At Henderson Beach State Park, pristine white sugar sand beaches and more than 6,000 feet of natural scenic shoreline border the emerald green waters of the Gulf of Mexico. Natural features of the park include sand pines, scrub oaks, and dune rosemary. Boardwalks provide access to the beach for swimming, sunbathing, and fishing.
NOTE
Florida Caverns State Park suffered major damage from Hurricane Michael in 2018. Call the park to check status before you go. Visit the Florida State Parks Storm Updates page for more information.
Florida Caverns State Park is about an hour and a half northeast of SoWal just north of I-10 in Marianna, Florida. One of the few state parks with dry (air filled) caves and the only Florida state park to offer cave tours to the public.
About an hour northeast of SoWal, just off I-10 at Chipley, Florida, Falling Waters State Park features huge trees and fern-covered sinkholes that line Sink Hole Trail, the boardwalk that leads visitors to Florida's highest waterfall.
Falling Waters Sink is a 100-foot deep, 20-foot wide cylindrical pit into which flows a small stream that drops 73 feet to the bottom of the sink. The water's final destination remains unknown. Only a few miles south of I-10, the park provides travelers with a quiet, serene stop on their journey.
Topsail Hill Preserve State Park offers a wide variety of natural resources including 3.2 miles of secluded, white sand beaches with majestic dunes over 25 feet tall. Three rare coastal dune lakes provide excellent freshwater fishing. Although boats are not allowed, fishing from the shoreline yields bass, bream, panfish, and catfish.
Point Washington State Forest is not as recognizable to SoWal lovers as the beaches or State Parks, but the protected forest is crucial to the entire ecosystem of the area. The protected forest is not only a precious place for plants and wildlife, it also keeps development from completely overtaking South Walton. Point Washington State Forest must be defended to keep SoWal beautiful enclave for future generations.
Eden Gardens State Park consists of 163 upland acres just north of Seagrove Beach, across highway 98 in Point Washington, along the shores of Tucker Bayou and the Choctawhatchee Bay. Gracing Eden are gardens everywhere, the beautiful legacy of the many gardeners and master gardeners who belong to the Friends of Eden Gardens State Park, and give lovingly of their time and labor.
Deer Lake State Park is a 1,920-acre park which shares its name with the coastal dune lake within its boundaries. Coastal dune lakes are extremely rare worldwide and in the United States they occur only along the Gulf Coast. Deer Lake State Park is located on Scenic 30A, just east of Seagrove Beach.
Camp Helen State Park is bordered on three sides by the Gulf of Mexico and Lake Powell, one of the largest coastal dune lakes in Florida. Coastal dune lakes are extremely rare worldwide; in the United States they occur only along the Gulf Coast. Prehistoric middens and mounds indicate that humans lived in the area more than 4,000 years ago. From 1945 until 1987, Camp Helen was a company resort for employees of an Alabama textile mill and some of the buildings are now being restored.
Grayton Beach State Park is one of the most popular state parks in Florida, with massive dunes, winding trails, abundant wildlife, and shimmering 100-acre Western Lake, one of many coastal dune lakes gracing Scenic Highway 30A along Scenic 30A in South Walton (SoWal).
