Whether it’s a little soul-searching for yourself or a family retreat and adventure you’re looking for, you won’t run out of choices on the best places to go camping in Florida!
The Sunshine State offers you with fun all-season adventures in the best camping destinations - and thanks to its myriad of wildlife, white sandy beaches and temperate climate - that make it the ideal go-to camping spot for the locals and tourists alike.
Why Go Camping in Florida
Perhaps, you’re asking, “Why should I go to Florida for camping?” Well, there are major reasons to do so.
The state is the ideal place for family and group adventures for its myriad of offers, including hiking, camping and biking – among other fun-filled, outdoor activities for you!
Did you know that the state cradles more than 900 camping grounds, not to mention 100,000 campsites?
So no matter the kind of campsite or campground you’re looking for, you will definitely find it in one of the best camping capitals in the USA. A few to look forward to when you choose Florida for your next camping trip are hotel-quality cabins and beachfront campsites. As well as forested, family-friendly camping spots and tent camping.
Best Places to Go Camping in Florida
What are the best places to go camping in Florida? If you’re planning for a weekend getaway, camping trip or simply a fun summer activity for kids, you can check out the following list featuring Florida camping destinations.
St. Andrews State Park
If you’re after beach camping in Florida, then you might want to check out this Panama City Beach camping site. This is one of the most popular destinations to those who want to soak up the beauty of nature – and keep it within reach!
This Panama City Beach camping destination is in one of the stunning barrier islands of the state. The park offers everyone a landscape of white beaches perched on native flora.
Here, you can also have a chance to spend your family’s weekend in one of the available 176 camping sites - and try different fun activities, such as hiking through the trails, fishing off the pier and paddling around the Great Lagoon
Hillsborough River State Park
Located in Thonotosassa, the state park offers the entire group an unforgettable getaway experience! This camping location is near Tampa and offers campers with different amazing sights!
This place is teeming with great Class II rapids, offering families a place to have a riverside picnic. The Hillsborough River State Park also allows setting up camp and gives campers the chance to try different recreation activities, such as kayaking, biking and hiking.
St. George Island State Park
Perched on the St. George Island, the state park offers adventurers with 9 miles of white sandy beaches and great nature! It is the haven for nature lovers for its amazing trails and a wide range of birdlife. Campers can set up their tent for an overnight adventure and an opportunity to be up close to nature.
This place also provides you with a great backdrop of pines. If you were looking for something else, you can also explore rolling dunes from the beach.
Anastasia State Park
The St. Augustine state park offers campers with a host of adventure choices, including at the beach, on the estuary and on the forest. It is one of the most amazing camping destinations in the state because its campsites are tucked under the palmettos and hardwoods that also provide campers with a direct and quick access to the beach loved by surfers and water activity lovers who enjoy it kayaking, paddle boarding and boating.
If you don’t feel like hitting the waters, you don’t have to worry because you can also ride a bike on the beach or spend a relaxing morning walk through the trails.
Grayton Beach State Park
The Santa Rosa Beach state park offers campers with the beach tent camping! The Grayton Beach State Park is strategically located between Destin and Panama City Beach. There is no surprise this camping spot is crowded with campers who love turquoise waters and white sands.
If you were looking for a romantic and cozy backdrop, you won’t also be disappointed choosing this destination because it has pine forest that is also the ideal place for cabin camping in Florida.
Also, it is the spot for savory and fresh oysters offered at seafood restaurants. But for an afternoon activity, you may also want to try exploring natural landscapes through kayaking or biking.
Myakka River State Park
The Sarasota state park is one of the best camping destinations in Florida. There are a total of three camping grounds offering 90 sites. Families and campers can also enjoy it at the wilderness preserve that can offer them a chance to be up close and personal with the wildlife in the diverse ecosystem teeming with flora and fauna.
Blue Springs State Park
Find this state park in Orange City where to enjoy the best camping in Florida! The destination offers campers with 51 campsites – that are close to the spring.
If you were looking for a great wildlife experience in the state, you would appreciate it here for its giant manatees, which in the winter are in the waters.
You can also hit the pedestrian-friendly boardwalk where to see lovely creatures soaking in the ambiance and grazing along the grasses. This camping destination in Florida is for you if you were looking for a relaxed and nature camping.
St. Joseph Peninsula State Park
Located in Port St. Joe, it is one of the best Florida state parks for camping for nature lovers! It is a home to different wildlife species, including the famous loggerhead turtles.
The camping ground is offering beach lovers with 10 miles of beach with both the bay waters and the Gulf water where to do water activities, especially canoeing and kayaking.
Campers can also soak up in nature – including on the blue waters and an amazing sunset. Finally, they can spend a day on the white sand with kids and build their dream sandcastles.
Paynes Prairie Preserve State Park
The Micanopy state park is another sought after spot for campers and adventurers who want to rewire and relax around great wilderness and natural landscapes!
