Parks and gardens are plentiful in WaterColor, providing meeting places, play spaces or the perfect environment to enjoy moments of quiet reflection. State parks and protected lands are also abundant in the area.
Cerulean Park
The heart of WaterColor, Cerulean Park defines a long “water axis” that connects the Gulf to the lake, uniting the two in a direct and powerful way. A water canal splashes down a series of water-steps toward a still oval pond where water lilies and fish thrive. Cerulean Park is located near shops, WaterColor Market, the Sales Center and the WaterColor Inn & Resort. Meander down a shell-surface path from the BeachClub to Marina Park. Stop and rest on a bench along the way and take in the beauty of the wide-open lawn.
Crimson Park
Enjoy a picnic, open-air performance or a fun afternoon of free play in the gardens of Crimson Park. Located in Rose Garden Mews, the park is ringed by cottages, pines and old oaks. A grassy lawn surrounded by a stair-stepping masonry seat wall is a main gathering spot. Wander in off Buttercup Street, take one of the sand paths that wind in and among the openings between the plentiful trees, and head to the pond or Western Lake pavilion.
Lake District Parks
Perched in a knoll overlooking Western Lake, Marina Park celebrates all water-related recreation, from neighborhood gatherings at the amphitheater to informal waterside dining. The Lake District area includes the BaitHouse Restaurant, BoatHouse, Swimming Pool, Gardens, Amphitheater, and spectacular views looking north and east over the calming waters of Western Lake.
Community Gardens
Stroll the path out of Cerulean Park toward Western Lake and you’ll be rewarded with an extensive series of colorful gardens. Join WaterColor’s resident horticulturist and community gardeners as they provide helpful tips on general gardening, and answer specific questions about the area’s native flora. WaterColor is located in an area that has long been acknowledged for its striking natural beauty and diverse habitat. Let your senses enjoy.
Grayton Beach State Recreation Area
Bordering WaterColor on Western Lake, Grayton Beach was designated the “Nation’s Best Beach” in 1994 by Dr. Stephen Leatherman, “Dr. Beach,” who directs the University of Maryland’s Laboratory for Coastal Research. The recognition is based on quality of sand, accessibility, natural beauty, water temperature, pristine nature trails and a safe, uncrowded environment.
A self-guided trail provides a wonderful hike around impressive 40-foot sand dunes and through pine flatwoods and coastal scrub. For more information, call 850-231-4210 or click here.
Woodland Trails
If you like to bike, jog or hike, you can access several local parks by way of the Walton County Bicycle Trail, parallel to Scenic Highway 30A. The trail extends from Dune-Allen Beach to Inlet Beach. Currently, half of the 18-mile trail is an 8-foot-wide paved surface separated from the roadway that winds along woodlands and scrub, skirting coastal dune lakes.
The Eastern Lake Bike Hike Trail was established through the cooperative efforts of Beach to Bay Connection and the Florida Division of Forestry. It accesses coastal sand pine scrub and longleaf pine flatwoods, circles around cypress ponds, wet prairies and Titi swamps, giving visitors a real sense of the area’s diverse habitats.