Okaloosa Island

ABOUT THIS PLACE

Okaloosa Island is the part of Santa Rosa Island that lies between Fort Walton Beach and Destin: about three miles of white sand behind dunes, with numbered public beach accesses that have parking and restrooms, and John Beasley Park at the east end next to Gulf Islands National Seashore. The Boardwalk, the fishing pier, the Gulfarium and Wild Willy's are grouped at its center, with hotels and condominiums along the rest. Parking on the island is free. The island is part of Santa Rosa Island, the barrier island that runs most of the length of the western panhandle, and this stretch is held partly by the county and partly by the federal government. John Beasley Park at the east end sits against the Gulf Islands National Seashore, which is why the sand east of the developed strip has nothing built on it and looks the way the whole coast once did. The Boardwalk, the fishing pier, the Gulfarium and Wild Willy's are grouped at the center. Free parking is the practical difference between this island and Destin across the bridge, where most beach parking is paid. The water stays shallow a long way out, so the surf is usually gentle