Reserving Spots in Ft. DeSoto, FL Campground for October?

[Woodtroll]

Hello, folks,

After visiting the area of Ft. DeSoto (Pinellas County) park in Florida last year, we'd like to take our kids and grandkids down this October and camp in the campground. The problem is, we have to block our vacation time out now to get it included into everyone's schedules, but the reservations cannot be made until 6 months out from the visit date.

My concern is that we go to all the trouble to get this schedule worked out, and then we can't get two decent water-side campsites in the campground. My wife is prepared to pounce at midnight on the appropriate date, but we have read that it can be tough to get spots in prime season (although we're not sure if October is "prime season"?). No way are we going to drive from Virginia and count on getting into one of the walk-in sites.

Does anyone know how hard it is going to be to get two water-side sites reserved for October if we start in right at midnight?

Thanks,
Regan

[cindik]

I have been lucky enough to reserve waterfront sites at Ft. Desoto a couple of times during spring break. Be signed in and ready to go at exactly midnight 6 months out. Have 3-4 choices ready, I was lucky enough to get my 2 nd choice both times. Nice place, we really enjoyed camping there.

[Rangerman40]

There aren't really any bad sites there. Also if you aren't educated on specific sites you still may be disappointed even if you get one on the outside of the loop.... not all waterfront sites are created equal there. There are a handful that are primo waterfront camping and the rest are on the water.... Thats about all you can say for them. The pull throughs in the middle are very nice as well. I've stayed in both.

[Woodtroll]

Thanks for the help, everyone!

DownTheAvenue wrote:
You could be just a little flexible and settle for a non-waterfront site.

Maybe so, but I'm driving a 1600 mile, nearly 30 hour round trip to camp by the ocean. I'd like to actually camp by the ocean for all that effort. I can stay in a muggy, sandy, buggy campsite anywhere close to home ;-).

Actually, we wouldn't need sites side-by-side, and only one by the water would be sufficient. The thing that attracted our attention to this campground was the fact that you actually could camp "right on the ocean" in an actual campground and not one of the parking lot "resorts". I would not survive long in the typical "RV resort" before going to jail!

The suggestion to give them a call was useful too, thank you. We may resort to that if we can't work it out online.

The reference to hurricane season made me chuckle; the trip that we used to visit Ft. DeSoto last October was cut a couple days short by Hurricane Matthew! Had we had our truck and trailer, we could have fled the state gracefully, instead of suffering through the mass exodus at the airport...

Thanks again, everyone!
Regan

[tinstartrvlr]

Ft Desoto is an incredibly popular park for the locals; priority is given and is nearly always full, but that said Oct is much easier than the winter months. It is usually still hot and quite buggy. Unless things have changed, the personnel there are very helpful with answering your questions and can give advice on the best way to work it out. Give them a call. Check out this link, and then you can link to other park info. https://www.pinellascounty.org/park/camping.htm#fortd

[DownTheAvenue]

You could be just a little flexible and settle for a non-waterfront site.

[NCWriter]

I've always found it much easier to get into Fort D than the state parks in the Keys. I've also found October easier in Florida because it's still technically hurricane season and can be hot.

If you want to check in on a weekend date, you'll possibly find many waterfront sites already booked by weekending locals. But if you are willing to arrive on a weekday, your chances might improve.

It might be tough to get two waterfront sites side by side, but if you are willing to split up, your chances again obviously improve. There are pull-through sites in the center (not on water, but across from waterfront sites) that seem to stay empty often.

I'd put in for vacation time and just research some other options you can easily book six months out if you can't get exactly what you want.

[bucky]

I would have a back up plan. Fort Desoto is a county park, and gives preference to their residents.
Pets are not allowed in all sites, and IIRC none of the best sites.