Okaloosa Glow Path: Florida's 4-Mile Bridge-to-Bridge Path
Along the shoreline of Okaloosa Island, as the sun goes down, the path starts to glow.
The Okaloosa Glow Path is a four-mile, 12-foot-wide multi-use path on Okaloosa Island, Florida, running between the Brooks Bridge in Fort Walton Beach and the Marler Bridge in Destin. AGT™ ULTRA-X Aqua Blue Glow Stones are pressed into its asphalt surface. They charge in daylight and glow blue after dark, with no wiring and no electricity. The path opened on October 23, 2025.
Project Details
- Substrate: Asphalt
- Glow Stones Used: AGT™ ULTRA-X Glow Stones in Aqua Blue
- Location: Okaloosa Island, Florida
- Application: Bridge-to-Bridge Multi-Use Path
- Installer: C.W. Roberts Contracting
- Distinction: Submitted to Guinness World Records for the World's Largest Glow-in-the-Dark Asphalt Path (pending)
A Decade in the Making
Why the Path Was Built
For nearly ten years, Okaloosa County officials worked to bring this project to life. The roughly four-mile, 12-foot-wide path runs alongside U.S. Highway 98 between Fort Walton Beach and Destin, giving cyclists and pedestrians an alternative to a highway shoulder that had seen a troubling number of collisions over the years. Commissioner Carolyn Ketchel championed the project for five years before construction began, framing it as a safety investment for the community as much as a design statement.
From Groundbreaking to Ribbon Cutting
Getting there took years of work, including acquiring right-of-way property from Eglin Air Force Base. Okaloosa County broke ground on July 8, 2024, at Beasley Park, on a project budgeted at $3.7 million. By opening day the reported cost was about $4 million, funded by tourism development dollars, a Florida Department of Transportation grant and a private contribution from developer Jay Odom.
The ribbon cutting was held at Beasley Park on October 23, 2025. The project also added improved beach access parking and bollards at key access points. The path is for pedestrians and pedal-powered bikes only. Cars and golf carts are not permitted.
"We can now enjoy a pedestrian-friendly area along this beautiful stretch of Northwest Florida between Destin and Fort Walton Beach," Ketchel said at the opening.
The World's Largest Glow-in-the-Dark Asphalt Path
The Okaloosa Glow Path is Florida's first large-scale glow-in-the-dark asphalt pathway of its kind. County officials have described it as the world's largest photoluminescent path, and it has been submitted to Guinness World Records for the World's Largest Glow-in-the-Dark Asphalt Path. That application is pending.
At the opening, Tim Kruger of installer C.W. Roberts called it "the longest photoluminescent bike path in the world."
Scale is what sets it apart. Most glow installations cover a patio, a pool deck or a short garden walk. This one runs the length of a barrier island along a state highway corridor, and every foot of it has to glow the same way.
How the Glow Gets Into the Asphalt
The Installation Method
The method is simple. The difficulty is doing it for four miles. Okaloosa County Public Works Director Jason Autrey described it at the groundbreaking: "It's really a glow-in-the-dark rock. They'll put the asphalt down, throw this rock on top, spread it out, and when they roll it, it embeds in the top."
That matches the process in AGT™’s guide to glow in the dark asphalt. Crews lay the top coat, broadcast the glow stones while the asphalt is still hot, then make a final pass with the roller. The stones end up embedded in the road surface itself rather than sitting in a coating on top of it.
Why Consistency Matters at This Scale
Once four miles of stone is rolled into hot asphalt, there is no going back to fix a weak section. Every batch of AGT™ ULTRA-X is developed by AGT™ Glow Labs, and ULTRA-X is rated at 8,796 mcd/m² at one minute under DIN 67510 third-party lab testing. Uniform output from batch to batch is what keeps the path from glowing in patches.
