Topsail Hill Preserve State Park
Topsail Hill Preserve dunes. Lori Ceier/Walton Outdoors
The park has more than three miles of pristine beaches and five dune lakes, which encompass more than 170 acres within more than 1,637 acres of park.
Entrance located at the western end of Scenic Road 30A
• Ranger station • Parking • Restroom • Handicap access • Nature trails • Picnic areas
A tram will take visitors to the beach, which has a boardwalk, showers and a surf chair for handicap beach accessibility. Click here for story and video on Topsail Hill Preserve
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Eden Gardens State park
Eden Gardens State Park
This historic park hosts the majestic 110-year-old Wesley House. Completely decorated with period furniture and accessories, Eden Gardens State Park is located in Point Washington, off U.S. Highway 98 on C.R. 395.
• Picnic area, restrooms, pavilions, nature trails, gardens, historic home tours of Antebelum mansion.
Click here for story and video on Eden Gardens State Park
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Grayton Beach State Park
Grayton Beach State Park offers a wide variety of activities for the visitor. Along with the beautiful beaches, there are two unique trails to enjoy, along with camping and cabin rentals.
Located just west of WaterColor and east of CR 283 on Scenic Road 30A
• Restrooms • Parking • Handicap access
• Nature trails • Picnic areas • Camping
Click here for story and video on Grayton Beach State Park
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Deer Lake State Park
Tucked away along Scenic Highway 30A, just west of WaterSound, this spectacular gem of a State Park offers park goers a look at intact ancient sand dune ecosystems.
An elevated walkway guides you through a small wooded area, to the rolling dunes, then down to the Gulf of Mexico. Once on the beach, you can take a walk to the west, and discover the park’s namesake, a rare coastal dune lake that empties into the Gulf.
Located on Scenic Road 30A just east of Camp Creek Lake
• Restrooms • Parking • Nature trails • Picnic areas
Click here for story and video on Deer Lake State Park
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A trail to the beach at Camp Helen. Lori Ceier/Walton Outdoors
Camp Helen State Park
Surrounded by water on three sides, Lake Powell on the east, a salt marsh on the west, and the Gulf of Mexico on the south, this gem of a park is unique in many ways.
There are two paths to the beach from the main park area. You can choose to walk along the lake, or a path through the woods, with a dense canopy of maritime hammock.
Located just east of Walton County line on U.S. Hwy. 98. • Restrooms • Parking • Nature trails • Picnic areas
Click here for story and video on Camp Helen State Park
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Ponce de Leon Springs State Park
Interested in exploring the perfect place to take the family and enjoy a swim in a spring? Pack up a picnic lunch and head over to Ponce de Leon Springs State Park and spend the day.
Nature trails along a creek, four pavilions, picnic areas and easy access to the swimming in a clear blue spring make this park the perfect family getaway.
Click here story and video on Ponce deLeon Springs
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Rocky Bayou State Park
A view of Rocky Bayou from picnic area.
Fred Gannon Rocky Bayou State Park, known by most as Rocky Bayou State Park sets nestled along State Road 20 in Niceville along Rocky Bayou. The park boasts 357 acres of wooded walking trails of sand pine scrub, longleaf pine, sand hill forests, pine flat woods and wetlands.
More than 100 different species of birds may be spotted in the diverse area, including kingfishers, ospreys, warblers and woodpeckers. Along one of the walking/biking trails, you will find an interpretive kiosk, which visually describes some of the many birds that can be found in the park. Click here for story and video on Rocky Bayou State Park
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Henderson Beach State Park
A view of the Gulf along the natural dune system. Lori Ceier/Walton Outdoors
Have you ever wondered what Destin looked like 40 years ago before urban development? Ever wonder what it would look like if you could see more than a mile of rolling sand dunes right on the Gulf of Mexico? Well, fear not, the opportunity to enjoy nature at its best awaits the explorer at Henderson Beach State Park.
As busy as the city of Destin is with bustling traffic up and down U.S. Highway 98, one might almost miss the entrance to this beautiful Florida State Park chock full of natural beauty. As one of the area’s best-kept secrets, Henderson Beach State Park offers 20 acres of ancient coastal scrub habitat. Along with more than a mile of scenic shoreline, you can truly enjoy nature at it’s best.
Click here for story and video
