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.
20 Responses
Please make it open to the public for certain hours, so all tax payers can enjoy.
How about you join the military and do something for your country?
Absolutely NOT. It’s an ideal place think about it, for wounded warriors to enjoy the beach. They have helped give us our freedom. Let them have this one pleasure in life and not have the hassle of public crowds. The military people pay taxes too. Did you put your life on the line? Stop complaining people! Leave the property alone politicians
NO!
Absolutely not! The military has very little away from the bases. There is more than enough beach access for public access. Don’t do this. Once gone, it’s gone.
No way!
‘Please make it open to the public for certain hours, so all tax payers can enjoy.’
It should be reserved for all MILITARY SERVICE PERSONNEL WHOM SERVE AND HAVE SERVED.
RESPECT!
Oh hell no! We need to let our voices known. Enough is enough. Fill up all that crap you all have Destroyed Destin with first. Leave what’s left if the beach alone
Leave it alone! The military should have a safe place to enjoy the beach. This would be a large expense for the county. Just leave it as is.
Yes, keep it for the military. I have no problem with that at all. As long as the project is funded with revenue from tourist development and not ‘general funds’ which I take to mean the taxpayer. If not funded from tourist development or other similar avenue, then it should be open to the general public.
ABSOLUTELY NOT! There doesn’t need to be another beach ruined by putting condos, water sport rentals, trash and selfish people tearing the environment up! There’s a reason the base Commander shut down the public access to the area by the Destin bridge! This isn’t about “ benefiting the military or people enjoying an undisturbed beach.” This is about County Commissioners lining their pockets as well as their friends at the expense of yet another natural resource you haven’t been able to ruin! DO NOT sell out our beaches Eglin, please!
Can we just leave well enough alone. I have been here since 1980 and this has always been a beach for military families. First the NCO Beach Club then open to all military card holders. I always enjoy going there because it was a place that I did not have to fight the tourist for a space on the beach.
There are enough opportunities for tourist and locals to get to the beach. Please do not take this away from the military communities.
Absolutely not .. let the military keep the land so the military families can enjoy a private area to themselves! When I first moved here there was a NCO beach club there taken out by a hurricane .. it was so nice for the military to be able to go there with family ! Give it to Okaloosa county eventually more money will come into play (cause we know how money talks) they’ll end up putting a condo there !! Leave that little piece of paradise for our military who are stationed here.. they keep this place going during the winter months spending their paychecks on various local businesses!
DO NOT DO THIS! The Eglin Beach park is one of the few areas in Destin that has not been overrun with tourist. This has been one of my family’s favorite things about being stationed at Eglin. Also, it is non just for military. Anyone with a DoD ID (active duty, retired, civilians) can access the park so there is already plenty of people in the Destin area that can use the facility.
Don’t do this!! Keep this property for the military. The public will trash it just like they did at the foot of the Destin bridge and the military closed it down.
This parcel needs to remain as a military asset.
I can’t imagine Eglin will allow this. I sure hope this is just wishful thinking. This would completely ruin this lovely beach and I’m sorry but we military/veterans served and sacrificed a lot for this simple benefit. Leave Eglin Beach Park alone, you have enough public beaches that I can’t get near in the summer.
This is for military personnel who have given their time to serve this nation. If Eglin allows the county to take over this park military personnel would have limited access to the beach. The county wants to add vendors to the park, which would have beach chairs set up and would give no access to the beach front as has happen to all county beaches. This is a quaint spot for military personnel to enjoy the beach. The county can not have access to the right of the Destin bridge, so now they are trying to get there hands on this property.
no no no…. please keep this for the military and their families. Thank you. (and another PAID parking area?! ) Soon it would become like all other the areas here all summer, and holiday weekends, and spring breaks…unavailable to the locals and our military community. Shame on you for trying to monetize this area.
DON’T DO IT!! As a DAV, I hate crowds and cannot enjoy the beach when busy. Having this military only gem gives me a place to not have to watch my back even on the busiest beach days.
Please Eglin AFB don’t let it turn public. It would become another Wayside Park. Okaloosa county takes care of nothing. It’s all but impossible to park on holidays and weekends as it is. It’s the nicest beach in Okaloosa county as it is. Quiet , clean and family oriented. That will all change.