Best Florida Panhandle beaches (views!) swimming, snorkeling + camping nearby 🌞 Northwest Florida beaches

Hi there!

 

So you want to go to some of the best beaches in Florida!

Welcome to the Florida Panhandle!

The Florida Panhandle is famous for its beautiful beaches along the Gulf Coast!

The Florida Panhandle beaches are located in Northwest Florida.

I made it a mostly camping and cabin trip in the Florida Panhandle which means that you can find state park campgrounds and cabins nearby to make it a Florida outdoor vacation near beautiful beaches! Here are beaches you need to know about!

 

 

1. Pensacola Beach

Cost: FREE for Pensacola Beach parking

 

Pensacola Beach FL is one of the Florida Panhandle beach towns.

You can find smaller beach access spots along the shoreline, but the main beach is where you will find the Pensacola Beach pier.

There’s a big parking lot at the main beach of Pensacola Beach, and there’s free parking.

You can use this parking lot to go to the beach.

 

 

And you can use this Pensacola Beach parking to go to walk the Pensacola Beach pier!

 

 

There is a fee to go out onto the pier.

This cost for a Pensacola Beach pier walking pass is $2.25 per person. A fishing pass is $7.50 per person. See current fees.

 

See more about driving from Pensacola to Orlando.

 

 

2. Gulf Islands National Seashore

Cost: FREE to drive through Santa Rosa area of Gulf Islands National Seashore, $25 per car for entry to official beach day use area

 

A national seashore is a type of a national park, similar to a national lakeshore.

National seashores are managed by the National Park Service.

Gulf Islands National Seashore has many “areas” in the Florida Panhandle.

The Santa Rosa area can be one of the most convenient to visit, because you don’t even need to get out of the car to see the amazing views of Gulf Islands National Seashore!

You will be driving with views of the ocean at times! (Well, you’ll be driving with views of the Gulf of Mexico, which is an ocean basin of the Atlantic Ocean!)

 

 

If you want to make this a longer picnic stop, there is a picnic area at Opal Beach.

 

 

The Gulf Island National Seashore beaches that have day use areas do have a national park entry fee of $25 per car.

But if you don’t already have an annual national park pass (which covers Gulf Islands National Seashore), and you don’t want to pay so much for a beach trip, then there are other parking areas along the way in the Santa Rosa area that will give you simple beach access so you can walk out onto the sand.

 

 

You won’t encounter a national park entry station driving through the Santa Rosa area if you don’t go to the main day use area of Opal Beach.

For camping in Gulf Islands National Seashore, there is one campground in Gulf Islands National Seashore in Florida that is in a different area, to the west.

That is the Fort Pickens Campground in the Fort Pickens area of Gulf Islands National Seashore.

From the Fort Pickens campground, it’s a drive of a couple of minutes to get to the beach. There is the official beach day use area of Langdon Beach, and there are also other unofficial beach access spot that you’ll see as you’re driving through.

Even further west near Alabama is the Perdido Key area of Gulf Islands National Seashore, where you will find Johnson Beach.

The Florida state park campground near Perdido Key is the Big Lagoon State Park campground.

 

See more about Gulf Island National Seashore beaches.

 

🌞

 

 

3. Navarre Beach

Cost: FREE for Navarre Beach parking

 

Navarre Beach FL is one of the Florida Panhandle beach towns.

This Panhandle beach town calls itself the most relaxing place in Florida.

 

 

The way it goes in Navarre Beach is that there is one main beach, and then you’ll come across some other beach access spots at you’re driving along the main road.

You can stop at those other beach access stops, which you will pass as you are driving from Gulf Islands National Seashore.

The “main beach” is the beach at the Navarre Beach Fishing Pier.

There’s a big parking lot here, and there’s free parking.

You can use this parking lot to go to the beach, and you can use it to go to walk the Navarre Beach pier!

 

 

There is a fee to go out onto the pier. This cost for a Navarre Beach pier walking pass is $1 per person. A fishing pass is $7 per person. See current fees.

 

See more about Navarre Beach and Navarre Beach shelling.

 

 

4. Henderson Beach State Park

Cost: $6 per car

 

There are a few Florida state parks in the Florida Panhandle that have beaches.

Destin is one of the popular Florida Panhandle beach towns.

Henderson Beach State Park is THE beach state park of Destin!

You’ll get the conveniences and beach facilities of a Florida state park with a beach trip to Henderson Beach State Park.

You can head to Henderson Beach State Park for swimming, a picnic spot, or just the views!

 

 

You can see some coastal dunes in the Florida Panhandle along the beach at Henderson Beach State Park.

 

 

For camping in the Florida Panhandle, then there is the Henderson Beach State Park campground.

There’s a trail from the campground to the beach in a separate area from the beach parking lots, so it’s like a private camper’s beach for you and your fellow campers!

 

See more about the Henderson Beach State Park beach.

 

 

5. Grayton Beach State Park

Cost: $5 per car

 

The Florida 30A is a Florida scenic highway in the Florida Panhandle that goes through a number of beach towns.

The 30A beach towns are considered the quiet beach towns of the Florida Panhandle.

There are a bunch of 30A beaches.

This includes private 30A beaches that you can pretty much only go to if you’re staying there, and it also includes public 30A beaches that have public parking available.

Grayton Beach is considered a 30A beach, as it’s located off of the Florida 30A Highway.

So Grayton Beach State Park is another one of the Florida state parks in the Florida Panhandle that has a beach.

Once again, you’ll get the conveniences of beach facilities here.

Grayton Beach State Park is one of the best beaches in Florida.

 

 

You can see some coastal dunes in the Florida Panhandle along the beach at Grayton Beach State Park.

