Walton County to open Eastern Lake Municipal Parking facility

Aug. 1, 2023 – The Walton County Board of County Commissioners and the Walton County Beach Operations and Tourism departments will host a ribbon cutting ceremony for the Eastern Lake Municipal Parking facility at 9 a.m. on Wednesday, Aug. 9, at 400 Eastern Lake Road.

“The new parking structure at Eastern Lake is very important to the Eastern Lake community for two reasons.  One, it improves the safety of the neighborhood by providing a place for bicycles and low speed vehicles to park away from the sharp curve and it also enhances access to the beach by providing parking away from the walkover,” said District 2 Commissioner Danny Glidewell.   “We are excited to provide this improvement to the neighborhood and the beachgoers of Walton County.”

This new beach access parking facility features 16 standard vehicle spaces, 18 low speed vehicle spaces and a bike plaza.  Developed to provide parking for the Eastern Lake public beach access, it is steps away from where the Eastern Lake coastal dune lake outfall meets the beach.  Residents and visitors come to this location to enjoy its unique beauty, which until now was mainly accessible to pedestrians and bicyclists. 

The Eastern Lake Municipal Parking facility was funded using tourist development tax, a 5 percent tax collected on short-term rentals in south Walton County. There are four additional parking facility projects underway in south Walton County:  Grayton Beach Municipal Parking, located in the heart of Grayton Beach; County Highway 393 Municipal Parking, within walking distance to Ed Walline Regional Beach Access; Driftwood Road Municipal Parking, steps away from Miramar Beach; and Miramar Beach Municipal Parking, located off Hwy. 98 in Miramar Beach.

More information about Walton County beach and bay accesses is available at visitsouthwalton.com.