Point Washington State Forest
Typical scene in Point Washington State Forest
Point Washington State Forest is a 15,399-acre property acquired by the State of Florida under the auspices of the Conservation and Recreation Lands Program in 1992. A large portion of Point Washington State Forest is contained in one parcel but there is significant acreage contained in numerous non-contiguous parcels. The forest is located in the southern part of Walton County on US Highway 98, about nine miles south of Freeport. Adjacent to Point Washington State Forest is Grayton Beach State Park and Topsail Hill Preserve State Park.
Natural communities represented at Point Washington State Forest include basin swamps, Titi drains, sandhills, wet prairie, wet flatwoods and cypress swamps. Most of the forest has been cut over but some of the sandhill ecosystems present have survived almost intact.
There are several hiking and biking trails developed on the property but there is no horseback riding or camping allowed. The primary trailheads are located at the parking area on County Road 395. Camping is available at the nearby Grayton Beach and Topsail Hill Preserve State Parks. Point Washington State Forest is also crossed by several paved roads (including US Highway 98) and numerous old forest roads.
Point Washington Wildlife Management Area covers more than 12,000 acres of Point Washington State Forest, primarily in the one main parcel of land.
Upper left photo courtesy of Rachel Smolinski, Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission
Map courtesy of Florida Division of Forestry