 

 

For camping in the Florida Panhandle, there is the Grayton Beach State Park campground.

From the Grayton Beach State Park campground, it’s a drive of a couple of minutes to get to the beach.

There is an artificial reef located off the shoreline of Grayton Beach, so you can try snorkeling from Grayton Beach State Park!

 

See more about the Grayton Beach State Park beach.

 

 

6. St Andrews State Park beach

Cost: $8 per car

 

Panama City Beach is one of the popular beach towns in the Florida Panhandle.

The best state park in this part of the Florida Panhandle is St Andrews State Park!

It’s another one of the Florida state parks in the Florida Panhandle with a beach.

 

 

St Andrews State Park is also another one of the Florida Panhandle beaches with a pier!

Even if you won’t be swimming, stop by the St Andrews State Park beach to take a walk out onto the pier!

 

 

For camping in the Florida Panhandle, there is the St Andrews State Park campground.

From the St Andrews State Park campground, it’s a drive of a couple of minutes to get to the beach.

 

See more about about the St Andrews State Park beach.

 

 

PLUS…

Destin Harbor

 

Now, the Destin Harbor is not a beach. Although you can go to Norriego Point if you want a beach near Destin Harbor.

You can go to see the Destin Harbor from sea level by going to the Destin Harborwalk.

Or you can see Destin Harbor from above!

There is a bridge that connects Destin and Okaloosa Island. (map)

You’ll see the Destin Harbor as you drive across this bridge.

 

👆 Driving across the Marler Bridge to Destin from Okaloosa Island. (map) You can see the Destin Harbor.

 

You can also walk across the bridge to see the Destin Harbor!

 

 

Walk on the other side of the bridge, and you can get views of Crab Island.

Crab Island is one of the most popular spots in Destin. (video)

Once you are near the Destin Harborwalk Village, you will see signs for parking. There is parking around for $5-10.

 

See more about driving from Destin to Orlando.

 

 

Can you swim at Florida Panhandle beaches?

 

Yes, it is possible to go swimming in the Florida Panhandle!

There are lots of beaches in the Florida Panhandle that can be perfect for swimming.

Summer is the best time for swimming in the Florida Panhandle, although you may find people swimming any time of year.

For most people, the water temperature may be too cold for swimming outside of summer season.

In the winter, spring, and fall, the highest water temperature you will encounter will probably be in the low 60s… mid 60s if you’re lucky! 🥶

For many people, this is too cold for swimming.

But there will almost always be a few people swimming along Florida’s gulf coast even in these temperatures!

I was at a Florida Panhandle beach in the month of March and there were people who had just come out of the water when the air temperature was in the 40s!!! 🥶🥶🥶

Yes that’s another thing about the Florida Panhandle weather.

In the cold weather months, you never know what type of weather you’ll get in the Florida Panhandle!

You can get great weather with 70s and sunny, or you can get 40s and cloudy!

 

See more about what to pack for a trip to Florida beaches.

 

 

Can you go snorkeling in the Florida Panhandle?

There is a stretch of the Florida Panhandle that has a number of artificial reefs created by the South Walton Artificial Reef Association.

These reefs can attract marine life.

This means that for snorkeling in the Florida Panhandle, you can try snorkeling from one of these reefs!

 

Where to go snorkeling in the Florida Panhandle:

• Miramar Beach (Dolphin Reef)
• Topsail Hill Preserve State Park (Seahorse Reef)
• Grayton Beach State Park (Turtle Reef)
• Inlet Beach (Grouper Reef)

 

The names of the reef are based on the shape of the artificial reefs.

These Florida Panhandle snorkeling spots are not located directly along the beach.

So it’s not like you can enter the water from the beach and immediately look underwater at the reef. You need to either paddle out or swim out to these snorkeling spots.

According to the South Walton Artificial Reef Association, the snorkeling spots are 250-300 yards from shore.

Paddling to these snorkeling spots is a thing, like by kayak or stand-up paddleboard aka SUP.

If you will be swimming out to the snorkeling spot, highly recommended to swim with a personal open water swim buoy float of some sort! (Good to bring if you will be kayaking or SUPing too!)

Also it is best to only go out snorkeling to these reefs if there is a green flag at the beach, indicating relatively calm conditions for swimming safely in the ocean. So look for the beach flag to see what color it is!

 

The Navarre Beach Marine Sanctuary also has artificial reefs.

From June to September, the Navarre Beach Marine Sanctuary also offers a Navarre Beach reef clear bottom kayak tour.

See pictures of what you have a chance to see snorkeling in the Florida Panhandle from Navarre Beach: Look for June 18, 2022 pictures

 

See more about what to pack for snorkeling in Florida.

 

 

The boring safety message about swimming safe at Florida Panhandle beaches!

 

In short, take care!

 

 

Swimming at Florida Panhandle beaches CAN be generally safe… IF the water is calm!

The ocean is powerful!

The Gulf of Mexico is powerful!

Rip currents exist!

Know before you go!

 

 

Take care out there!

Look for the beach flag warnings… and take extra caution based on the color of those beach flags!

You will see a green flag, yellow flag, or red flag.

 

 

And even if there is a beach flag indicating “calm conditions” meaning it’s relatively safe for swimming in the Florida Panhandle, it’s still the ocean, so take care!

 

 

And that’s a bit about some of the best beaches in the Florida Panhandle!

 

More for your Florida road trip:

• Things to do in the Florida Panhandle
• Best camping in the Florida Panhandle
• Florida Caverns State Park
• Things to do in Southwest Florida
• Things to do in the Florida Keys

 

HAPPY FLORIDA PANHANDLE BEACH TRIP!