The charming beach town of Grayton Beach itself sits just outside the park boundaries, with its unofficial motto “Nice Dogs, Strange People” giving you a hint of its quirky, laid-back character.

Another place to sample the best of fall is Three Blacksmiths, the globetrotting, Shenandoah Valley–inspired dining room on ...

That’s not Photoshop or some far-flung Caribbean island—that’s Grayton Beach State Park in Santa Rosa Beach, Florida, hiding in plain sight along the state’s northwestern coast. I’ve seen beaches.