South Florida trails and camping

[stuart.404]

Hey OB. I'm planning a few days in south florida exploring the National Parks and the Keys. I'm looking for some recommendations on great backroads and trails to explore, as well as beautiful spots to camp.

I'm planning to do this over spring break which I know is probably a bad idea. I have kids and my hands are tied. So the goal is to get as far away from tourists as possible.

Please share any recommendations you have! In return I promise to video, photograph and GPS track everything I do and feed it back to the community :)

 

[Flipper]

Basically there few if any trails that far south, Ocala NF in Central Fl. has a lot. John Pennekamp, Long Key, Bahia Honda , Curry Hammock are day use only camping still closed because of Irma not sure about Flamingo in the Glades. A good place to check for updates would be Reserve America. If you are planning to camp in these parks except Flamingo you are going to have to make your reservations at least a year in advance. If you are planning to go to Flamingo in the glades bring a boat or kayaks because there are no trails. The only good time to go to the glades is in the winter right after a cold front blows through because the skeeters will be so bad you will not be able to get out of your truck let alone camp. We have been to every park in Fl. many times, Check out Fort DeSoto in St Pete. which also books up a year ahead, you will have to go on their website every morning to look for cancellations. Any questions give me a shout.

 

[stuart.404]

Wow, I had no idea its so hard to camp down there. You've given me a lot of places to go research though. Thank you!

 

[Flipper]

No problem, didnt mean to rain on you parade. Here are some of our favorites
Fort DeSoto Park, St. Pete
Bahia Honda State Park, Keys
Curry Hammock SP, Keys
John Pennekamp SP, Keys
Sebastian Inlet SP, near Vero Beach on East Coast
Anastasia SP, St Augustine
Ft Pickens, Pensacola
Hendersen Beach SP, Fort Walton Beach
Grayton Beach SP, Panhandle, Just named #1 Beach in Fl. 2017
Silver Springs SP, Ocala
Its really sad the parks in the Keys were hit hard by Irma, Bahia Honda was almost wiped of the map. It will take years to restore it to it original pristine beauty. If you need any info I will be glad to help. Like I said before many have been reserved a year in advance so plan early. Any park in the panhandle will be packed with college kids on spring break.

 

[stuart.404]

I'm still pretty new to the US so I'm not sure I appreciate the college/spring break thing. Have I picked the worst possible week to be there? Even if I can find SP camping, is it going to be a bad experience?

 

[Caligirlnic]

There are a couple campgrounds south of Islamorada other that the ones mentioned above that are on the water, prepare for mosquitos and bring inflatable kayaks if you can. Great area for that. