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Deer Lake State Park on Scenic Highway 30A in Walton County, Florida 
Deer Lake Park
An Undiscovered Gem On 30-A
by Dan ScarlottoOnline Vacation Rental Guide  Deer Lake Park was established and became a state park in 1998. It comprises a 172-acre tract that was acquired through eminent domain by the South Walton County Ecosystem. It is one of manydune lakes found along Scenic Highway 30-A.
If you are looking for the entrance of Deer Lake Park, all you may come upon as you are driving by is an understated, brown state park sign that faces the highway. So it's important to keep your eyes open as you are traveling on Scenic Highway 30-A. But if you are traveling east and leaving Seagrove Beach, you'll find it just beyond the bend on 30-A, right after crossing Deer Lake itself.  Deer Lake Park is a secluded jewel that few people know about, and that includes many of the locals who have never visited this incredible area. As you turn into this sandy, unpaved road, you'll notice after about a fifth of a mile, a picnic table with a small parking area. You'll also find a small, but cute comfort station with a green roof. After that you can leave your car and take your shoes off and get on the sandy path that will take you to the sand dunes. But that's just the beginning; the main attraction is yet to be discovered.
Take the trail on foot from here and you'll find a charming wood-paved path with a wooden walkway that heads towards the beach. We're not talking about anything ordinary here. This beach has an incredible expanse of rolling hills and sugar white sand with 20-foot high sand dunes.  Once you trek around the sandy hills you will come upon one of the most beautiful beaches in Florida, maybe the world. The Deer Lake tract offers some of the most scenic and ecologically intact coastal area in the Panhandle. It serves to shelter the endangered Choctawhatchee Beach Mouse and Red Cockaded Woodpecker, as well as several rare plant species, and four rare animal species. It also provides residents and tourists with a scenic area in which to enjoy many recreational activities, ranging from fishing to hiking, picnicking and sunbathing. The Emerald Green reflection of the Gulf of Mexico in Deer Lake is like nothing you will see anywhere else on scenic Highway 30-A.
And if that isn't enough, you can make a right face turn and head west for about 1,000 yards and you'll come upon Deer Lake itself. From this vantage point you will be able to see not only the deep blue water of the lake but also the great expanse of the bright green Gulf with just a sliver of pure white sand separating the two bodies of water. So get here soon before everyone else finds out about it. Local Real Estate Directory Copyright 2000 - 2004. Emerald Coast Media, Inc. | For more information, please visit our online travel guide at: www.discover30a.com
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