Eglin AFB covers 464,000 acres in Santa Rosa, Okaloosa, and Walton counties. An Eglin permit is required to access the 250,000 acres of the Eglin reservation conditionally open to public recreation. Outdoor recreation permits and a comprehensive map and regulation summary are available from the Natural Resources Branch office (commonly known as Jackson Guard) located at 107 Hwy 85 North, in Niceville. All or portions of the Eglin reservation are subject to closure during military testing/training operations.

In addition to meeting permit requirements, all individuals are required to review the Public Access Map (PAM) prior to entering the Eglin AFB reservation for recreational purposes. The PAM is a graphical representation of daily or short term public access restrictions in support of military operations. Compliance with this instruction is mandatory. Increased scope and complexity of military operations is requiring more frequent short term, or daily closures. Jackson Guard has developed the PAM to inform the public via the internet of short term closure of otherwise open recreational areas. The PAM is based on the newly created alpha numeric Tactical Training Area (TTA) grid and graphically displays the current day's closure information and provides a 3-day forecast. The PAM is automatically updated daily at 5 p.m. The PAM is intended for recreational access planning purposes and is subject to change. Gates, barricades and/or range personnel will prohibit access in the event unscheduled missions require immediate closure of public accessible areas. Individuals found to be in violation of this guidance are subject to Eglin outdoor recreation privilege suspension.

For specific information regarding outdoor recreational opportunities on Eglin AFB contact the Natural Resources Branch at (850) 882-4164, 4165 or 4166.