Kids & Family

This past year has flown by for most folks, but Nathanael Fisher has figured out how to capture time, even for a moment, with every production of the Emerald Coast Theatre Company.

Now into its 5th season, with Nathanael as the Producing Artistic Director, over 7,000 people have attended performances at the “560 Grand Boulevard, Upstairs” location. Seated alone in the curtained main stage area, Nathanael seems content and “at home” in the ECTC environs.

On the east side of South Walton just east of Inlet Beach, turn off Highway 98 and through the gate of Camp Helen State Park and be amazed how fast you go from freeway frenzy to total tranquility.

Grayton Beach State Park has showcased the best natural environment South Walton has to offer for nearly 50 years. 

The park encompasses 2,200 acres of pristine rolling dunes along the Gulf and Western Lake, and a magnificent coastal forest habitat with unusual scrub oaks and magnolias twisted by winds and time. Western Lake is the centerpiece of the park, one of our rare, freshwater coastal dune lakes.

Most people are astonished to learn that Florida has caves, but the limestone ecosystem of the central Florida panhandle is quite different than anywhere else in the state.

There’s no better way to get up close and personal with South Walton's beauty and charm than to pedal along our paved 18-mile bike path. It winds past rare coastal dune lakes, stellar state parks, massive dunes, and through several charming SoWal beach towns. Biking in SoWal is a perfect family activity, an ideal way to get some exercise, and a whole lot of fun.

A trip to the beach should be fun and care free. But leaving common sense at home can be deadly. Millions of visitors trip to SoWal every year to enjoy our beautiful beaches, and we take beach safety seriously.

One of the first things to know about Walton County beaches is the excellent beach flag system we have. There is a flag pole in sight from nearly every foot of beach in SoWal.

Text "flag" to 31279 for regular surf condition alerts.