Florida / Choctawhatchee Bay /

Gulf Islands National Seashore - Okaloosa Day Use Area Small Craft Launch

Boat ramp · on Choctawhatchee Bay · near Fort Walton Beach · Florida

Closed

Listed as closed by Florida Boat Ramp Inventory (FWC).

source · checked October 14, 2026

At the launch

Type
Boat ramp
Fee
$25
Ramp lanes
1
Ramp surface
Concrete
Trailer parking
6 spaces
Car parking
150 spaces
Restrooms
Composting toilet
Hours
8:00 AM to 6:00 PM
Managed by
United States National Park Service
Website
nps.gov
Coordinates
30.39766, -86.58270

Directions (Google) Apple Maps

On Choctawhatchee Bay

Choctawhatchee Bay is an estuary on the Emerald Coast of the Florida Panhandle, lying within Okaloosa and Walton counties. It runs east to west for about 27 miles, is 1 to 6 miles wide, covers about 129 square miles and ranges from 10 to 43 feet deep. Most of its fresh water comes from the Choctawhatchee River, whose watershed covers about 5,350 square miles of northwest Florida and southern Alabama. East Pass, just west of Destin, is the bay's only direct opening to the Gulf of Mexico. It is an artificial channel opened in 1929 where there had previously been an intermittent opening. The bay also connects to the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway on the east and to Santa Rosa Sound on the west. The Mid-Bay Bridge links Destin and Niceville, and the US 331 bridge links Freeport to the coast. More about Choctawhatchee Bay.

Boating rules on Choctawhatchee Bay

  • $25 daily launch fee at Joe's Bayou Boat Launch (free annual pass for residents of incorporated Destin) source

Community

Where people who use Choctawhatchee Bay talk about it.

Nearby launches

Sources

Why it is listed as public: listed by Florida Boat Ramp Inventory (FWC). Something wrong, or is this launch private? Corrections help everyone; a reporting form is coming soon.