Last updated on August 4th, 2026 at 07:48 pm
Consistently ranked as one of America’s best beaches, Henderson Beach State Park is a protected slice of paradise, a pleasant slip of isolation wedged between a pile of high-rise resorts and condos of Sandestin and Destin.
And Henderson Beach is very popular.
Because of overwhelming numbers of visitors during the summer months, day-use reservations are now required for entry.
For details, visit the Florida State Parks web site.
A half-mile wide and more than a mile long, Henderson Beach has 30-foot high white sand dunes. The eco-system supports a scenic spray of low-growth sand pine, scrub oak, sea oats, Southern magnolia and dune rosemary on its rolling dunes.
Day-use visitors are directed to the western reaches of the 250-acre park, while campers take root on the eastern end, creating two distinct areas with the campground beach enjoying the least amount of crowding, crowding significant enough to close the park on many summer days but more relaxed in fall.
Surf fishing is popular, and your catch may include pompano, redfish (red drum), flounder, catfish, whiting and maybe even the occasional cobia.
For visitors in wheelchairs, an all-terrain beach wheelchair is available to provide access to beach areas. Inquire at the ranger station if none are available beachside.
Pets are not permitted on the beach but are allowed on the three-quarter mile nature trail that explores the ancient dunes and the coastal scrub plant and wildlife community once ubiquitous in this coastal zone now largely overwhelmed by development.
In fall and spring, the park is a pit stop for migrating Monarch butterflies pouring through Florida’s Panhandle en route their winter home in Mexico. As they flutter through, the Monarch’s lay their eggs in native milkweed, enabling their larvae to survive.
The campground
The campground has 60 sites with a mix of back-in and pull-through sites. The maximum RV length is 45 feet. All sites have water and electric (some 50-amp), picnic tables, ground grills and clothesline posts. A shared dump station is available.
Henderson Beach is so popular that it is extremely difficult to book a campsite here.
Restrooms with showers have heating and A/C, coin-operated washers and dryers. Pets are welcome in the campground and on some trails but not on the beach.
We found cellular service to be excellent for both AT&T and Verizon, but the lack of an OTA signal for the television in our RV came as a bit of a surprise. For RVs with satellite dishes, there was plenty of open skies.
Related story: Day visitors need reservations to visit these Florida State Parks
surely you’re not saying Fall has arrived in Florida? There is AT LEAST another month of it!
No, fall hasn’t arrived yet. But if you plan on camping here, you need to reserve your campsite early — as much as 11 months early. I checked reservations today, and the first availability was December 12 for a tent site. No RV sites were available at all for the rest of the year.