My husband and I live and work in the Miami-Ft.Lauderdale area and are considering getting a small travel trailer for weekend trips to get away from the craziness of this area. We are concerned about campground availability during the winter. I know we can't count on going south, but would we need to reserve far ahead of time for campgrounds in the middle of the state (Lake Okeechobee/Lake Placid)? How about the northern coastal areas (St.Augustine, Cedar Key, etc.)? Any advice would be appreciated. We don't want to buy a trailer but not be able to use it half of the year.

Depends on the time of year, during the snowbird season near the coast and south of Orlando can be tough. However you can make reservations 13 months ahead in Florida State parks so by making them now for next winter you can probably lock some slots in. As for the Okeechobee area I doubt that is a hot spot but I live in North Florida so I could be wrong. Off season it can be a good idea to have reservations in Florida State Parks for the more popular one, almost any on a coast for example. But if you get online with ReserveAmerica.com, put in a date and a general area you can look for sites that are open for that period. Off season, commercial campgrounds often have open sites.

Always have been able to find a campground almost anywhere from the keys to Orlando up to the panhandle. It may not be our first preference but it's a place to stay if we are sightseeing. Download the app (to go to the website) rvparking.com You can search by state and then city and it will show you campgrounds on the map. You can then get the individual campground info.

We live in Tampa and RV the full year. It is harder to get in to campgrounds during snowbird season but far from impossible. Over the week between Christmas and New Years, we camped in Titusville, St Augustine, and at the Lion Country Safari KOA down towards Ft Lauderdale. We made our plans maybe 10-14 days in advance. Certain parks like Ft. DeSoto and Hillsborough River in this area are hard to get into almost year round, so there may be some like that near you. However, it's VERY rare that we can't find SOMEWHERE to go with only a few days notice.

florida state park reservations can be made 11 mos. in advance.

It has been my experience that heading north in the winter, campgrounds are more readily available. Seems ALL the snowbirds are stuck on being in 70/80 degree weather, my feeling is that 60 degrees is still better than 10 degrees. My DW and I go to the northern part of the state during the winter, in fact we love when it is in the 50s and 60s. As mentioned Fl state parks allow you to make reservations 11 months in advance but if your still working like my wife and I than 11 months doesn't always work. Good luck.

Any fellow Florida residents? Need weekend trip advice

Wanaberetiree
Explorer
Apr 25, 2016
Thanks so much for the replies. I will take that as a green light. Good to know.
flgator4
Explorer
Apr 22, 2016
We live in that area too and haven't had a problem finding somewhere. I got a last minute site at a state park between Christmas and New Year's this past year. You just have to keep checking. We tend to go north in the snowbird months. With kids, I can't always plan that far in advance (I think you can book 11 months ahead at state parks).
sdianel_-acct_c
Explorer
Apr 19, 2016
during the week no problems. Weekends and holidays will require planning and reservations.
phillyg
Explorer II
Apr 19, 2016
I just did a sample quick check on reserveamerica.com for Jonathan Dickinson SP near Jupiter, for the WE of December 2. Plenty of spaces available as of now an probably typical of mid-state parks this time of year. If you can plan ahead a bit (I know that's difficult when you're still working) you can probably lock in a few dates now.
Mr__Camper
Explorer
Apr 19, 2016
Try Haines Creek RV Resort in Leesburg on SR 44. You have direct access to the Harris Chain of Lakes, and lots of restaurants, medical services and the only drawback once you get off SR 44 is traffic.
fla-gypsy
Explorer
Apr 19, 2016
Up here in north Florida it can be tough to get a spot in state parks in winter especially at the popular parks. Making reservations is the way to go. If you need some recommendations I can help.
Bears_Den
Explorer
Apr 19, 2016
It has been my experience that heading north in the winter, campgrounds are more readily available. Seems ALL the snowbirds are stuck on being in 70/80 degree weather, my feeling is that 60 degrees is still better than 10 degrees. My DW and I go to the northern part of the state during the winter, in fact we love when it is in the 50s and 60s. As mentioned Fl state parks allow you to make reservations 11 months in advance but if your still working like my wife and I than 11 months doesn't always work. Good luck.
alcaracu
Explorer
Apr 19, 2016
florida state park reservations can be made 11 mos. in advance.
JoeTampa
Explorer
Apr 19, 2016
We live in Tampa and RV the full year. It is harder to get in to campgrounds during snowbird season but far from impossible. Over the week between Christmas and New Years, we camped in Titusville, St Augustine, and at the Lion Country Safari KOA down towards Ft Lauderdale. We made our plans maybe 10-14 days in advance. Certain parks like Ft. DeSoto and Hillsborough River in this area are hard to get into almost year round, so there may be some like that near you. However, it's VERY rare that we can't find SOMEWHERE to go with only a few days notice.
mvpmich
Explorer
Apr 19, 2016
Always have been able to find a campground almost anywhere from the keys to Orlando up to the panhandle. It may not be our first preference but it's a place to stay if we are sightseeing. Download the app (to go to the website) rvparking.com You can search by state and then city and it will show you campgrounds on the map. You can then get the individual campground info.