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Fort Walton Beach, Florida, Henderson Beach State Park.

Fort Walton Beach hosts one of the most beautiful state parks in Florida. The Fort Walton Beach, Florida Henderson Beach State Park has one of Fort Walton Beach, 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 the Fort Walton Beach, Florida, Henderson Beach State Park is an unexpected oasis of exquisite natural beauty. Located just west of Fort Walton Beach, Florida, 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 Fort Walton Beach, Florida park 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 Fort Walton Beach, Florida Henderson State 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 the Fort Walton Beach, Florida Henderson Beach State Park include swimming, surf fishing, picnicking, camping, bicycle riding, nature trails, family reunions & weddings, as well as a leisurely walk in the sugar white sand or in the splash of the emerald green water.

Be sure to check out Fort Walton Beach, Florida vacation rentals by owner houses, villas and condos for luxurious, yet affordable accomodations - many times less than the cost of a cramped, stuffy, less-than-clean hotel room.

Fort Walton Beach, Florida Parks and Recreation:

Big Lagoon State Park
12301 Gulf Beach Highway
Pensacola, Florida 32507
850.492.1595

Fred Gannon Rocky Bayou State Park
4281 State Road 20
Niceville, Florida 32578
850.833.9144

Henderson Beach State Park
17000 Emerald Coast Parkway
Destin, Florida 32541
850.837.7550

Perdido Key State Park
12301 Gulf Beach Highway
Pensacola, Florida 32507
850.492.1595