Nestled between the crystal-clear waters of St. Joseph Bay and the sugar-sand beaches of the Gulf of Mexico, the William J ‘Billy Joe’ Rish Recreation Area provides a barrier-free experience to the great outdoors.
Rish Park, encompassing 100 acres, was uniquely designed in the 1970s for individuals with disabilities and their families, and the park was managed by the Florida Agency for Persons with Disabilities from the 1980s until late 2021 when it joined Florida’s network of state parks.
Surrounded by longleaf pines, palm trees and towering sand dunes along the peninsula of Cape San Blas, visitors of Rish Park can immerse themselves in nature through birdwatching, hiking, fishing or swimming. Accessible boardwalks stretch across the entire park, granting access to a mile of white sand beaches along the Gulf, all the way to a tunnel leading to a kayak launch on the serene, smooth waters of the bay.