30A’s Rare Coastal Dune Lakes

Locals who take regular sunset strolls along the shores of South Walton know its gleaming white beaches are special. But it’s not just the pristine white sand and translucent water that makes this area so unique.

South Walton’s crushed quartz crystal sands – deposited during the last Ice Age due to runoff from the Appalachian mountains that filtered through America’s rivers —  were blown through the wind some 10,000 years ago to construct the shallow basins that are now coastal dune lakes. At about 5 feet deep, these dune lakes are relatively shallow.

The Walton County government defines coastal dune lakes as “shallow, irregularly shaped or elliptic depressions occurring in coastal communities that share an intermittent connection with the Gulf of Mexico through which freshwater and saltwater is exchanged.”

Coastal dune lakes are incredibly rare. Outside of South Walton, they occur nowhere else in the Western Hemisphere. Only Madagascar, New Zealand, and Australia share these natural phenomena with South Walton.

15 coastal dune lakes call Florida home, 14 of them solely in South Walton. The 15th shares its waters with Bay County. Lake Powell is also the largest of the 15 coastal dune lakes along Scenic Highway 30A. Altogether, the lakes span 26 miles of Florida’s coastline.

30A’s dune lakes sometimes share their waters with the Gulf of Mexico. Just a few feet from the Gulf, these lakes occasionally flood into the Gulf. The Gulf, conversely, may flood into the lakes. When the waters mix, so do the organisms inside them. Fresh and saltwater species swim side by side in the lakes, creating a rare ecosystem.

When these waters mix, scientists call it “outfall.” After heavy rain or inflow, the flooding continues until water levels stabilize. Meanwhile, outfall also shifts the shapes of the sand dunes.

Here’s a stunning aerial view of the outfall at Grayton Beach:

Outfall can last from hours to days, and the process can be dangerous to anyone in the area. Sharks may even cross into the lakes during this time. The sand dunes may take months to reform and end the mixing of these waters. Accordingly, each dune lake varies in terms of the ratio of freshwater to saltwater.

Sometimes, newcomers unfamiliar with the dune lakes mistakenly assume that the characteristic copper hue results from pollution. In fact, this type of water – called tannin water — is the result of leaves, grasses, pine needles, and other organic matter that fall into the water. They slowly break down, giving the waters their brownish tint. There is nothing unsafe or dirty about the lakes.

Along with the pine trees that line many of the lakes, you’ll also find a wide variety of other plants and animals, including sedges, rushes, manyflower marshpennywort, watershield, waterlilies, royal fern, marshelder, camphorweed, groundsel tree, black willow, and many other varieties. As far as animals, you may find western mosquitofish, American coot, North American river otter, little blue heron, eastern mud turtle, saltmarsh snake, American alligator, and sailfin molly. You’ll also find shorebirds such as snowy plovers and red knots.

Let’s explore the full roster of Coastal Sand Dune Lakes in 30A, moving from west to east:

• • Fuller Lake is located inside Coffeen Nature Preserve. Because the preserve is private, they require visitors to make appointments before visiting the lake. The lake is otherwise inaccessible. Coffeen is operated by a not-for-profit corporation.

• • Morris Lake is located at the Western end of Topsail Hill State Park. Like Fuller, Morris is relatively private and mostly untouched. Unlike Fuller, Morris is accessible to the public by a long nature trail.

• • Visitors can explore nearby Campbell Lake by kayak or paddleboard.

• • On the Eastern side, you can find Stallworth Lake, another secluded lake. Limited parking makes for limited access to this lake. 

• • Allen Lake, meanwhile, is located near local culinary mainstay Stinky’s Fish Camp.

• • Next up is Oyster Lake, possibly named for its vaguely oyster shell-like shape or, perhaps, as the legends go, because its waters once teemed with oysters. Visitors can soak in a nice view of the lake from the bike path or nearby bridge.

• • Similarly, you can view Draper Lake in all its glory from Blue Mountain Beach’s covered wooden bridge. You’ll find the lake’s shores dotted with private homes and estates.

• • At the summit of Blue Mountain Beach, you’ll find Big Redfish Lake and Little Redfish Lake. The lakes appear to be named after the local redfish that swim their waters.

• • Alligator Lake is located between the Redfish Lakes and Grayton Beach. The lake hosts its share of alligators, but so do South Walton’s other coastal dune lakes.

• • Grayton Beach borders Western Lake to its west; on its north sits the vast Point Washington State Forest; to its east, you’ll find the WaterColor Inn and Resort. You can rent kayaks and paddle boards here to explore the lake. You may recognize Western Lake from countless photos and various pieces of art.

• • Eastern Lake, like Draper Lake, is dotted with residential homes. The lake is also home to 30A’s famous Old Florida Fish House.

• • Deer Lake State Park is named after Deer Lake, located within its grounds. You’ll find a grand view of Deer Lake at the end of the park’s boardwalk.

• • Camp Creek Lake hosts another residential community, Water Sound Beach, and a pedestrian bridge where you can take it all in.

• • Next to Camp Helen and Inlet Beach, you’ll find 30A’s largest coastal dune lake, Lake Powell. Lake Powell borders Camp Helen State Park.

In addition to their natural features, when you’re visiting Florida’s coastal dune lakes, you’ll find more than 100 restaurants as well as shops, museums, exhibits, and music venues. You’ll also find hiking trails, biking trails, campsites, and fishing holes. So wherever you go along Scenic 30A, you’ll have plenty to see and plenty to do.

Important Notes:

• • If you fish in the local waters, you may find flounder, bream, panfish, mullet, redfish, speckled trout, and bass. Of course, you’ll need a fishing license before you can legally fish in the coastal dune lakes.   

• • If you’re looking to ride a jet ski in the lakes, you’ll have to go to Lake Powell. The other lakes do not allow jet skis.

All of the lakes are public property, but not all of the property around them is public. Sometimes this creates confusion around where you can enter any of the lakes. For more information on public access points to the coastal lakes, see here.