The Okaloosa County Board of Commissioners approved sending a letter of intent to Eglin Air Force Base on Tuesday to explore managing and operating Eglin Beach Park near the Destin Bridge.

• The park, which currently operates as a military-only facility, is open for approximately eight hours daily during the 100 days between Memorial Day and Labor Day. The site includes 140 paved parking spaces, two restroom facilities, four pavilions, ADA access, boardwalks and a large deck area.

Chairman Paul Mixon said the county plans several improvements to enhance the facility.

• “There’s some facility improvements and also limited parking improvements that need to take place,” Mixon said. “It’s not a guarded beach, so we would definitely be bringing lifeguards. The concessions are limited and so we would be bringing a more robust concession schedule.”

The park would operate year-round from sunrise to sunset under county management, rather than the current limited summer schedule.

A key feature of the plan involves implementing paid parking, with revenues benefiting military recreation. “That paid parking is what would be used to enhance some of the recreational activity within their military community because they would be able to use it for projects that they have on base,” Mixon said.

The park’s unique location offers distinct advantages for public access, according to Mixon.

• “Unlike any other beach access that we have throughout the county, this does not have a hotel, lodging facility or a condominium within walking distance,” he said. “So this will be a drive-up or potentially a bike-to, with the new bike path that’s to come.”

The project will be funded through tourist development dollars rather than general funds, with costs expected to be front loaded by tourism development and repaid over time.

Mixon emphasized the significance of the growing partnership between the county and Eglin AFB.

• “We’re doing things now as a county with our military partners that have never been done before,” he said. “The value of this partnership is stellar, and it’s something that our county and our communities have never seen before.”

The county is pursuing both an Intergovernmental Support Agreement for operations and a 30-year lease agreement to allow for capital improvements. Any final agreements would require approval from both military leadership and county commissioners.

The project follows last year’s letter of intent regarding the adjacent East Pass Park, known locally as “Redneck Beach,” which has been closed since 2020.