ANDERSON GROUP 30A
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COMMUNITY GUIDEBOOK
The Preserve at Grayton Beach SCENIC HIGHWAY 30A
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SANTA ROSA BEACH, FLORIDA
THE NEIGHBORHOOD
Gated, wooded, and quietly between two of 30A's best-loved beach towns. The Preserve at Grayton Beach is a gated community of custom coastal homes on the north side of Scenic 30A, tucked between Grayton Beach and Blue Mountain Beach and backed by the protected pine flatwoods of Point Washington State Forest. Two gated entrances — East and West — open onto a small grid of shaded residential streets: Morgan's Trail, Barton's Way, Coleman Drive and Bentley Lane. What sets it apart is what happens on the other side of 30A. Owners and their guests cross to a private, gated boardwalk that winds through oaks, pines and magnolias before opening onto the dunes and the Gulf, on a stretch of shoreline naturally framed by two rare coastal dune lakes. It is a longer walk than some 30A communities. It is also a far more beautiful one.
SETTING
ACCESS
OWNERSHIP
North of 30A · West Grayton
Two gated entries · Deeded beach
Primary, second home & rental
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LOCATION
Between the dune lakes, between the towns. The community sits west of the Grayton Beach village and east of Blue Mountain Beach — close to both, in the middle of neither. Grayton's galleries, Red Fish Taco and the state park are a short bike ride east. Blue Mountain Beach Creamery, Local Catch and the west-end shops are minutes the other direction. Seaside and WaterColor are roughly three miles away. The Preserve's beach sits along the shoreline between Little Redfish Lake and Big Redfish Lake. Coastal dune lakes are a genuinely rare landform — found in only a handful of places on earth, and nowhere else in the United States at this concentration. Their outfalls naturally interrupt the row of beachfront development, which is a large part of why this stretch of sand feels less crowded than most.
THE BEACH ACCESS
A boardwalk through the coastal forest. The access begins on the south side of 30A near the east end of the community, behind its own gate. From there it is a raised wooden boardwalk — not a sidewalk — meandering through saw palmetto, sand pine and live oak before it climbs the dune line and the Gulf opens up all at once. Walking times vary by where a home sits: those nearest the east gate are commonly described at five to seven minutes, while the far west end runs closer to nine or ten. Plan on crossing Scenic 30A on foot, and plan on bikes and beach wagons rather than carrying gear the whole way.
Worth knowing The Preserve's designated beach area lies east of Little Redfish Lake and west of Big Redfish Lake. Portions of the shoreline in front of neighboring developments are not part of it. Confirm current beach-use boundaries with the association before relying on any specific description.
AMENITIES
Two pools, a clubhouse, and courts for both games. For a neighborhood of its size, The Preserve carries a full amenity package. There are two separate pool areas — a western pool beside the main clubhouse, and an eastern pool nearer the courts and the beach-access side. The western pool is the one typically heated on a seasonal schedule set by the association, generally around holiday weeks and spring break.
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Two community pools
Tennis & pickleball
One at the clubhouse, one on the east side. Western pool
A full tennis court alongside four dedicated pickleball
seasonally heated at the HOA's discretion.
courts, lit and fenced, backing to the forest.
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Clubhouse & fitness
Covered pavilion
An owners' clubhouse with a community room, plus an
A shaded, fan-cooled porch off the pool deck — the
exercise room — both included in dues.
neighborhood's default gathering spot.
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HOMES & ARCHITECTURE
Two decades of coastal cottage, layered. The original generation is early-to-mid 2000s — Florida coastal cottage and coastal Craftsman, mostly 2,000 to 2,900 square feet with three to five bedrooms. Cement-fiber siding, metal roofs, deep covered porches, screened porches, the occasional tower room. Many have since been renovated to current finish levels. Newer infill has raised the ceiling considerably. Recent custom builds run larger and more elaborate — three stories, elevators, wet bars, outdoor kitchens, garages and carports. A 2005 cottage and a brand-new custom home can sit a block apart, which is part of the neighborhood's character and part of what a buyer should inspect for: roof age, HVAC, windows and doors, porch and deck condition, elevated foundation components, and current insurance eligibility.
