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Beaches
 The sugar-white beaches of
northwest Florida is what draws most people to our area. And we're blessed
with some of the most beautiful beaches in the world.
The crystal blue water
doesn't just look clean -- it is clean. Our beaches have been certified as Blue Wave
beaches by the non-profit Clean
Beaches Council.
From Full Abalone,
you're only a few steps away from the public access at Dune Allen. There
are several other public access points nearby. Ed Walline Park, where
Highway 393 meets 30A, is just across the road from the Gulf Place shops.
Farther to the east is Grayton Beach,
which allows beach access by four-wheel drive vehicles.
Request a Travel Guide from the
Beaches of South Walton Visitor Center
Bike paths
 Our area is bicycle friendly.
Get on the paved path in front of Beach Haven and you can cruise all the
way to Inlet Beach at the east end of 30A or to Topsail Park on the west
end. The 17-mile trail -- one of the best in the country -- runs through
Walton County's lovely beach towns and pine woods.
There's also a paved
path that follows Allen Loop Dr. around Oyster Lake. And there are plans to
remove the causeway road that divides the lake and replace it with a bridge
for bikes and pedestrians.
The trail attracts
bikers, hikers, skaters and baby strollers. Take a look at the Virtual Bike Tour at
30-a.com. If you don't have a bike, you can rent one at Big Daddy's at Blue Mountain
Beach. They will deliver the bike and come pick it up after your stay.
Golf
 Walton and Okaloosa Counties are
home to more 20 golf courses. The Santa
Rosa Golf & Beach Club on 30A is a semiprivate, challenging 18-hole
course with pristine ponds and pure white sands. The club has two
restaurants, a putting green, a driving range, and a fully equipped pro
shop.
The Sandestin
Golf and Beach Resort is a short drive west on US 98. The resort
features four championship courses: the Raven Golf Club, Burnt Pine Golf
Club, Baytowne Golf Club and The Links Course. Each course has its own
unique challenges and a variety of landscape from wetlands and marshes to
beach and bay.
For a complete
directory of courses in the area, check out the Santa
Rosa Beach and Destin
golf guides.
Tennis
The tennis center at
Seaside provides lessons and will hook you up with a partner or a match.
Anyone can drop in for round-robin doubles on weekend mornings. The Santa
Rosa Beach Club has courts for rent at the golf clubhouse and the Sandestin
Golf and Beach Resort has top-level courts. But I usually just slip onto
one of the two courts in the northwest corner of the Gulf Place commercial
center.
Nature
 Hikers who want to get close to
nature will enjoy the Eastern Lake Trail System in Point
Washington State Forest. The system consists of 3 double track loop
trails that are open for hiking or biking in loops of 3.5, 5 or 10 miles.
Access to the trail system is located at the parking lot and trail head on
County Road 395. Pets are allowed, if they're kept on a leash.
Another trail system,
called the Longleaf
Greenway, wind through the state forest and three nearby state parks.
You can also rent a
kayak or canoe at Big Daddy's
and put in at one of the many small lakes along 30A.
The South Walton Turtle Watch can
help you learn about turtle nesting on our beaches.
Fishing
 According to GraytonBeach.com,
the South Walton area offers plenty of fishing opportunities for anglers
with all levels of expertise. The area has 14 fresh and saltwater lakes plus
the Choctawhatchee Bay and the Gulf of Mexico.
You can fish for bass,
bluegill and mullet in the freshwater lakes, including Oyster Lake right
next door. The new pedestrian bridge across the lake is a great spot to
drop a line.
There are plenty of fishing
charters and party boats at the Destin Harbor.
Try renting a pontoon boat for a day or half-day.
State parks
 Three outstanding Florida state
parks are within a short drive from Santa Rosa Beach. To the west, where
30A meets 98, is Topsail
Hill Preserve State Park. The park has 1,640 acres with quiet beaches,
old-growth pines forests, coastal dune lakes and a variety of wetlands.
Grayton
Beach State Park to the east has more than 2,000 acres of beach, dunes,
pine woods and a salt marsh around scenic Western Lake. It's home to rare
plants and animals, such as the Choctawhatchee beach mouse.
Deer Lake
State Park at Santa Rosa Beach features a large freshwater coastal dune
lake and trail access to pristine Gulf beaches. Look for spring azaleas
along the blackwater streams and summer wildflowers among the cypress
trees. Aerial Photo.
Camp Helen
State Park, east of Inlet Beach, has 183 acres surrounded by The Gulf
of Mexico, Phillips Inlet, and Lake Powell. The unique location creates a
habitat for wildlife that includes rare shorebirds, and Bald Eagles.
Other state parks in
the region include Eden
Gardens State Park, home of a beautiful bayou mansion from the 1890s;
and Henderson
Beach, on 98 east of Destin. Click
here for information on all of the parks in the Panhandle region.
Nature outfitters
Here's a list
of local shops, tours and outfitters for river, beach, marsh and eco tours
and biking and sailing activities.
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