30A Beach Tents: A Guide To The Rules & My Recommendations

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One of our favorite places to be is along the beaches in South Walton County, Florida, often referred to simply as 30A. We travel all over the world, and nothing compares to the white sand and emerald waters on the beaches of 30A! We love this area so much that we own four vacation rentals on 30A, which is just about an hour and a half from our home. I love helping others have the best possible trip to 30A, which is why I want to tackle the topic of 30A beach tents today!

30A Beach Tents

The rules regarding tents on the 30A beaches can seem confusing, but they don’t have to be! It just comes down to determining which beach access you will use and knowing the rules for that specific area.

So, how do you find that out?

Are Beach Tents Allowed On 30A?

The answer is yes in some places and no in others. In most areas, they do have a maximum size and typically need to be placed in the back section of the beach. Why so many rules around 30A beach tents? Well, the 30A beaches are fairly narrow, and some are public, while others are private neighborhood beaches.

On 30A, most people prefer beach umbrellas over tents. Umbrellas are easy to adjust to block the sun and take up much less of the precious beach space, which is courteous, especially during the busy summer months. Plus, they are light and easy to carry.

The best way to find out the beach rules for the beach you will be using is to ask your Airbnb host or property management company. Any good one will be able to give you all of the information that you need to know, so start there!

If you are staying somewhere without a deeded or private beach, then your host may give you the locations of the nearest public beach accesses. That makes it easy because all public beach accesses have the exact same rules, and I’ll share those in just a second!

Public 30A Beaches vs Private 30A Beaches

First, it’s important to understand that the beaches and communities along Highway 30A are different than most other popular beachy tourist destinations. There are very few beachfront hotels, and most of the beachfront is private homes, small neighborhoods, or beachfront condos.

That said, over the past ten years, there have been more and more people staking claim to the sand. So, when you are visiting, you generally will use the public beaches, or you will be staying somewhere with private or deeded beach access. An example would be a community such as Seaside, where all of the beaches in Seaside are private to guests staying there. Or, it could be a set of condo complexes that have a deeded beach a block or two away.

I won’t get into the whole 30A public vs. private beach debate in this post, but just click that link and you can read all about it!

So, let’s first look at the 30A beach tent rules on public beaches, and then I will talk more about private beaches. This should go without saying, but regardless of where you are staying and using the beach, nothing can be left on the beach overnight.

Rules For Beach Tents On Public 30A Beaches

Walton County has a great interactive map showing all 50+ public beaches. The rules for all Walton County public beaches are very simple and can be read here.

To prevent crowding, tents larger than 10’x10′ are prohibited on 30A public beaches. All tents are limited to the top half of the open beach, with a 4-foot walkway between them, except Grayton Beach. Leave a 15-foot setback from the dunes for emergency vehicles.

This 10-foot by 10-foot limit for 30A beach tents applies to the entire footprint of the tent. So, something like a pop-up tent that is 10 feet wide would work. However, a 9-foot by 9-foot Neso tent is generally not permitted because most of the legs extend much further out, making it much larger.

Rules For Beach Tents On Private 30A Beaches

The rules on private beaches are much different. With so many different private beaches along the 20+ miles of coastline, it’s always best to ask your host!

Most community or neighborhood private beaches do not allow tents. Why? Outside of the beach towns, these private neighborhood beaches are often smaller and accommodate a larger number of people. Only allowing umbrellas helps preserve space for all guests. In other places, choose to only allow beach chairs and umbrella rental sets due to the aesthetic and the provision of an upscale luxury experience.

The only way to know the 30A beach tent rules for a private beach is to ask your host or property management company! Please do this in advance because it’s never fun to have unexpected surprises at check-in. Additionally, some private beaches allow them, but only up to 6 feet wide, and so on. So, there is no blanket answer!

As a top-rated Airbnb host myself, I always provide my guests with all of their beach options and even tips for avoiding crowds during peak season. My Airbnb House Manual lists out all of the beach rules, including where they can use 30a beach tents, and I never have any confusion from guests.

