Destin · Emerald Coast · Florida state park
Henderson Beach State Park
More than a mile of sugar-white sand and 30-foot dunes on the Gulf in east Destin, with RV day parking, a nature trail and a 60-site campground.
Every visitor now needs a day-use reservation, booked online before you arrive. Entry is $6 per vehicle.
Details checked October 2026
Type
State park beach
Dunes, a nature trail and a 60-site campground
Admission
$6 per vehicle
$4 one person · $2 walk-in · reserve online
Hours
8 am to sundown
Open every day of the year
Time needed
Half day or more
Our estimate for a beach day
Parking
24 RV spaces
Plus 422 day-use and 20 ADA spaces
Dune height
30 ft
Dune height, per Florida State Parks
What you’ll see
A mile of sugar-white Gulf beach
Henderson is Destin’s state park beach: boardwalks over tall white dunes, more than a mile of shoreline and a pet-friendly nature trail behind the dunes.
Photo: Ebyabe on Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0)
Start here
The beach and the dune boardwalks
Boardwalks carry you over the dunes to more than a mile of white sugar-sand shoreline, where you can swim, wade, surf fish or launch a kayak or paddleboard. Six picnic pavilions with grills sit in the day-use area, with restrooms and outdoor rinse showers close by.
RV tip: check the beach flags before you swim. Double red means the water is closed, red means high hazard and purple means marine pests such as jellyfish.
More to see
- Nature trailA pet-friendly trail of about three-quarters of a mile winds through coastal scrub and dunes, one of the last stretches of this habitat in the area.
- Picnic pavilionsSix pavilions with barbecue grills. Rentals are $80.25 a day plus tax, but they can’t be reserved for daytime use from May through September.
- Surf fishingThe Destin-Fort Walton Beach visitor bureau lists surf fishing and nearby artificial reefs among the park’s draws.
- The campgroundSixty sites with water, sewer and 30/50-amp power, back-in and pull-through, for RVs up to 60 feet. Sites are $30 a night plus a $7 utility fee and tax.
Why go
Destin’s protected stretch of the Gulf
Florida bought this land from the Henderson family estate in 1983, the first purchase under Governor Bob Graham’s Save Our Coast program, and the park opened to the public in March 1991. It saved more than a mile of beach and dunes in the middle of one of the busiest resort towns on the Emerald Coast.
For RVers the location is the draw. The park sits right on US-98 (Emerald Coast Parkway) in east Destin, about 10 to 15 minutes from the Miramar Beach RV parks, and the day-use lots include 24 RV spaces. If you can, come in the tow vehicle and leave the RV spaces for those who can’t.
The park is open every day of the year from 8 am to sundown. It closed ahead of Hurricane Isaias in early October 2026, but by October 24 the official park page showed no closure. Since May 15, 2026, every visitor needs a day-use reservation, so book before you go.
Photo: Ebyabe on Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0)
Why it made our list
- More than a mile of white-sand Gulf beach
- Dunes that the park says reach 30 feet
- A pet-friendly nature trail
- Six pavilions with grills and rinse showers
- Entry is $6 per vehicle
For RVers
Bringing the rig to Henderson Beach
The practical stuff we wished someone had told us before we pulled in.
Reserve before you drive over
Since May 15, 2026, every visitor needs a day-use reservation, and the park says all visitors need one to enter. Book at reserve.floridastateparks.org, up to 60 days out per Florida Rambler, then pay the $6 vehicle fee.
Use the RV spaces
The day-use area has 422 parking spaces plus 24 RV spaces and 20 ADA spaces. The campground takes RVs up to 60 feet, but campsites are for registered campers only.
Dogs stay off the beach
Pets are welcome on the nature trail, the day-use sidewalk and in the parking lots on a hand-held leash of 6 feet or less. They are not allowed on the beach, in playgrounds or in park buildings, or left alone in a vehicle.
Gates open 8 am to sundown
The park is open every day of the year. Bicycles are welcome on the paved park road but not on the boardwalks, and alcohol isn’t allowed in the day-use areas.
What visitors say about Henderson Beach State Park
The visitor report card
We don’t copy other sites’ reviews, but the published scores are worth reading together. Scores checked October 24, 2026.
Thirty-foot white sand dunes and warm Gulf waters
Florida State Parks, describing the park · floridastateparks.org
What visitors often mention
Recurring topics in Google’s review highlights
White sandClean beachBoardwalk
Google’s review topics point to the white sand (220 reviews), a clean beach (199), the boardwalk (74) and the emerald water (26). Yelp shows no review highlights for the park. Checked October 24, 2026.
What a day visit costs
Entry fees from the park’s hours and fees page. A vehicle covers two to eight people; extra passengers are $2 each.
Good to know
Vehicle entry$6 2 to 8 people
One person in a car$4 or $2 on foot or bike
Camping$30 a night, plus fees
Entry includesThe beachNature trailPavilions and showers
Prices from the park’s hours and fees page, checked October 24, 2026. Camping adds a $7 nightly utility fee, tax and a $6.70 booking fee; Florida residents 65 and older get 50% off the base campsite fee.
Know before you go
Plan your visit
Henderson Beach State Park
- Address17000 Emerald Coast Pkwy, Destin, FL 32541
- Hours8 am to sundown
Open every day of the year - Phone(850) 837-7550
- ReservationsRequired for day use. Book online
- Getting thereThe entrance is on the Gulf side of US-98 (Emerald Coast Parkway) in east Destin, between Destin Harbor and Miramar Beach.
- Parking422 day-use spaces, 24 RV spaces and 20 ADA spaces. An all-terrain beach wheelchair is available; ask at the ranger station.
Hours can change for storms and maintenance. The playground has been closed for maintenance since March 2025, so check the park’s alerts before you go.
Where to stay nearby
RV parks near Henderson Beach State Park
These are the Destin-area parks we’ve written up. The park’s own 60-site campground is the closest of all, but it books up early, so here are three nearby alternatives.
Destin Village RV Resort
Owner-lot RV community in Miramar Beach where individual owners rent out their sites.
Geronimo RV Park
Small private park in Miramar Beach, with sites under live oaks near the Gulf-front condos.
Destin RV Beach Resort
Private resort in Miramar Beach with palm-lined RV sites.
Helpful answers
Frequently asked questions
The questions RVers ask most before pulling in.
Every day · 8 am to sundown
Ready for a day on the dunes?
Book your day-use reservation online, bring the tow vehicle, and come early for an easy parking spot.
Thank you to the people behind these photos and this video. Please support them by giving their work a look. Photos: Ebyabe (beach, pavilions, dunes, entrance sign and boardwalk), via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0); the images were resized. Video: Off Our Couch on YouTube (off-season visit). Review-site logos are trademarks of their owners.
Disclaimer
RV-Roundup is an independent, community-based resource created to help RV travelers and to support and promote the places we feature. RV-Roundup is not owned by, operated by, or officially affiliated with Henderson Beach State Park unless otherwise stated.
The information on this page was prepared using the most current details available at the time of publication, including Florida State Parks’ published materials and publicly available sources. Hours, pricing, rules and other details are set by the park and may change at any time without notice. Before you travel, please confirm all details directly with Henderson Beach State Park at floridastateparks.org or (850) 837-7550. RV-Roundup is not responsible for errors, omissions, or changes made after publication.
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