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Grayton Beach State Park

Grayton Beach State Park Beaches

Grayton Beach State Park is located on County Road 30A in the Santa Rosa Beach area between the beach communities of Seaside and Blue Mountain Beach. So if you are staying in those nearby communities and want to visit a quieter place where there is more nature and fewer people, Grayton Beach State Park is a great place to visit. The park is over 2,000 acres of dunes, forests, scrub, and marsh, and has several coastal dune lakes. Camping is available in the park and cabins are also available to rent. There is a boat ramp, picnic shelters and several miles of "hike and bike" trails in the park. While driving through this general area I noticed that there are paved bike trails and sidewalks along highway 30A for many miles. Some sources say the trails are 30 miles, other say 17 miles. Regardless, if you like to bike, there are plenty of opportunities here. I did notice quite a few families biking along the trails between beach communities. This is a very scenic area and the towns of Seaside, Seagrove, and Watercolor are legendary for their architectural appeal and planned development. Even if you aren't staying in the area, if you are nearby it is worth a drive just to cruise through and take it all in.

When I get to the beach, the last thing I want to waste my time doing is shopping for beach gear! Ordering online is a great time-saver. BeachChairs.com  is one of the easiest and most helpful online stores to research and purchase your beach gear in advance. Chairs, umbrellas, coolers, beach totes, tents...they've got it all. Here are some of the kinds of beach gear I consider essential to be comfortable and relaxed at the beach.

Above: The road through the park curves behind the tall beach dunes and leads to a paved parking area.

Above: Grayton Beach parking on a sweltering summer afternoon. I had the beach nearly to myself.

Above: A nice overlook at the beach access provides a good view in all directions. Note the yellow and purple flags flying. Yellow for caution (probably because of the surf-generated currents), and purple warning of dangerous marine life (some jellyfish had been seen). At this access you can actually drive right up to the access to unload and then drive back to the parking lot to leave your car.

Above: Looking east from atop the dunes. Note the small surf breaking on the sandbar.

Above: Out on the beach the full height of the dunes becomes apparent.

Above: A park ranger drives his 4-wheeler on beach patrol. The beach homes of the Seaside community can be seen in the distance.

Above: Looking west on Grayton Beach. There were not many people on the beach on this very hot and cloudless August day.

Above: The water is very clear at Grayton Beach, and the sand is absolutely white and gorgeous. There is a fairly steep drop-off though, so be careful with small children. And always test the current before letting your kids go into the water.

Above: There is a nature trail behind the dunes that leads to a pine forest, but it was much too hot for BeachHunter to go hiking on this day. I couldn't wait to get back to my cooler full of cold water.