# Favorite Beach Campground



## 3ringer

We would like to camp this summer at a beach campground. We would love to camp at Fort DeSoto campground in St Pete. , but it is booked for 6 months. It has an off leash dog park. What is your favorite beach campground?


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## NE GA Pappy

Hunting Island or Edisto Beach in South Carolina


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## T-N-T

Jekyll island campground.  Though Campground is only close to the beach 

St Augustine has a few nice ones. The state park is the bomb because it has a private beach you have to pay to enter the state park to access. Nice big beach too.  But reservations are hard as the devil to get there


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## ragingbull

Fort De Soto


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## Jeffriesw

I have taken my travel trailer numerous times to http://www.brynmawroceanresort.com/ in the last 30 years. 

It gets crowded and you are very close to the person next to you. Look on google maps using their address and you can see an aerial view.

However, it is a decent facility with a friendly staff and I love beach on the east coast and I love St. Augustine in general.

I spent the summer of 78 and 79 there when I was a teenager, what a blast!


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## 3ringer

Jeffriesw said:


> I have taken my travel trailer numerous times to http://www.brynmawroceanresort.com/ in the last 30 years.
> 
> It gets crowded and you are very close to the person next to you. Look on google maps using their address and you can see an aerial view.
> 
> However, it is a decent facility with a friendly staff and I love beach on the east coast and I love St. Augustine in general.
> 
> I spent the summer of 78 and 79 there when I was a teenager, what a blast!



Looks like what we are looking for. Instead of boarding our dogs , we can take them with us. Their beach is dog friendly. Also some local restaurants allow dogs on their deck. Thanks for the recommendation.


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## NE GA Pappy

we enjoyed Hanna Park in Jacksonville, but it isn't right on the beach. The beach is about 1/2 mile walk, but it is city owned and easy to get to.  There is a lake, and lots of places to walk you pet.  The bathrooms are dated, and not the best, but usable. 

http://www.coj.net/departments/park...n-abbey-hanna-park/camping-at-hanna-park.aspx


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## creekrunner

Little Talbot Island State Park between Jax and Fernandina

https://www.floridastateparks.org/parks/little-talbot-island-state-park


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## Jeffriesw

Your welcome. 

I don't know if you have been to St. Augustine before or not, but here are a few places I can recommend and a few to stay away from. 

Ripley's Museum? Don't waste your money.
You will be pulling a trailer, so I imagine you will using a truck. Street parking in the downtown area is tight and hard to find. Pay the bucks ($12 IIRC) to park in the parking garage. It will save you some stress.
Saltwater Cowboys has good food.
We enjoyed the walking haunted pub tour 
The trolley ghost tour is good as well.
The general trolley ride downtown is ok. meh 
The horse drawn carriage ridge is nice, but take your wallet. 
If you go during the summer, visit St George street during the evening and night. It is way to hot during the day.
If you visit St George street, Pizza Time, is a good place for a slice and a beer.
There are several pubs along St George street that have decent food, cold beer and live music on the weekends.
Do NOT walk out onto St. George street with a beer in your hand, you will get a citation. 

If you stay at Bryn Mawr, take a kids wagon with you to carry your stuff to the beach with.  The lots get a little pricier the closer you get to the water, but I find them very convenient. Take a 10 X 10 canopy with you, if you go to the beach for any length of time.


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## 3ringer

Thanks for the St Augustine information Jeff . I have never visited that town but was told I was conceived there lol . I am always looking for new adventures.


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## NE GA Pappy

3ringer said:


> Thanks for the St Augustine information Jeff . I have never visited that town but was told I was conceived there lol . I am always looking for new adventures.



oh what a night! Late December back in '63


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## 3ringer

ne ga pappy said:


> oh what a night! Late december back in '63



60 ?