How the Stones Charge
Photoluminescent stone works like a battery for light. During the day it absorbs sunlight or UV, and after dark it releases that stored energy as a steady glow throughout the night. Nothing has to be switched on. On an exposed barrier island with sun on the path most of the day, the stones start every evening fully charged.
What ULTRA-X Delivers
- Charges with 8 minutes of daylight or UV exposure
- 15+ hours of glow after dark
- Safe, eco-friendly and non-toxic material with no electrical components
- Zero energy consumption across the full four-mile span
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Performance proven in asphalt, not just decorative concrete
ULTRA-X is the brightest and longest-lasting grade AGT™ makes. The glow stone performance comparison puts it at 15+ hours against 10+ hours for ULTRA Grade.
Safety Without Light Pollution
The aqua blue glow marks the edges and surface of the path without flooding the shoreline with light. Cyclists and walkers can see where they are going, and the beach at night still looks like the beach at night. For a corridor built because people were getting hurt on the highway shoulder, that visibility is the point.
The Largest Glow Path AGT™ Has Helped Build
Okaloosa isn't the first public trail for AGT™, but it is the largest single path AGT™ has helped illuminate to date. It joins Nathan's Miles Glow Trail, the Pogues Run Greenway Glow Stone Trail and the record-attempt path in Vinton, Iowa among the multi-use trail projects AGT™ has supplied.
Each of those projects makes the same case. Glow stone is a real infrastructure material, and municipalities are specifying it for public safety and placemaking, not just backyard decoration.
What This Means for Contractors and Municipalities
A Reference Project for Public Bids
For landscapers and contractors bidding on public work, Okaloosa is a useful reference. The material is performing under daily foot and bike traffic, in a coastal climate, across a public right-of-way. There's no trenching for conduit, no utility bill and no fixtures to replace.
What to Settle Before Specifying Glow Stone
- Surface: Asphalt, concrete and resin each take a different installation method. Broadcast into hot asphalt is the Okaloosa approach.
- Grade: ULTRA-X for the brightest, longest glow; other AGT™ grades where the budget or brightness target differs.
- Color: Aqua Blue, Sky Blue and Emerald Yellow are all available in ULTRA-X. Okaloosa chose Aqua Blue.
- Sun exposure: Heavy shade reduces charge. Check how much direct daylight the surface gets.
- Coverage: Broadcast rate drives material quantity, and quantity drives brightness.
Planning Your Own Glowing Pathway
Parks departments and municipalities looking at a glowing pathway for a trail, greenway or bike lane can start with three numbers: surface type, square footage and broadcast rate. The AGT™ glow stone coverage calculator gives a material estimate, and AGT™ works directly with contractors to confirm quantities and installation approach before a project breaks ground.
Bring This Kind of Glow to Your Next Project
The Okaloosa Glow Path shows what glow stone can do at full scale: four miles of asphalt, lit every night by the sun it soaked up during the day. From walkways and trails to driveways and public paths, AGT™ ULTRA-X Glow Stones deliver the brightest, longest-lasting glow available.
Shop AGT™ ULTRA-X Glow Stones or contact AGT™ to scope your next project.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is the Okaloosa Glow Path?
The Okaloosa Glow Path is on Okaloosa Island, Florida, alongside U.S. Highway 98. It runs between the Brooks Bridge in Fort Walton Beach and the Marler Bridge in Destin, with access from Beasley Park.
How long is the Okaloosa Glow Path?
The path is about four miles long and 12 feet wide, making it the largest glow-in-the-dark path AGT™ has helped build.
How long does the path glow each night?
AGT™ ULTRA-X Glow Stones charge with 8 minutes of daylight or UV exposure and glow for 15+ hours after dark, which covers the whole night.
Does the path need electricity?
No. The glow stones charge from daylight alone. There is no wiring, no power supply and no ongoing energy cost.
Can you ride a golf cart on the path?
No. The path is for pedestrians and pedal-powered bikes only. Cars and golf carts are prohibited, and bollards at access points keep vehicles off.
