If you came to sleep on Navarre Beach, read the camping ban and then come back here. These are the public, reservable places within a reasonable drive. Private RV parks exist; they set their own prices and we are not their brochure.
At a glance (as of Aug 26, 2026)
| Fort Pickens (NPS) | Pensacola Beach. Electric $40 / non-electric $26 per night plus seashore entrance fee ($25 vehicle for 7 days, or annual/America the Beautiful). Recreation.gov. 14-night limits. |
|---|---|
| Blackwater River SP | Near Holt. $20/night + tax + $6.70 reservation + $7 utility for RV-type units (not tents). Day entry $4 honor box. 30 sites. |
| Big Lagoon SP | West of Pensacola. Same $20 + fees structure. Day entry $6 per vehicle (2–8). Lagoon, not Gulf surf. |
| Henderson Beach SP | Destin. $30/night + tax + $6.70 + $7 utility for RV-type units. Day entry $6 per vehicle (2–8). Gulf-front state park. 60 sites. Confirm day-use reservation rules for 2026. |
Florida State Parks statewide: reserve at the state system or 800-326-3521. Residents 11 months ahead, non-residents 10. Florida residents 65+ or with qualifying disability papers: 50% off base camping fee, not reservation or utility. Pets in designated campgrounds, max four, not on beaches. Alcohol only in reserved overnight sites (and some contracted pavilions), not on the public beach inside the park.
Fort Pickens Campground — if you want to sleep on the island
This is the only one of the four that puts you on a Gulf Islands beach at night. It is also the one that floods, evacuates for storms, and books out. Details live in the Fort Pickens weekend guide. Generators only in D loop on a schedule. Two cars per site. No EV charging on the campground electric, per NPS.
Best when: you want sunrise on Langdon Beach and can reserve months out. Worst when: a hurricane week, or you drive up Friday at 6 p.m. with no booking.
Blackwater River State Park — if you want a river and a quieter bill
Closest inland state-park campground to Navarre in spirit: sand-bottom river, 30 full-hookup sites, honor-box day use. See the what to bring list. Official pages disagree on 35- vs 50-foot RV length — call 850-983-5363 if that is your problem.
Best when: paddling weekend, or the beach is a wind tunnel. Worst when: you expected Gulf swimming from your picnic table.
Big Lagoon State Park — if you are pointing west
Campground plus lagoon paddling plus a short hop to Perdido Key / Johnson Beach for actual Gulf water. Same $20 state-park camping math as Blackwater. Boat-launch fee is separate if you trailer.
Best when: mixed paddle/beach trip, birding, or Fort Pickens is full. Worst when: you wanted to roll out of the tent into Destin restaurants.
Henderson Beach State Park — if the weekend is Destin-shaped
Sixty sites in the secondary dunes, water and electric, bathhouse, boardwalk to the Gulf. $30 base is higher than Blackwater/Big Lagoon. City of Destin posted that day-use entry requires an advance reservation as of May 15, 2026; campers should still read the park’s own check-in notes. Park phone: 850-837-7550.
Best when: you want a legal tent on a Destin beach without a high-rise. Worst when: you assume you can stroll in without a camping reservation in June.
What to pack that all four share
Reservation screenshot and a long stake set
Barrier-island and dune campsites laugh at short steel pegs. A printed or downloaded confirmation matters when the phone has one bar.
The bug and weather stack
No-see-ums at Big Lagoon and Blackwater. Hurricane-season packing if this is June–November. A NOAA radio is not overkill on an island.
- NPS / Recreation.gov: Fort Pickens Campground
- Florida State Parks reservations: reservation information
- Blackwater hours & fees: park page
- Big Lagoon hours & fees: park page
- Henderson Beach hours & fees: park page
Sources
- NPS Eating & Sleeping (Fort Pickens $40 / $26). https://www.nps.gov/guis/planyourvisit/eatingsleeping.htm
- Florida State Parks hours & fees pages for Blackwater, Big Lagoon, Henderson Beach.
- Florida State Parks FAQs: reservation windows, $6.70 fee, $7 utility, pets, alcohol, senior discount. https://www.floridastateparks.org/plan-your-visit/faqs
- City of Destin, Henderson Beach day-use reservation notice. https://www.cityofdestin.com/Facilities/Facility/Details/30
- Santa Rosa County: no camping on Navarre Beach. https://www.santarosa.fl.gov/318/Navarre-Beach-Pavilions
Unclear: Blackwater max RV length (35 vs 50 ft on two FSP pages). Henderson day-use reservation vs walk-up. Always reload the park page the week you travel.