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## caughtinarut

Topsail Hill Preserve State Park near Destin.

https://floridastateparks.reserveam...roundDetails.do?contractCode=FL&parkId=281250


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## 3ringer

I have camped at Henderson Beach State Park in Destin. It is a wilderness in the middle of a city. Sites are nice with shade. You walk over a boardwalk to the beach. 
Gulf State Park in Alabama is ok. It is across the street from the beach. Plenty of good restaurants close by. 
Pirateland  in Myrtle Beach is a huge cg. It has oceanfront sites as well as shady sites. There is a big pool and lazy river. You can rent a golf cart to get around. Sites are close together with no privacy. 
I have also camped at Rivers End on Tybee Island. It's not bad. Has shade and a pool. Also you can walk to the river. The beach is a short drive.


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## Artfuldodger

My family camped at Bryn Mawr when It was a young teenager in the early 70's. I reminds me of the campgrounds at Myrtle Beach being right on the ocean.


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## Dustin Pate

Dr. Julian G. Bruce St. George Island State Park


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## Oldstick

Haven't camped there but Ft. Clinch State Park near Fernandina looked pretty nice.   I don't think the campround was right on the beach, but looked shady and easy drive to the beach, maybe even walkable.

There was a huge, and I mean YUGE fishing pier out into the ocean next to the beach area.


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## uturn

Jeffriesw, is spot on with his narrative!! 

I can as well tell you anything you'd like know about Byrn Mawr and St.A as we call it..been hanging out there for 40 years..home away from home for the wife and I!!! Think both of my kids are a result of our time there!

Good Luck!!


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## poohbear

I'll put a vote in for Bryn Mawr too, we have been going there last couple years also, love it nice friendly people and love the beach, we used to go to Myrtle beach in those resorts on the beach but seemed to be more crowded and more and more rules on the beach like all umbrellas have to be behind life guard stand which is in the hot sand, I like to follow the tide when it goes out. So we found Bryn Mawr and love it down there, think we will keep it up, have reservations in June I believe, just nice place.


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## 3ringer

poohbear said:


> I'll put a vote in for Bryn Mawr too, we have been going there last couple years also, love it nice friendly people and love the beach, we used to go to Myrtle beach in those resorts on the beach but seemed to be more crowded and more and more rules on the beach like all umbrellas have to be behind life guard stand which is in the hot sand, I like to follow the tide when it goes out. So we found Bryn Mawr and love it down there, think we will keep it up, have reservations in June I believe, just nice place.



I looked it up on YouTube. Some said it has a trailer park feel to it. Do they have a separate section for campers or are they mixed in with the permanent trailers. Looks like it has a big pool.


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## poohbear

3ringer said:


> I looked it up on YouTube. Some said it has a trailer park feel to it. Do they have a separate section for campers or are they mixed in with the permanent trailers. Looks like it has a big pool.



Yes they have some park models upfront , all the lots and park models have owners some rent them out when they are not there, others don't , we have meat several of the owners some have owned property there for many years and handed down through their family, everyone we have meat have been great people. I think this is why it's not to crowded as the parks in Myrtle. Great place we like and there is a lot to see and do around st Augustine too. Reservations are hard to get on a short term you can call every day to check on cancelations otherwise we try to make them a year in advance.


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## 660griz

Grayton Beach State Park is pretty nice. Not on the beach but, it has a beach a short walk/ride away but, still in the park. Beach is not crowded. Freshwater pond too. Nice oyster bar a short bike ride away with nice bike paths. Coming back from that bar, wife could not stay on the path. Weird.  We are going back in May for a week.


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## 3ringer

poohbear said:


> Yes they have some park models upfront , all the lots and park models have owners some rent them out when they are not there, others don't , we have meat several of the owners some have owned property there for many years and handed down through their family, everyone we have meat have been great people. I think this is why it's not to crowded as the parks in Myrtle. Great place we like and there is a lot to see and do around st Augustine too. Reservations are hard to get on a short term you can call every day to check on cancelations otherwise we try to make them a year in advance.



