Gulf Island National Seashore

Like other reviews, this beach is very beautiful and peaceful. The water is so crystal clear and the sand is so white. So relaxing! :”) I can spend a whole day being on the beach! :”)

This is a beautiful, clean, uncrowded way to enjoy this part of FL. We were on a stretch called Opal Beach between Navarre and Pensacola. There are nice facilities and picnic pavilions. Parking is close to beach. Be prepared with exactly $ 15 for the entrance fee, they would not make change. Bring goggles and a net for the kids, we saw many small schools of fish. Had a blast on boogie boards and on a inner tube.

No mini-​golf. No bumper car rides. No chain restaurants. The Gulf Island National Seashore is a welcome respite from the frantic pace of the tourist-​centric beach towns in Florida’s panhandle. Leave your electronic devices at home and unplug to enjoy nature at its finest. Emerald green water, white sugar sand and lots of space to find your special place on the beach to relax for an hour or the day.

Incredibly Peaceful and Relaxing
This beach can be described in one word — wow. As you drive into the preserve, all you see is dunes, beaches, and the ocean as you ride around and slow down for shorebird nesting sites. When you stop at one of the parking areas, there are maybe only three to five cars around you. The waters are beautiful and the area is so peaceful. It is amazing that a place like this exists when you can still see some high-​rises in the distance in Pensacola. It is nice to be able to sit down hearing nothing but the waves and wind, and if you look closely, you might even see some wildlife right in front of you! Also, make sure to enter by Navarre for the best private beach experience!
I give the Gulf Islands National Seashore four stars only because it is a bit of a drive from the vacation hotspot of the Destin area, but completely worth that drive.

Absolutely loved this unique beach experience. All natural! Will be back hopefully on a day it’s not so windy, to explore and take more time for pics and beach enjoyment! Beyond words! So incredibly beautiful and natural.

Again, this is NOT a landmark or a historic site. It IS a beach preserve spanning miles and under the purview of the U.S. government. Hello???
This is an absolutely beautiful area, whether it’s the coastline, the sound between the barrier island and terra firma, the trees and the vegetation, or just the smell of the surf, the sand, and the air.
There’s no changing one’s mind here. This is clearly a 5 star event!