Area Info

Grayton Beach State Park was voted the "Best Beach in the United States" in 1994 by Dr. Stephen Leatherman, better known as "Dr. Beach."

The beaches in this area are sugar-white because the sand is composed mainly of pure quartz crystal, unlike anywhere else in the world.

The sand on South Walton's beaches is extremely fine. This is due to the enormous amount of travel the sand went through to reach its destination. The sand along Santa Rosa Beach was once part of the southern Appalachian Mountains. Over millions of years, as the mountains weathered, particles of quartz were washed into riverbeds and transported by the river to the ocean. The flow and ebb of the water over this long distance broke down the particles and buffed the edges making them as fine as sugar when they finally rested along the shore in South Walton.

There are no roadside amusement parks, honky-tonk bars or airbrush T-shirt shops in Beaches of South Walton.

Dunes are formed by the wind and are a function of the vast amount of sand that has been deposited along our coast. Approximately 10,000 years ago, the sea level rose, trapping huge quantities of sand at the mouth of the Apalachicola River. Subsequently, the longshore transport current moved the sand west to Beaches of South Walton. Dunes offer the first line of defense against wave action and are a very important part of the livelihood of our beaches.

Sea oats are nature's dune builders and are protected by state law. Sea oats comprise more than 85 percent of plant life on the dunes. They are the only plants with an extensive root system that grows both vertically and horizontally. This unique root system not only stabilizes the core of the dune but also adds protection to the surface from blowing sand. The plant builds the dune as it grows, spreading and capturing more sand. Because of the important role the dunes and the sea oats play to the health of our beaches, it is easy to understand why foot traffic on the dunes is destructive.

The Gulf of Mexico along Santa Rosa Beach is so clear because no large, sediment-heavy rivers directly influence the waters. The water coming out of the Apalachicola River, the primary source of our Gulf water, is filtered through the estuary of Apalachicola Bay. While passing through this bay and out past the barrier islands in that area, the Gulf water deposits most of the silt and other sediments, that for example, make the Atlantic less translucent. The Gulf water along Santa Rosa Beach appears aqua green because of the purity and hence crystal clarity of the water. The shallowness of the Gulf and the high reflectivity of light off our sugar-white sands also help to create our beautiful translucent water.

Forty percent of the 56,000 acres that make up Beaches of South Walton is owned by the State and thus is protected from future development.

Santa Rosa Beach is home to seven of the top 200 restaurants in the state, as recognized by Florida Trend Magazine, and one of the top 400 restaurants in the entire world, as recognized by Wine Spectator Magazine.

The largest designer factory outlet center in the nation is located nearby. In addition to the beautiful Gulf of Mexico, Santa Rosa Beach and the surrounding area is home to 17 fresh and saltwater lakes as well as the Choctawhatchee Bay.