Destin, Florida is a city in NW Florida located in the Panhandle. They have gained notoriety as the beaches are magical with Emerald Waters and Powdery White Sand. Interesting fact, the sand is that way from granite deposits that flow from North GA and beyond all the way down into the Gulf as silt. Because of the beaches, the area attracts more and more tourist every year and IMO is getting more luxurious as the years go by. I've noticed better restaurants, more aesthetically pleasing looking buildings and just a more upscale feel with each visit. I'm writing this here because I noticed many of the beaches along the 6 mile coast are PRIVATE. I'm not sure which beach to actually post this review but I find that simply horrible, ridiculous, backwards and restrictive! Who adds gates with Codes to a beach?!?! I can understand a handful of properties and major resorts but to secure majority of the coastline with Controlled Access? In my particular visit I stayed at a resort and had the codes for entry/exit but found many people having difficulty simply getting to the beach! I don't think they knew the beaches would have controlled Access! Even to exit, you need a code! That's shameful! It was frustrating to see people struggle with umbrellas/coolers and chairs only to have to find the Public Beach and have to walk back to their car. May I add the city also doesn't have any form of boardwalk to enjoy a long walk down the coast or some form of transportation to maneuver the public/private beaches! You're basically on your own! I'm curious Who/When/How that got approved because that's definitely some backwards N. Florida, My Property, ME, ME, ME planning! I'm not a resident but I believe some things on this planet are public and Imo a beach is one of them! Plus their has to be better ways to protect and maintain these beaches than blocking them off from the general public. Any who, for anybody planning a Trip to Destin, Please do your homework! Visit the website below which has hyperlinks for all the beaches which explains access points/fees/sizes of the beach and more details. I'll also attach a picture which shows a few of the main Public Beaches. It does appear the largest beach is Henderson Beach with1.22 miles of shoreline. Seems like the general "Dump the masses" area. The others are significantly smaller! smh. Any who I hope this helps! One Last detail, We had many umbrellas and chairs however this was literally the 1st beach that didn't have Umbrellas for sale on the beach. It's just very restrictive down there and is worthy of a review! https://www.cityofdestin.com/281/Beach-Information read more

James Lee Park - Beaches Near Me - Destin, Florida

Great beach there's a restaurant at the park The Crab Trap. Very expensive one drink was $19, the beach is very nice has very fine soft white sand great place for kids the water is calm 50 yards of shore still waste deep. There is also a restroom and cloth changing station. read more

James Lee Park - Beach view - Beaches Near Me - Destin, Florida

Beach was beautiful.... Picnic tables available and lots of parking. Only complaint was they should add showers to rinse off your feet read more

James Lee Park - Pathway to beach - Beaches Near Me - Destin, Florida

Convenient parking. There are bathrooms but not as conveniently located. Nice pavilions if you want to take a break from the sun and eat a picnic. read more

Nice family beach, clean & quiet. Perfect day to snorkel & get some vitamin D...just what the doctor ordered! read more

James Lee Park - Beaches Near Me - Destin, Florida

See all

This is the closest section of beach to our rental house. Everything I said about Destin Beaches still apply here. Beautiful, pristine, clean, clear, and warm! However, I have to double up on Frank G.'s review and agree with him about "The Man." Don't let The Man get you down! There are intimidating rope fences put up along with official looking signs telling public beach goers that it is "private" and something something "Git off mah lawn!" type of language. IT'S A PUBLIC BEACH. GET OVER IT. It definitely did a good job keeping most people out, but my group still had a good time tossing a frisbee around, and frolicking around the sand like normal beach goers. We picked up after our mess and left no traces behind. If you guys really did own the beach, you'd make more use out of it! We're just taking advantage of the beautiful landscape nature and the ocean provided us. The ropes and the signs are off-putting and really take away for the pristine beauty of it all. Damn the Man. read more

Are final destination of our Gulf coast road trip... This is one of many public beaches in Destin... After goggling and a list of public beaches popped up I selected James Lee park... I was very pleased with my pick... I found the beach to be very nice and not overly crowded... The sand and water was beautiful... We parked at the crab trap and set up on the beach directly behind the restaurant... The bathrooms and wash spots were adjacent to the restaurant... We rented two chains and a umbrella on the beach for the day... If you don't want to do the picnic thing the restaurant would be a convenient choice for food and adult beverages... read more

See all

It was just okay. Very small public beach area. All the condo areas were roped off. We did not enjoy. This is my least favorite beach access

It's hard to find a "public beach" in the Destin area, but James Lee Park is one of the better choices. It features a large parking lot, covered pavilions with picnic tables, showers and bathrooms. There's also plenty of trash bins, so you can pick up after yourselves and not leave trash on the beautiful beaches (This means you!). There are only a few rules aside from your typical laws, like no glass, no fires, no pets and no overnight structures on the beach. Otherwise, you're good to go. Swimming, surfing, fishing, kayaking, paddle boarding and sunbathing are all available (surf boards, kayaks, kayaking equipment, paddle boards, paddle boarding equipment and sun bathing equipment not included...you have to bring your own). There's also a large seafood restaurant with a beach bar on the East end of the park in case you get hungry or thirsty. To the immediate West of the park is a "private beach" "owned" by The Man (house owners). The Man doesn't want you on the beach behind His house. So The Man has posted disgusting, annoying signs in excess all over the edge of the park, proclaiming that you aren't allowed on The Man's beach. Let me let you guys in on something: As long as you are within 20 feet of the average high tide water line, you are allowed on the beach. Let me repeat that for you: As long as you are with 20 feet of the high tide line, YOU ARE ALLOWED ON THAT BEACH. IT IS PUBLIC. This argument went to the Supreme Court years ago, and it's everyone's beach. I'm only informing you this because James Lee Park gets crowded during the peak season, and all of the public beach accesses seem to have this problem. As long as you are following the aforementioned rules, clean up after yourself and follow the local laws, please enjoy the beautiful Destin beaches. Damn The Man. read more

See all

Beautiful!! White sand and clear water. A local said the sand is made from quartz. It squeaks when you walk on it. Very fine, and very awesome. The water is super warm, too. You can rent 2 beach chairs under an umbrella for $25 all day. We asked for the hourly rate and paid $10 for an hr, but we're probably there 1.5 and they didn't care. Can also rent kayaks and some other things. They have restrooms, changing rooms, and showers. Also a restaurant there. Parking was tough. We didn't find anything until our 3rd loop, and luckily it was right next to the restroom (middle of the LONG lot). read more

Lots of fun. Parking was plentiful but likely a nightmare when the world is fully open again .

It is definitely a nice and relaxing part of Destin that my coworker and I went to for a kickback. It is near a private property, but James Lee Park is public and welcomes everyone. Soft and pretty sand for your toes. Nice warm water for a swim. Lay down your towel, grab a few drinks and play some tunes in the background. It was not too crowded when I went here and it was definitely a nicer, more quiet section of the beach to avoid the tourists further down. read more

Wonderful beach! Just make sure to get there early to setup before the beach trolls go up and down taking up all the goods spots placing their pay for chairs/umbrellas everywhere. read more