Beaches

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The seaweed along the shoreline is teeming with life

Beach wrack full of curiosities When walking the beach this summer, pause and ponder the virtues of stranded seaweed. Those scattered clumps along the high-tide line actually have a name – beach wrack – and are a pivotal part of the beach ecosystem. “Many might think sand makes a beach, but it’s the wrack that truly brings a beach to life,” said Blair Witherington, a Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) biologist who studies beach life. “It sponsors some...

Wheelchairs available at several South Walton beach accesses

High tech chairs offer beach enjoyment for mobility challenged Being mobility challenged can be frustrating, especially when one wants to enjoy our beautiful beaches in South Walton. However, five South Walton Fire District Lifeguard Stations offer beach wheelchairs for public use, making access much easier. This service is offered at no charge through a partnership between South Walton Fire District (SWFD) and the Walton County Tourist Development Council. The beach wheelchairs are located at the following accesses from west to...

Deer Lake State Park improvements complete, park now open

The Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) Division of Parks and Recreation (DRP) has completed amenity improvements at Deer Lake State Park. The project included a paved access road into the park, 40+ parking spaces, six golf cart parking spaces, two oversized vehicle spaces and a bike rack for visitors. Improvements also include two picnic shelters with grills, restroom facilities, landscaping of native plants and connections to necessary utilities, such as water, sewer and electric. Native vegetation was also planted...

New regional beach access opens in Miramar Beach

Located at 907 Scenic Gulf Drive, this new beach access boasts 400-feet of sugar-white sand along the Gulf of Mexico and showcases a coastal cottage design, mirroring the county’s other beach accesses. It features 18 vehicle parking spaces, nine golf cart parking spaces, bike parking, a large deck plaza, an ADA accessible boardwalk/dune walkover, restroom facilities, and a picnic pavilion with dune walkover. The opening of the Scenic Gulf Drive access brings the total number of regional beach accesses in...