Perry, FL

Perry is a small, friendly city in north-central Florida that serves as the seat of Taylor County. With a population of roughly 7,000, it has the unhurried feel of a traditional Southern town, shaded by live oaks and surrounded by pine flatwoods, working timberlands, and ranch country. Long known as the "Forest Capital of the World" because of the longleaf pine industry that has shaped the local economy for more than a century, Perry also functions as a gateway to the quiet Gulf Coast of Florida's Big Bend, a stretch of shoreline that draws visitors looking for uncrowded beaches, sport fishing, and laid-back small-port towns rather than the busier beaches farther south. The nearest major city is Tallahassee, the state capital, which sits about 50 miles to the northwest and is reached by roughly an hour's drive along U.S. Highway 19/27.

Within the city limits, Forest Capital Museum State Park offers a window into the region's deep ties to the timber industry. The park includes a museum housed in a replica of a 1930s-era turpentine camp commissary, along with restored buildings, period artifacts, and walking trails through longleaf pine habitat. It is essentially a stone's throw from downtown Perry, making it an easy stop for travelers passing through or staying in town.

Just to the south, the small Gulf-side community of Steinhatchee sits about 30 miles from Perry, or roughly a 40-minute drive. Set along the Steinhatchee River where it meets the Gulf of Mexico, the town is a popular base for inshore and offshore fishing, scalloping during the summer season, and kayak trips up the river's spring-fed stretches. A little farther west along the coast, Keaton Beach and the surrounding Taylor County shoreline offer sandy Gulf beaches, boat ramps, and the kind of low-key, low-density coastal scenery that has largely disappeared from more developed parts of Florida.

Up the road from Perry, the Econfina River provides another outdoor draw, with paddlers traveling short distances to put in for trips through limestone bluffs, cypress bends, and the springs that feed the river. Day trips to the Gulf, the rivers, and the surrounding national forests pair easily with time spent exploring downtown Perry, where locally owned restaurants, antique shops, and a handful of historic buildings give the town its small-city character.

For short-term rental owners and guests alike, Perry's appeal is its mix of inland small-town atmosphere and quick access to the Gulf. Visitors can spend the morning on a forest trail or at the local museum, the afternoon scalloping or fishing on the coast, and the evening back in a quiet residential neighborhood with easy walks to dinner, all while being less than an hour from a major university city and its airport. That blend of accessibility, natural scenery, and under-the-radar character is what makes the area an inviting base for a north-Florida getaway.