Located in the famed Emerald Coast region of Florida, Grayton Beach State Park is consistently ranked among the most beautiful and pristine beaches in the United States. This park remains relatively unknown to many Florida visitors in spite of this claim to fame. This small and inviting beachside park provides visitors the opportunity to experience some of the Old Florida seaside adventures typical of the area before modern development.
Tucked quietly adjacent to the banks of Western Lake (a rare coastal dune lake), Grayton Beach provides visitors with relaxed shoreline adventures in some of the most beautiful Florida settings available. As typical of the Gulf of Mexico waters in this area of Florida, the white sand joins clear blue-green waters to astound visitors with the inviting and relaxing surf. The comfortable and easily accessed beach provides an idyllic setting for swimming, sunbathing, surf fishing or just a stroll along the shoreline enjoying the golden sunrises or moonlit evenings.
The beautiful stretch of beach next to a variety of very interesting natural environments provides exciting nature adventures for the beach enthusiast and naturalist alike. There is an interesting tunnel of sorts; formed by trees growing in the dunes along the hiking trail leading to Western Lake. This 1 mile hiking trail meanders through a coastal forest where scrub oaks and magnolias stand, bent and twisted by the salt winds along the banks of Western Lake and provides a comfortable off-beach opportunity to encounter some of the local flora and fauna. Those wishing a more extensive hike or bike ride will find a 4 mile path directly across from the park entrance which winds through the pine flat-woods and includes additional local ecosystems and nature to explore.
The nearly 2,000-acre park also features a boat ramp on Western Lake which provides access to the lake’s brackish waters for both freshwater and saltwater fishing. Visitors can paddle a canoe or kayak on this scenic lake in order to get a closer look at the salt marsh ecosystem and wildlife.
For your convenience, the Grayton Beach State Park website link is included here:
