Okaloosa Island's Marler Park

I rode over to Okaloosa Island the other day to wander around Marler Park.






The park has been here for ages but in the past several years the County has made significant improvements, turning it into an incredible place to spend the day.

The park sprawls around a point where Santa Rosa Sound meets Choctawhatchee Bay which is nice because you can fish in the Sound or swim and launch your boat in the Bay.

On the Sound side is a nice fishing pier and I know this is a great spot to catch something tasty.






It's not a bad place to sit and watch boats go by either.



Sadly, the park closes at dark so there is no night fishing but there's plenty to be caught during the day as well. 

The Bay side of the park is beautiful with lots of picnic pavillions, BBQ grills and a shower.








The sandy beach on the Bay side has quite a bit of shallow water in front of it and lots of shade, making it a great place for kids.




And if they get tired of playing on the beach, they can walk up to the huge playground in the middle of the park.









I was really happy to see that the play structures were covered. When my kids were little very few playgrounds had covers and the equipment would be too hot to play on.

Near the playground is a picnic trellis, more picnic pavillions with grills and a large restroom.









On the eastern edge of the park is a deepwater boat launch with a restroom and a huge overflow lot for trailer parking.







The western side of the dock is scheduled for repair soon.











This is such a large and beautiful park that it would be the perfect spot for a wedding, family reunion or any kind of party.





If you get a chance to spend some time on Okaloosa Island, be sure to check out Marler Park. 
You'll love it. 



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