- Operates 7 days a week from 6 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
- Maintains and cleans 60+ beach, lake and bay accesses. All regional beach access restrooms and pavilions are cleaned and restocked twice daily.
- Maintains and services approximately 700 garbage collection stations located on the beach, at the regional/neighborhood beach accesses, and along the multi-use trail. All garbage collection stations are emptied daily.
- Maintains and clears 26 miles of multi-use trail. The entire trail and adjacent right of way are cut, edged, and cleared of litter, sand, and debris weekly.
- Maintains the U.S. Highway 331, U.S. Highway 98, County Route 30A and Scenic Gulf Drive corridors.
- Coordinates and manages architects/engineers/consultants for capital improvement projects and beach re-nourishment projects.
- Destination Improvement Committee - Advises the Walton County Tourism Department on destination improvements in the areas of capital projects, visitor center renovations, signage, safety, parks, and paths.
Beach Code Compliance
Beach Code Compliance is now under the jurisdiction of the Walton County Code Compliance Department. For more information visit co.walton.fl.us/90/Code-Compliance.
46 Coastal Centre Blvd.
Santa Rosa Beach, FL
Phone: (850) 622-0000
To report a beach code compliance violation, please complete the Beach Code Compliance Complaint Form, found here.
Beach Access Updates:
Scenic Gulf Drive Regional Beach Access (RBA), the newest of our Regional Beach Accesses, is located at 907 Scenic Gulf Drive in Miramar Beach. This facility opened October 2022 and has 18 parking spaces, including dedicated parking for ADA, low speed vehicles (LSV) and bicycles, restrooms, picnic pavilion, water fountain, outdoor showers and ADA beach access.
Seagrove RBA, located across the street from Café Thirty-A, is in the final design/permit phase. Permits are in place and documents have been submitted to Walton County Technical Review Committee for final approval. Construction plans include parking for automobiles, ADA, LSV, and bicycles, a 1000sf +/- restroom facility, handicap-accessible dune walkover, and connectivity to the multi-use path. Construction is anticipated to begin Winter 2023 and be complete by Summer 2024.
Currently under appeal with the Zoning Board of Adjustments, the Walton Dunes RBA project is on hold until a final determination of the validity of the Development Order can be made. Improvements are expected to include 14 parallel ROW parking spaces--with dedicated ADA, LSV and bicycle parking, restrooms, and an ADA-accessible boardwalk.
Headland Avenue Neighborhood Beach Access (NBA) is currently in the design/permit stage. Located along the South Headland Avenue Right-of-Way, this access will have bicycle parking and connectivity to the multi-use path along 30A. This project will include resurfacing a portion of Headway Avenue and adding a boardwalk to extend from Montgomery Avenue over the dunes.
The design and permitting phase continues on the Kellogg Park Nature Center project. The proposed community/nature center will be a 1,200-1,600 square foot assembly style building for nature watching and community gatherings. It will be constructed on the existing building pad. Visitors to the park will still have access to the kayak launch and other county-maintained facilities throughout this process.
In 2008, the county formalized the bayside park, added a seawall, benches, water fountains and a parking area. The Tourism Department is currently responsible for maintaining the trails and existing facilities in the park. This 10-acre property was donated by the Kellogg family and is located on Choctawhatchee Bay.
Capital Improvement Updates:
The Walton County Tourism Department continues to take an active approach to improve parking and transportation throughout the county. Here's a look at some projects currently undergoing or preparing for improvements.
Grayton Beach Municipal Parking Facility, formerly referred to as the “Grayton Central” parking lot, is 6.995-acres and is located on the eastern portion of County Road 283 South, across from the Shoppes at Grayton. The Development Order has been approved and we are preparing to place the project out for bid. Plans call for the facility to have 180+/- parking spaces, dedicated ADA, electric car, LSV and bicycle parking areas, restrooms, public transportation and connectivity to the multi-use path. Currently in the final design and permitting stage, plans call for the facility to have 180 +/- parking spaces, dedicated ADA, electric car, LSV and bicycle parking areas, restroom, public transportation facilities and connectivity to the multi-use path. Construction is expected to begin Winter 2023 and be completed by Summer 2024.
