General discussion & info about South Walton, Florida.

All About SoWal

Advertise or find a business, discuss business.

Business & Services

Jobs

Festivals, classes, gatherings, activities.

Events & Music

Food & Dining

Marketplace

property, realtors, builders, development, infrastructure ...

Real Estate

Long Term Rentals

Vacation Rentals

SoWal Lounge

James Bentwood

Beach Fanatic

It's been beyond dangerous on Grayton Beach for at least a dozen years. When the lake is open it's worse.

It&#039;s been beyond dangerous on Grayton Beach for at least a dozen years. When the lake is open it&#039;s worse.

jodiFL

They need to just change the name of Grayton because its not the Grayton Beach we all knew and loved.  I knew it was gone when they built the "Pizza Hut HQ" house behind the Red Bar.

They need to just change the name of Grayton because its not the Grayton Beach we all knew and loved.  I knew it was gone when they built the &quot;Pizza Hut HQ&quot; house behind the Red Bar.

Teresa

SoWal Guide

It will always be Grayton Beach. Our funky little town. We like it best in the winter.

No its not the same any more not even in the winter. I wouldnt dare let my kids (who were toddlers at the time) run around there like I did back then. Where parents could let the kids go house to house by themselves on Halloween and didnt have to worry because there was always at least one set of parents at the entrance to make sure they didnt leave and no one "weird" came in to bother them. It was our funky little town when everybody knew everybody and no one cared what the other people were doing as long as it didnt hurt them or the area. Where you could depend on your neighbor to take care of your stuff (kids included) as if they/it was their own. People in Grayton then shared (food,stories,stuff,homes etc.) and were considerate. Those days and most of those people are gone. Left when it started becoming what it is today.

No its not the same any more not even in the winter. I wouldnt dare let my kids (who were toddlers at the time) run around there like I did back then. Where parents could let the kids go house to house by themselves on Halloween and didnt have to worry because there was always at least one set of parents at the entrance to make sure they didnt leave and no one &quot;weird&quot; came in to bother them. It was our funky little town when everybody knew everybody and no one cared what the other people were doing as long as it didnt hurt them or the area. Where you could depend on your neighbor to take care of your stuff (kids included) as if they/it was their own. People in Grayton then shared (food,stories,stuff,homes etc.) and were considerate. Those days and most of those people are gone. Left when it started becoming what it is today.

Agree Grayton Beach has changed a ton over the years like all of South Walton and along the Emerald Coast of Florida.

In my experience, it's still a great place to live, work, play and stay. When I visited with friends as a child in the 70s it was so different.... When we honeymooned and vacationed here throughout the years, it changed and grew and we loved it all. When we moved here in the 90s we still appreciated all of its weirdness and uniqueness. And now? I know many who live there still and who make it their home, their work, their life. They are locals.

We always were super aware of safety for our kid and young kids in a beach town where we have so many strangers visiting. Even 20 years ago. Locals were relaxed but ever cautious.

I miss dogs on the beach. Many of the old families. But there are many still there. The Red Bar remains my favorite spot. And we can still go and hang out but mostly in the off season.

The monster houses are ridiculous. The traffic on weekends outrageous. Vendors on the beach are not a good thing. July is one month we won't do the beach. As locals we know when to go. We have adapted. We love sunsets and moonrise on this beach always.

I miss old Grayton. Will never forget it. But I appreciate the town always. Love our community of artists, good restaurants, fun shops, locals, old and new businesses, and our old friends here who adapt to change because they love their community. We know the people of Grayton. We are proud to work here surrounded by such people. The people do make the place. ❤️

I will always love:
The preserved state park with its coastal dunes and lake. The incredible beaches.. Miles of trails and natural preserved woods and dunes and lake that literally surround the town. The iconic Western Lake pines view from Scenic 30A. Secret trails and marshes. Tucked in and hidden neighborhoods.on the outskirts. Black bears. Deer. Wildlife.. State Park camping and cabins. The pass. Our new artificial reefs and Underwater Museum of Art just offshore. Small fishing charters taking you out to the Gulf. Fishing, kayaking, paddle boarding, biking and hiking. The beach as our children's playground. Playing in the lake all day. Old Florida cottages throughout town. Hibiscus Coffee & Guesthouse. Pelicans. Great Blue Herons. Moonrise and night time on the beach. Full moon kayaking through the tall grasses on the lake. Fall and winter days spent with friends on the beach.. Dread Clampitt. Cold beer. Margaritas. Paneed chicken. Halloween.. 4th of July hometown parade with no registration or pre-planning required. Chanticleer. The peace of Christmas day on the beach and throughout town. Goodness. Memories. New experiences. Forever funky. ❤️

[ATTACH=full]71469[/ATTACH]

Agree Grayton Beach has changed a ton over the years like all of South Walton and along the Emerald Coast of Florida. 
 
In my experience, it&#039;s still a great place to live, work, play and stay. When I visited with friends as a child in the 70s it was so different.... When we honeymooned and vacationed here throughout the years, it changed and grew and we loved it all. When we moved here in the 90s we still appreciated all of its weirdness and uniqueness. And now? I know many who live there still and who make it their home, their work, their life. They are locals. 
 
We always were super aware of safety for our kid and young kids in a beach town where we have so many strangers visiting. Even 20 years ago. Locals were relaxed but ever cautious. 
 
I miss dogs on the beach. Many of the old families. But there are many still there. The Red Bar remains my favorite spot. And we can still go and hang out but mostly in the off season. 
 
The monster houses are ridiculous. The traffic on weekends outrageous. Vendors on the beach are not a good thing. July is one month we won&#039;t do the beach. As locals we know when to go. We have adapted. We love sunsets and moonrise on this beach always. 
 
