Forum Discussion

pa_traveler's avatar
pa_traveler
Explorer
Nov 23, 2015

Florida C.G and marina

Hope its not to late to find a campground in late DEC. Thinking Apalachicola area might not be booked? One week over there somewhere open to other areas also. Would like to put boat in a slip or pull it everyday. Hauling 23ft boat behind truck camper. Want wife to enjoy white sand beaches and dolphins,then im interested in fishing and trying shrimping. Second week open ,maybee somewhere warmer more southern if possible,if not ST JOHNS River or crystal river area,looking for suggestions Thanks.
  • JoeH thanks for suggestions,tsetsaf thanks for Keys link. Would like to stay second week in warmer area.
  • We were surprised last year but were able to stay at a few parks in the Florida Keys with late/ no reservations. A bunch have marinas. Only issue is price: check them out
  • JoeH's avatar
    JoeH
    Explorer III
    Here's a couple ideas a bit more south.... San Carlos RV Park in Ft. Myers. Most sites are on the water, they have plenty of dockage and a ramp - FHU,50 amp . It is pretty pricey- check their website. Fish Hurricane Bay, Matanzas Harbor and the Gulf Waters.
    E.G. Simmons County park in Ruskin. Most sites are waterfront( canal) , while no docks at the sites, you can pull your boat up to shore- it's all sand. There is a good ramp/dock area in the park. Water and electric(30 amp) with a couple of dump stations. You can fish Tampa Bay, the Gulf, Little Manatee River, Cockroach Bay. I think sites are $20/nite - but they don't take reservations. Call ahead and check... with a truck camper you will have a better chance as some sites are length challenged for the larger RV's.
    If you are lucky and can get a reservation, Ft. Desoto in Pinellas County has many waterfront sites and a huge ramp area. Beaches are great. Boat access to Tampa Bay and the Gulf.
  • Thanks for ideas,will research them. Need to order rear view camera,this being first time hauling boat behind camper,thinking of garmin .Will report back after trip.
  • We winter in Sopchoppy,FL on the "Forgotten Coast". There is a city-owned park in Sopchoppy,(Myron Hodge PK) just off US 319 that has a good boat ramp. Also Ochlockonee River State Park is just down the road with an excellent boat ramp, canoe/kayak/bike rentals, and miles of walking trails. Both of these parks are less than 15 miles from the beautiful white sand beaches of Bald Point State Park, Alligator Park, and Carrabelle Beach. lizzie
  • Check out the Cedar Key area.

    Yes it's snowbird season and many CG's full up BUT I traveled for several years during snowbird season and never made reservations!!

    There are always cancellations and open spots. Either call ahead or what I do is pull in for just one night and then ask if they have any current/upcoming cancellations. Every CG I have been at always has a front row open just for traveling RV'ers. Many times I will ask for just the night and if I like it there I extend my stay in the travelers section and have never been refused.

    Sometimes I will get one for 2 or 3 weeks and then maybe have to move over a row or so for the next cancellation. So for you only needing a week or so you should have no problem.
  • We've stayed at Ho Hum and Ochlocknie, both. Enjoyed them. Ochlocknie has great river access and fishing. Good biking and hiking.

    Ho Hum has a small beach and launch area. There is a fishing pier. But the fish are caught from your boat in the deeper water. We enjoyed watching the shrimpers at night. Close to good eats and so forth..

    ed
  • pa traveler wrote:
    Hope its not to late to find a campground in late DEC. Thinking Apalachicola area might not be booked? One week over there somewhere open to other areas also. Would like to put boat in a slip or pull it everyday. Hauling 23ft boat behind truck camper. Want wife to enjoy white sand beaches and dolphins,then im interested in fishing and trying shrimping. Second week open ,maybee somewhere warmer more southern if possible,if not ST JOHNS River or crystal river area,looking for suggestions Thanks.

    Can't be a lot of help, but I was down in the Carrabelle area of Florida last June. It's called the "forgotten coast" because it's hard to get to, which means it isn't as crowded, which maybe also means there will be openings in December. There's an Outdoor Resorts place in Carrabelle. I didn't stay there, but I did check it out and my impression is that calling it a "resort" might be a bit generous. It looked like a parking lot, cheek-to-jowl everywhere, but it is right across the street from a gorgeous beach. And there are also boat ramps in the area. There are at least two other RV parks in the area: Sunset Isle RV Park and Marina (the name sounds appropriate) and the Ho-Hum RV Park. Unfortunately, I didn't have a chance to check out either one of them. There's also Coastline RV Resort down near Eastpoint, which gets great reviews, but I didn't get down to that area.

    Ochlockonee River State Park is, as the name suggests, right on the river, but it's way inland and is kinda primitive anyway. As a camping spot, though, it might be acceptably close to Bald Point State Park. I didn't have a chance to check out that park, so you're on your own.

    Hope that helps a little.
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