Inlet Beach

Inlet Beach is located at the eastern edge of South Walton. It gets its name from Phillips Inlet, which separates Walton and Bay Counties at Lake Powell, a large coastal dune lake.

Established in the 1920s by the McCaskill Investment Company of DeFuniak Springs, Inlet Beach quickly became an area where young veterans from World War II returned and applied for land offered through a latter-day version of the Homestead Act. In 1947, the Birmingham News ran an article about the Bureau of Land Development giving veterans first choice in a lottery. So many veterans built in the area, it was referred to as “Soldiers Beach.”

Inlet Beach is segmented into two sections by US 98. On the south side, Inlet Beach Regional Access is one of the largest public beach access in all of SoWal. Slightly more than 13 acres of undisturbed, pristine dune make this a breathtaking spot to spend the day. The access has plentiful parking, restroom and outdoor shower, and lifeguards keeping watch over the beach throughout the summer season.

Several long dune walkovers are popular with brides. It’s not uncommon to look down and see a few loose rose petals amid the strewn beach sand as you make your way toward the Gulf.

On the north side is a public fishing dock on Lake Powell. Drive down North Walton Lakeshore Drive and you will see the dock on the right-hand side. The dock does not extend too terribly far into the lake, but it is a lovely place to watch the sunrise or cast a fish net.

Camp Helen State Park is bordered on three sides by the Gulf and Lake Powell, one of the largest coastal dune lakes in Florida. Coastal dune lakes are extremely rare worldwide; in the United States they occur only along the Gulf Coast. Prehistoric middens and mounds indicate that humans lived in the area more than 4,000 years ago. From 1945 until 1987, Camp Helen was a company resort for employees of an Alabama textile mill and some of the buildings are now being restored.

Natural areas range from coastal dunes and salt marshes along the Gulf to freshwater wetlands and sand pine scrub along the lake. Activities include swimming, beachcombing, nature study, hiking, and both freshwater and saltwater fishing. Camp Helen is located on the eastern border of Inlet Beach, just before the Lake Powell bridge.