What About Baby Tents?

I can’t speak for all of them, but most private beaches allow a small baby pop-up tent. But always ask to be sure! Make sure to choose one with sides that can open or roll up for ventilation. The closed ones can get very hot during the summer.

What About Beach Wagons?

This is one of the other questions I see asked most often after beach tents! Most of the beach accesses on 30A do allow wagons.

A few beach accesses, such as Seacrest Beach, where we are located, do not allow beach wagons. Why? Well, for us, there is a noise ordinance through the easement that takes you through another neighborhood to our beach. But, additionally, most beach accesses have steep stairways down to the beach, making it very difficult to carry heavy beach wagons down. When they are all left at the top, it typically blocks the walkway and entrance to the beach.

Also, the soft white sand along the 30A beaches makes it very hard to pull wagons unless they have large wheels and are made for that. So, while a wagon may at first sound like a necessity, it’s sometimes more of a hassle. Several of the communities that don’t allow wagons, such as Seacrest Beach, have a seasonal tram to take you to the beach instead. If you don’t have the right type of wagon, you can always rent one!

READ: 30A Baby & Beach Gear Rental With Dropoff And Pickup

30A Beach Chair Rentals

I also want to quickly bring up the beach chair and umbrella rentals on 30A. Personally, I always recommend these to my guests when they want to spend a lot of time at the beach. It’s your vacation and a nice treat! Plus, it allows you to have a seat and shade without worrying about crowds or carrying a bunch of stuff with you.

My advice on these is the same as for the tents. All public beaches now use one beach chair and umbrella rental company. You can reserve these online, and they set them up when you arrive.

For private beaches, each one typically has its own beach chair and umbrella rental. So, again, first, read through your booking information or house manual in your Airbnb booking. If you still can’t find that information, just ask your host! And, in most cases, these do sell out well in advance at the private beaches during the summer months. So, reserve them as far in advance as possible, especially if you want to try to get in the front row.

What 30A Beach Tents Are Best?

If you want to bring a beach tent on your trip to 30A and your beach access allows it, the most popular are Cool Cabanas, which are available in a 6.5-foot version and an 8-foot version. These can also act as umbrellas when you roll the sides up and are within most size requirements, which is why they make great 30A beach tents. But, don’t be a jerk and leave the backside down if people are sitting behind you.

Here are some similar or alternative options:

What 30A Beach Tents Are Worst?

In my opinion, the worst beach tents to bring to 30A are the ones that lessen the experience of others. This includes beach tents with solid backs, like this one. These essentially block the view for everyone behind you and should only be used in the very back of the beach.

Also, sandbag-style tents with long-reaching legs often pose tripping hazards and take up unnecessary space.

One other tent that is not generally recommended on 30A is a wind-driven beach tent such as the Shibumi Shade. While these are great in different areas, the wind is often minimal, and they just aren’t as effective as they could be.

Top-Rated Beach Umbrellas

As I mentioned before, most people use beach umbrellas while visiting the beaches along 30A. If they don’t have a corkscrew-style beach umbrella anchor, make sure to pick one up.

Here are some great beach umbrellas at various price points:

30A Beach Trip Essentials

If you are looking for other fun beach trip essentials or need a 30A Packing List, I’ve got you covered! From small beach safes for keeping your phone and wallet safe while you’re in the water to cute little seashell bags for your kids, my Beach Essentials List has everything you may need for your beach trip.

Also, I have a few lists on my Amazon Storefront that have great summertime beach outfits, beach games, cute beach-themed accessories, top-rated swimsuits, and more. And, if you don’t already have them, you need some Dock and Bay beach towels. They are lightweight, dry fast, and the sand doesn’t stick to them!

Browse my Amazon Lists:

More 30A Travel Tips

I truly enjoy answering questions about 30A in an easy-to-understand manner so that you can have the best trip possible! Feel free to read my other 30A Guides, which cover everything from golf carts to 30A hotels. And if you plan to visit 30A in winter, the beaches are never crowded!