We may try it out. I like the fact that we can take our dogs to the beach. Also they allow tents on the beach. We could probably find a daycare kennel in town while we explore St. Augustine.


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## Jeffriesw

3ringer said:


> We may try it out. I like the fact that we can take our dogs to the beach. Also they allow tents on the beach. We could probably find a daycare kennel in town while we explore St. Augustine.



We had a small house dog that we took with us several times while camping there. We never had to board him, but we did have to use them for after hours emergency vet care one time. We thought they were good to deal with.

I am pretty sure this is the place --> http://www.jacksonveterinarypractice.com/boarding.html


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## caughtinarut

660griz said:


> grayton beach state park is pretty nice. Not on the beach but, it has a beach a short walk/ride away but, still in the park. Beach is not crowed. Freshwater pond too. Nice oyster bar a short bike ride away with nice bike paths. Coming back from that bar, wife could not stay on the path. Weird.  we are going back in may for a week.



x 2


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## JustUs4All

Oldstick said:


> Haven't camped there but Ft. Clinch State Park near Fernandina looked pretty nice.   I don't think the campround was right on the beach, but looked shady and easy drive to the beach, maybe even walkable.
> 
> There was a huge, and I mean YUGE fishing pier out into the ocean next to the beach area.




Ft Clinch is my favorite.  Been going there since I went as a kid with my family in the early 60s.  Voted twice over the years (IIRC) the best campground in America.  One campground on the river, very shaded and where I like to stay.  One campground at the beach, no shade but walking distance to the beach.  The river campground is about a mile from the beach but has River beach and dunes.

The good spots fill up 10 months in advance and the entire campground fills up 4 to 6 months in advance.  To get a particular spot you have to be sitting at the computer when the window for reservations opens 11 months out.


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## ugavet

Gulf State Park, Gulf Shores, Alabama..  our favorite.


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## Bob Shaw

Look at St. Joseph Peninsula State Park in Florida. It's REAL remote and you are basically surrounded by beach. But, it's a long way to things like restaurants and grocery stores. Since it's a Florida State Park, there's a good chance they'll allow dogs, but, you need to check. At Fort Desoto, you have to drive to the dog beach. I liked Top Sail Hill State Park near Destin, but it's about 1/4 - 1/2 mile to the private beach, with a shuttle service. Since it backs-up to a Wildlife Management area, you have to watch-out for rattle snakes (seriously).


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## Greene728

Bob Shaw said:


> Look at St. Joseph Peninsula State Park in Florida. It's REAL remote and you are basically surrounded by beach. But, it's a long way to things like restaurants and grocery stores. Since it's a Florida State Park, there's a good chance they'll allow dogs, but, you need to check. At Fort Desoto, you have to drive to the dog beach. I liked Top Sail Hill State Park near Destin, but it's about 1/4 - 1/2 mile to the private beach, with a shuttle service. Since it backs-up to a Wildlife Management area, you have to watch-out for rattle snakes (seriously).



We just returned from Topsail Hill and its just O.k with us. The campground is awesome with full hookups, mostly paved or concrete pads (a few are pea gravel but level), but kinda tight in some spots. The beach access is what killed it for us. Its definitely a pain compared to the likes of St George Island or PSJ. It was exactly 1.2 miles from our camper to the boardwalk which is .2 miles long itself for a total of 1.4 miles to the beach itself. PITB for sure! The killer is its either walk, bike, or ride the tram dragging all your stuff along with you BTW. But I did like the convenience of places to eat and stores. Like Bob said, PSJ or SGI is a ride to about anything. But man is it beautiful and peaceful! And rattlers are abundant at both parks. It all depends on whats important to you. We camp for nature, serenity, to get away....so we will be back at SGI next year!


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## Artfuldodger

If I go to a beach campground, I like the walk to the beach to be fairly close.  Port St. Joe was a favorite of ours when we lived in Albany. 
It is a bit away from stores with major supplies. We liked the sunsets over the water. The raccoons were the biggest problem. 

