- Destin to Crestview: about 50 to 60 minutes via State Road 85. From 30A, about an hour to an hour and a half.
Times are for light traffic. Drive times vary, and summer weekends on U.S. 98 can add time. Leave early for the Blackwater, since the best river days start in the morning.
Tips for a day inland
- Check days and hours. Some small-town shops and restaurants close on Sundays or Mondays, the zoo is closed Mondays, and Timber Creek is open to walk-ins only on Saturdays.
- Bring exact change. Blackwater River State Park uses an honor box for the entrance fee.
- Pack for the car. A cooler, water, sunscreen and bug spray go a long way inland, especially on the river.
- Pick a driver. If a brewery or distillery is on the plan, decide who is driving back before the first tasting.
Day trips FAQ
What is the best day trip from Destin? For most visitors, a canoe or tube trip on the Blackwater River. For families with young kids, Crestview and the Emerald Coast Zoo.
What is the closest day trip from 30A? DeFuniak Springs, about 45 minutes north on US 331.
Are these good rainy-day trips? DeFuniak Springs and Crestview are. Both have museums, antique malls and good restaurants. Save the Blackwater for a dry day.
For more to do along the coast itself, see our guides to things to do in Destin and things to do on 30A. Or browse the Milton, DeFuniak Springs and Crestview area pages.
Featured photo: Florida State Parks.