Top Picks for State Parks on Florida's Hwy 30A
Not only does Scenic Highway 30A boast some of the most beautiful and immaculate beaches in the world, its unique landscape includes a vast amount of protected land including state parks, rare coastal dune lakes, and a state forest. Also known as the Beaches of South Walton, the 30A corridor stretches along the Gulf of Mexico in the northwest Florida Panhandle. With so many amazing parks to choose from, we’ve included some of our favorite parks on Hwy 30A below.
Grayton Beach State Park
Frequently hailed as one of the world’s most pristine beaches, Grayton Beach State Park is one of the most popular State Parks in Florida. With massive dunes, winding trails, abundant wildlife and surrounded by rare coastal dune lakes, this 2,000 acre park is a national treasure. Featuring a variety of camping options, including sites on stunning Western Lake, visitors need to book early if they want to enjoy all that Grayton Beach State Park has to offer. To learn more about Grayton Beach State Park and historic Grayton Beach, visit http://gotothebeach.com/neighborhoods/grayton-beach/.
Eden Gardens State Park
Just a short drive north of Seaside and Seagrove, you will leave the beaches of 30A and enter the wonderland of Eden Gardens State Park. Tucked along Choctawatchee Bay and Tucker Bayou, this 161-acre park is one of a kind with beautiful ancient oaks dripping with Spanish moss and magnificent magnolias. Make sure to include a stop at Eden Gardens State Park during your visit to 30A, it will be a visit you won’t soon forget. Click here for official information on Eden Gardens State Park.
Topsail Hill Preserve State Park
This 1,640-acre state park has it all, 3.2 miles of secluded, white sand beaches, majestic sand dunes, coastal dune lakes, wetlands, sand pine scrub and long-leaf pine forests. Part of the Great Florida Birding Trail with over 13 miles of deserted trails, Topsail Hill Preserve is a bird watching and hikers paradise. Ranked as one of the top RV and cabin rental parks in the nation, Topsail offers a variety of RV sites, cabin rentals, and tent sites. The free tram system offers a simple avenue for visitors and campers to explore the Park and tote their beach gear to Topsail’s blissfully undisturbed white shores.
Deer Lake State Park
Some consider Deer Lake State Park one of South Walton’s best-kept secrets. The quarter-mile boardwalk through the dunes provides astonishing views and is perfect for those that prefer (or require) a hard-surfaced path to get to the beach. The boardwalk winds through Southern magnolias, golden asters, woody goldenrod and scrub oaks; visitors may actually see pops of color from wildflowers and an abundance butterflies in the Fall. Deer Lake State Park’s beach is isolated and undeveloped, a perfect place to picnic, swim and fish. This Park shares its name with the rare coastal dune lake within its boundaries and can be viewed by hiking the half-mile Blue Trail.
Point Washington State Forest
With over 40 percent of South Walton’s land protected, a large majority of that area is part of the Point Washington State Forest. This 15,400 acre forest is made up of 10 natural communities, consisting of sandhill, basin swamps, wet flatwoods, wet prairie and cypress swamps. One of the most popular trail systems, the Eastern Lake Trail, can be accessed along S. County Road 395 and offers 3.5, 5 and 10-mile loops, ideal for both hikers and bicyclists. Overnight camping is allowed in special primitive areas of Point Washington State Forest.
For the more adventurous, don’t be scared to turn onto one of the little gravel roads and take a drive through the Forest. A word of caution however, unless you’re in a 4-wheel drive, it’s probably wise not to turn off of the main corridors, as some of the smaller roads get pretty tight and you run the risk of losing one’s way in the winding roads. You can learn more about Point Washington State Forest by visiting http://30a.com/point-washington-state-forest/.
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