T
DUNE ALLEN BEACH
Dune Allen Beach is the destination of choice for those
who want to relax and get away from it all. Nearby is
Topsail Hill Preserve State Park with its 15 miles of
hiking trails, while the many boutiques, restaurants and
artisan markets offer a welcoming, come-as-you-are
atmosphere. If you’re a runner, Gulf Place in Dune
Allen marks the start and finish of the 2020 30A Half
Marathon + 5k slated for the weekend of October 9–11.
BLUE MOUNTAIN BEACH
Nice Dogs, Strange People. That’s what they say about
Grayton Beach. This tiny hamlet is the longest standing
community on 30A and has been consistently ranked
as one of the top beach destinations in the country.
Locals and visitors alike are passionate about protecting
its charm. A U.S. Army general named Charles T. Gray
founded the settlement around 1911.
S C E N I C H I G H WAY 3 0 A
by the numbers
2008 24
YEAR DESIGNATED AS
A SCENIC HIGHWAY MILES LONG
11 25,000
COMMUNITIES
CONNECTED ACRES OF PROTECTED
STATE LAND
Rising 64 feet above sea level, Blue Mountain Beach
marks the highest point on the Emerald Coast. The
GRAYTON BEACH
Time seems to stand still in this community at the far
western end of 30A. Officially established in 1946,
Dune Allen was one of the first communities in the
area and was widely known as “the local’s beach.” The
three-and-a-half-mile stretch delivers scenic views of
the Gulf and is home to three of the area’s coastal dune
lakes. These rare brackish bodies of water have been
around for nearly 10,000 years and are home to both
saltwater and freshwater fish, including flounder, redfish,
catfish and trout.
community became an extension of Dune Allen in 1948
as its groovy, colorful neighbor. Blue Mountain Beach
got its name thanks to a cluster of blue lupine flowers
indigenous to the coastal dunes, which presented the
illusion of a “blue mountain” to sailors transiting the
Gulf. The town center is where you’ll find a circle of
boutiques and restaurants. It also marks the border
between Blue Mountain and Dune Allen Beach, as it’s
adjacent to County Road 393. Visit the Artists at Gulf
Place located in the pastel huts for a variety of local art
and jewelry.
here’s a gorgeous sameness about the beaches
of the Emerald Coast—just one mile after
another of soft quartz sand running alongside an
aquamarine shoreline that appears aglow, lit from
within. The communities that populate this realm,
however, are a different matter altogether. All they have
in common is their distinctiveness from one another.
Eleven independent towns comprise what the world now
recognizes as 30A. They’re connected, of course, by the
scenic highway, as well as by the Timpoochee Trail, a
19-mile multiuse path. But they also share a common
ethos that blends a love of innovation with a deep
appreciation of the past.