Driving Directions
Henderson Beach State Park is located just east of the city of Destin on U.S.98.

Hours of Operation
Florida state parks are open from 8 a.m. until sundown 365 days a year.

Park Fees
The Entrance Fee into most parks is $3.25-$4.00 per carload, up to eight people. Extra persons, walk-ins, and bicyclists are $1.00 per person. There may be additional fees for camping, tours, and museum entrances.

Henderson Beach State Park has one of Florida's most prized assets, pristine white, sugar sand beaches and more than 6,000 feet of scenic shoreline bordering the emerald waters of the Gulf of Mexico.

In the midst of urban sprawl that now dominates the coastline of Florida’s panhandle, Henderson Beach State Park is an unexpected oasis of exquisite natural beauty. Located just east of Destin, the park’s entrance lies on the Emerald Coast Parkway (U.S. 98) across the street from a shopping center and a Super Wal-Mart.

Turn off the busy highway, and the drive into the park takes you through a Florida habitat that has almost disappeared, coastal beach dunes. Soft rolling dunes, evergreen with fragrant rosemary, sand pines, scrub oaks, and southern magnolias, stretch along the coastline. Wind and salt spray from the ocean stunt the growth of these plants, a process called "salt pruning," sometimes causing trees to grow horizontally along the ground, their limbs bent in tortured gnarls.

Closer to the shoreline, communities of sea oats serve as the first line of defense for the dune system, anchoring the soft sand, which would otherwise disappear from the eroding forces of wind and water.

During the late summer and early fall, colorful wildflowers, such as blanket flower and beach morning glory, add splashes of color to the sand. In the springtime, the prickly pear cactuses add their own color with bright yellow blooms.

One of the most beautiful sights while visiting the park is a breathtaking view of a Dolphin family (porpoise) as they emerge from the waters for a breath of air, or a group of Rays as they soar across the shallow waters along the coastline.

Activities that visitors can enjoy while visiting Henderson Beach State Park include swimming, surf fishing, picnicking, camping, bicycle riding, nature trials, family reunions & weddings, as well as a leisurely walk in the sugar white sand or in the splash of the emerald green water.

Visitors to coastal parks are reminded to pay close attention to the colored flags posted at welcome stations and on the beaches. These flags indicate the wave and swimming conditions at the beach. Red means no swimming because of high winds or undertow currents, yellow means swim with caution and stay close to shore, blue means that the waters are safe.

Henderson Beach State Park is located just east of the city of Destin on U.S.98, approximately 1.5 miles west of toll road 293 (Mid Bay Bridge). From the Northwest, take I-10 to highway 85 south until you reach highway 98. Drive east for approximately 10 miles and you will see signs for the park on the right. From the Northeast, take I-10 to Highway 331 South to Highway 20 West to Toll Road 293 South (Mid Bay Bridge). Go across the Mid Bay Bridge and turn west (right) on Highway 98. Drive approximately 1.5 miles west and park entrance will be on your left.

Park Activities

Full Facility Camping
The camping area at the park has recently doubled in size, from 30 to 60 full facility campsites. All the sites can accommodate either tents or RVs and a number of them are pull-through which are easily accessible by larger RVs. Each of the camping areas has a bathhouse with hot water and showers. Thanks to fund-raising efforts by the park's volunteers, each bathhouse area also has a coin-operated washer and dryer and soda machines. Camping at Henderson Beach has its pluses, given the park's proximity to the city of Destin. Unlike remote wilderness camping, provisions and restaurants are a short drive away. Staying overnight in the park, however, you can still experience the sweet smells and nighttime melodies of the Real FloridaSM -- one that is disappearing all too quickly.

Fishing
Known as the luckiest fishing village in the world, visitors wishing to try their luck in the surf may catch popular species such as pompano, red fish, flounder, catfish, whiting, and sometimes cobia. Bait & Tackle can be purchased just outside of the park!

Nature Trails
A three-quarters-of-a-mile nature trail begins in the day use area. The trail will provide not only a winding tour through the dunes, but a beautiful vista of the park from atop one of the dunes. This high dune has developed around the remnants of a bunker built decades ago when the military was using the area. Although two of the park's rangers initiated the trail, it has been built by the Friends of Henderson Beach, the park's volunteer Citizen Support Organization, and funded primarily by the neighboring Wal-Mart.

Picnicking
Henderson Beach State Park has both a day use area and a campground, each of which has its own beach area. The day use area has two picnic pavilions with grills, picnic tables, restrooms, and soft drink vending machines. These pavilions provide the only shade on the sun-drenched beach, unless visitors bring their own umbrellas. For visitors in wheelchairs, an all-terrain wheelchair is available to provide access to beach areas.

Showers
Bathhouses with outside showers are also provided.

Swimming
Henderson Beach State Park has one of Florida's most prized assets, pristine white, sugar sand beaches and more than 6,000 feet of scenic shoreline bordering the emerald waters of the Gulf of Mexico. When you combine these quality natural resources with a wonderful park layout, they provide some of the highest quality resource based recreational opportunities in the Florida panhandle. Please Use Caution! Visitors to coastal parks are reminded to pay close attention to the colored flags posted at welcome stations and on the beaches. These flags indicate the wave and swimming conditions at the beach. Red means no swimming because of high winds or undertow currents, yellow means swim with caution and stay close to shore, blue means that the waters are safe.