Located in Okaloosa County, Florida, Henderson Beach State Park is a beach. It sits roughly 4.4 km (2.7 mi) SE of Fort Walton Beach.
Henderson Beach State Park is a Florida State Park located near Destin, in northwestern Florida. The address is 17000 Emerald Coast Parkway. Named after Sir Chris Ashly Henderson.From the Wikipedia article “Henderson Beach State Park”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Henderson Beach State Park the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 62° (ENE) at the June solstice and 117° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 298° (WNW) in June to 243° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 83° in summer but only 36° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 6:51 AM | 90° E | 6:58 PM | 271° W | 59° | 12h 07m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:46 AM | 62° ENE | 7:52 PM | 298° WNW | 83° | 14h 07m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:35 AM | 89° E | 6:44 PM | 271° W | 60° | 12h 09m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 6:40 AM | 117° ESE | 4:51 PM | 243° WSW | 36° | 10h 11m |
Azimuth is measured clockwise from true north (90° = east, 270° = west). Computed for 2026; values change by less than a degree from year to year.
Golden hour & blue hour by month
Beaches facing east suit sunrise and west-facing beaches suit sunset; wet sand mirrors the sky color during golden hour.
| Month (15th) | Blue hour starts | Sunrise | Golden hour ends | Golden hour starts | Sunset | Blue hour ends | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 6:18 AM | 6:44 AM | 7:20 AM | 4:33 PM | 5:08 PM | 5:34 PM | 10h 24m |
| February | 6:03 AM | 6:28 AM | 7:01 AM | 5:02 PM | 5:35 PM | 6:00 PM | 11h 07m |
| March | 6:33 AM | 6:57 AM | 7:29 AM | 6:23 PM | 6:55 PM | 7:19 PM | 11h 58m |
| April | 5:55 AM | 6:20 AM | 6:52 AM | 6:42 PM | 7:14 PM | 7:39 PM | 12h 54m |
| May | 5:27 AM | 5:53 AM | 6:27 AM | 7:00 PM | 7:34 PM | 8:00 PM | 13h 41m |
| June | 5:17 AM | 5:45 AM | 6:20 AM | 7:15 PM | 7:51 PM | 8:18 PM | 14h 06m |
| July | 5:28 AM | 5:55 AM | 6:30 AM | 7:16 PM | 7:51 PM | 8:18 PM | 13h 55m |
| August | 5:49 AM | 6:14 AM | 6:47 AM | 6:57 PM | 7:29 PM | 7:55 PM | 13h 15m |
| September | 6:07 AM | 6:32 AM | 7:03 AM | 6:22 PM | 6:53 PM | 7:17 PM | 12h 22m |
| October | 6:25 AM | 6:49 AM | 7:21 AM | 5:44 PM | 6:16 PM | 6:41 PM | 11h 27m |
| November | 5:48 AM | 6:13 AM | 6:47 AM | 4:16 PM | 4:51 PM | 5:16 PM | 10h 38m |
| December | 6:10 AM | 6:36 AM | 7:13 AM | 4:12 PM | 4:48 PM | 5:15 PM | 10h 12m |
Local time (America/Chicago), including daylight saving time. Golden hour runs from about −4° to +6° solar altitude, so the morning golden hour begins during blue hour, before sunrise.
Milky Way & night sky
From Henderson Beach State Park, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from February through October. June gives the longest window (about 6.5 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 31° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 5 (suburban sky), so expect visible sky glow; drive away from towns for better results.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | 1° | — |
| February | 4:06 AM – 5:06 AM | 1.0 | 19° | SE → SE |
| March | 3:15 AM – 5:35 AM | 2.3 | 27° | SE → SSE |
| April | 1:18 AM – 4:48 AM | 3.5 | 31° | SE → S |
| May | 11:15 PM – 4:15 AM | 5.0 | 31° | SE → SSW |
| June | 9:28 PM – 3:58 AM | 6.5 | 31° | SE → SW |
| July | 9:25 PM – 2:35 AM | 5.2 | 31° | SSE → SW |
| August | 8:56 PM – 12:36 AM | 3.7 | 31° | S → SW |
| September | 8:14 PM – 10:34 PM | 2.3 | 28° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:36 PM – 8:36 PM | 1.0 | 19° | SW → SW |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | 4° | — |
| December | Below 10° in darkness | — | -18° | — |
Window when the galactic core is at least 10° high during astronomical darkness on the 15th of each month. Pick nights within a few days of the new moon. Plan exact nights with the Milky Way planner.
Estimated sky darkness: 5 Bortle 5 — Suburban sky. The Milky Way is weak near the horizon and washed out overhead; long exposures pick up a sky glow. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 19.59 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show October as the clearest month (about 39% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (58%). July is the warmest month and January the coldest, which matters for gear, snow access and how long batteries last at night.
Average cloud cover (%)
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| High °F | 76 | 78 | 83 | 89 | 97 | 101 | 99 | 100 | 99 | 97 | 86 | 78 |
| Low °F | 21 | 26 | 29 | 40 | 49 | 64 | 66 | 64 | 53 | 38 | 28 | 27 |
| Precip. (in) | 3.7 | 5.4 | 4.4 | 5.1 | 3.2 | 6.1 | 6.7 | 6.9 | 5.3 | 3.6 | 3.6 | 5.3 |
Monthly climatology for the surrounding 1° grid cell from NASA POWER (MERRA-2). Mountain sites can be colder and cloudier than the cell average.
Photography tips for this beach
- Time visits around low tide to reveal tide pools, sea stacks and reflective sand — check the tide widget below.
- Slow shutter speeds (0.5–2 s) turn receding waves into streaks that lead toward the horizon.
- Watch for sneaker waves; never turn your back on the ocean on exposed coasts.
- Salt spray coats lenses quickly; wipe often and rinse gear afterward.
- Fog and marine layers can make minimalist images; don't give up on grey days.
- Scout in daylight if you plan to shoot at night or before sunrise.
Season: Winter storms bring dramatic surf on Pacific coasts; summer and autumn sunsets are popular on Atlantic and Gulf beaches.
Suggested gear: Tripod, ND filters, Rain cover, Lens cloths. Work out exposures with the depth of field, ND filter and NPF rule calculators.
Tides
The nearest NOAA tide prediction station is Okaloosa Island, 1.0 km (0.6 mi) away. Low tide often reveals tide pools, wet-sand reflections and sea stacks.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Henderson Beach State Park, closest first.
State Park
National ForestNational ForestFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Henderson Beach State Park?
What time is golden hour at Henderson Beach State Park?
Where does the sun rise and set at Henderson Beach State Park?
Can you see the Milky Way from Henderson Beach State Park?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Henderson Beach State Park?
How far is Henderson Beach State Park from Fort Walton Beach?
Sources
Location data: Wikidata, Wikipedia. Sun, moon and Milky Way times are computed by LWPhoto Atlas for 2026. Climate: NASA POWER. Sky darkness is a population-based estimate (Walker's law), not a measurement. See data sources & licenses.