Here is the 2024-2025 School Calendar from Visit South Walton - Use it to help plan your trips to SoWal. Locals can see when to promote business, events, and when to plan around traffic, and crowds at restaurants and grocery stores. The school calendar shows when K-12 schools and universities/colleges in our major travel markets will be on break and for school start dates.
Everyone in our SoWal community wants locals and visitors to enjoy our beaches safely and to respect our wonderful natural areas. Please follow beach safety rules and guidelines.
We are committed to Beach Safety Every Day - For Gulf conditions and flag updates, text "SAFETY" to 31279.
South Walton Beach Safety Flag information
Everyone wants to know where to park at the beach in South Walton. What features do our beach accesses have? Which 30A beach accesses have restrooms. Which beach accesses have lifeguards, ADA accessibility, wheelchairs available for public use, beach chair rentals, etc. We have all the locations and details about public beach accesses in South Walton, Florida.
Almost two-thirds of Walton County's 26 miles of beaches is accessible to the general public. In addition, resorts, hotels and private vacation rentals offer exclusive beach access to guests.
Walton County offers a variety of Beach Driving Permits, Charter Fishing Permits and Dogs on the Beach Permits for Walton County landowners and/or residents.
The procedures for applying for and receiving a permit are outlined and dictated by the Walton County Beach Activities Ordinance 2024-21 and the Boating on Waterways within Walton County Ordinance 2024-20.
One of the main reasons SoWal.com was started was to answer questions about our area from locals, newcomers, and visitors. Below are some of the most common questions with answers and links to more information.
What is SoWal?
Ever wonder how the town of Seaside, Florida began? It's become an extremely popular place to visit and served as a model that many new small towns have followed. Read on to learn about the history of Seaside.
Time was, families coming to the beach stayed in simple cottages…in beach towns where porch-sitting and strolling were activities at least as important as swimming and sunbathing.
If you’ve ever driven down Scenic 30A through Seaside, then chances are you've seen one or more of the Seaside pavilions on the Gulf.
They are beautiful and enticing. They may be the most photographed architecture in South Walton, and they are also quite significant to SoWal’s history and architectural story. The nine pavilions help make our community stand out from other beach destinations, and each structure is unique in appearance and designed by a different architect.
FLORIDA FIREWORKS INFORMATION “What’s Legal, What’s Not”?
Summer visitors to Walton County will once again be able to enjoy complimentary day-use admission to Grayton Beach State Park and Topsail Hill Preserve State Park from Memorial Day through Labor Day.
Red Tide can ruin a day at the beach in Walton County, Florida. Luckily, Red Tide is pretty rare in South Walton. The 30A beaches rarely get Red Tide, but when it come it is no fun. Red Tide can ruin a vacation if it is present in the Gulf of Mexico. Although sometimes it is mild and people think it is an allergy irritation or a mild cold. Sometimes it is severe and makes you feel like you have the flu.
Red Tide affects people differently. If Red Tide is heavy, you definitely want to stay out of the water. And it may be difficult to be on the beach or even near the beach.
