NEW DESTIN PARK

The new Captain Leonard Destin Park at 101 Calhoun Avenue is now under city ownerthe ship. The 3.4-acre park overlooks Choctawhatchee Bay and the land for the park was purchased with 10 million dollars settlement money from the 2010 BP oil spill through nonprofit Trust for Public Land. The Trust will also give an additional $900,000 to the city to cover 10-years of operating and maintenance costs. The park has a kayak/paddle board launch, a pier, fruit-tree grove, restrooms with outdoor showers, a splash pad, playground, large picnic pavilion and a parking area. The property was part of the homestead of Captain Leonard Destin, the first person to settle in Destin in the mid-19th century.