WATER & COAST

Okaloosa Island Beach

Okaloosa County · Panhandle & Emerald Coast

Okaloosa County runs seven numbered beach accessways along Santa Rosa Boulevard in Fort Walton Beach, each one called a beachwalk: Blue Dolphin is number one, Sheashore number three, Jerry Melvin number four, Mike Mitchell number six and Emerald Promenade number seven. The Blue Dolphin walk, at 372 Santa Rosa Boulevard, gives an idea of their size, with 25 parking spaces and two accessible ones, pavilion space and picnic tables. They open an hour before sunrise and close an hour after sunset. The Okaloosa Island Fishing Pier stands at 300 Pier Road and runs more than a quarter of a mile out over the Gulf; the company that leases it sets the fees to go on it. The county also keeps a boat basin on the island.