Walton County moved its free beach tram to the off-season schedule on Oct. 1. If you live in Grayton Beach, that change hardly reaches you. The Grayton Express to the new Bets "Beachmama" Haynes Regional Beach Access kept its summer frequency and its summer hours. The paid lot that feeds it charges peak-season rates through the end of October. Both pieces of getting to the Hotz Avenue beach are still running on summer terms.
The off-season changes landed on the routes that connect Grayton to the west end. Because of one inexpensive permit, the parking rate matters less to residents than it seems.
What Moved on October 1, and What Didn't
The county's Grayton Beach Park and Ride is at 1505 County Hwy 283 S. It has 204 standard parking spaces, including four RV spaces, seven LSV spaces, nine ADA-accessible spaces and four EV charging stations. Inside are an air-conditioned lobby and restrooms. Two routes leave from it.
| Route | Summer service | Off-season, from Oct. 1 |
|---|---|---|
| Grayton Express to 44 Hotz Ave | Every 10 minutes, 6 a.m. to 9:45 p.m. | Every 10 minutes, 6 a.m. to 9:45 p.m., last departure 9:40 p.m. |
| Blue Mountain Local | Every 30 minutes, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., per a 30A.com August guide | Every 60 minutes, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., last departure 6 p.m. |
| Grayton Beach State Park Express | Every 30 minutes, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. | Seasonal only, Memorial Day through Labor Day |
The Blue Mountain Local stops at the Blue Mountain, Gulfview Heights, Dune Allen and Fort Panic regional beach accesses, then continues to the 393 Beach Park and Ride. If you take it to a beach farther west, your wait has gone up to an hour. Sources disagree on how often it ran in summer. The county's February launch release listed the earlier west route every 15 minutes, and the August 30A.com guide listed it every 30 minutes. Either way, the October schedule is the slowest version yet.
The route into Grayton itself didn't change. A tram still leaves for Hotz Avenue every 10 minutes from early morning into the evening. The county notes that routes and departure times can change, so check the current tram schedule before you plan around a specific departure.
The Peak Parking Rate Runs Through October
Walton County started paid parking at its municipal lots on April 3, 2026. The county's season calendar doesn't follow the tram calendar. Park Walton County treats March through October as peak season. During peak season, a vehicle without a permit pays $5 an hour or $15 for the full day. From November through February, the winter rate is a flat $5 a day. Daily payments made by QR code, text or the lot kiosk also carry a $0.45 convenience fee per payment, plus state and county taxes.
October is the last full month at the peak rate, even though the tram went off-season on Oct. 1.
For Walton County residents, the resident annual permit makes the rate mostly irrelevant. It costs $5 per vehicle per year plus a $3.50 transaction fee, or $8.50 total. One full peak-season day without a permit costs $15, and two hours at the hourly rate cost $10. Either one costs more than a year of parking with the permit. The non-resident options are an annual permit at $205 or a weekly permit at $90.
The county defines a resident as someone who lives in Walton County and either owns residential property or rents or leases a residence in the county for at least six months. That includes condominiums, apartments and lots in mobile home or RV parks. If you qualify, here's how the process works:
- Apply online through Park Walton County. The permit is virtual and tied to your license plate.
- Upload proof of Walton County residency and current registration for each vehicle. A household can register up to four vehicles.
- Plan for approval to take up to 72 hours. Until it comes through, pay the daily rate.
- Renew every year.
The Beach Access With No Parking Lot
The permit matters more at Hotz Avenue because the new access has no parking lot of its own. In its June ribbon-cutting announcement, the county sent drivers to the paid Park and Ride on County Hwy 283, with free tram service to the site. It also listed free parking on DeFuniak Street and 30A. The design assumes you'll get to the sand on foot, by tram or after parking on the street.
The county's project list gives June 9, 2026, as the opening date. The facility has 1,600 square feet of beachfront amenities: restrooms, a 360-degree observation deck, rinse showers, a boardwalk and a Beach Tram stop. It's the county's 11th regional beach access. The county held a public ribbon-cutting at 9 a.m. on Monday, June 15. Groundbreaking was June 30, 2025, so the building took about 11 months from groundbreaking to opening.
The county built the access with Tourist Development Tax revenue and will maintain it the same way. That's the 5 percent bed tax collected on short-term rentals of six months or less in south Walton County. Residents don't pay it unless they book a staycation in local accommodations.
The building also has a local information station about the founding and history of Grayton Beach. The county's announcement explains the name:
The facility is named in honor of Bets "Beachmama" Haynes, a Grayton Beach resident credited with leading the grassroots campaign that convinced the state of Florida to purchase nearly 900 acres of coastal land in 1985, preserving what is now Grayton Beach State Park from high-density development.
A 30A.com history of the town, which spells her name "Bet Haynes," describes her and her neighbors confronting bulldozers in 1974 and organizing to protect the beach from development. The state park she helped save is next door, and the seasonal Grayton Beach State Park Express that ran there all summer stopped after Labor Day.
An October Evening Within Tram Hours
The late Grayton Express hours are the summer feature that matters most this month. With service listed until 9:45 p.m., an evening in town can fit inside the tram window.
Thursday, Oct. 8, is a good test. The SoWal calendar lists the Grayton Locals Market from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. The Red Bar Jazz Band plays from 5:30 to 9 p.m. that evening, and AJ's Grayton Beach hosts karaoke from 9 to 11 p.m. The jazz set ends inside tram hours. Karaoke at AJ's runs past them. The schedule gives 9:40 p.m. as the last departure from the Park and Ride but doesn't list return times from Hotz Avenue, so confirm the last ride back before you count on it.
The parking lot has a firmer limit. County lots are open daily from 5 a.m. to midnight, and parking from midnight to 5 a.m. isn't allowed. An after-hours citation is $500 if paid within 30 days and $750 after that. If your car is at 1505 County Hwy 283 S during a late night out, move it before midnight.
A few things have changed in town since spring:
- Hibiscus Coffee & Guesthouse says breakfast is no longer included with lodging and its onsite café is now run by Raw & Juicy. The guesthouse is still family-owned and open.
- Grayton Beer has closed its Serenoa Road taproom while it waits for a new Freeport location to open, according to an August 2026 update from 30A.com. The same update reports the Grayton Beer Brewpub on 30A as closed. The brewery's own site says the taproom will stay closed until the Freeport location opens.
- The Western Lake Bridge on 30A was still listed as under construction on FDOT's project page, with data current as of July 16, 2026. Listed work includes raising the bridge about 1.5 feet, replacing the seawall, upgrading guardrails, and adding new signs and pavement markings. A 2023 forecast of a summer 2025 finish has passed, and the page gives no new completion date.
When the Rate Drops
The winter parking rate starts in November. A day at the Grayton lot without a permit drops from $15 to $5. For residents with the $8.50 permit, nothing changes. The first winter weekend brings Mountainfilm on Tour to the WaterColor Marina Park Amphitheater at 238 WaterColor Blvd. W. on Friday and Saturday, Nov. 6 and 7. Gates open at 5:45 p.m. and films start at 7 p.m.
The Grayton Express schedule for after Oct. 1 is published and unchanged from summer. Any change on the Hotz Avenue route will show up first on the county's tram page.
If you're curious how places like the new access, the tram and the lot calendar shape day-to-day life in different parts of Grayton, Tanika O'Brien and the team can walk you through it. That includes which streets put the Hotz Avenue boardwalk within walking distance and which ones depend on the Park and Ride.
