Florida on the water

[Allturf]

Looking for a campground on the water in Florida for a two or 3 week stay this coming Feb. Have 39 Ft Fifth Wheel. Any recommendations would be appreciated

[notanlines]

All turf, Florida has 1350 miles of coastline. Thousands more if you throw in rivers and lakes. We need a few limiting markers. Thanks.

[Allturf]

Any coast keys are fine .

[Badbart56]

Pricey, but nice. I have not stayed here but I have spent time in Destin and they probably have the nicest beaches in Florida.

http://www.destinrvresort.com/rentals/

I'm partial to the northern Gulf Coast as I grew up here and there are other places that are more secluded if you want to get away from the bigger tourist areas.

http://www.rvparkreviews.com/regions/florida/mexico-beach

Hope this helps, I think you'll enjoy your stay. I love Florida in the fall and winter months.

[travelin texans]

You better decide quickly & get a reservation, maybe too late already for this coming season, Florida fills up fast.
One quick tip, be sure any metal on your rv/truck/bicycles has a good coat of paint, wax or sometime to protect it from the salty air or it will look like 50 years of rust in that few weeks.

[hankpage]

You better decide quickly & get a reservation, maybe too late already for this coming season, Florida fills up fast.
One quick tip, be sure any metal on your rv/truck/bicycles has a good coat of paint, wax or sometime to protect it from the salty air or it will look like 50 years of rust in that few weeks.

If you find a rusty car down here it is because it came from the snow and salt belt in the north. My truck has wintered on Gulf coast and summered at Jersey shore for 14 yrs with no signs of rust anywhere. Road salt is what kills them. JM2¢, Hank

To the OP, For a short stay under a month, you may have trouble finding a site. Most prime locations are booked for the season of three months +.
Good luck in your search, Hank :cool:

[Badbart56]

You better decide quickly & get a reservation, maybe too late already for this coming season, Florida fills up fast.
One quick tip, be sure any metal on your rv/truck/bicycles has a good coat of paint, wax or sometime to protect it from the salty air or it will look like 50 years of rust in that few weeks.

The salt spray isn't much of a problem on the Gulf Coast, unless there's a storm blowing. The Atlantic side is always a problem.

[Allturf]

Thanks for the feedback. Been trying Fort Desoto 6 Month advance but I'm not quite quick enough.

[sourdough]

We've spent the last several winters in FL (3-5 mos.) and no trouble with salt on the vehicle that I've seen, but, the finish on the trailer looked terrible. Before we left in April I looked at the top edges of the trailer and thought I had developed a terrible case of paint fade over the winter. Got it home and it's just a heavy film of salt?? Wouldn't wash off with soap and water, had to buff it out. I had always coated the trailer in 303 right before all the rest of the trips but on this one it had been about 4 months, in an enclosed building, but it apparently made a big difference....or there was some bad juju in the air...

[travelin texans]

If you find a rusty car down here it is because it came from the snow and salt belt in the north. My truck has wintered on Gulf coast and summered at Jersey shore for 14 yrs with no signs of rust anywhere. Road salt is what kills them. JM2¢, Hank

To the OP, For a short stay under a month, you may have trouble finding a site. Most prime locations are booked for the season of three months +.
Good luck in your search, Hank :cool:

The 1st time we wintered there, Dade City, we had 2 new bicycles, when we left in March they looked 20 years old, spokes, wheels, chain all rusted up, every nick on the rv frame rusted, even the aluminum wheels were starting to tarnish & we have NEVER driven where they use road salt.
Didn't intend to offend you, but just a warning after our experiences.

[hankpage]

The 1st time we wintered there, Dade City, we had 2 new bicycles, when we left in March they looked 20 years old, spokes, wheels, chain all rusted up, every nick on the rv frame rusted, even the aluminum wheels were starting to tarnish & we have NEVER driven where they use road salt.
Didn't intend to offend you, but just a warning after our experiences.

It takes more than a difference of opinion to offend me. :D Maybe I live in a bubble or something, cause our bikes have been outside since the 80's with nothing but a plastic bag on the seats and have minimal rust. Must be good genes I guess. ....... Now UV damage to the front cap and south facing side of the Cougar is another story ..... decals gone in two years.
http://www.keystoneforums.com/forums/picture.php?albumid=251&pictureid=1153

[SummitPond]

Hanna Park (http://www.coj.net/departments/parks,-recreation-and-community-services/recreation-and-community-programming/oceanfront-parks/kathryn-abbey-hanna-park/camping-at-hanna-park) is a City of Jacksonville Parks & Recreation property. It is on the Atlantic Ocean; the campgrounds are just inland from the beach; there are no sites on the water. The link has fees and a map.

