Grayton Beach State Park - Santa Rosa Beach, Florida

Address:Santa Rosa Beach, Florida

With emerald green waters and wide, white sands under a sparkling summer sun, Grayton Beach State Park is anything but gray! Situated on the warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico, Grayton Beach State Park boasts campers, yuppies, musicians, old-timers, artists, and families among its yearly sun-worshiping pilgrims. Fishing fanatics cast into Grayton Beach's salty surf, and surfers ride the swells year-round. A favorite among proud locals and loyal tourists alike, people also love Grayton Beach State Park for its outstanding campgrounds, some of the most beautiful and well equipped on the Gulf Coast. Free from the pavement, buildings, and crowds that characterize some of Florida's more scene-y shores, at Grayton Beach State Park nature truly calls. With more than 400 acres of coastal forest, preserved magnolia groves, and full-size slash pines poking through rolling sea oat covered dunes, Grayton Beach State Park is wildly beauty without even a touch of urban makeover. For getting back to the beach basics amidst Florida's loveliest scenery, Grayton Beach State Park has a growing reputation as one of Florida's most beautiful, untouched seashores.

Opened in 1968 after the Florida Board of Education granted a land lease, Grayton Beach State Park is located in Grayton Beach, one of the oldest towns along the Gulf of Mexico. Hikers and bikers conquer the pine flatwood trails, birdwatchers spot shorebirds along the sands, and during the summer months, wildlife observers trek out along the dunes to check out the nesting sea turtles. Sunbathers spend their days lazing like lizards on the sand, and surfers call Grayton Beach the "Key West of North Florida" both for its funky vibe and its beginner-to-expert waves. Enjoy fantastic camping facilities at the rustic Grayton Beach State Park with hot showers, electricity, grills, picnic tables, and enough room for your RV. Park in the lot near the boardwalk and walk five minutes to the beach, but stay on the marked trails to help preserve the dunes and the sea turtles' nests. For what folks call "The Real Deal" Florida nature beach, Grayton Beach State Park is your best bet!

Golden in the morning sun, silvered by moonlight, Grayton Beach has consistently been ranked among the most beautiful and pristine beaches in the United States. The beach provides an idyllic setting for swimming, sunbathing, and surf fishing. Visitors can paddle a canoe or kayak on scenic Western Lake to get a closer look at a salt marsh ecosystem. A boat ramp provides access to the lake's brackish waters for both freshwater and saltwater fishing. A nature trail winds through a coastal forest where scrub oaks and magnolias, bent and twisted by salt winds, have an eerie "Middle Earth" look. Hikers and bicyclists can enjoy over four miles of trails through pine flatwoods; the trail begins across from the park entrance on Highway 30-A. Options for overnight stays include modern cabins and a full-facility campground.