Find paradise on the Panhandle at a dreamy Miramar Beach campsite.
Miramar Beach is an Emerald Coast paradise with white-sand beaches, warm turquoise waters, and glorious sunsets. Set halfway between Pensacola and Panama City Beach, the city is on a narrow strip of land backed by the Choctawhatchee Bay. With state parks to its east and west, Miramar Beach is literally surrounded by nature on all sides, with a number of camping options nearby. Adventure can start right in town, where kayak and paddle board rentals are available, and sunbathers and swimmers regularly spot dolphins, sea turtles, and tropical fish. Anglers can fish from nearby piers or charter boats, while area parks offer hiking, biking, and even more wildlife watching opportunities.
About 10 minutes west of Miramar Beach in Destin, the oceanside Henderson Beach State Park is home to trails that meander through 30-foot white sand dunes, plus a campground with 60 campsites within walking distance of the sand. Campsites have picnic tables and fire rings, and day-use access is also available.
Topsail Hill Preserve State Park lies at the eastern edge of Miramar Beach. This massive park has 3.2 miles of beach, forests, and white quartz sand dunes with freshwater lakes, all of which contribute to an awesome array of ecosystems to explore. The park’s RV resort-style campground has 156 tent and RV sites with full hookups, as well as laundry facilities, a swimming pool, and shuffleboard courts.
Just 20 minutes east of Miramar Beach, Grayton Beach State Park has four miles of beach backed by coastal forest and dune lakes. The Grayton Beach campground makes for a lush and immersive beach camping getaway.
If backcountry adventure is calling your name, check out the Point Washington State Forest and Wildlife Preserve. Just north of Grayton Beach State Park, this 15,407-acre preserve spans 10 types of ecosystems, including sandhills, prairie, and cypress swamps, and features hiking and biking trails up to 11 miles long.
The best times to camp at Miramar Beach are in fall, winter, and spring, when temperatures are warm and humidity is low. Summer visits are feasible too, but August highs reach 90°F, and humidity can make tent camping without a fan or AC uncomfortable. Because of this, glamping, cabin rentals, and RV camping—with air conditioning—is often preferred between June and August. But summer and fall are hurricane season on the Florida Panhandle, so visitors will want to follow the National Weather Service’s Atlantic Tropical Weather Outlook during these times.