Santa Rosa Beach is an absolute gem along Florida's Gulf Coast. The sand is powdery white, the…read morewater is crystal clear, and the vibe is laid-back and family-friendly. It's the perfect spot to escape the crowds and just soak in nature's beauty. We loved how clean and quiet the beach was--perfect for relaxing, swimming, or just watching the sunset. Plenty of great local spots nearby for food, too, but the beach itself is the real highlight.

Beautiful gulf coast beach. It's clean, the water is clear, access is pretty easy with public…read moreaccess every few blocks or so. Parking can be challenging at times. Some cool restaurants and shops close by. Lovely beach to spend the day.

Im in awe at how beautiful this state park is. You'd think you were in Turks & Caicos, but no it's…read morejust 30A! It cost $5 to get in and $2.50 if you are in the military. They have wood and ice to purchase, paddle boards to rent (you can reserve online), RV camping areas and much more. The bathrooms aren't that great or clean, that definitely needs major improvement but this state park has major potential.

Took at day trip from our campsite in PCB for a day of exploring and shelling, unfortunately the…read moreshelling was a bust but we did get to experience another one of Florida's beautiful State Parks. I can't stress enough how valuable it is to purchase an annual SP pass, Florida has so many beautiful parks if you are traveling across the state this annual pass will more than pay for itself. Visiting this park during the off season was especially rewarding, no crowds so we practically had the entire beach to ourselves, the white sugar sand and clear warm water was the perfect place to be on a warm fall day. Although shelling was a disappointment the abundance of wildlife and native plants more than made up for it. This is definitely a state park I'd return too, maybe spend a few days here in the RV when in the area...

I come here every year. Two reasons for that. 1: It's…read moreexpensive and that weaves out the trash. 2: You can't go/lounge on this beach without being a guest. This place is always clean and always gets my respect.

I tried to describe Seaside to a friend as a place that was once in my childhood an obscure and…read morequaint little magical beach town that now employs a wide array of rules, fees, and gates to preserve the illusion that is still an obscure and quaint little magical beach town as the whole 30A gets more and more popular. Being back for the first time in almost two decades you really do feel what has changed -- the loud traffic and crowds on the 30A, the bad price/quality ratio at a lot of the beach joints, the fact that you have to have a special electronic wristband to walk in to the Tupelo Beach Pavillion . . . On the other hand, the sand is still that magical white, with smooth enticing entry into the Gulf. And as my son and I rode a pair of tricycles through the streets a few blocks further inland, and it was so quiet that all we could hear was the breeze, I almost felt the magic again.

Beautiful beach but can get crowded at times. On less crowded days it is calm and relaxing. Love it!read more

The atmosphere is a fresh air breeze when you just want a swim! A beautiful way to be with friends…read moreand keep romance going in your heart! My aunt Gin came with us to give us a good breakfast. It was a surprise that we go to the freezer for ice cream for breakfast! She wanted to help out with the FUN of being here! We all loved it here! Thank you!

A hidden gem of a beach. Less crowed than most of the beaches around. There's a man made ref you…read morecan paddle or biggie board out to as well and see lots of cool fish. A tram runs every 1/2 hour to take you from the parking lot down to the beach.

Pristine beaches. Well preserved coastal Dunes. Miles of…read moresoft trails for running and hiking. Oh, and near perfect weather in late November. What's not to love about the Topsail Preserve Nature Park?! Having rented a house to quarantine in place with my mother - who lives not far from the area - I decided to venture out one day. Now, coming from the Pacific NW - I was very sensitive to protecting myself and others by wearing a mask and maintaining physical distancing. This is, however, the panhandle of Florida and the attention to public health science seems to be forgotten. On a Monday afternoon in the height of a second wave of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic on a run through the area, I was the only person with a mask . . . and I was running. The tram that connects the parking lot to the beach passed me with a full compliment of passengers - no one wearing a mask or physical distancing. So I guess all of this is to say - Topsail is a beautiful beach park with a swath of pristinely preserved coastal nature - but perhaps wait until the case load decreases on the panhandle and/or we have better preventive options for protection (I.e. a vaccine) before venturing.

