Henderson Beach State Park in Destin, Florida is quite special. It maintains a very private and natural feeling, all while surrounded by a bustling beach town. Destin thrives off of tourism, so naturally there is plenty to do. Restaurants, go-cart racing, miniature golf, shopping, fishing charters and a fishing museum are just a few things to check out. Of course, there’s the beach. Destin is part of the “Emerald Coast,” featuring beautiful white sand and crystal clear water. The Destin area is home-base for us, as we once lived in nearby Niceville a few years before we started our full-time journey. As much as we like Destin, we like Henderson just as much, if not more. But why?

1. Henderson Beach State Park has Campers-only Beach Access!

Beach access at a beach-front state park campground usually is by way of a public use area. This area is reserved not only for campers, but for day use as well. Therefore, it can get quite crowded, especially during major holiday weekends and throughout the summer. Henderson Beach State Park is unique in that they offer a separate beach entrance for just campers! Located about mid-way between its four loops, is a concrete walk through nature. This eventually leads to curvy, yet convenient boardwalk across the protected dunes. Honestly, it’s a bit of a hike, but very worth it. Once your there you’ll notice the crowds to the east nearly stacked upon one another in front of the condos. Likewise, to the west, you’ll see the crowd of day use folks. If your like us, you’ll appreciate the privacy, which seems to be a theme at Henderson.

2. Private Camp Sites

Too many campgrounds stack their sites side-by-side nearly resembling a parking lot. One might expect this at the Cracker Barrel, but not a campground. Every site at Henderson offers quite a bit of privacy. Each site is separated by thick growth of trees, palms, and even briars. So, while not the best to go hiking right from your site, it is a very effective natural privacy fence.

3. Henderson Beach State Park Boasts Clean Clean Facilities

We don’t typically use the bath house at any campground, especially when we have a sewer hookup. Many places we still use our shower, even if we do not have a sewer connection. The chief reason, they’re just too dirty. Like many of the Florida State Parks, Henderson has a very clean bath house. Therefore, we don’t mind using their facilities at all, especially since they do not provide sewer hookups. Finally, a campground can be super luxurious or just convenient for a night. What matters a lot to us is the price.

4. Reasonable Rates for Location

Henderson Beach State Park is $30 per night, but not exactly. This is one thing that is annoying about Florida State Parks versus Army Corps. of Engineers (COE) parks. With COE parks what you see is what you get, but with many others, like Florida State Parks, you also have tax, a $6.70 reservation fee, and a $7 nightly utility fee. The utility fee was adopted in the summer of 2021. For us, that’s pretty hefty since the $7 charge is nightly. But, all this aside, it’s still very reasonable especially when compared to privately-owned or “Mom and Pop” operated campgrounds along the beach. This list focused on the good, but to be fair, we wanted to include some cons, which well share next.

The Short List of Cons

With all there is to love about Henderson, like just about anywhere, there are a few negatives. It’s a short list and we’re being very picky by even including it, but here goes: No sewer hookups, air traffic and no shade. Of course, if there were sewer hookups, they’d likely raise the price. The air traffic is largely due to the local helicopter tours (which don’t get us wrong, would be cool to try). But at least the tours stop and start at reasonable hours. Due to the terrain (mostly smaller trees and low growth) there’s hardly any shade. This of course, is little to complain about compared to the awesome features of this park.

Bonus Information

If you’re like us, you are very picky about your sites. It typically makes us anxious when we arrive at a park for the first time. It seems as though it’s either a really awesome site or really bad. When booking at Henderson, you’re in luck, as there’s really not a bad site. Of course, ensure you pay attention to the site length and width when booking. Most of the 58 sites will accommodate large RVs. Please note, there are 60 sites at Henderson Beach State Park, but two are tent only sites (28 & 29). When you’re out enjoying Destin, it’s important to note that certain times of year (summer/major holidays) and most weekends the entrance will be very congested. Unfortunately, there is no separate entrance for campers into the park. However, they do open a second lane, which does help.

For more information on this great park, please see below. And as always, if you want to share something from your experience, or have questions, please do so below. But of course, please keep it professional and clean.

Official Website: https://www.floridastateparks.org/parks-and-trails/henderson-beach-state-park

Online Booking: https://reserve.floridastateparks.org/