William J. Rish Park Beach

Located in Cape San Blas, William J. Rish Recreational Park - also known as William J. Rish Park and Rish Park - is a 100-acre recreational park that has an unnamed white sand beach. This beach is also known as William J. Rish Recreational Park Beach. Coastal vegetation is also present near this beach. William J. Rish Park is named in honor of a local politician named William J. Rish, who served in the Florida House of Representatives - Rish was a strong advocate of building a safe and accessible recreational space for people with disabilities. This park is managed by the Agency for Persons With Disabilities. William J. Rish Recreational Area does not have lifeguards. 

 However, it has many other amenities including picnic tables, a playground, restrooms, showers, boardwalks, and grills. The park also has a large multipurpose event hall that has a communal kitchen, shuffleboard floors, mini golf courses, and a large swimming pool.

William J. Rish Recreational Park offers many fun activities including sunbathing, beachcombing, wildlife watching, picnicking, fishing, swimming, hiking, paddle boarding, kayaking, canoeing, paddle boarding, boating, jet-skiing, surf-skiing, water-skiing, and parasailing. If you are planning to enter the water near William J. Rish Recreational Park, we recommend being careful as the water here is known to have unpredictable rip currents. Depending on the time of the year, you can view many kinds of animals in the water near the beach including sea turtles and dolphins. If you like birdwatching, you can view many kinds of seabirds and shorebirds around the beach in William J. Rish Recreational Park. If you are planning to fish in the water near William J. Rish Recreational Park, we recommend following the local fishing regulations. 

If you are planning to reserve this event hall, you can visit Agency for Persons With Disabilities’ website for more information regarding reservation rules and charges. William J. Rish Recreational Park is immensely popular among visitors with disabilities as it offers many disabled-friendly access features. 

Getting to William J. Rish Recreational Park is easy - the park is present near 6773 Cape San Blas Road, where a parking lot is also present. It is important to note that the park is currently closed to the general public as it had faced severe destruction by Hurricane Michael in 2018 and it is currently undergoing renovations. 

There are many attractions near William J. Rish Recreational Park within a 20-minute drive. T.H Stone Memorial St. Joseph Peninsula State Park has a vibrant landscape with an amazing variety of flora and fauna - you can explore this biodiversity via the nature trails present here. In addition, you can view many kinds of animals here including opossum, otter, armadillo, foxes, and bobcats. In addition, you can view many kinds of migratory birds and butterflies here during spring and autumn. T.H Stone Memorial St. Joseph Peninsula State Park also has a paved road that offers an amazing biking experience. In addition, a 10-mile biking trail is also present near this state park that borders a nearby road called County Road 30 East. It is important to note that camping is currently unavailable at this state park due to damage by Hurricane Michael. The state park also has multiple beaches and it also offers many other fun activities including sunbathing, picnicking, beachcombing, fishing, hiking, swimming, snorkeling, kayaking, scuba diving, canoeing, surf-skiing, waterskiing, jet-skiing, boating, parasailing, and paddleboarding. St. Joseph Bay State Buffer Preserve protects a beautiful stretch of coastal landscape along the St. Joseph Bay shoreline. The preserve offers multiple trails for hiking, biking, and equestrian use. In addition, the preserve also offers a unique insight into the vivid local biodiversity. The preserve also has around 20 archaeological sites, some of which date back to the Pre-Columbian era. The preserve’s visitor center offers interesting information about the local flora and fauna. If you are looking for another attraction near William J. Rish Recreational Park, Constitution Convention Museum State Park is spread over 14 acres and is set around the former settlement of St. Joseph, which was the site of Florida’s first constitutional convention in 1838. The state park and the museum within it have interesting historical exhibitions including artifacts from the settlement of St. Joseph and a replicated convention hall which has replications of eminent statesmen who participated in drafting Florida’s early constitution including David Y. Levy and William P. Duvall. 

If you get hungry, there are many great restaurants near William J. Rish Recreational Park within a 25-minute drive. Provisions serves amazing seafood, salads, pastas, sandwiches, and steaks. Indian Pass Raw Bar is a popular local restaurant that serves amazing seafood and barbecue dishes. Skully’s Low Country Boil offers delicious and fresh seafood and Southern United States Cuisine with Creole and Cajun culinary influences. If you are looking for another good and affordable restaurant near William J. Rish Recreational Park, Quatro Locos Tacos and Cantina serves amazing Mexican dishes including burritos, enchiladas, and chimichangas. 

If you are looking for a hotel near William J. Rish Recreational Park, there are many great nearby options within a 25-minute drive. If you are looking for an upscale hotel, the 4-Star Marriott's Legends Edge at Bay Point is an hour-and-30 minute drive away. A more affordable hotel is The Port Inn And Cottages, Ascend Hotel Collection that offers many amenities including a lounge/bar, a pool, and a bike rental facility. As another moderately priced option, Turtle Beach Inn Bed & Breakfast offers many amenities including shaded porches, furnished lounges, a guest TV area, an outdoor shower, complimentary breakfast, a beach access, loaner facility for lounge chairs, umbrellas, and hammocks, and a common storage area with a refrigerator. If you are looking for another good and affordable hotel near Cape Palms Park, the 2-Star Mainstay Suites offers many amenities including a fitness room, a pool, a hot tub, laundry facilities, and complimentary continental breakfast.