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Group Travel Planners - Beaches to Rivers of Santa Rosa

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Opal Beach facilities are complete, available to rent

Superintendent Jerry Eubanks announced that major construction of facilities at Opal Beach within the Santa Rosa Area of Gulf Islands National Seashore is complete and that visitors may now reserve select picnic pavilions. The Santa Rosa Area of the Seashore is located between Navarre Beach and Pensacola Beach on Santa Rosa Island. Eubanks also announced that beginning this Saturday, July 11, park staff will be manning the newly constructed entrance station to provide information and collect entrance fees for visitors to both the Gulf and Sound sides of Opal Beach.

For a $30 fee, any private individual or organization may now reserve picnic clusters at two locations on the Gulf side of the Opal Beach day use area. Other picnic clusters will be available for general public use on a first come-first served basis. For information or to reserve picnic clusters, which will be available for rent beginning July 17, visitors may now phone 850-934-2622.

As a fee area of the Seashore, visitors to Opal Beach can purchase a seven-day vehicle pass for $8 or an annual park pass for $25. These passes also cover admission to the Fort Pickens and Perdido Key Areas of the park. In addition, other passes are available for senior citizens, disabled citizens, and those visitors who frequent other federal recreational lands. Fees will be collected at Opal Beach from Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day weekend.

Lifeguard services are available daily from 9:30 a.m. until 6:00 p.m. on the Gulf side of Opal Beach through Labor Day. Visitors should be aware that some finishing work and installation of showers at the clusters continues and will be completed in the upcoming weeks. Recovery from the 2004-2005 storm seasons is still in progress and asphalt and debris is still scattered and visible. For your safety and for the protection of park resources, please do not enter posted closed areas. The speed limit along J. Earle Bowden Way is 35 mph except in bird nesting areas which may be posted at a reduced speed. Be safe and wear shoes while walking on the beach or wading.

"It has been exciting to see visitors return to Opal Beach and take advantage of all that it has to offer, both in beauty and in facilities," says Eubanks. For additional information about other projects and programs at Gulf Islands National Seashore contact the Naval Live Oaks Visitor Center at 850-934-2600 or visit our website at www.nps.gov/guis.