Opal Beach
Navarre Beach, FL
Opal Beach is the swimming area inside the Santa Rosa Area of Gulf Islands National Seashore, a stretch of undeveloped barrier island between Pensacola Beach and Navarre Beach with none of the hotels or condos found on either side. Five clusters of pavilions and restrooms are spaced along the shoreline, but past them it's just dune grass and open Gulf for miles in both directions.
Miles of undeveloped shoreline between two built up beach towns is hard to find anywhere else on this coast, though the lack of a store or restaurant means bringing everything you'll want for the day.
How we score beachesWalk past the first pavilion cluster if the parking lot right there looks full, there are four more spread down the shoreline and the sand doesn't change much between them. Lifeguards are only posted Memorial Day through Labor Day, so plan around that if you're visiting in the shoulder seasons.
A Gulf Islands National Seashore vehicle pass, in the 20 to 25 dollar range for seven days, covers Opal Beach along with Fort Pickens and Johnson Beach if you're island hopping that week. The two main lots rarely fill outside of a holiday weekend.
Boardwalks cross the dunes from each parking cluster straight to the sand, flat enough for a stroller most of the way. Restrooms and outdoor showers sit right at the base of each boardwalk.
Pets are not allowed on the sand at Opal Beach, part of the Gulf Islands National Seashore's Santa Rosa Area.
The gap between spring break and the July crowds, roughly April into early June, tends to be when the water runs warm and the sand still feels empty. By late summer the Gulf here climbs into the mid 80s, right alongside the peak of hurricane season.
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