John C. Beasley Park, formerly known as John Beasley Wayside Park, is a public beach area on

Okaloosa Island Okaloosa Island is an area on Santa Rosa Island, Florida. An parcel of Santa Rosa Island with of Gulf frontage was conveyed to Okaloosa County on July 8, 1950, in an informal ceremony at the county courthouse in Crestview, Florida. The county ...

in Florida. It was established as a state park to provide beach access for African Americans during the era of segregation. After desegregation it was turned over to the

Okaloosa County Okaloosa County is located in the northwestern portion of the U.S. state of Florida, extending from the Gulf of Mexico to the Alabama state line. As of the 2020 census, the population was 211,668. Its county seat is Crestview. Okaloosa County ...

. The park is named for John C. Beasley. Fodor's reported the park had 2-dune walkovers, showers, parking, toilets, lifeguards, and picnic tables. A commemorative plaque was installed at the park in 2015. It was the only beach open to African Americans in

until desegregation. In May 2020, The Northwest Florida Daily News published a photograph of the beach from the 1970s (#112)

References

{{Coord, 30, 23, 38, N, 86, 35, 3, W, region:US-FL, display=title Parks in Florida Okaloosa County, Florida