Lots are compact — many around 5,500 to 5,700 square feet — but the surrounding forest makes the community read far less dense than the parcel sizes suggest. Homesites backing directly to the preserve are among the most sought-after positions inside the gates.
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ASSOCIATION & OWNERSHIP
What the dues cover — and what they don't. The Preserve is governed by a single owners' association, professionally managed. Recent listings have reflected quarterly dues in the neighborhood of $735 — roughly $245 a month — which is modest for what it covers on 30A. Assessments go toward association management, the recreational facilities, grounds and land expenses, and the gated infrastructure. Notably, high-speed fiber internet has been included in the dues, which is unusual and meaningful for both remote-working owners and rental operators. Short-term rentals are permitted, and the MLS designates the community accordingly. That mix matters: primary residents, second-home owners and rental owners all coexist here, so a buyer is not forced to choose between a residential neighborhood and an income property.
B E F O R E Y O U R E LY O N I T
Dues, pool-heating schedules, guest parking, quiet hours and golf-cart rules are set by the association and change over time — and third-party rental sites describe them inconsistently. Golf-cart policy in particular is reported both ways online. Request the current declaration, rules and estoppel before making any of it a condition of purchase.
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THE MARKET
Roughly $1.25M to $3M, and widening at the top. Value inside the gates tracks five things: age and renovation level, square footage and sleeping capacity, whether the lot backs to preserve, whether there's a garage and private pool, and how close the home sits to the east gate and the beach boardwalk. Older cottages have recently traded in the $1.4M–$1.5M range; new custom construction now asks near and above $2.75M.
RECENT SALES
41 Bentley Lane
4 BR / 4.5 BA
2,897 SF
$1,477,500
−8% · 107 days
123 Barton's Way
5 BR / 4 BA
3,212 SF
$1,429,995
−3% · 60 days
277 Barton's Way
5 BR / 4.5 BA
3,236 SF
$1,800,000
Prior benchmark
REPRESENTATIVE CURRENT INVENTORY
113 Morgan's Trail
4 BR / 3 BA
2,336 SF
2005
$1,280,000
310 Morgan's Trail
4 BR / 4 BA
2,216 SF
2005
$1,389,000
52 Bentley Lane
4 BR / 3.5 BA
3,144 SF
2021
$1,850,000
325 Morgan's Trail
5 BR / 4 BA
2,967 SF
2022
$2,149,000
375 Morgan's Trail
4 BR / 4.5 BA
2,780 SF
2019
$2,499,999
53 Barton's Way
4 BR / 4.2 BA
3,571 SF
2026
$2,739,000
80 Coleman Drive
4 BR / 5 BA
3,493 SF
2026
$2,950,000
Homesites also trade inside the community; a Morgan's Trail lot has recently been offered in the high-$500s to high-$600s. Figures are compiled from Emerald Coast MLS and public aggregators and are point-in-time only — ask us for the live subdivision report before pricing or offering. Third-party portals blend neighboring condominium projects into their “Preserve” boundary, so their published averages should not be relied upon.
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AN HONEST READ
What we'd want you to know either way. The case for it Gated privacy with forest on two sides, but still directly on Scenic 30A. A beach access that is genuinely beautiful rather than merely functional. A real amenity package — two pools, courts, clubhouse, fitness — at dues that stay modest by 30A standards, with fiber included. Short-term rentals permitted, which widens the buyer pool considerably. And a location that borrows from both Grayton and Blue Mountain without sitting in either one's traffic.
The trade-offs The beach is a walk, not a step — and it involves crossing 30A on foot. Guest golf-cart convenience is not something to assume here; confirm the current policy. The housing stock spans twenty years, so older homes deserve a careful look at roof, HVAC, windows, porches and insurance eligibility. Lots are compact. And because rentals operate here, this is not a quiet non-rental enclave.
Who it fits Buyers who want a single-family home on 30A behind a gate, with deeded access and real amenities, without paying the premium — or accepting the density — of the larger master-planned resort communities to the east.
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THINKING ABOUT THE PRESERVE?
We live here, we sell here, and we'll tell you the parts the listing photos leave out. COLBY ANDERSON
850.687.1788 · colby@andersongroup30a.com AndersonGroup30A.com Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Beach Properties of Florida · WaterColor, Florida