All 13 of them — not the five or six everyone else lists. Parking counts, what it costs, and which ones actually have a bathroom, taken from the city, the county and the state rather than from other travel sites.
Showing all 13 beaches
The only free parking left on Scenic 98, and the newest park in the city.
Free · 49 spaces +3 ADA, +29 golf cart
2.04 acres · 344 ft of Gulf front
Full guide →170 free spaces, 41 picnic tables, a playground and the Crab Trap on site.
Free · 170 spaces +6 ADA
6.6 acres · quarter mile of beach
30-foot dunes and a mile of shoreline — but you must book a day-use pass before you drive over.
$6 per vehicle · 422 spaces +20 ADA, +24 RV
213 acres · 1.2 miles of shoreline
One of only three places in Destin that keeps a free beach wheelchair.
$20 / 4 hours · 70 spaces
0.29 acres · 80 ft of shoreline
Reopened in March after a $15M rebuild. Boardwalk loops the whole point, looking across at Crab Island.
$20 / 4 hours · 27 spaces
9.27 acres · 0.67 miles of shoreline
Covered pavilion and full facilities, but nine parking spaces. Arrive early or walk in.
$20 / 4 hours · 9 spaces
0.43 acres · 65 ft of shoreline
Keeps a free beach wheelchair. Beyond that the city publishes nothing about it.
$20 / 4 hours · count not published
Showers are the single amenity the city confirms here.
$20 / 4 hours · count not published
Front row on Destin Pass, walking distance to the jetties and the snorkel spot.
$20 / 4 hours · count not published
The city lists a cross street and nothing else. We are going to go and find out.
$20 / 4 hours · count not published
No amenities published, no parking count, not even a fee listed. A genuine blank.
$20 / 4 hours · count not published
Confusingly named — it is on Scenic 98 by Restaurant Row, not on Calhoun Avenue.
$20 / 4 hours · count not published
Listed as its own trail but sits about 50 metres from June White Decker. It may be the same walkover.
$20 / 4 hours · count not published
An orange chip means nobody publishes it. Not the city, not the county, not the tourism board. 7 of these 13 accesses have no parking count anywhere in public record, and most of the eight beach trails list a cross street and nothing else. We're walking them and filling the gaps — if you've been to one recently and know the answer, tell us.
Lifeguard stations, beach access points, wheelchair access and pet-friendly beaches, all on one clickable map.
The Destin Fire Control District keeps three beach wheelchairs, free to borrow, Memorial Day through Labor Day. They're at James Lee Park, the Shirah Street access and June White Decker Park — and they can't be moved between locations, so pick your beach around the chair rather than the other way round.
Reserve at least 24 hours ahead on (850) 837-8413. Chairs aren't issued under a red flag.
Henderson Beach State Park runs its own separate program — collect a key from the park office during opening hours and return it the same day. That one isn't seasonal.
Destin sits in Okaloosa County, which has the strictest beach rules on the Emerald Coast. If you've stayed in Miramar Beach or on 30A before, several of these will be different from what you're used to — and the county line runs right past James Lee Park.
Thirteen. The City of Destin maintains three beach parks and eight beach trails, plus James Lee Park (Okaloosa County) and Henderson Beach State Park sit inside the city limits. Most guides list five or six.
Mostly no. Destin began charging on March 1, 2026 — $20 per four hours along the whole Scenic Highway 98 corridor. Two accesses still have free parking: Tarpon Beach Gulf Front Park and James Lee Park. Henderson Beach State Park charges $6 per vehicle to enter rather than hourly parking, and now also requires a day-use reservation.
Henderson Beach State Park, with 422 day-use spaces plus 20 ADA and 24 RV spaces — but it now requires a day-use reservation booked in advance. Of the free lots, James Lee Park is largest at 170 spaces plus 6 ADA.
No. Dogs are not allowed on any beach in Destin or Okaloosa County, and emotional support animals are specifically excluded — service animals only. Walton County, which begins about a mile east of James Lee Park, permits dogs but only for Walton County residents and property owners who hold a permit.
Three locations: James Lee Park, the Shirah Street access, and June White Decker Park. The Destin Fire Control District runs the program from Memorial Day through Labor Day, free, with 24 hours notice on (850) 837-8413. Chairs cannot be moved between locations and are unavailable under a red flag.
No. Bonfires are illegal on all Destin beaches under Okaloosa County Ordinance 79-41. The Destin City Council considered a permit system and the proposal died in July 2025. Legal permitted bonfires happen in Walton County through the South Walton Fire District.
Check the flag first — it's the one thing that changes daily and the one thing that ruins a beach day.
Last checked August 2026. Parking prices, lifeguard seasons and the Henderson reservation requirement all change — we re-check this page each season. Sources: City of Destin, Okaloosa County, Florida DEP and Florida State Parks.