South Walton Bonfire Co is a small, locally owned team based in Santa Rosa Beach, Florida. We started it to give people a cleaner way to celebrate on the beach: a smokeless fire, a host who handles everything, and nothing left behind but the photos.
About our team, and why we do this
We’ve called the Santa Rosa Beach and Destin area home for about four years, and the beach at sunset is where our days end best. Morning walks, evening walks, and the small moments in between are the memories we hold onto most. South Walton Bonfire Co is new, but loving these sunsets isn’t. We started it to give families, groups and anyone celebrating something special a sunset night of their own.
Things and places we love
Ask us for a favorite and you’ll get a list. Here are a few of ours.
- Fresh fish from the local markets. We buy our seafood from the local fish markets, as fresh as it comes.
- Food from nearby farms. Our meat, produce, milk and honey come from farmers close to home.
- A farmers market most days of the week. Wednesdays in Seagrove, Thursdays in Grayton Beach, Saturdays in Miramar Beach and Sundays in Rosemary Beach. It’s one of our favorite parts of living in a small beach community. (Days can shift with the seasons, so check before you go.)
- Long walks in the woods. We love the trails around Eden Gardens State Park in Point Washington, where the Wesley Lumber Company ran in the 1890s and the Wesley family home still stands under moss-draped live oaks. Every visit, we learn a little more about the families who first settled here.
- The sand. Our sugar-white sand is almost pure quartz from the Appalachian Mountains of north Georgia, carried down the Apalachicola River to the Gulf at the end of the last ice age. Tumbled smooth along the way, it feels soft and cool underfoot and squeaks when you walk on it. There’s no other sand like it.
Once we found this stretch of coast, we knew we wanted to make it our permanent home. South Walton Bonfire Co is how we share it with everyone who comes to visit.
Why South Walton Bonfire Co uses a smokeless fire pit
We chose a smokeless fire pit on purpose. You still get a real wood fire, with the crackle and the warmth, but very little smoke once it’s going, so your hair and clothes don’t carry the night with you to dinner. The fire sits in a raised steel pit, so nothing burns into the sand. When the night is over, we put the fire out with water and pack every piece out, ashes included.
An open bonfire sends smoke around the circle and into your eyes, hair and clothes, and years of fires built right on the sand have left gray ash in spots along 30A. Our fire pit pulls air through its double steel walls and burns off most of the smoke before it reaches you, and its raised steel base keeps the fire and the ash off the sand. It’s already glowing when you walk down. That’s why every South Walton Bonfire Co fire burns in a smokeless pit, every time.
How every fire works
- We handle the permit. We get the South Walton Fire District beach-fire permit for your date, so you don’t have to.
- Public beach accesses only. We set up at Walton County’s public accesses, and your confirmation names the exact access number so you know where to park and walk out.
- Set up before you arrive. Your fire, chairs and name board are ready about an hour before sunset.
- Your host stays with the fire. The fire district requires it, and it means you never tend anything. Enjoy the night.
- We leave no trace. When you head home, we put the fire out with water and pack everything out, ashes included.
A sunset night with South Walton Bonfire Co, step by step
Here’s exactly what happens from the moment you book to the moment we pack up. Nothing here is left for you to figure out.
- Book your night. Pick a package, a date and the public beach access closest to your rental. Book weeks ahead, or as late as 3:00 PM on the day of your fire.
- We get the permit. South Walton Bonfire Co buys the South Walton Fire District permit for your night, so there are no forms for you to fill out.
- We watch the weather. We make the weather call by 2:00 PM on your bonfire day and text you either way.
- We set up before sunset. We arrive an hour before sunset with a smokeless wood fire, a chair for every guest and your custom name board. Sunset for Two adds wicker lounge chairs and a styled table with linen, baskets, plants and LED candles.
- You walk down and enjoy it. Fire sessions run 2 hours for two or six guests and 3 hours for groups of 12, and you can add time up to the county curfew.
- Your host stays nearby. We tend the fire from a respectful distance, so the night feels like yours.
- We pack it all out. When you head home, we take everything with us and leave the beach clean, dark and flat.
South Walton Bonfire Co packages at a glance
Every South Walton Bonfire Co package includes the fire permit, delivery, setup, a chair for every guest, a custom name board and pack-up.
| Package | Guests | Fire session | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sunset for Two | Up to 2 | 2 hours, wicker lounge chairs and a styled table | $499 |
| Social | Up to 6 | 2 hours, beach chairs and a Bluetooth speaker | $599 |
| Gathering | Up to 12 | 3 hours, beach chairs and a Bluetooth speaker | $799 |
Add-ons work with any fire: wicker lounge chairs and a styled table for $25 per guest, extra guests for $25 each with a chair, and extra time for $75 per hour up to curfew. See dates and book.
How South Walton Bonfire Co cares for the beach
The sand is the reason we live here, so we treat every access like our own backyard. Each South Walton Bonfire Co fire follows the South Walton Fire District bonfire guidelines:
- A 27-inch stainless steel smokeless fire pit, raised off the sand on its steel stand, burning clean, untreated firewood.
