Okaloosa County and City of Destin officials cut the ribbon Wednesday morning on Tarpon Beach Gulf Front Park, completing a yearslong effort to expand public beach access along Scenic Highway 98.
- The park, located at 3310 Scenic Highway 98, adds 340 feet of beachfront access with free parking, bathrooms and four pavilions. The $16.96 million project was funded through tourism revenue shared between the city and county.
“Our generation has gotten to enjoy these amenities,” said Okaloosa County Board Chairman Trey Goodwin. “But what about those coming behind us? What about those Okaloosa County and Destin residents who are young, born here, but haven’t had their chance to really relish what God put on this earth and has blessed us with?”
Goodwin said the park is built to current code, designed to withstand hurricanes and will serve residents and visitors for years to come.
- “Thank goodness there won’t be a condo here or a hotel,” Goodwin said. “This is going to be open and accessible so that they can come in the future.”
Destin Councilman Kevin Schmidt, who opened the ceremony, said expanding beachfront access has been a council priority that predates his six years on the board.
“Beachfront access was a priority that was set by many city council members before I got there, and it continued to be a main priority for a lot of us that are still there today, all of us,” Schmidt said.
Schmidt pointed to the nearby Crystal Beach Access project as the first step in that effort and credited the Trust for Public Land for bringing the Tarpon Beach parcel to the city and county’s attention.
- “I think we acted pretty quickly on it,” Schmidt said.
He said the project came together through years of work from former and current council members, county commissioners and staff at both governments.
“Most importantly, former and current staff members across both city and county who work tirelessly behind the doors to make all this stuff happen,” Schmidt said. “It’s just amazing to be here at the end.”
The park includes 49 standard parking spaces, three ADA-accessible spaces and 29 low-speed vehicle spaces.
Destin Chamber of Commerce CEO Shane Moody said the ribbon-cutting marked the sixth park dedication in the city in six years.
“If you think about a city this size, that’s a tremendous count,” Moody said. “It just continues to add to the list of big city amenities that this small community has.”
Commissioner Drew Palmer said the park gives residents an area of beach free from commercial beach chair setups.
“I walked out to the beach earlier, and I looked to my left and I looked to my right, and I saw the chairs already set up,” Palmer said. “This is an area where we will not have that. And to me, that is an enormous win.”
Destin Fire Control District Deputy Chief Mike Landis thanked the city and county for designing the park with first responder access in mind, including dedicated parking for on-duty lifeguards. He said a lifeguard tower has been positioned just west of the park.
“The more public parks we have here is just the better for our community,” Landis said. “Swim near a lifeguard, and we want to do our part to make sure the lifeguards are here.”
The Trust for Public Land served as the lead agency that negotiated the purchase of the properties for the project. The park is part of a broader initiative between the city and county to expand public beach access in Destin using tourism revenue, which previously included the Crystal Beach Access project nearby.
The Destin City Council approved the development order for the park in November 2024. A groundbreaking ceremony was held on July 7, 2025.
