There are several beautiful state beaches along this stretch of Florida coast near Destin and Panama City. Grayton definitely lives up to its reputation as a top beach destination. Its white sugar sand beach meets the warm turquoise waters of the Gulf of Mexico. The beach is not overly crowded since the day use parking lot is small and the campground is home to only 61 sites, making it a quieter, family friendly beach destination. The campground is not in the barrier dunes, rather adjacent to Western Lake, which is set behind the dunes. A few sites, 18-24, are not only set against the lake but have tremendous views and direct lake access. A warning sign for alligators is present at the edge of the lake, but that didn't seem to ward off any swimmers, kayakers, sailboaters, and paddle boarders from enjoying the warm waters of the lake. The campground has two loops. The first northern loop has paved roads and offers spacious site pads of gravel. Sites are separated by low shrubbery. The southern loop has hard packed interior roads and nicely graveled site pads and campsite spaces. We preferred the sites in this southern loop (sites 1-37) because they were more private due to denser vegetation between sites and also provided a nice canopy of shade over most site pads. This loops also had several short paths giving access to the lake. All sites have picnic tables, campfire rings, and level pads. There is a bathhouse in each loop and the northern loop has a washer and dryer (I admit I don't know if there is only one of each or more...we stayed during Covid-19 and I didn't want to venture inside the bathhouse to find out!). There are cabins for rent near the park entrance. The ranger station offers firewood and ice for a fee. Down at the day use parking lot you will find a beautiful boardwalk that escorts you over the dunefields to the white sugar sand beach. Be sure to look for turtles that might be nesting in this area as you walk along the boardwalk. A level, easy bike/walking path leads from the ranger station to the small town of Grayton just a hop, skip, and a jump away. There you will find shops, restaurants, and breweries. We loved our stay here and enjoyed the small, quiet feel of camp with the beach and lake at our fingertips. Reservations can be made up to eleven months in advance and I highly recommend them.
Best Sites: 18, 20, 22, 24
Poor Sites: 4, 5
Hookups: Electric, Water & Sewer
Potable Water: Yes
Dump Within Facility: Yes
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