Grayton Beach, Florida facts for kids

Grayton Beach is a small, historic beach village located on Florida's Gulf coast. It sits about halfway between the cities of Destin and Panama City in Walton County. This charming village is right next to Grayton Beach State Park. Together, this beautiful area is often called the "Beaches of South Walton."

Exploring Grayton Beach's Location

Grayton Beach is special because it's in the middle of a 20-mile-long (32 km) stretch of unique coastal dune lakes. These are freshwater lakes found very close to the ocean, which is quite rare! Western Lake is one of these interesting lakes you can find nearby. Most of the land north of County Road 30A in the Grayton Beach area is part of the state park.

A Look Back: Grayton Beach's History

How Grayton Beach Began

In 1885, an Army Major named Charles T. Gray built his home here. Back then, the government owned most of the land. Not many people wanted to live in this area. The soil was too sandy for farming, and better places for timber (wood) were further inland. The closest settlement was about five miles north, at Point Washington.

The town of Grayton Beach was officially started in 1890. Army Generals William Miller and William Wilson moved in and planned out the village. They decided to name their new community in honor of Major Gray.

Becoming a Popular Spot

At the start of the 1900s, Grayton Beach tried to become a popular vacation place. Families from towns in Northwest Florida and Alabama wanted to visit. However, getting to Grayton Beach was not easy. There were no bridges over the southern parts of the Choctawhatchee River. The roads were just sandy trails that went through miles of low-lying forests.

Easier Travel and New Changes

In the 1930s, it became much simpler to reach Grayton Beach. This was thanks to new construction projects. Highway 98 was built, along with the Highway 331 bridge and the Intracoastal Waterway. These made travel much faster.

In the 1940s, the Choctawhatchee Electric Cooperative brought electricity to the village. This was a big change! In 1942, the U.S. Coast Guard set up a station here with 40 people. The government rented many homes to use as barracks (places for soldiers to sleep) and offices.

Protecting the Land

In 1967, the state of Florida used land east of the town to create the Grayton Beach State Recreation Area. This helped protect the natural beauty.

Later, in 1985, after many years of requests from local residents, Florida bought the village's beachfront. They also bought the dunes and forest land to the west and north. This was a big win for conservation!

There was a time when the state tried to trade some of this land for other land at Topsail Hill. Many Grayton Beach residents and neighbors strongly protested this idea. The land swap didn't happen because the state and Topsail's owners couldn't agree on the terms.

Facing Nature's Power

The most recent hurricane to bring the Gulf of Mexico over the dunes and into Grayton Beach was Hurricane Opal in 1995. During this storm, Western Lake overflowed. Water was knee-deep in many houses, and residents had to clean out lots of sand and mud from their homes.

One special building in the village is a two-story home known today as the Wash-A-Way. It's located at the end of County Road 283. This building got its unique name because a hurricane in 1926 swept away its foundation!