The Driftwood Road Municipal Parking project is on a 1.119-acre parcel located at 76 Driftwood Road in Miramar Beach. This project is in the design and permitting phase, and plans include a parking lot containing 67 spaces with dedicated parking for ADA, LSV, bicycles, a public transit stop, and a restroom facility. Design and permitting is expected to be completed winter 2023 with construction beginning in late winter/early spring 2024.
The 393 Municipal Parking Facility is on 2.3-acres and is located north of the Gulf Place Town Center on the west side of County Road 393. Currently in the permitting stage, this project will add 83 +/- parking spaces with dedicated parking for ADA, LSV, bicycles, electric cars and a 1300 square foot transit building with restroom facility. Construction is expected to begin in Winter 2023 and completed by Summer 2024.
The grand opening of the Eastern Lake Municipal Parking Facility was held August 9th. This is the first of five parking facilities to be constructed in south Walton County and has added parking for 16 standard vehicles, 18 low speed vehicles, and a bike plaza. Developed to provide parking for the Eastern Lake public beach access, it is just steps away from where the Eastern Lake coastal dune lake outfall meets the beach. Residents and visitors come to this location to enjoy its unique beauty, which until now was mainly accessible to pedestrians and bicyclist.
The Cessna Landing Park Improvements project is located at 1689 County Highway 393 in Santa Rosa Beach and is in the final stages of the design and permit stage. Plans are to add two additional docks, additional pavilions and reconfigure existing driveways and parking areas. Additional work will include hardscape, landscape, site utilities, site grading/drainage and stormwater systems. Work is expected to begin Winter 2023 and be completed by Spring 2024.
Camp Creek Lake Canoe and Kayak Launch is located at 121 S Camp Creek Road South just north of 30A. This coastal dune lake access park will include ADA and bicycle parking, landscape, an ADA-accessible pier with canoe/kayak launch, and stormwater systems. Status: Currently reworking the design to be compliant with both ADA and Coastal Dune Lake Protection Zone guidelines.
The Grayton Beach Community Center is located at 44 Hotz Avenue in Grayton Beach. It is in the design stage and once completed, the 1600 +/- square foot building will house a local information station, restrooms, observation deck, a boardwal to the beach, and access to our transit shuttle. Work is anticipated to begin this winter.
Beach Access & Customary Use Reminder:
While there have been changes for customary use of private beachfront property, much is still evolving currently. If guests have concerns, we hope the below information will be helpful.
Things to keep in mind:
- Walton County Tourism currently maintains 58 public beach access points, including ten Regional Public Beach Accesses complete with parking, restroom facilities, and lifeguards. South Walton also enjoys additional miles of public beach thanks to our State Parks. The customary use changes do not affect our public beaches, only privately-owned beachfront property.
- A user-friendly interactive map of public beach access points can be found here: visitsouthwalton.com/beach-and-bay-access-locations
- Many beach neighborhoods and resorts already have dedicated beach areas available for guests staying with them.
What is customary use?
- Customary use is a common-law term referring to the public access of the privately-owned beachfront property. Some Gulf-front properties in Florida have a property line that extends to the mean high-water line.
What is changing?
- Essentially, some beachfront homeowners are restricting access to the dry sandy areas behind their homes. All wet sand areas remain undisputed public property and beachgoers cannot be excluded from these areas. The Walton County Sheriff’s Office will be the governing force for any conflicts or complications that may arise on the space in front of properties now considered private property.
Does that mean I can't walk all 26 miles of our white sand beaches?
- No, you can absolutely still walk our beautiful beaches for as far as you wish. There will still be plenty of space in the wet sand area for beach-walkers to enjoy, and plenty of public beach where access is in no way under dispute.