The pool is horrible. Too crowded, cant sit on the edge with a drink, concession line is so long…read more If you want a beach that isn't crowded you have to go down to another beach. Sad it's grown so much. When we came 10 years ago it was wonderful. Overdeveloped, overcrowded

Absolutely beautiful beach! The white sands and the clear blue waters were a dream come true. With…read moreperfect weather, it was the best area. There are beach chair rentals you can reserve, or you can bring your own chairs/tents/umbrellas. There do have the police driving up and down the beach frequently to ensure no laws are being broken. It shouldn't be hard, but for some a respect for nature has completely died. You would think people would pick up their own trash, not use glass bottles, you know leave without any footprints ? It's amazing to see how well kept this beach is, and for those who are inconsiderate and don't think to clean up after themselves typically the locals or the police will give you a reminder. For us it was no problem at all, we did mention it to a few of the younger crowds to make sure they threw their trash away and bottles and cans. Leave it clean so it will stay beautiful!

What a lovely stroll the Okaloosa Island Pier afforded us on our recent trip to the Fort Walton…read moreBeach area. For a nominal fee of a couple dollars per person, you can enjoy a walk out on this wonderfully maintained pier, affording you beautiful views of the water and beach. Seriously, what's not to love? There are folks who fish from the pier and you may do so but the pier charge is a bit more for that. It was fun to see the anglers wetting their lines while we strolled by. I believe you can even rent fishing gear right on the spot if you're traveling and don't have it with you. For us, we just enjoyed the peace and serenity of strolling down the pier and then doing a little ocean gazing. Get to it!

We saw the pier while on the beach and decided to go the next day. It's $2 to walk and $8 to fish,…read moreand we really should've realized while in line that it was primarily a fishing spot. People walked by with all their catches and everything. We each paid the $2 to walk anyway, and the entire pier is lined with people fishing! We did go during Memorial Day weekend, so I understand this is a busier time, but wow. It made for a smelly walk. Only the area near the shore had space for taking photos, so we were off the pier in like 10 minutes. Going for the sunset seemed great until actually being there, but we did learn from the signs on the pier that they would have a firework show, which we came back for. The firework show was about 5-ish minutes long, but it was great! They go all out at the end, so there's a lot of fireworks going off.

Lots of parking, clean beach, and plenty of space when we went in October…read more The showers are out in the open, but was great to clean off the sand from our feet. No soap is allowed while showering. We went twice and the first time the gate attendant was a volunteer and the second time a ranger. Both times were very pleasant. I would visit again for a Destin trip. The parking is easy, the water is beautiful, and the sandbar is great for kids.

Pay to get in, buuuut plenty of parking and bathrooms available. They have rinse-off stations but…read morethey're basically low pressure misters. Only 2 out of 3 were working when we went and because of the low pressure, there was a long line of people waiting their turn to rinse off. There is zero shade here so definitely bring umbrella or some sort of shade option because the sun is brutal! The water though? Absolutely perfect! Crystal clear, refreshing swim with very mellow waves. We thoroughly enjoyed our visit and will definitely visit again!

Easy entry and exit. Beach was full but plenty or room for everyone so it still didn't feel like…read moreyou were close to each other.

Beautiful beaches with free public parking. May get a little difficult to find parking during peak…read morehours. We came on a Thursday morning and the beach was packed with people. Clean, white soft sands. Water is beautiful and clear. The gulf is beautiful in the Florida panhandle. Nice deck to get onto the beaches. I can see why it is packed since the beaches are beautiful.

We are staying at a condo that is right next to the beach. Last night we decided to go to the beach…read moreand watching the sunset. It is kind of cold at night during march. The sands were so soft and floury in texture. This place was not too busy at the evening time, which was nice, probably due to weather.

We drove over to Crystal Sands Beach after a track meet in Jacksonville, FL. This was the first…read morebeach I've been to in the Panhandle area. It was a great introduction. White sand, clear water and very peaceful. Definitely coming back soon!