Hike Bike Paddle Camp Florida with authors Sandra Friend and John Keatley as your guides
Found in South Walton County, coastal dune lakes are rare globally. These freshwater lakes adjoin the Gulf of Mexico and exchange their waters with the sea when water levels grow high enough for an outfall to occur.
Haunted by a sea monster sighted in one of the largest ancient coastal dune lakes on Florida’s coast, Camp Helen State Park offers seaside relaxation and historic interpretation.
At Deer Lake State Park, the coastal flatwoods ecosystem hosts rare pitcher plants, Gulf Coast lupine and stately magnolias along a coastal dune lake, with beach access along the Gulf of Mexico at Alys Beach.
The quieter side of Grayton Beach State Park is the perfect place for a walk in the woods to the north shore of Western Lake.
A duo of interpretive trails explores windswept habitats sandwiched between Western Lake, a coastal dune lake on the South Walton coast, and the Gulf of Mexico.
Cradled in a cocoon of coastal dunes, Western Lake shimmers in the sun. At Grayton Beach State Park, it’s the focus of both passive and active recreation.
Showcasing the beauty of the South Walton coastline, the Timpoochee Trail connects coastal communities while leading cyclists past Florida’s renowned Coastal Dune Lakes
With one of Florida’s most beautiful sweeps of beach, Topsail Hill Preserve State Park is a linear preserve with tall dunes along three miles of shoreline.
