"As we all know, she was very much a public access advocate, community leader, beach safety steward and brought people together." Walton County Beach Operations Director Josh Ervin said this in June, standing at 44 Hotz Ave., when the county opened the Bets "Beachmama" Haynes Regional Beach Access.
The county lists the access as opened June 9, 2026. The ribbon cutting followed on Monday, June 15, and it became Walton County's 11th regional beach access. One line in the county's own access chart explains how the place is meant to work. Next to "Grayton Beach Regional Beach Access - East Drive On," the parking column reads zero, and the access is marked as a tram pickup and drop-off point.
The access opened in peak summer. Its first off-season started Oct. 1, and the schedules taking effect this month and next suit a no-parking beach access much better than July did.
The woman on the sign
Bets "Beachmama" Haynes lived in Grayton Beach. According to Walton County, she led the grassroots campaign that persuaded the state of Florida to buy nearly 900 acres of coastal land in 1985. That purchase protected what is now Grayton Beach State Park from high-density development. Her husband George's obituary in the Northwest Florida Daily News names her as Betty Wells, known as Bets and "Beachmama," and says she died on January 30, 2005.
Today that state park charges $5 per vehicle and is open from 8 a.m. to sunset. The access named for her stays open later than the park does in one practical sense, because the tram that serves it keeps running after dark.
The building tells some of Grayton's story too. Its 1,600 square feet include restrooms, rinse showers, a boardwalk, a 360-degree observation deck and an information station on the founding and history of Grayton Beach. A local feature published at the opening by Ocean Reef Resorts reported that the roofline references a wooden pyramid lookout. A Coast Guard unit used that lookout during World War II to watch the water offshore.
The project cost $4.3 million. It was built, and will be maintained, with the Tourist Development Tax, a 5 percent tax collected on short-term rentals of six months or less in south Walton County. As the county points out, residents pay it only when they book a staycation in local accommodations.
A beach access designed around a tram
The county's ribbon-cutting announcement gave visitors two ways to arrive. One was paid parking at the Grayton Beach Park and Ride, 1505 S. County Hwy. 283, with free Beach Tram service to the access. The other was free street parking on DeFuniak Street and 30A.
The Park and Ride is more than a lot. In an August 2026 overview, 30A.com counted 204 standard spaces there, including four RV spaces, seven LSV spaces, nine ADA-accessible spaces and four EV charging stations. It also has an air-conditioned lobby and restrooms. Walton County expanded the tram network in March 2026 and renamed the program Beach Park and Ride in June. Ervin said the new name gives riders "a clearer understanding of the service."
The route that matters most for Hotz Avenue is the Grayton Express, which goes straight from the Park and Ride to the Haynes access. It leaves every 10 minutes all day, so nobody needs to time a trip around a timetable.
What changed on Oct. 1
Walton County's off-season tram schedule took effect Oct. 1. For Grayton, it works out like this:
- Grayton Express: Grayton Beach Park and Ride to the Bets "Beachmama" Haynes access every 10 minutes, daily from 6 a.m. to 9:45 p.m. The last departure is 9:40 p.m.
- Blue Mountain Local: from the same Park and Ride every 60 minutes, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. The last departure is 6 p.m. Stops include Blue Mountain, Gulfview Heights, Dune Allen and Fort Panic regional beach accesses plus the 393 Beach Park and Ride.
- Dune Allen Local: runs the other way from the 393 Beach Park and Ride at 1668 S. County Hwy. 393, hourly from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. The last departure is 6:30 p.m., and Grayton Beach Park and Ride is one of its stops.
The Grayton Express keeps running for nearly 16 hours a day after the summer crowds leave. That covers an early walk, a late-afternoon swim and an evening at the water. The Blue Mountain Local is the one to watch, because its last departure comes at 6 p.m., well before the Express stops.
The state park shuttle is finished for the year. 30A.com reported that the Grayton Beach State Park Express runs only from Memorial Day through Labor Day, every 30 minutes from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Until next summer, getting to the park itself means driving and paying the $5 vehicle fee at the gate.
The county and 30A.com both say routes and hours can change. Check the county's Beach Park and Ride schedule before you head out.
What changes again on Nov. 1
The tram is free. Parking at the county lots is not, and the rate depends on the month. Park Walton County lists the Grayton Beach Municipal Lot among its paid lots.
Period | Hourly | All day |
|---|---|---|
March through October | $5.00 | $15.00 |
November through February | Not offered | $5.00 |
From Nov. 1, a full day at the lot costs one-third of the October rate. Combined with an Express that runs every 10 minutes from early morning into the night, that makes November through February the cheapest stretch of the year for a long beach day at Hotz Avenue.
The fine print holds year-round. Payment is required from 5 a.m. to 11:59 p.m. every day of the year, and the lots take no cash, only a major credit or debit card. Each payment is tied to one license plate and one lot. You can leave and come back while your paid period is still valid, but your space is not held. ADA parkers are fully exempt from the paid program, and the county encourages them to register for a free annual pass to avoid citations.
A few doors from 44 Hotz
A tram stop at 44 Hotz Ave. puts riders in the middle of old Grayton, with familiar names close by. Each address below comes from the business's own website:
- The Red Bar, 70 Hotz Ave.
- Chiringo, 63 Hotz Ave.
- The Zoo Gallery, in downtown Grayton across from The Red Bar
- Hurricane Oyster Bar, 37 Logan Lane
- AJ's Grayton Beach, 63 DeFuniak St.
- Hibiscus Coffee & Guesthouse, 85 DeFuniak St.
Some of these places are on fall schedules as well. AJ's has posted its Fall Hours 2026. The restaurant is closed Monday and Tuesday, opens at 3 p.m. on Wednesday, and opens at 11 a.m. Thursday through Sunday. SoWal's October calendar lists The Red Bar Jazz Band at The Red Bar on Tuesday, Oct. 6. Since the last Express leaves for the beach access at 9:40 p.m., you can take the tram there for the evening and leave the car at the Park and Ride.
On Thursday mornings, the Grayton Locals Market sets up at Hibiscus. The Hibiscus event calendar lists Oct. 8, 15, 22 and 29, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. SoWal's listing has the market opening at 9 a.m., so confirm the start time with Hibiscus before you go. A Thursday plan can start with the market on DeFuniak Street and end with a swim off the new boardwalk, two short blocks of old Grayton apart. October's last market falls on Oct. 29, three days before the Grayton lot's all-day rate drops from $15 to $5.
If you'd like help planning around Grayton's seasonal schedules, from how a home near Hotz Avenue lives in the off-season to what out-of-town guests can do without a car, The Kendall Hood Collection can walk you through it block by block. Schedule Your Concierge Consultation.
This article is general information, not legal, tax or financial advice. Consult a qualified professional about your situation.
