Beach Battle Happening This Holiday Weekend In Florida
Gulf Shores News Staff • November 29, 2025
Beachfront Brawl from a Backstreet Boy
You may have noticed that our friends to the east are having a dispute over who can use the beach in front of a home. Brian Littrell, a member of the Backstreet Boys, owns a home along Hwy. 30A in Florida. He has signs on the waterfront side of his home telling beachgoers the beach is private and they can walk along the water's edge but not use the are for sunbathing or any type of other recreation.
In fact, Littrell filed suit against Carolyn Barrington Hill, 67, on Sept. 19 accusing her of repeatedly coming onto his Santa Rosa Beach oceanfront property from April through September, despite the fact he’s “put up several ‘No Trespassing’ signs, along with chairs, umbrellas, and small tables delineating” his property line, according to the Walton County Circuit Court lawsuit.
According to the New York Post, Hill is a local who described herself in court papers as “semi-retired” and “on Medicare” — is accused of “shouting and cursing at [the Littrell family] property manager and setting up various chairs and other pieces of beach furniture,” all while refusing to move when she was told she was on their property, the suit claims.
During one May 4 confrontation, Hill was kicked off their beach by a Walton County Sheriff’s Officer, the filing says.
Some local Alabamians may be asking if we have the same problem along our shores? The answer is very seldom. While Alabama allows private beaches, the public generally has access to the wet sand below the mean high tide line. The dry sand landward of the mean high water line is typically privately owned and can be restricted by the property owner.
BUT, along the Alabama coast is something called the (CCL) Coastal Construction Line. This line is forty feet from the average high tide means. Condos and beach homes typically set up chairs and tents close to their property but the public can use the area from the CCL down to the water.
Here is a breakdown of beach ownership and access in Alabama:
- Private Property (Dry Sand): The area above the mean high tide line (the "dry sand" area where people typically set up chairs and umbrellas) is considered private property. Owners have the right to restrict access to this area, and unauthorized use may be considered trespassing.
- Public Access (Wet Sand and Water): The land and water seaward of the mean high tide line (the "wet sand" area and submerged land) is owned by the State of Alabama and held in public trust. The public has the right to use this area for activities such as walking, fishing, and anchoring boats in navigable waters.
- Access Points: While you generally have the right to walk in the wet sand below the high tide line, getting to that point can be an issue. Access to the beach from upland areas is often limited to designated public access points and parks, as crossing private property (vertically) to reach the shore is generally not allowed without permission.
- No "Customary Use": Unlike some other states (like Florida, in certain counties), Alabama does not have a "customary use" doctrine that automatically grants the public the right to use private dry sand areas based on historical use.
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