I miss old Grayton. Will never forget it. But I appreciate the town always. Love our community of artists, good restaurants, fun shops, locals, old and new businesses, and our old friends here who adapt to change because they love their community. We know the people of Grayton. We are proud to work here surrounded by such people. The people do make the place. ❤️ 
 
I will always love: 
The preserved state park with its coastal dunes and lake. The incredible beaches.. Miles of trails and natural preserved woods and dunes and lake that literally surround the town. The iconic Western Lake pines view from Scenic 30A. Secret trails and marshes. Tucked in and hidden neighborhoods.on the outskirts. Black bears. Deer. Wildlife.. State Park camping and cabins. The pass. Our new artificial reefs and Underwater Museum of Art just offshore. Small fishing charters taking you out to the Gulf. Fishing, kayaking, paddle boarding, biking and hiking. The beach as our children&#039;s playground. Playing in the lake all day. Old Florida cottages throughout town. Hibiscus Coffee &amp; Guesthouse. Pelicans. Great Blue Herons. Moonrise and night time on the beach. Full moon kayaking through the tall grasses on the lake. Fall and winter days spent with friends on the beach.. Dread Clampitt. Cold beer. Margaritas. Paneed chicken. Halloween.. 4th of July hometown parade with no registration or pre-planning required. Chanticleer. The peace of Christmas day on the beach and throughout town. Goodness. Memories. New experiences. Forever funky. ❤️ 
 
<img src="https://sowal.com/forum/attachments/71469/" alt="FB_IMG_1530988787680.jpg" />

Wouldnt You Like To Know

Beach Lover

Did anybody see the fire at Destin/Okaloosa Island bridge? Too many amateurs shooting off their own fireworks...and usually hammered drunk. It does suck but I’m glad code enforcement is cracking down.

BeachArkie

It was all for show as far as I could tell. Stern looks and shining flashlights about, but no culprints located or tickets issued that I saw. Pretty ridiculous actually.

steel1man

I remember when people took big nets at the mouth of outflow and another group splashed the water driving fish into the net. Then all involved cleaned the fish and a beach fish fry began.....

Jimmy T

The Seaside show was fantastic as usual, but TDC code enforcement was out in a couple of ATVs going back and forth across the beach stopping everybody from doing fireworks on the beach. This is a first in all the years we've been going to Grayton  to watch the craziness. Anybody got the scoop on this?

The Seaside show was fantastic as usual, but TDC code enforcement was out in a couple of ATVs going back and forth across the beach stopping everybody from doing fireworks on the beach. This is a first in all the years we&#039;ve been going to Grayton  to watch the craziness. Anybody got the scoop on this?

Fireworks at Grayton last night

Grayton BeachCam

Dune Allen BeachCam

Seagrove Beach SkyCam

Inlet BeachCam

Miramar BeachCam Majestic Sun

Santa Rosa BeachCam

Blast on the Bay

Walton County Fair

Harvest Wine & Food Festival: Celebrity Winemakers Dinners

Grayton Locals Market

Grayton Beach Wine Walk

2026 SoWal Sea Turtle Nesting Season Wrapup

After Hurricane Isaias: Photos of South Walton Beaches

Cars of 30A At Alys Beach: Event Highlights & Photo Gallery

Sixth annual Run Watersound At Watersound Town Center October 24, 2026

Support Our Parks: The 2026 Friends of Camp Helen Pumpkin Patch Is Open

Annual Events and Festivals in South Walton

No beachcams yet

More cams

Include enough context for a reply on the first pass: who you are, what this is about, and anything time-sensitive we should know.

Write a clear note and we will route it fast

SoWal Contact Form

What helps the SoWal team reply on the first pass

Use these links when your request already has a clear destination.

Prefer a direct route before you write?

Use this when you are not sure where your request belongs and need the SoWal team to route it.

Questions, corrections, and quick help

Share newsworthy updates, corrections, community tips, or photography that can improve SoWal coverage.

Story tips, local leads, and photos

Reach the team for business visibility, partnership planning, or other commercial opportunities.

Listings, sponsorships, and business requests

Use this path for media coordination, press follow-ups, or requests that need a communications contact.

Press outreach and interview requests

Tell us what you need and how to reach you.

Send your note here and the SoWal team will route it appropriately.

Choose the quickest route for your message

Forum account areas

Log in to view member profile, alerts, messages, watched content, bookmarks, preferences, and staff tools.

Member-only forum areas use your SoWal forum account.

Use your forum username or email to post, reply, follow threads, and manage your account.

Log in to the forum

Log in to the SoWal forum

Find people and visit their public forum profiles.

Members

Enter the six-digit code sent to {email}.

Check your email

Join the conversation

Welcome to SoWal

Sign in to SoWal

Signature preview

Ads support our local stories, BeachCams, and community guides. If you use an ad blocker, allow SoWal, then check again.

Help keep SoWal local

Your feedback helps us make SoWal better.

How was this story?

Get local stories, events, and South Walton highlights in your inbox.

Stay close to the coast

Choose whether SoWal may use optional cookies. Necessary cookies keep the site working.

Your privacy, your choice

Site navigation

Submenu

Bite-sized stories, curated itineraries, and community events delivered to your inbox on the regular.

Fireworks at Grayton last night

Latest conversations

Write a reply

2026 SoWal Sea Turtle Nesting Season Wrapup

After Hurricane Isaias: Photos of South Walton Beaches

Cars of 30A At Alys Beach: Event Highlights & Photo Gallery

Sixth annual Run Watersound At Watersound Town Center October 24, 2026