Area Attractions & Event Calendars 

Biking:  
The Beaches of South Walton offers over 200-miles of trails, which wind through state parks and hundreds of acres of protected forests.  Bike rentals are available throughout 30A.  The 30A bike path meanders through quiet communities, alongside lakes, through woodlands and beach areas, a fun activity for all the family.  

Birding Trails:  
The various State Parks & Trails throughout South Walton offer the ideal surroundings to catch a peek of red cockaded woodpeckers, bald eagles, pelicans, egrets, herons, eastern bluebirds, brown headed nuthatches, pied-billed grebes, ospreys, hooded warblers and others.

Boating:  
Kayaking is a terrific way of exploring the many rare coastal dune lakes as well as the Choctawhachee Bay. Boat rentals are available throughout 30A.
Cruises, Sailing & Fishing Charters are available through the Baytowne Marina.
Wetland Wilderness Tours Offers 2, 4 and 6 hour tours of the Choctawhatchee River and its Bayous with Capt. Kent Mundy.

Fishing:  
Species include grouper, mahi-mahi, amberjack, speckled trout, redfish, king mackerel, Spanish mackerel, flounder, bluefish and cobia.  Speckled trout and redfish may be caught year-round, but Spring brings a rise in their numbers.  Among the most sought after species, pompano begin frequenting the beach around mid-March or early April.  March also bring the much anticipated annual cobia migration.  Summer brings flounder and bluefish into the bays in large numbers.  Fall fishing focuses on trout when they are headed into the creeks and rivers, while winter fishing is devoted to bull redfish cruising the surf along the beaches.
Gulf of Mexico -- Nearby Destin is home to the largest charter fleet in Florida.  The Hundred Fathom Curve, the beginning of the deep water where large game fish live, comes closer to land at this point than anywhere else in the Gulf.  The best fishing takes place when the Gulf waters heat up, typically from May through October.  There are various fishing charters throughout the area including Destin Fishing Charter Service.
Choctawhatchee Bay -- The Bay opens to the Gulf through East Pass, near Destin.  The Intracoastal Waterway passes through the bay.  Flounder, speckled trout and redfish can be caught in the bay and tidal creeks.  There are many access points--two of them are  the US-331 Bridge, where you can fish along the causeway of the pier that is part of the old bridge over the eastern end of the bay, or one of the several public docks, and Rocky Bayou State Park, where the seagrass flats along the shoreline are especially productive.  Access is provided by a boat-ramp near the northwest corner of the park.
Coastal Dune Lakes -- There are a number of brackish lakes nestled amidst the dunes along the beach.  Many, such as Western Lake, are within public park lands, while others may be surrounded by private property.  Nearly all of them have some public access and many, such as Eastern Lake, have public boat launches as well.  Anglers should try for speckled trout, redfish, flounder and small bass and then head to the beach to surf fish for pompano and bluefish.

Please note that a Florida fishing license is required in certain situations.  Typically, a license is NOT required when fishing in salt water from land, from a structure attached to land (such as a pier or dock) or when fishing from a charter boat (as long as the boat has a valid vessel license).  For complete information, please go to http://marinefisheries.org/license.htm.  Licenses can be instantly purchased online at http://myfwc.com/license.html.

Galleries/Art Scene:
In addition to the vast array of art galleries scattered throughout 30A, Walton County also hosts a variety of exceptional art events throughout the year including the ArtsQuest Fine Arts Festival, the Chautauqua Assembly, Flutterby Children's Art & Activities Festival, the West Indies Market in Rosemary Beach, plus others.

Golf:
The area offers a wide array of excellent and selectively challenging golf courses.  There are two courses directly off 30A:
Santa Rosa Golf & Beach Club - "Purest Golf on the Panhandle" - Golf Magazine.  18-hole, Par 72, measuring 6474 yds. 850-267-2229.
Camp Creek Golf Club - "A mixture of savory ingredients and a chef's attention to detail have helped concoct the golf equivalent of a culinary masterpiece" - Rex Hoggard, Golf Week.  Located between Seacrest Beach and Rosemary Beach, an 18-hole, par 72 championship course measuring 7,151 yds.  850-231-2019.

Heritage Tour:
"Shaping Florida" -- a presentation on the land and people of Florida and Walton County.  The heritage tour provides a view of a coastal dune lake, the Gulf, wildlife and native plants.  Presented by Walton County native, Brenda Rees, 850-231-4994.

Marine Parks:
Gulfarium -- Marine Show Aquarium in nearby Ft. Walton Beach (west of Destin).
Gulf World Marine Park in nearby Panama City Beach.

Movie Theatres:
Rave Motion Pictures at Destin Commons 14 in nearby Destin.
The Grand Theatre at Pier Park in nearby Panama City Beach.

Outlet Mall:
Silver Sands Factory Stores, the nation's largest designer outlet center, close at hand in Sandestin.

Performing Arts:
Seaside Repertory Theatre -- A first rate regional theatre located in Seaside, which also offers productions throughout Scenic-30A.
Grit & Grace -- A yearly Folk Life Production of Walton County.

Tennis:
Rosemary Beach Racquet Club - Offers a comprehensive tennis program including private lessons and round robins.  There are eight clay courts, six of which are lighted for evening play.

Water Parks:
Big Kahuna's -- 40 Water attractions and Adventure Park in nearby Destin.

Water Skiing & Wakeboard Instruction:
Pickos Ski and Wakeboard School is the world leader in water ski/wakeboard instruction.

To find out what's going on while you're here, check out the following event calendars:

www.BeachesofSouthWalton.com
www.30a.com
www.SoWal.com
www.30Aguide.com
www.SoWalScene.com
www.SeasideFL.com
www.RosemaryBeach.com