Resources
Resources for exploring the area
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About Fort Walton Beach
One of the largest and oldest communities in Okaloosa County, Fort Walton Beach sits between Choctawhatchee Bay and the Gulf of Mexico.
Extensive recreation opportunities await at Eglin Air Force Base and surrounding natural lands in the region.
Trails and Parks near Fort Walton Beach
Florida Trail, Eglin East 41.8 miles. Simultaneously rugged and scenic: that's the beauty of a backpacking trip across the Alaqua, Catface, and Titi sections of the Florida Trail in Eglin Air Force Base.
Fred Gannon Rocky Bayou State Park Hugging the eastern shore of Rocky Bayou, this beautiful state park preserves both shoreline and forested uplands along a estuarine arm of Choctawhatchee Bay. 
Henderson Beach Nature Trail Showcasing a ridge of dunes in Destin, the nature trail at Henderson Beach State Park leads you through bright sands in coastal scrub and maritime forest.
Henderson Beach State Park Dunes as white as ski slopes tumble towards the Gulf of Mexico at Henderson Beach State Park, a precious slice of natural waterfront along the crowded sweep of developed beaches in Destin.
Oak Tree Nature Park A canopied oasis occupying a city block east of Hurlburt Field, Oak Tree Nature Park surrounds the floodplain of Silver Sands Creek along US 98.
Okaloosa Area A broad sweep of beach and coastal habitats are protected along Choctawhatchee Bay within the Okaloosa Area, the easternmost unit of Gulf Islands National Seashore.
Oklaloosa Island Veterans Park Adjoining Ross Mahler Park along Choctawhatchee Bay, Veterans Park hosts an important rookery for great blue herons and a unique Women's Veteran Memorial amid the dunes.
Rocky Bayou Hiking Trails Explore the uplands of Fred Gannon Rocky Bayou State Park in Niceville on a trio of showy nature trails that can be interconnected into a 3.3 mile day hike. 
Topsail Hill Preserve Hiking Trails Along with views of three miles of protected coastline on the Gulf of Mexico, the extensive hiking trail system at Topsail Hill Preserve State Park delves into dozens of unique biomes around two coastal dune lakes.
Topsail Hill Preserve State Park With one of Florida's most beautiful sweeps of beach, Topsail Hill Preserve State Park is a linear preserve with tall dunes along three miles of shoreline.
Turkey Creek Walk A clear tannic stream draining 67 square miles of forests in the sandhills encompassed by Eglin Air Force Base, Turkey Creek is the centerpiece of a linear boardwalk in Niceville.