HauntBound archive · catalog record
Reported phenomena, as catalogued
A 183-acre state park on Lake Powell where three ghost stories have circulated since the 1990s — including a drowned child first reported by a fisherman in 1996 — and where organized ghost walks ran from 2006 to 2013.
23937 Panama City Beach Pkwy, Panama City Beach, FL 32413
Research updated August 2026
Age
All Ages
Cost
$
Florida State Park entry fee. Check floridastateparks.org for current pricing.
Access
Limited Access
183-acre coastal park with trails, beach, and Lake Powell shoreline. Mixed terrain including sandy paths, boardwalks, and uneven ground.
Equipment
Photos OK
Est. 1931 · Private estate of Robert and Margaret Hicks from late 1920s; lodge built 1931 · Operated as Avondale Mills company resort 1946–1987; named for company owner's daughter-in-law · State of Florida purchased 1996; opened as state park 1997 · Listed on the National Register of Historic Places (reference 12000298) · Friends group ran ghost walks 2006–2013
The land that is now Camp Helen State Park has been in human use for thousands of years, but its documented modern history begins in the late 1920s when Robert and Margaret Hicks purchased the Gulf-front property on a narrow peninsula between the Gulf of Mexico and Lake Powell, a coastal dune lake. By 1931 the Hicks had built a substantial lakefront lodge; after Robert's death, Margaret added the Rainbow Cottages and made them available for rent.
In 1945 the Avondale Mills textile company, based in Alabama, purchased the estate and named the new company resort 'Camp Helen' after the daughter-in-law of the company's founder. The camp operated as a private employee resort from 1946 until 1987, during which time permanent duplexes were added and a recreation hall and fishing pier were built on the Gulf side in the 1950s.
The state of Florida purchased Camp Helen in 1996 and opened it to the public in 1997. The 183-acre park is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and the original Hicks lodge, rainbow cottages, and 1950s recreation hall are all preserved as part of the self-guided tour. The Friends of Camp Helen State Park organized ghost walks at the park from 2006 until 2013, when the program ended due to costs.
Sources
Volunteer historian Emily Smith began documenting Camp Helen's ghost stories in connection with the Friends of Camp Helen State Park's ghost walks, which ran from 2006 to 2013. She attributed three distinct presences to the property.
The most grounded in witness testimony involves a young boy, the only grandson of Margaret Hicks, who drowned in Lake Powell after wandering from his caretakers while Hicks was away. Smith interviewed multiple fishermen who reported seeing a small child near or on the old pier when the park was closed. The first sighting was in 1996, and similar reports continued in subsequent years. Park rangers who investigated found no physical evidence.
The second presence is identified as Captain Phillips — the inlet nearby bears the same name — whose apparition reportedly confronted a visiting guest in the old Hicks lodge during the Avondale Mills era. The guest reported being woken by a male figure demanding that he leave the house, identifying it as his own.
The third story involves an enslaved girl named Rose. According to Smith's account, Rose was aboard a sailing vessel that ran aground during a storm off the property in 1843. Local historians note this narrative involves sensitive content about an enslaved person's death in a violent encounter, and there is no documentary record confirming the event. HauntBound records it as the ghost story told at this site, not as established historical fact.
Notable Entities
A self-guided tour passes the 1931 Hicks lodge, Rainbow Cottages, the 1950s recreation hall, former stables, and fishing pier on Lake Powell. The buildings associated with the park's ghost stories are visible along the main trail. Ghost walks organized by the Friends of Camp Helen State Park ran 2006–2013 but are no longer offered.
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