30A’s Most Enchanting Nature Walks

Ditch the flip-flops for an afternoon and hit the vastly underappreciated nature walks of 30A.

30A/South Walton has so much more to offer than beachfront shops and restaurants, flip-flops, and sprawling coastlines. While the crystalline beaches are the main attraction, you’ll also find many paths along Scenic Highway 30.

Are you visiting 30A for a weekend? Then pack your boots because you won’t run out of trails to hike (or bike) any time soon. State forests and parks line some 200 miles of South Walton.

Here’s a rundown of the greatest natural views that 30A has to offer, from the Gulf of Mexico to the coastal dune lakes to further inland.

Hiking in WaterColor

Whether you’re canoeing or boarding across Western Lake or simply walking alongside it, you’ll want to surely visit the WaterColor Boat House where you’ll find maps of the nature trail. Journey along the wooden bridge and take in all the surrounding beauty: wetlands, bridges, and wildlife.

The WaterColor Boathouse is part of WaterColor Marina Park, which also hosts events throughout the year—an annual songwriter’s festival and a movie festival, for instance—as well as private events.

Eden Gardens State Park

Eden Gardens State Park is a 163-acre reserve in Point Washington just off Highway 98. As the local legend goes, the park was named after Lois Maxon who remarked, “I have found my Eden,” when she bought the property. Maxon bought and renovated the Wesley House at the center of the estate, then donated it to the state of Florida, under the custody of which the park was founded.

The iconic property was named for its former owner, lumber baron William Henry Wesley. The two-story mansion includes a wrap-around porch and white columns — features that are commonly found in the upper-class homes of the late 1800s.

For a nominal fee, visitors can tour the historic home from Thursday through Monday. There, you can peruse all of the home’s luxurious interior. Inside, you’ll find the nation’s second-largest collection of Louis XVI furniture.

Outside, visitors enjoy hiking, fishing, picnicking and paddling off the dock of Tucker Bayou. On the park grounds, you’ll find rose gardens, oaks, azaleas, and other plant life. The woods around the house include a short trail and picnic tables.

Topsail Hill Preserve State Park

Topsail Hill Preserve State Park is home to three rare coastal dune lakes and numerous endangered species. The park is home to 5 plant species found nowhere else, so if you’re an amateur botanist or a “green thumb,” Topsail Hill is a great choice for your 30A nature walk. Get access to the vast 1,600-acre park for a small fee.

While you’re there, you’ll find three miles of beaches and sand dunes. Across the park, you’ll encounter various landscapes such as long-leaf pine forests, sand pine scrub, bald cypress swamps, and both freshwater and beachfront fishing spots. Take on any of the seven hiking trails with a range of difficulties from easy to challenging.

If you’re willing to try your hand at the more demanding white sand paths, you’ll be treated to a rare coastal dune on the Morris Lake Trail as a reward. Of course, you may have an easier time along the paved paths. Whatever your preferences, you have up to 13 miles of hiking to select from.

For camping in Topsail Hill Preserve, the park also offers facilities to park your RV or rent a cabin, tent sites, and a swimming pool. Also, feel free to take advantage of the park’s free tram system.

Deer Lake State Park

While Grayton Beach is well-known and well-regarded, Deer Lake State Park is a hidden gem of 30A. You definitely don’t want to miss the south side of the 1.5-mile nature trail. This less-crowded section of the park offers views of seemingly endless stretches of the beach and sand dunes.

You’ll find them along the boardwalk. If you’re lucky, you’ll catch the endangered beach mice on the run. The boardwalk is a quarter-mile long but if you get tired, don’t worry. Midway through, there’s plenty of shade.

Remember: parking is limited along the 30A border.

If nature calls during your visit to the park, fortunately, you’ll have access to the public composting toilet when you need it. For a relatively short, accessible hike, this might just be your ideal 30A nature walk.

Grayton Beach State Park

When you journey to Grayton Beach State Park, you’ll discover 2,000 acres of protected lands. Grayton is one of America’s favorite beaches —and no wonder. Limited land development has allowed the coastal waters and sands to thrive. Plus, the park is also home to freshwater ponds and tidal lakes and of course, nature trails.

The park’s two hiking trails total four miles in length. The trails, while perhaps on the easier side for experienced hikers, are still rewarding. On the south side trail, you’ll catch an up-close glimpse of a dune canopy.

Underneath, you’ll find the “Prayer of the Woods,” a short poem about the generous abundance that the forests provide us, which implores the reader to preserve the forest and its beauty. Visitors do pay a small fee to enter the park.

Point Washington State Forest Trails

When it comes to sheer size and variety, the Point Washington State Forest takes the cake. The park is a whopping 15,000 acres, home to the majority of South Walton’s protected lands. (South Walton protects more than 40 percent of its land – a major benefit of living here, as the natural world is always a stone’s throw away.)

Camp in the park’s reserved primitive areas for only $10 or spend the evening in Grayton Beach State Park or Topsail Hill State Preserve. You can even take your car down some dusty paths, but be careful not to turn off the main roads and be prepared to get some dirt on your vehicle.

As for nature paths, you’ll find easy and difficult trails alike here, including 3.5, 5, and 10-mile loops. Take your bike or bring your leashed pets – and your camera, of course, because you may come across rare wild animals. If you’re (un)lucky, you might spot a wild boar or a white-topped pitcher plant.

You may even happen upon a gopher tortoise or a black bear, especially along the park’s more isolated trails. Of course, if you travel the more isolated trails, keep a water bottle and a charged cell phone on hand for safety.