I liked having the ocean on one side and the bay on the other.

I've been to Fort Clinch a few times usually camping on the beach side. Mosquitoes are bad on the river side. The beach side does get hot though having no shade.

From Augusta, I'd probably pick Edisto Beach SP.


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## 3ringer

Y'all check out this one https://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_R...own_Resort-Flagler_Beach_Florida.html?m=19904. You are looking directly at the ocean and beach from your camper.


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## Tacoma

Get the free app... RV PARKY. 

Choose any beach, city or zip code and it will give you details about every campground in that area.


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## jeardley

St Joe peninsula has my vote although I haven't been to SGI yet. I just discovered the place about 2 years ago and love it. Made 3 trips down and have another coming up Sept 23-30. 2 of 3 trips the fishing has been great considering it's been from a yak or wading. White sand beaches, very few people, clear water = paradise for me. The raccoons will get into anything they can so don't leave any food around (They know how to open coolers and totes). Also, the bugs/biting flies can be pretty bad so if bringing wife/kids load up on some spray. It's the closest to what Florida probably looked like prior to all the modernization I have found so far.


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## Artfuldodger

We looked at SGI but liked St. Joe better. It was a longer walk to the beach at SGI than St. Joe. 

We rode into Port St. Joe a few times and over to Mexico Beach to eat a few times.
We also went into Apalachicola a few times which is only a short drive from either beach.

St. Joe Bay is a little smaller than Apalachicola Bay. Gathering scallops can be harvested when in season.


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## Artfuldodger

Here is a private campground in that area but I've never even drove into it at Indian Pass;

https://www.indianpasscamp.com/


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## LTZ25

Check out Parnells Marina and R V resort in Port ST Joe Fl. Ive never been but it looks like a great place for fishermen .


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## poohbear

LTZ25 said:


> Check out Parnells Marina and R V resort in Port ST Joe Fl. Ive never been but it looks like a great place for fishermen .



Man I used to go there when I was a kid haven't been there in a long time but it is a good fishing hole and scalloping, they have done a lot of improvements since I was there last. Good folks there too if the presnells still run it.


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## Artfuldodger

LTZ25 said:


> Check out Parnells Marina and R V resort in Port ST Joe Fl. Ive never been but it looks like a great place for fishermen .



Wow, that place has really improved since last time I've been as well. I would say for fishing, that would be the place to stay. One could still go there to rent a kayak or paddle board for the bay even if camping out on the state park.

The Dead Lakes near Wewahitchka always looked inviting as we passed through on our way to Port St. Joe.


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## mdgreco191

Artfuldodger said:


> Here is a private campground in that area but I've never even drove into it at Indian Pass;
> 
> https://www.indianpasscamp.com/



Stayed here once.  It is an OK campground.  Don't think we would ever stay there again though.

Just got back from St. Andrews Island in PCB and it is a pretty neat place.  Fort Desoto is a cool and we are going back next year.  Ft. Pickens in Pensacola is nice as well and we are going there again next year as well.  We are going to try out Henderson beach in Destin for the first time next year as well.  Lots of options out there, but you got to book well in advance...


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## Greene728

mdgreco191 said:


> Stayed here once.  It is an OK campground.  Don't think we would ever stay there again though.
> 
> Just got back from St. Andrews Island in PCB and it is a pretty neat place.  Fort Desoto is a cool and we are going back next year.  Ft. Pickens in Pensacola is nice as well and we are going there again next year as well.  We are going to try out Henderson beach in Destin for the first time next year as well.  Lots of options out there, but you got to book well in advance...




We rode through Henderson Beach back in July while staying at Topsail Hill. It looked very nice indeed! And boy does it stay booked up! Best thing about it to me was the convenience to great restaurants and grocery stores, yet private and secluded.


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