Living in Point Washington
Point Washington grew up around a sawmill on Tucker Bayou, a natural harbor on Choctawhatchee Bay. During the Civil War, blockade runners unloaded supplies there, and after the war the town turned to lumber. The Wesley family arrived around 1885, and W. H. Wesley and his father-in-law, Simeon Strickland, ran mills on the bayou that shipped yellow heart pine by water to Pensacola.
The mills wound down in the 1920s, and some of the workers' cottages were later moved to Grayton Beach, where several still stand.
Eden Gardens State Park
William Henry Wesley built his house near the mill in 1897. The family lived there until 1953, and about ten years later Lois Maxon bought it, filled it with her family's antiques and planted the gardens. She donated Eden Gardens to the State of Florida in 1968. Today the park covers about 161 acres on Tucker Bayou, with moss-draped live oaks, azaleas and camellias, and the house was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2021.
Point Washington State Forest
The state bought Point Washington State Forest in 1992, and it now covers about 15,000 acres north of 30A. The Eastern Lake Trail system has 11 miles of trails for hiking and biking, the Longleaf Greenway Trail runs about eight miles through longleaf pines, and the McQuage Bayou Horse Trail has three- and five-mile loops.
Homes in Point Washington
Point Washington's homes sit north of U.S. 98 along County Road 395 and the bayous, closer to the bay and the forest than to the Gulf.
Market snapshot
Second quarter of 2026, from the Premier Property Group quarterly report as published by 30A Property Search. Ask Shannon for current sales and listings in Point Washington.
Eat, shop and gather
Point Washington is quiet, and most dining is a short drive south on County Road 395 in Seagrove Beach, Seaside and WaterColor, where WaterColor Crossings has a Publix.
For every restaurant and shop from Destin to Inlet Beach, plus the area's events, see Shannon's Coastal Living guide.
Schools and health care
Emerald Coast Middle School is in Point Washington, and Dune Lakes Elementary is nearby on U.S. 98. Public schools serving South Walton include Dune Lakes Elementary, Van R. Butler Elementary, Emerald Coast Middle and South Walton High, and all four earned an A from the Florida Department of Education in 2026. Walton County was graded A for the ninth year in a row, tied for second among Florida's 67 school districts. Seaside School, the public charter made up of Seaside Neighborhood School and Seacoast Collegiate High School, serves grades 5 through 12 and also earned an A. School assignments depend on the address. Ascension Sacred Heart Emerald Coast, on U.S. 98 in Miramar Beach, is the area's hospital, with a 24-hour emergency room that includes pediatric emergency care.
Questions about Point Washington
Where is Point Washington, Florida?
Point Washington is north of U.S. 98 along County Road 395 in Walton County, ZIP code 32459, on Tucker Bayou off Choctawhatchee Bay. Seagrove Beach and Seaside are a short drive south on 395.
What is Eden Gardens State Park?
Eden Gardens State Park is about 161 acres on Tucker Bayou around the Wesley House, built in 1897. Lois Maxon restored the house, planted the gardens and donated the property to the State of Florida in 1968.
How big is Point Washington State Forest?
About 15,000 acres. It has the 11-mile Eastern Lake Trail system, the Longleaf Greenway Trail of about eight miles, and the McQuage Bayou Horse Trail.
How many homes sold in Point Washington recently?
Forty-one homes sold in Point Washington in the second quarter of 2026, at an average price of about $760,000 and $336 per square foot, with 67 listings at the end of June.
Who can help me buy or sell a home in Point Washington?
Shannon Baker, Broker Associate with The Agency | NW Florida Beaches, works with buyers and sellers in Point Washington. She is licensed in Florida and Alabama and has more than $100 million in sales volume over the past five years. Call or text her at (850) 420-8678 or email shannon.baker@theagencyre.com.
