The private beach our community shares with The Alexander, The Inn at Seacrest Beach, The Lofts at Seacrest Beach, Sunset Beach, Tree Tops, and The Village of South Walton Beach can get crowded during the busy vacation season. Under “Section 2. Responsible Individual Activity” of the Governor’s Executive Order 20-139, “[a]ll persons in Florida are encouraged to follow appropriate social distancing and safety protocols issued by the CDC and OSHA.” Our beach vendor, La Dolce Vita, is spacing out the chairs they setup on the managed side of the beach. People on the unmanaged side of the beach are being encouraged to act responsibly.

If you feel the private beach is too crowded, then we would encourage you to consider use of the public beaches located near our community, including Inlet Beach, Camp Helen State Park, and Deer Lake State Park. These are excellent alternatives and we have recommended that property managers who care for homes in our community share this information with their guests.

Inlet Beach Regional Access (1.2 miles from Seacrest)

Inlet Beach Regional Beach Access has parking, restrooms, and lifeguards during peak season. Located at the end of South Orange Street about 200 yards south of US Hwy 98. Inlet Beach Regional is the largest county access and features three dune walkovers and 117 parking spaces. A half-mile walk to the east is Camp Helen State Park and Lake Powell.

Camp Helen State Park (1.9 miles from Seacrest)

Camp Helen is a place where visitors can explore an environment rich in natural and cultural resources. The park is bordered by the Gulf of Mexico and by Lake Powell, the largest coastal dune lake in Florida. This 180-acre park is for day use only. Activities include swimming, beachcombing, nature study, hiking and both freshwater and saltwater fishing. Prehistoric middens and mounds indicate that humans inhabited the area more than 4,000 years ago. From 1945 until 1987 Camp Helen was a company resort for the employees of an Alabama textile mill, known as Avondale Mills. Some of those buildings have now been restored.

The street address of the entrance for Camp Helen State Park is 23937 Panama City Beach Parkway, Panama City Beach, FL 32413.

Deer Lake State Park (4.4 miles from Seacrest)

This park shares its name with the coastal dune lake within its boundaries. Coastal dune lakes are extremely rare worldwide and in the United States they occur only along the Gulf Coast. Southern magnolias, golden asters, woody goldenrod and scrub oaks can be seen in this coastal dune habitat. Rare plants such as Gulf coast lupine, spoonflower, pitcher plants and Curtiss’ sand grass-one of the largest populations found in Florida, are found in the park. Visitors may see splashes of color from summer wildflowers or some of the many species of resident or migratory birds and butterflies. A boardwalk across the dunes offers easy access to the beach where visitors can picnic, swim and fish. It also offers a spectacular view of the dune ecosystem, one of 11 natural communities found in the park.

The street address of the entrance for Deer Lake State Park is 6350 East County Highway 30A, Santa Rosa Beach, FL 32459.