The National Natural Landmark state park lets you be in awe being surrounded by bison and wild horses! Here, you will also be able to try different outdoor activities including horseback riding, biking and hiking.
It is a kid-friendly camping spot because the campsites each comes with a picnic table and a shade. Families can also make use of the grill for some sumptuous BBQ dinner.
Rainbow Springs State Park
The Rainbow Springs State Park is an old park, which history can be traced back to 10,000 years and has the state’s fourth largest spring.
For this reason, it is one of the most chosen camping destinations especially in the fall, the perfect time when the weather is starting to cool down, allowing campers to try outdoor activities before going to the camping grounds.
For one, families and groups can have a scenic hiking in the nature trails or paddle through trees. Finally, they can enjoy lovely waterfall views and feel so close to nature for that ultimate weekend relaxation.
Hopkins Prairie Campground
Tent campers and backpackers will love it at the campground, which is right in the Ocala National Forest along the Florida Trail. This camping destination offers you with a great oak-shaded spot that is also surrounded by lush grasslands.
It is a complete camping site featuring vault toilets, water supply by hand pump and a parking area. Campers can also enjoy it at the shallows and ponds where to go fishing. You may also try to stop by the Salt Springs for supplies, outdoor gears and gas.
Everglades National Park
This is another camping destination in Florida especially the Flamingo Campground, which offers campers with drive-up and walk-in tent campsites right on the Florida Bay shores.
The camping ground is also known for bird watching in the winter when visitors can witness more than 300 bird species. Wildlife, including crocodile and manatee, are also abundant in the place.
For people who love paddling, they can explore different canals. Also, there are canoeing trails and mangrove forests in the area. A few amenities include picnic tables, solar-heated showers and grills.
Big Cypress National Preserve
Do you love tent camping instead of cabin or RV camping? Try the Pink Jeep and Gator Head camping grounds in the national preserve as they can offer you with an interesting tent camping in the state.
Each camping location offers you with nine sites, each available for access on foot or by off road vehicle (with ORV permit) or bike.
The camping spot in Florida offers you and the rest of the gang with a traditional camping trip because there is no water supply although there are vault toilets available.
The national preserve is also home to a rich swampland where to find an abundance of tropical ecosystems as well as the popular state panther.
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Oscar Scherer State Park
If you’re looking for the best campgrounds in Florida, you might want to check out this camping destination where to find endangered species, such as the scrub jay as well as an abundance of flat woods.
The state park has a total land area of 1,381 acres and features 104 campsites for RV or tent camping. It also has a complete set of facilities including water and electric hookups, grills and picnic tables.
There are also hot showers, restrooms and laundry facilities. Also, there are seven ADA accessible campsites with concrete slabs and parking. It also features a group and youth camping area.
Regarding recreational activities, it offers campers with plenty of them, such as canoeing, boating, hiking, picnicking and biking on the nature trails as well as wildlife and bird viewing.
Thousand Trails Peace River
It is perhaps one of the best RV parks in Florida that offers campers with plenty of sights and sounds and nature adventures.
The park is strategically located on Wauchula’s outskirts. It is composed of a total of 75 acres of land, and some of which are surrounded by the Peace River running about half a mile around the preserve’s border.
This camping spot is offering 460 shady sites for recreational vehicles. It also features complete facilities, including waste, electrical and water hookups. There are also restrooms, toilets and hot showers.
Regarding amenities, there are many of them to find in the camping destination, such as a spa and sauna, a whirlpool, a game and billiards room, a bocce court and a swimming pool. In addition, the Thousand Trails features plenty of outdoor activities, such as wildlife watching, hiking nature trails, canoeing and kayaking.
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Peanut Island Park
Having a land area of 80 acres, the tropical park is a spacious camping destination featuring a family-friendly sanctuary, which has in store different activities for the group, including fishing, picnicking, camping and so many more.
This amazing camping site also has 17 reserved and tropical campsites featuring picnic tables, tent pads, grills and water and electrical supply hookups. It also has hot indoor showers and complete toilet and washing facilities.
What are the amenities at the Peanut Island Park? Some of them include snorkeling lagoon and unguarded beaches for fishing, canoeing and kayaking. There are also picnic pavilions, paved biking and hiking trails, observation deck with lovely ocean views and fire rings.
St Johns River Campground
The camping ground is just a quarter mile from the St. John's River, offering visitors a quick and direct access to Lake County’s bass fishing activity.
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There are also large and shady campsites available for tents, motorhomes, RVs and trailers. Facilities for the convenience and comfort of campers are also in the camping ground, and a few of them include water, electricity and sewerage hookups. There are also fire rings, paved driveways and open grills.
Are You Ready for Camping in Florida?
Choose from this list offering the best camping experience for you and the rest of the gang. Pick based on your location, your preferences and the destination’s featured activities that can provide you with an ultimate camping trip in Florida.
Do you think we missed a camping spot on this list? Tell us in the comments.