Camp Helen State Park lies at the eastern edge of Inlet Beach. It's a 180-acre, day-use park with Lake Powell on one side and the Gulf on the other. Florida State Parks calls Lake Powell the largest coastal dune lake in Florida. Its outfall often connects to the Gulf, which puts both fresh and salt water within one short walk.
The park is in a different position this October than it was a year ago. Kayaks haven't been rented there since May 13, 2026. As of October 7, the park itself is closed because of Tropical Storm Isaias. Together, those two changes make Camp Helen a park for people who live close enough to check its status in the morning and bring their own boat in the afternoon.
Start with the status page
The park's page carries a storm notice dated October 7, 2026. It says the park and any associated overnight accommodations are closed "to help ensure the safety of visitors and staff" because of Tropical Storm Isaias. The notice gives no reopening date.
The local reporting so far covers preparation, not aftermath. On October 8, WJHG reported that Panama City Beach declared a state of emergency ahead of Isaias. The work it described included clearing outfalls and getting ready to lower Lull Water Lake. Nothing published yet says what the storm did to the park's trails, shoreline or historic buildings.
Every plan below depends on the Camp Helen State Park page or a call to the park at 850-233-5059.
Here's what the official sources showed as of October 8, 2026:
| Item | Posted status |
|---|---|
| Park access | Closed effective Oct. 7, 2026, for Tropical Storm Isaias; no reopening date posted |
| Kayak rentals | Not offered since May 13, 2026; DEP seeking an operator |
| Bringing your own kayak or board | Allowed under normal conditions; public launch at the North Trail trailhead |
| Friends of Camp Helen pumpkin patch | Listed Oct. 1 to 31, 2026, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. CDT |
| Lodge interior tours | No posted schedule; contact the park |
| Lake Powell outfall and Phillips Inlet | No current conditions published |
The rental kayaks are gone, and the launch is still there
The park's own notice is short: "Kayaks are not offered for rent at Camp Helen State Park," effective May 13, 2026. The Friends of Camp Helen give a little more context. Their site says rentals are temporarily unavailable while the DEP looks for candidates to run the kayak business at the park. Neither source gives a date for a new operator.
The general Florida State Parks kayaking page still says visitors can rent single kayaks, tandem kayaks and paddleboards. The park-specific notice is newer and takes precedence.
The same page also confirms that personal equipment is welcome in "both water bodies," meaning Lake Powell and the Gulf. That's a wider allowance than rental boats ever had. The park limited rental craft to Lake Powell and kept them off the Gulf. So with kayak rentals paused, every kayak on the water right now is one somebody brought, and those boats have more options than the rentals did.
Getting a boat to the water looks like this:
- Park in the main lot and pay at the honor box: $4 per vehicle, or $2 for anyone arriving on foot or by bicycle.
- Head for the North Trail trailhead, where the public kayak launch is.
- Plan for about 375 feet of hard-surface path from the lot to the water. The park recommends a cart.
The lower fee for pedestrians and cyclists matters most to the neighbors closest to the park. The park is open 8 a.m. to sunset, 365 days a year, when it isn't under a storm closure.
What the lake holds when the outfall opens
The outfall is the reason a dune lake can hold both bass and redfish. Florida State Parks says Lake Powell's outfall connects to the Gulf and that salt water can come in while it's open, depending on tides and wind. The park describes the lake as brackish, with freshwater and saltwater species in the same water. It also points to shoreline casting areas and surf fishing on the Gulf side.
When the outfall is open, the paddling page lists redfish, speckled trout, mullet and bass as common catches from a kayak. That page tells anglers to make sure they have a Florida fishing license. The park's amenities page says a license may be required. The same page lists the wildlife along the water: heron, egret, river otter, osprey and the occasional dolphin, with white-tailed deer on shore. It also asks visitors to give snakes plenty of space.
No source has published current conditions for the outfall or for Phillips Inlet. Whether the connection is open, how deep it runs and how strong the current is after a tropical storm are questions for the park staff, not for an old trip report.
On foot, the park is two trails and a long walk to the sand
Without a rental desk to start from, a visit on foot begins at one of two named trails. The North Trail runs 1.8 miles. The Oak Canopy Trail is half a mile. A separate marked route from the main lot to the Gulf comes to about 0.75 miles round trip over soft sand, and it ends at roughly half a mile of beach.
The walk to the beach is part of what makes this shoreline different from the rest of Inlet Beach. You can't drive close to the water here, and the soft sand slows everyone down.
People were on this land long before the trails. The park records prehistoric middens and mounds showing that people lived here more than 4,000 years ago.
The Lodge and the Avondale Mills years
The buildings beside the parking lot come from a much more recent chapter. From 1945 until 1987, Camp Helen was a company resort for employees of Avondale Mills, an Alabama textile company, and some of those buildings have been restored. The historic district includes the Lodge, the Rainbow Cottages, the water tower, a recreation hall and duplexes, and the park notes that it is recognized by the National Register.
In the park manager's message, visitors are invited to stop by the Lodge, and the message says nature hikes and history tours are held routinely. It doesn't post a schedule or say whether the Lodge interior is open for walk-in visits, so call ahead. The Lodge can also be rented for private events.
A pumpkin patch at the gate
The Friends of Camp Helen pumpkin patch is listed for October 1 through 31, 2026, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. CDT. It sits on the grassy area next to the parking lot and visitor center. The money from sales goes to the park, and the regular entry fees still apply.
The event listing is still posted for the full month even though the October 7 closure notice is up. Treat the dates as the plan and the park page as the final word on any given day. The Friends' site also mentions a "First Annual Witch's Paddle." No date has been posted, so there's nothing to put on a calendar yet.
West of the park, one dinner on the calendar
Back along U.S. 98, the fall calendar includes an evening event. Cuvee 30A at 30Avenue, 12805 U.S. 98 in Inlet Beach, lists a 30Autumn Riverain Wine Dinner for October 13, 2026, on its wine dinner schedule. Like everything else on the east end this week, it's worth confirming before you head out. Once the park reopens, a morning at Camp Helen with your own kayak, the pumpkin patch and a wine dinner could all fit into the same few days without leaving this corner of 30A.
At LaFlure & Vice, we keep track of the east end the way neighbors do, from the North Trail launch to the gate at 23937 Panama City Beach Parkway. If you're thinking about how close to Camp Helen and Lake Powell your next Inlet Beach address should be, request a personalized consultation and we'll go through it with you.
