Communities of South Walton and 30-A  Dune Allen Beach Dune Allen is an established community that surrounds Stallworth Lake, the first of 17 coastal lakes, which are unique to this part of the world. The lakes actually interact with the tides, forming their own biological communities. You'll see them dotted throughout South Walton County, just another cue that you are in a very special place. Dune Allen's other coastal lake, Oyster Lake, is actually shaped like an oyster shell, and was once filled with oysters! Families who visited Dune Allen beach for "holidays" would picnic on its shores, and if the water in the lake was high, the men would dig a trench from the lake to the gulf to get the water running off. The effect was to lower the water level to make it easier to catch fish and gather oysters! Dune Allen Santa Rosa Beach Blue Mountain Grayton Beach Seaside Seagrove Seacrest Rosemary Beach Inlet Beach  Santa Rosa Beach Running both north and south of Emerald Coast Parkway, Santa Rosa Beach, Florida encompasses the largest tract of land of all the beach communities. The Santa Rosa area includes the historic town of Point Washington where Eden State Gardens incorporates the old Wesley mansion on Tucker Bayou, once a thriving sawmill. Topsail Hill State Preserve could be the state's most pristine piece of property; its beach, dunes,coastal lake and cypress swamp remain nearly untouched since the time the first Europeans anded here five centuries ago. Several entrances to Point Washington State Forest take you nto the 15,000-acre preserve with more than ten miles of trails. Travel north on Hwy. 393 for a little local history and lore plus a shopping stop for antique treasures and garden statuary.  Blue Mountain Beach "Mountain" is somewhat of a misnomer for a Florida landscape that is only 345 feet above sea level at its highest point (northern Walton County), but the first European settlers may have mistaken the Blue Mountain area's towering dunes for mountains after being at sea for months! They may also have been impressed by the lush vegetation covering the dunes, especially the spiky shape of the Gulf Coast lupine, which lives in the dune scrub and exists in only eight coastal counties in Florida's Panhandle. With its fuzzy blue leaves and purplish blue flowers that look like tiny sweet peas, it is easy to speculate that blue flowers covering tall dunes gave the area its unusual name. Blue Mountain Beach also marks the beginning of the Eastern Lake Hike/Bike Trail, which ambles through the rest of South Walton's beach communities. Take it slow and enjoy the trip past coastal lakes, dense woodlands and architecturally stunning communities that make up the Blue Mountain beach area.  Grayton Beach Grayton Beach, Florida was the first community established in South Walton, some time in the late 19th century. By 1919, it was nearly abandoned, due to the fact that there were no good roads leading to it. Today's Grayton Beach is a historic district, with many of the old cottages nicely restored. Here you'll find a strange and wonderful mix of tennis ladies, golfers, surfers and college students. Today Grayton Beach is best known for its incomparable natural beauty in Grayton Beach State Park, which spans the Gulf of Mexico and most of Western Lake. Bring your RV, tents or campers here, or try the some of the cabins, also part of the state park. The hiking trail is fairly short, but one of the most scenic in the area, circling beach dunes, skirting the coastal lake, and cutting right through a dense scrub hammock.  Seaside Seaside beach, Florida made a giant splash in the architectural world when developer Robert Davis carved out a modern Victorian town with narrow streets, picket fences and homes arranged close together to encourage walking-and neighborliness. It was the first of its kind, creating the model for towns across America. Seaside's "walk-to-anywhere" design is working to bring necessary shops and services to its residents and guests, including a post office and a school. Seaside's centerpiece contains the market, art galleries, a florist, an ice cream store, a post office, and other small boutiques. Find many artists-in-residence at galleries lining Ruskin Place. Although many of the homes can be rented on a daily or weekly basis, Seaside also offers a motor court and bed and breakfast. Park your car and rent bicycles to explore this wildly successful pioneering town, featured in the 1997 motion picture "The Truman Show."  Seagrove Beach Seagrove Beach is perfect for nature lovers seeking an unspoiled retreat and uncrowded environment. Enjoy canoeing, kayaking, swimming and more.Back in the 1940s and 1950s, families came to Seagrove Beach, Florida to rent modest one-story cottages with paddle fans instead of air conditioning and wide screened porches (perfect for sleeping). The same families returned year after year, and now second and third generations make the journey. Many of those cottages still exist, although they've been updated for today's travelers and are now thoroughly shaded by mature scrub trees and plants. Swimming and sandcastle building were once the popular pastimes, since there weren't many commercial ventures in the Seagrove area. Now visitors have numerous options for recreation as well as dining. Just up the road are art galleries and antique stores. Eastern and Deer Lakes make wonderful spots for quiet reflection, or put in a canoe or kayak for a day of exploration around the Seagrove Beach area.  Seacrest Beach Seacrest Beach, Florida begins after the big bend in the road on Scenic Highway 30-A. The road still follows the gulf here, and passes through areas with an up-close view of just how wild and dense the coastal scrub can get. Suddenly, rising out of the dunes, is the residential community of Seacrest. Camp Creek Lake is one outstanding feature of the area, as is the area golf club with its marshlands, perfect for wading birds, plantings of more than 200 live oaks, and its challenging landscape.  Rosemary Beach With calm gulf waters, soothing rays of sunshine, and silky sand beaches, Rosemary Beach, Florida is a great place to unwind and soak up the scenery. Rosemary Beach's unique architecture is what first captures your attention, with its Dutch and West Indies-inspired homes and commercial buildings. Building palettes run to colors found in nature-mostly shades of rust, tan, green and brown, with Bermuda shutters, wide second floor porches, and arched garage doors. Gates and fences open with a latchkey, with steps leading to entrances on the second floor. Walls line both sides of the solid entryway steps, a feature right out of the Caribbean. Footpaths and boardwalks lead to large decks over the dunes and, of course, to Rosemary Beach below. The result is something completely different, classical, inspiring. The town, established in 1995 and named for the dune rosemary, is still growing, adding not only homes, but also new places to shop and dine in the Town Center.  Inlet Beach Inlet Beach, Florida is the last of South Walton's thirteen beach communities, and gets its name from Phillips Inlet, which separates Walton and Bay Counties. Inlet Beach is where Scenic Highway 30-A again meets up with Emerald Coast Parkway. Inlet Beach is a well-established neighborhood, defined by modest homes inland, newer multi-storied homes on the gulf side and sprawling lots north of Emerald Coast Parkway where rolling hills define the terrain. Look for a couple of funky but charming art galleries and outdoor antique stores along this last stretch of coast that makes up the Inlet Beach area. You can find more information here at the Tourist Council website.