With many activities lined up on Florida beaches, I have many things on my bucket list that I want to complete before the end of the year.
Can you car camp on Florida beaches?
No.
However, you are free to sleep in your car in a state park or national forest that permits camping.
In addition, you must have your car parked at the designated campsite and have your reservation duly paid as well.
Can you car camp on Florida beaches?
You are not permitted to sleep in your car in a closed public beach parking lot all over Florida.
There are many beachfront campsites along the incredible coastline of Florida.
Some have primitive tent camps, and some have hotel-quality cabins and sites.
If you want to know more about the best beach camping destinations in Florida, follow our handy camping guide.
What goes through your mind when you lie on your beach blanket, watching the sun as it goes down, and seeing the first stars come up?
You may be imagining what it will be like to spend the night right there on the beach.
Florida has more than 900 campgrounds and more than 100,000 campsites, so you can make your dream come true.
You will get some of the best campgrounds on the beaches.
The location of some beach campsites is in slightly sheltered spots, behind the dunes.
People are not always permitted to camp near the waves on a beach.
This is for safety reasons, humans, and wild creatures like sea turtles and nesting birds.
The time of the year you want to go camping and your choice of shelter go a long way in determining your choice of beach campground.
Weather affects tent campers more than RV campers because RV campers have heaters and air-conditioners.
You will see more RV campers than tent campers on most beach campgrounds.
However, both are provided for at Florida State park campgrounds.
In Florida, a beach campground will accommodate you irrespective of the camping rig you bring.
Some accommodate your pets too.
Many campgrounds have sites that are ADA accessible.
Where is the best RV beach camping in Florida?
I will talk about three Florida beaches that are the best for those on RV beach camping.
- George Island State Park
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George Island State Park is rated as the best RV camping on the panhandle.
It is not the average city-side beach.
The park has many miles of unspoiled beaches, perfect for fishing, beachcombing, and stargazing.
The park is on about 2000 acres of land, heaven for different kinds of wildlife.
The park has 60 rig sites with electricity, water, and grilling pavilions.
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George Island State Park is located within the Apalachicola National Forest midway, between Tallahassee and Panama City.
2. Bahia Honda State Park
Bahia Honda State Park is among the top choices of RV campers in the Florida Keys.
It is an idyllic spot, good for small to midsize rigs.
It is good for rigs that are 6’8” high and 50 feet in length.
The park is only 35 miles away from Key West.
It is located on 500 acres of land.
This is where you will see the infamous Bahia Honda Rail Bridge.
The park has soft white beaches, tropical forests, and turquoise seas.
3. Fort De Soto Park
Fort De Soto Park is a park in Tampa Bay.
It is one of the best camp locations in Tampa Bay.
Fort De Soto Park occupies 1136 acres of land, and one of the nice things about this park is, it is dog-friendly and has a dog park.
It has beachfront campsites that accommodate all camping rigs, whether primitive tents or grand-size RVs.
The park has 7 miles of beach that have pure clean waters, two fishing piers, sea turtle nesting grounds, and more than 300 unique species of bird.
Where is the best beach tent camping in Florida?
I have highlighted some of the best places you can beach camp:
Cayo Costa State Park
Cayo Costa State Park is one of the best beach campgrounds in Florida.
You need Island hopping and a skipper to access the park, but RVs are not allowed there.
The park has 30 comfortable campsites and has everywhere covered by pine trees.
It is ideal for manatee sightings, beach shelling, and snorkeling.
Cayo Costa State Park is remotely located at the tiny Pelican Bay, between Sarasota and Naples.
Gulf Islands National Seashore
Do you want to pitch your tent some feet from water splashing distance on the beach?
This is possible only on a few beaches in Florida.
Gulf Islands National Seashore is among the few places this is possible.
The Island is located near Pensacola, and it is worth visiting.
RVs are not allowed there.
A tiny key is a perfect place for tent camping.
The most beautiful thing about here is its easy access.
There is provision for beach wheelchairs by the rangers, and the beach has a one-mile-long boardwalk.
Biscayne National Park
Biscayne National Park is the best place to go if you want to run away from the daily hustlers and bustle of life in Florida.
This place is for real camping enthusiasts.
Biscayne National Park is a clean Florida beach campsite.
It is located about 25 miles from Miami, and the only way you can get there is by sea.
The park has two keys, Elliott Key, and Boca Chiquita Key.
There are flush toilets, cold showers, and drinking water on Elliott Key, but the only amenity you will find in Boca Chiquita Key is vault toilets.
These keys are not only camping paradise, they are also perfect destinations for snorkeling and fishing because of their rustic, rocky shorelines.
FAQs
Is car camping legal in Florida?
America has no federal law that says you should not sleep in your car.
However, state law in Florida says you should not sleep for more than three hours inside your car.
The law forbids you from park and sleeping in your car overnight.
Where can I camp my car in Florida?
In Florida, the law allows you to camp your car in the following parks;
- Alafia River State Park
- Anastasia State Park
- Bahia Honda State Park
- Big Lagoon State Park
- Blackwater River State Park
- Blue Spring State Park
- Collier-Seminole State Park
- Colt Creek State Park
Can you car camp in Florida?
Ginnie Springs is among many of Central Florida’s spring systems.
It is located about 35 miles northwest of Gainesville.
This gorgeous, beautiful, serene, and clean camping location is found inland in Florida, not along the coastline.