[Laredo Tugger]

We were looking to do the same trip but found a lot of the coastal/beach properties full. You may have better luck with some inland campgrounds,but the reviews on several of those mentioned preferences given to full timers as far as breaking "the rules" of the campground, tight spots (that will not even let you put your awning out) and rude camp staff that have no problem evicting you without refund for complaint or small violations.
I'm sure this is not the norm and there are decent places to stay,but you are seeking prime seasonal real estate to camp in,so the expectation may change.

sourdough,you are maybe the third guy (or the same guy 3 times :rolleyes:) that has mentioned a coat of 303 for your camper, Are referring to the aerospace quality product that is similar to Armour-all ?
If I'm not mistaken that stuff is a bit pricey to coat the whole 5er,but if it works well and a bottle will go a lot farther than I expect,let me know.
You always have to be willing to learn on here.
Thanks.
RMc

[sourdough]

We were looking to do the same trip but found a lot of the coastal/beach properties full. You may have better luck with some inland campgrounds,but the reviews on several of those mentioned preferences given to full timers as far as breaking "the rules" of the campground, tight spots (that will not even let you put your awning out) and rude camp staff that have no problem evicting you without refund for complaint or small violations.
I'm sure this is not the norm and there are decent places to stay,but you are seeking prime seasonal real estate to camp in,so the expectation may change.

sourdough,you are maybe the third guy (or the same guy 3 times :rolleyes:) that has mentioned a coat of 303 for your camper, Are referring to the aerospace quality product that is similar to Armour-all ?
If I'm not mistaken that stuff is a bit pricey to coat the whole 5er,but if it works well and a bottle will go a lot farther than I expect,let me know.
You always have to be willing to learn on here.
Thanks.
RMc



I use it on the entire trailer and I think several others do as well so that's why you've seen so many mentions of it. It is a bit pricey if you're looking at the spray bottle or gallon, BUT, it goes a LONG way on the sides of the gelcoat. It also advises against overapplying so you just wipe it on/wipe it off. I let it sit for a few minutes if the area (decals) look a little "dry". A 32 oz. spray bottle will probably do the trailer (about 32-33' box) 2-3 times.

[66joej]

I also use 303. Just don't leave it on too long otherwise it needs to be buffed off. Works great and has no petroleum distillates so won't hurt your decals. YMMV

[travelin texans]

Sorry, didn't mean to steer the thread away from OP question.
There are a lot of nice places to winter in Florida, inland are less expensive & the farther south the more expensive. You need to get a reservation ASAP & as mentioned earlier it may be too late for this upcoming season.

[laidback]

You can try Geronimo RV Park in Miramar Beach (Destin) they often have a couple of sites available.. Two blocks to the beach.

[GrumpyG]

Looking for a campground on the water in Florida for a two or 3 week stay this coming Feb. Have 39 Ft Fifth Wheel. Any recommendations would be appreciated

Low Key HideAway in Cedar Key. https://www.lowkeyhideaway.info

Adults only so not good if you'll be traveling with kids. Small campground - (9 spots) plus they have a Tiki Bar on site.

Cedar Key is Old Florida - No fast food joints for 20 miles. But excellent restaurants.

[Jwiles58]

Just got back from Fort Pickens Campground in Pensacola. Doesn’t have sewer drops but I was well pleased with site and proximity to beach. Had a great time and no issues. We made reservations in January for June camping. Less than 300 feet to the beach.

[Fredcook]

Camp gulf has spots on the water. We are here now and will be thru the first. Any questions or want to know anything let me know. Very nice spot cg is great

[ozark traveler]

Fort Pickens has sites available now but they will be gone in a week or so, I'm guessing...I could not find anything else open. I hope you have a golden age passport or one of the other federal discount cards. This is a Federal CG, you will have to go to Recreation.gov or reserve america and look for federal campgrounds.

If you've not been to FL much, this area of FL can get a little nippy in Feb. It can frost or even freeze...doesn't last long usually.

The reservtion window for FL CG (state) is 11 months...if you want a site close to the water (Jan thru April) you will have 11 months and 2 seconds (I'm not kidding) to to make your reservation. Good luck...btw there is one option...not a good one but an option. Check the parks where you would like to go every day or so at the Reserve America FL site and there may be a cancellation now and then. Again good luck.

[cavediver]

Just got back from Fort Pickens Campground in Pensacola. Doesn’t have sewer drops but I was well pleased with site and proximity to beach. Had a great time and no issues. We made reservations in January for June camping. Less than 300 feet to the beach.

Love Pensacola but it can get pretty cold in the winter months.

Jack