You have to try this spot! It is known to locals, as we were told to go visit this spot by a family…read morewe had visited with on the pier near Okaloosa Island. We were in search of dolphins and sharks, and the gal who told us about this local spot mentioned that she has always seen tons of wildlife in this area. It was not too difficult to find, but it took a little bit of looking at the map to locate. It is located right off Gulf Shores Drive. Know that this road dead ends, but it is located right before the dead end. You can pay to park on the street, and the small beach trail is located on the left.. Follow the path through a narrow opening, and it leads you to the bay. Crazy enough, this is where all the sunset dolphin tours go to search for the dolphins. You can't beat the location, as it only cost five dollars to park! You get the same view as the sunset dolphin cruise boats. Unfortunately, due to the hurricane, the bay was quite rough. We were not able to see anything, but I realize that is very uncharacteristic to this area. Due to the hurricane, the waters were rough and filled with dirt. The natural emerald like color was a replaced with dark, murky waters. It was still a wonderful spot to see the sunset! You could climb up onto the rocks and just watch the sun disappear beyond the bay. I definitely will go back! We met a nice local at the spot, and we were told that this is the perfect place to find decent size seashells. I think this would've been a completely different experience if the water were clear and the waves were not as rough. We were also told that around the rocks, around the perimeter of the bay, sharks are sometimes seen stocking their prey. I'm sure there were some in the water, but like I said, due to the hurricane, visibility was rough. It is definitely a hidden gem, and I cannot wait to go back!

Came down here for sunset. We walked down to the jetty and saw some dolphins. Really pretty. I…read moredidn't see any bathrooms. I think you are supposed to pay to park.

One of the local parks we checked out while visiting down here. It is definitely perfect for…read morefishing and going for a jog. There is no playground here for children so this is actually a perfect place for adults. You could bring your kids but, bring their own toys because again no playground here. It is also a perfect place for sightseeing and watching fighter jets practice their flying from Eglin AFB. This is a park I would definitely visit regularly if I lived here. Very clean and well maintained. Will be back next visit.

Beautiful, quiet with access to approximately 3 grills. Frogs go crazy at 8pm lol......read more

We're beach people. 100%. We do an annual beach vacation, usually as a family. Mostly, we've…read morebeen on either end of Panama City Beach, but we decided to be different this year. We prefer a more quiet, relaxed beach atmosphere (versus anything like Spring Break). Navarre Beach is that. WAY fewer condos = way fewer people. Don't get me wrong - there's people there. It's just not crazy. The supporting infrastructure (Navarre Beach, and Navarre itself) don't offer up a ton. They have the necessities (a Walgreens, some grocery stores, a decent donut shop...), but lack some of the more touristy things you might want (mini golf, for example - you'll need to drive 30 minutes east or west to find that). Wife wife likes shelling. We've seen better shelling, but she kept busy. :)

We came to the area to visit friends who live here and they brought us to Navarre Beach a couple of…read moredays. We'd never heard of Navarre Beach, but we definitely enjoyed visiting it! We really liked that it wasn't very touristy (tourists are the WORST! Especially when they act like tourists!!) The beach was very clean and there were even public restrooms in the places we went and those were clean too. Something fun about the beach is that the home of the Blue Angels is nearby, so they do fly overs at this beach when returning home - this is awesome!! Definitely would like to return!!!

Beautiful white beach. Life guards. Free parking!!…read moreJust bring your self and relax. Sunscreen is a must. Bags for shelling. Towels and water a must!! Who wants to buy anything while chilling out? Not me!! Snorkeling?!? Why not bring all of it!

Every year we visit Ft Walton Beach, we make it point to visit Ross Marler Lark! We spend the day…read morebar-b-queuing and enjoying the shallows. This year, the new Beach Preservation rocks were added. I rather enjoyed the calmer water and the scenery. It was so relaxing! We definitely will be coming back again every year!

Hosted my daughter's 4th birthday here over the weekend, and it was everything I hoped for! Renting…read morePavilion 1 (the larger of the two and closer to the entrance) was easy, affordable, and offered the perfect amount of shade and clean space for our party. We were also given two reserved parking spots, which was a huge perk -- no scrambling for parking meant one less thing to worry about on party day! Lisa, the community director, was incredibly friendly and helpful when I called to ask about the splash pad. I was relying on it being operational, and although it occasionally has circuit breaker issues, we had no problems that day. The weather was beautiful, the park was clean, and guests also enjoyed the beach -- with stunning views of Crab Island and that signature aqua water. We had such a great experience and would absolutely recommend this spot to others looking for a fun, low-stress location for a kid's party!

Perfect small park to getaway from the crowds. I was looking for somewhere to take pics at sunset…read moreand this park was recommended. It's a beautiful spot on the water with lots of trees and a dock area. It's also a nesting site for gray herons. There are multiple nests and the herons are very active. There is a children's play area plus a splash pad so something for everyone. Definitely check it out!

A small but beautiful Park with boat launch along boggy bayou in Niceville. It's a great place for…read moresunsets or simply relaxing the day away. Sports several table areas and enough green perfect for frisbee or other lights sports without being too much in the way. It's clearly a beloved spot as there's always people about.

Beautiful well kept park. Spread out covered picnic tables,…read morebig trees, and water views are great! We've been here twice during our trips to Destin.

Opal beach is by far my most favorite beach in the Pensacola and not as over crowded as some…read moreothers. Opal beach offers two 'entrances' one is free but doesn't have any facilities. The other is part of the file islands national seashore and charges a small entry fee per car. Big plus: military ID card holders enter for free. This one has gazebos, bbq grills and facilities. What I absolutely love is how clean this beach is and the clear blue water. It's a perfect place to chill.

OMG it's beautiful here. Crystal blue water. White sand. And no one at this beach. Love the…read moreprivacy. Great day to lay out on the beach and listen to tunes as loud as I like.

Just the beach I needed today. Tranquil and beautiful. Here The sand stretches like powdered sugar…read morebeneath your feet, while the water changes colors throughout the day, from pale jade in the morning to deep emerald beneath the afternoon sun. Pelicans glide low across the surf, and if you're lucky, a dolphin may appear briefly on the horizon before disappearing into the blue. Parking was easy. No crowds, just the place that feels like it's your own.

Eglin Matterhorn Beach is a natural beautiful beach. What they have you may not able to find it…read moreanywhere in United States. The sand is white and fine white sand. This is the best kept secrete at Destin Florida. The access has the walk through the Gulf Island National Seashore sand dune to the beach. The sand dune is very beautiful. Sand is very soft. This is the best place for sand dune pictures. The beach has no facilities. No life guard. They do have number to call in case of emergency. They do ask you to refer to Eglin Matterhorn so the emergency service can locate you which park of the Okaloosa Island. The dune is protected. They don't allow people to walk on it due to protected species. I do like the dune and beach at this location.