Grady Brown Park

Grady Brown Park sits on the north side of Choctawhatchee Bay at the Clyde B. Wells Bridge, where US Highway 331 South crosses the bay, making it one of the most visible public water-access points in Freeport for anyone driving the 331 corridor toward the beaches of South Walton. Walton County operates the park, and it functions primarily as a boating and fishing access point rather than a beach or swimming destination, with the bay itself, plus LaGrange Bayou and the wider Choctawhatchee Bay system, offering prime redfish, speckled trout, and flounder water within easy reach of the ramp.

The park’s centerpiece is its two-lane boat ramp, a straightforward setup for launching everything from small skiffs to larger center consoles heading out into the bay. Walton County has built the site to be broadly accessible, with ADA-accessible features that extend to a dedicated kayak launch, letting paddlers get on the water without wrestling a kayak over a rough bank. Shoreline anglers who would rather fish from land than launch a boat have direct access to the water’s edge along the park, and courtesy docks make it easier to load and unload gear or passengers before or after a run out onto the bay.

Beyond the water access, the park has a playground and a picnic pavilion, which makes it more of a family stop than a pure boat-launch facility, useful for a family in which one parent wants to fish or launch a kayak while kids play nearby, or for a mixed group looking to combine a picnic with time on the water. Walton County’s own facility listing confirms restrooms, parking, and general picnic areas and tables among the amenities as well, rounding out a site built for a full afternoon rather than a quick five-minute launch and go.

Because the park sits right at the Clyde B. Wells Bridge crossing, it also functions as an easy reference point and rally spot for boaters coordinating a group outing on the bay, since the bridge itself is a landmark visible for some distance in both directions along 331. The location puts Grady Brown Park within a short drive of Freeport’s other bay-access points and close enough to the town’s US-331 corridor that combining a morning of fishing here with lunch or shopping back toward Publix and the Shoppes at Freeport is an easy add-on rather than a special trip.

Visitors should bring their own gear, since the park is a launch and access point rather than a full-service marina, meaning there is no fuel, no rental equipment, and no ships store on site the way there is at some of the area’s private marinas. That makes it best suited for boaters and kayakers who already have their own equipment and simply need a reliable, accessible place to put in, fish from shore, or let kids run around a playground while the adults keep an eye on lines in the water. Because it is a public county facility, there is no charge to launch, and the two-lane ramp generally moves boat traffic through efficiently even on busier weekend mornings, though arriving early during peak fishing season is still the safer bet for avoiding a wait at the ramp.