The South Walton Run/SUP Series 2017 takes place on Saturday, September 30 from 7:45 am til 1:00 pm at Grayton Beach State Park! Entering it's third year with a huge surge in popularity, Run/SUP is the perfect sports competition for our area combining a scenic beach and dune run with a stand-up paddle across beautiful Western Lake. Registration is open online.
SoWal.com Photo Gallery: Run/SUP At Grayton Beach State Park 2016
SoWal hikers, bikers, and equestrians are thankful that the McQuage Bayou Trail is once again open for business.
Formerly used primarily by equestrians (horizontal posts still exist for tying up ol’ Trigger), the newly improved trail was officially re-opened with a Florida Forest Service event July 21, 2017.
On the east side of South Walton just east of Inlet Beach, turn off Highway 98 and through the gate of Camp Helen State Park and be amazed how fast you go from freeway frenzy to total tranquility.
Want to know what there is to do in South Walton? Our 26-mile stretch of pristine coastline is filled with the aroma of clean salt air and the fresh scent of deep pine forests, and is interwoven with the unique charm of many idyllic beach communities. Whatever your preference, from beachside cottages to world-class resorts, you’ll find it here along Scenic 30A. Explore the sugar-white sands and emerald green waters of top-rated beaches, the woods and marshlands where endangered plants, animals and exotic birds thrive … you'll love our unspoiled nature.
What makes South Walton County in the Florida panhandle special? What is there to do at 30A Beaches? Here is Some of what you’ll read in the magazines and travel guides about SoWal Beaches
June 29, 2017 by Molly Parker
“Whenever two sailboats are on the water at the same time,” says Charlie Thornton, “it’s a race. The captains may not admit it, but each wants to go faster than the other.”
Some things never change.
Last Fourth of July local sailors gathered for the legendary Rags to Riches Regatta, a Hobie Cat Race with a course between Grayton Beach and Seagrove. Seventeen captains showed up with their crew and 16-foot Hobies to negotiate the famously rowdy Gulf.
Grayton Beach State Park has showcased the best natural environment South Walton has to offer for nearly 50 years.
The park encompasses 2,200 acres of pristine rolling dunes along the Gulf and Western Lake, and a magnificent coastal forest habitat with unusual scrub oaks and magnolias twisted by winds and time. Western Lake is the centerpiece of the park, one of our rare, freshwater coastal dune lakes.
SoWal adventure comes in many forms.
If you have wheels you can explore our treasured off-road trails of State Parks, the State Forest, and miles of surrounding roads and paved trails all over South Walton. Near the center point of Scenic 30A in Blue Mountain Beach is a special shop with special people that will get you rollin'.
Topsail Hill Preserve State Park could possibly be the best kept secret on Scenic 30A.
Walton County Commissioners approved covering entrance fees for day use at Grayton Beach State Park and Topsail Hill Preserve State Park from May 29th running through September 4th.
