The Park Bets Haynes Saved Is a Daytime Place This Fall

In the summer of 1974, Betty Haynes and her daughters found an earthmover on the sand at Grayton Beach. Her friend Bibba Jones later described what they did next: "We lay down in front of the earthmover to prevent the bulldozer from moving." That account is on the Grayton Beach history page about saving the beach.

Fifty-two years later, Hurricane Isaias washed out the bridge into the park her campaign helped create. State crews rebuilt it in 16 hours, and the park reopened within days, but for day visitors only.

So for now, Grayton's public shoreline runs on both of Haynes's legacies. One is the state park, open from 8 a.m. to sunset with no overnight guests. The other is the county beach access that carries her name. Since June it has given the village its own front door to the Gulf, with a tram stopping there every 10 minutes.

From a typewriter campaign to an 18.5 million dollar purchase

Haynes started and ran the Friends of Grayton Beach, founded in 1974 to fight overdevelopment and a planned condominium. The group grew to about 140 members, all either year-round residents or seasonal homeowners in Grayton. She ran it without an office. She had a telephone, a typewriter and a roll of stamps, and she wrote to every resident of Grayton Beach asking for money and for letters to Gov. Bob Graham and the state Cabinet.

One of her letters made the case this way:

"All of Walton County will benefit from this action should it come to pass."

At one point the Friends' account held $15. By 1982 the group had pledged $25,000 toward a state purchase. The land had belonged to a failed New Orleans bank, so the FDIC handled the sale. On March 25, 1985, nearly 900 acres were dedicated as the Grayton Dunes State Recreation Area, bought by the state for $18.5 million.

That 1985 purchase wasn't the park's first parcel. Florida State Parks says the park started with about 356 acres acquired in 1964 and grew through more purchases in 1985, 1993 and 1995. Her husband, Gap Haynes, put her part plainly: "What you see on the beach now wouldn't be here if it weren't for her."

The bridge, the 16 hours and the new hours

Isaias came ashore near Destin around 9:30 p.m. EDT on Friday, Oct. 9, as a Category 2 storm with 105 mph winds, according to the governor's Oct. 11 recovery update. WJHG reported that storm surge collapsed the bridge into the park. FDOT and the Department of Environmental Protection worked through the night, and by Sunday the bridge was rebuilt. The two official accounts give different reopening times. The governor's Oct. 11 update said the park would reopen "later today," while WJHG reported that it opened at 8 a.m. Monday.

The only change now is the overnight side. The Florida State Parks notice for Grayton, effective Oct. 18, says the park is open for day use and all overnight accommodations are closed because of Isaias. Those include the cabins in the pine woods and the campgrounds. The notice says they'll reopen "as soon as conditions allow." Status can change quickly, so check that page or the state's Storm Updates list before you go.

Here's how the two halves of Haynes's legacy line up this fall:

What fits inside 8 a.m. to sunset

With cabins and campgrounds closed, every activity in the park now fits between opening and sunset. Here's what the park's amenities page lists:

• The one-mile nature trail starts at the beach parking area and runs through dunes, salt marsh and pine flatwoods.
• The hiking and biking route runs 4.5 miles one way, or 9 miles round trip, through the forest and around the backwaters of Western Lake. It's a separate trail from the one-mile loop, so don't add the two together.
• Paddling on Western Lake. You can bring your own canoe or kayak or rent a NuCanoe or kayak at the ranger station, with paddles and life vests included. Call 850-267-8300 for rates.
• The Western Lake boat ramp takes kayaks, canoes, paddleboards and small boats with engines or trolling motors. Jet-propelled watercraft aren't allowed.
• Pavilions. There are three at the beach day-use area and two at the boat ramp, all first come, first served.
• Beach access for wheelchairs. There's a Mobi-Mat, and a beach wheelchair is available if you arrange it in advance.

Western Lake is one of the park's three coastal dune lakes. When the lake runs high, it breaks through the sand berm and drains toward the Gulf, which is called an outfall. The state's coastal dune lake explainer covers how that works.

If your dog comes along, the park's amenities page allows pets only in designated day-use areas, on a handheld leash no longer than six feet. Pets aren't allowed on beaches or boardwalks. The state notice covers the park as a whole. It doesn't say whether rentals or individual trails are running on their normal schedule, so call the ranger station first if you're planning a paddle.

The Friends of Grayton Beach and Deer Lake State Parks, a nonprofit citizen-support group, raises money for education and preservation at the park. It carries on the work Haynes's Friends group started.

The front door with her name on it

Walton County cut the ribbon on its 11th Regional Beach Access on June 15 and named it for Haynes. WMBB's coverage of the opening describes 1,600 square feet of beachfront amenities: restrooms, a 360-degree observation deck, rinse showers and a boardwalk connected to the beach tram. The station noted that many of these were a first for Grayton Beach. Bed-tax money paid for the project. The county's project page also lists a community-history information station and gives June 9 as the opening date. SoWal's report places the access, the new Grayton Beach Community Center, the tram stop and the boardwalks just west of the Red Bar.

Beach Operations Director Josh Ervin told WMBB the building is "a very custom building with a tribute to the history of Grayton Beach."

Haynes asked the state to buy the shoreline so everyone could keep using it. Walton County has now added a way to reach it without hunting for parking in the village. The county's off-season tram schedule started Oct. 1. The Grayton Express runs directly from the Grayton Beach Park and Ride at 1505 County Hwy 283 S to the access at 44 Hotz Ave, every 10 minutes, daily from 6 a.m. to 9:45 p.m. The county transportation page says the trams are free and run daily.

The storm hit some accesses harder than others. WMBB counted 47 of Walton County's 57 beach accesses open on Oct. 14 but didn't list them by name. Before you ride the Grayton Express, check the county's Hurricane Isaias updates page for the Hotz Avenue access and the tram.

The village came back the same week

The village restaurants came back within days of the park. AJ's Grayton reopened Monday, Oct. 12, with a limited menu and an open bar. Hurricane Oyster Bar reopened Wednesday, Oct. 14. Raw & Juicy's Grayton location was open with a limited menu. Those reports are from the restaurants' own Instagram posts in the first week after the storm, and menus and hours may still be catching up, so check each business's page before you go.

The evenings have something on the calendar too. The Grayton Beach Wine Walk is on Thursday, Nov. 19, from 5 to 7 p.m., starting at Shacks Art in the Mystic Porte Shops, just north of Scenic 30A on Hwy 283. Admission is $25. The next one is Thursday, Dec. 17, also 5 to 7 p.m. at Shacks Art, with live music starting at 4:30.

Until Florida State Parks reopens the cabins and campgrounds, the bridge rebuilt over the Oct. 10–11 weekend leads into a park that closes at sunset. The tram schedule and Shacks Art cover the rest of the evening.

If you're showing family or friends the park and the Hotz Avenue access this season, Realtor With Wings is happy to help plan the day, and we know the quickest ways to get around 30A while the area recovers. Schedule a private showing, or just ask us what's open in Grayton this week.