we will be traveling in a class with a toad and plan for the first time to visit florida in jan, feb and i am wondering if reservations are needed or if we an go on the fly? which is better for going on the fly like state parks , or private campgrounds or other types like county parks etc? if reservations are needed , how far in advance are they needed?looking for help being a first timer !!!!!

Some places will require a year in advance. You should be able to find campgrounds if you don't require 5 star camping. Better campgrounds fill up first; in my opinion. Location means everything. The further south you travel the more expensive it tends to be. Some folks prefer the west coast to the east coast. The middle of the state tends to be less expensive; Either coast is more expensive than the middle. We've been doing this over a dozen years and we still haven't found shangri la, but we're still looking. Some claim to be resorts....but; we use rvparkreviews.com when searching for campgrounds. You have to read several reviews for any campgrounds to filter comments.I would start early and pick an area to explore and either wing it or make advance reservations this year and explore to see if it fits your wants and needs.

Yep. places farther south are probably reserved as most folks reserve when they leave for next year. The Ocala area should have something, and possibly SP's north of Orlando.

We will also be in FL January and February. I started reserving sites around June. Luckily, most of the places we want to visit are in the Northern half of the state - the further south you go, the harder sites are to find. Sites are much easier to get inland than on the coast. They are also easier to find with shorter rigs - the long sites are booked quickly.Everglades, Ocala, and Fort Pickens (Federal) are pretty easy to get walk in sites. It is pretty easy to get good sites on the panhandle during Jan-Mar as it tends to be colder. The only thing I can suggest is to do what I have been doing - pick your spots and check every day for cancellations. I picked up two weeks at Gamble Rogers (on the beach) that way.We tried last year to just wing it and did manage to stay at some place or another for a total of six weeks. But in some campgrounds we could only get a day or two; we moved a lot.

Check out the Flagler Beach area. There are some direct waterfront spots there that are pretty reasonable. You will need to a month or so in advance for most places. State parks can be hit or miss as most people use that as a one night place on the way somewhere else. Making it harder to predict with no reservations.

mussfly wrote:...i am wondering if reservations are needed or if we an go on the fly?... Depends. If you are going to travel the state and will be using a campsite for a night or two or three, reservations may not, probably not, be needed. Just be flexible in how many nights you want to stay. If you want to stay a week or more, without reservations, be willing to accept a site move during your stay. In fact when you ask the cg about availability, express your willingness to accept a site move. The longer the stay and the more inflexible you are as to which campground, how long etc., the more you will need reservations.

going to Florida in jan | Good Sam Community

12 Replies

jjrbus
Explorer
Oct 21, 2015
IF you must go to the Keys

http://www.seakeywestexpress.com/rates.html
LynnandCarol
Explorer
Oct 20, 2015
The Fl-Keys in Jan/Feb will be heavily booked, and same for Ft. Meyers area! I would not go without a reservations!!!!
sdianel_-acct_c
Explorer
Oct 20, 2015
most state parks will be booked solid during the winter especially the weekends. You might be able to find a night or two during the week. Commercial campgrounds are much more expensive in the winter. More popular areas near the beaches will be booked up. Inland you should be able to find some parks with open spaces. Both Fort Myers and the Keys are popular areas and the Keys are expensive. I would start calling to see who has availability before I drove to the Keys.
Ivylog
Explorer III
Oct 19, 2015
Assuming you are going to tour Fla then reservations are not necessary. Probably too late for long term as many of the more popular places are booked but there is always several days between the long term rentals. Being willing to move to a different site will help if you want to stay longer. It's a big state with many CGs that do not advertise so use Google for campgrounds in various cities. On the north side of Orlando you can get reservations at Stage Stop CG in Winter Garden... even some drone pictures under slide show. Not fancy...$200/week but close enough to even do Disney in the car.
*Other than using this CG when in Orlando I have no financial reason of incentive to recommend it.
mussfly
Explorer
Oct 19, 2015
i was thinking of fort myers area for a stay of 3 wks in jan and then move down to the keys for 2 wks and then start north . or should i consdider the keys first and then move to fort myers area ?
Dick_B
Explorer
Oct 19, 2015
For some unknown reason the campgrounds we frequent are busier in February. January is usually not a problem.
is_it_friday_ye
Explorer
Oct 19, 2015
We went to Ft. Desoto county park this past February. It was a nice park. You will need reservations now for anywhere in Florida, I'm pretty sure. Just a bit of advise, we got caught in a big storm headed back to Michigan and I was in 4wd for a long time with spinouts everywhere. I had to buy new bikes for the kids from all the salt damage while they were on the back of the 5th wheel. I would either cover everything really good or put it inside. The underside of the trailer has rust all over and simple things, like the propane connect for the grill, is corroded. I would wash it when you get home.
avan
Explorer
Oct 19, 2015
mussfly wrote:
...i am wondering if reservations are needed or if we an go on the fly?...

Depends. If you are going to travel the state and will be using a campsite for a night or two or three, reservations may not, probably not, be needed. Just be flexible in how many nights you want to stay. If you want to stay a week or more, without reservations, be willing to accept a site move during your stay. In fact when you ask the cg about availability, express your willingness to accept a site move. The longer the stay and the more inflexible you are as to which campground, how long etc., the more you will need reservations.
JonArmstrong
Explorer
Oct 19, 2015
Check out the Flagler Beach area. There are some direct waterfront spots there that are pretty reasonable. You will need to a month or so in advance for most places. State parks can be hit or miss as most people use that as a one night place on the way somewhere else. Making it harder to predict with no reservations.
dahkota
Explorer
Oct 19, 2015
We will also be in FL January and February. I started reserving sites around June. Luckily, most of the places we want to visit are in the Northern half of the state - the further south you go, the harder sites are to find. Sites are much easier to get inland than on the coast. They are also easier to find with shorter rigs - the long sites are booked quickly.

Everglades, Ocala, and Fort Pickens (Federal) are pretty easy to get walk in sites. It is pretty easy to get good sites on the panhandle during Jan-Mar as it tends to be colder.

The only thing I can suggest is to do what I have been doing - pick your spots and check every day for cancellations. I picked up two weeks at Gamble Rogers (on the beach) that way.

We tried last year to just wing it and did manage to stay at some place or another for a total of six weeks. But in some campgrounds we could only get a day or two; we moved a lot.