- At least 200 feet from any marked sea turtle nest, and low, amber table lighting from May through October.
- At least 100 feet from homes, 50 feet from the dunes and 30 feet from any other permitted fire.
- A tagged 5 lb fire extinguisher at every setup, and a host with the fire the whole time.
- Nothing buried, nothing burned but clean firewood, and nothing left behind.
Glass isn’t allowed on Walton County beaches, so bring drinks in cans or plastic cups. We’ll take care of the rest.
When beach fires can happen on 30A
From March through October, fire pits can’t go on the beach before 5:00 PM, and everything must be off the sand by midnight. From November through February, the window is 4:00 PM to 11:00 PM. South Walton Bonfire Co plans every setup around those hours and your sunset time. Our 2026 bonfire rules guide has the full details.
Celebrations we love to host
Most of our nights start with someone planning something special for people they love. A few of our favorites:
- Proposals and anniversaries. Sunset for Two gives you a private fire, wicker lounge chairs, a styled table and a name board with your names on it.
- Birthdays. From kids’ birthdays to milestone ones, the name board turns the night into a photo everyone keeps.
- Bachelorette weekends and girls’ trips. A group night on the sand with room for everyone and nothing to haul.
- Family vacations and reunions. One evening when the whole family is in one place, with the sunset as the backdrop.
- Team nights and small retreats. A relaxed way to end a day of meetings. Groups of 30 or more need a Walton County special event permit, which we can help you arrange.
Where South Walton Bonfire Co sets up along 30A
We set up at public beach accesses along Scenic 30A and South Walton, from Dune Allen and Santa Rosa Beach on the west end, through Blue Mountain Beach, Grayton Beach, WaterColor, Seaside and Seagrove, to Inlet Beach and Rosemary Beach on the east end. When you book, pick the access closest to your rental and we’ll meet you there. See every beach we serve.
Our promises
Our promise is simple: we do what’s right and make this easy. You pick the night, the package and your beach access, and we handle everything else, from the fire district permit to setup and pack-up. It’s hands-free for you. All you do is walk down to the sand, enjoy the sunset and make memories.
Need a fire tonight? You can book until 3:00 PM on the day of your bonfire. That gives us time to plan for your group size and have everything set up and glowing on time.
If the weather turns, we make the call by 2:00 PM and text you. If the fire district cancels fires for the day, you get a full refund, permit included. The details are on our policies page.
If storms, high wind or unsafe conditions stop us, you choose: move to another open night at no charge, or get a full refund except the $105 fire permit that’s already been paid. If a sea turtle nest blocks your access, we move you to the nearest open one. You’ll always hear from us, by text, before you’d ever need to ask.
Share your night
Your photos are the best part of what we do. Post your night with #SouthWaltonBonfires so we can find it and share our favorites (always with your OK).
Quick answers about South Walton Bonfire Co
Who runs South Walton Bonfire Co?
A small, locally owned team based in Santa Rosa Beach, Florida. We plan every booking ourselves, so you hear from us directly.
Where does South Walton Bonfire Co set up beach bonfires?
At public beach accesses along Scenic 30A and South Walton, from Dune Allen and Santa Rosa Beach to Seaside, Inlet Beach and Rosemary Beach. See the beaches we serve.
How late can I book a bonfire?
You can book until 3:00 PM on the day of your bonfire. Nights within two weeks are paid in full when you book. For nights further out, a 50% deposit holds your date.
Do you handle the fire permit?
Yes. We buy the South Walton Fire District permit for your night, set up an hour before sunset, stay with the fire and pack everything out.
Is your bonfire really smokeless?
It is a real wood fire in a smokeless fire pit. You may see a little smoke while it lights, but once it is burning hot the pit burns off most of it, so you can head to dinner afterward without smelling like a campfire. The ash stays in the pit and leaves the beach with us.
What happens if it rains on my bonfire night?
We make the weather call by 2:00 PM and text you either way. You can move to another open night at no charge or get a full refund except the $105 fire permit. If the fire district cancels fires, you get a full refund, permit included.
How many people can come to a South Walton Bonfire Co fire?
Packages fit 2, 6 or 12 guests, and you can add more for $25 per person, chair included. Groups of 30 or more need a Walton County special event permit.
What should we bring?
Just your group. We bring the fire, chairs and your name board. Glass isn’t allowed on Walton County beaches, so pack drinks in cans or plastic cups.
Can we bring our own drinks?
Yes. Walton County beaches are public places, and guests 21 and over can enjoy drinks on the sand, as long as nothing is in glass. Bring cans or plastic cups, keep it relaxed, and take everything with you when you go. Rules can tighten around spring break, so we’ll let you know if anything changes for your night.
Can you plan food and drinks for a special occasion?
Yes. For proposals, birthdays, anniversaries and other special nights, we can help plan food and beverages and have them set out before you arrive. Tell us what you have in mind when you book, and we’ll work out the details with you.
Say hello
Questions about a date, a beach or a celebration? Email us at [email protected], or see the beaches we serve.