Looking for things to do in Destin? Walking on the Destin Marler bridge is a great fun and free activity where you can enjoy one of the most beautiful views in Destin.
A breathtaking scene of Destin Harbor is the first glimpse of Destin for many arriving visitors as they cross the Marler Bridge from Okaloosa Island. The center of the bridge is the highest point where you can best see Norriego Point, Harborwalk Village, and all the boats coming in and out of Destin Harbor.
You can enjoy this view while driving across the bridge, but it’s even better from the walking path where you can stop and take it all in. Look closely and you might even see dolphins and other wildlife swimming in the water below.
A cement divider sits between cars and the walkway on the south side of the bridge, making it the only safe side to walk. The north side has a view of Crab Island, but there’s no sidewalk or divider wall. People sometimes walk across on that side, but it’s not safe without the cement divider, especially considering how distracting the view is to many drivers.
Harborwalk Village is the nearest parking lot to the bridge path, but there is a $20 parking fee during summer, spring break, holidays, and special events–so basically about 70% of the year.
Another nearby parking option is the City of Destin Community Center lot located on the corner of Stahlman and Zebre Streets–just behind McGuires Irish Pub and the gas station next to it. It’s an easy walk across the street to Harborwalk from there. There is a $15 daily fee for parking in the City of Destin lots but it’s good for 24 hours, so you might get a few uses out of it.
If the Destin Community Center lot is full, there’s another City of Destin paid lot just down the hill on the corner of Zebre and Sibert. See numbers #1 and #4 on the map above.
The walk is about 0.5 miles to the center of the bridge from the base and there’s a slight incline. This might sound like quite an ordeal, but you will be rewarded with an incredibly beautiful view.
I like to go at sunrise and watch the fishing boats head out in the early morning light, but there are usually boats coming and going all day. It’s also a beautiful view at night seeing all the lights of Harborwalk Village.
Another tip is to go at high tide to see the water when it’s the prettiest shade of blue. At high tide, the harbor, east pass and Crab Island are filled with beautiful water from the Gulf of Mexico as opposed to low tide with water from the bay. To learn more about this and get printable copies of the current tide charts, check out my post here: Crab Island in Destin, Florida: The Ultimate Guide
I hope this post helps you walk across the Destin bridge and take in the beautiful view! The Destin bridge is one of the best places to watch fireworks from too, so check out this post if you want to try that: Best Places to Watch the Destin Harbor fireworks and the entire show schedule
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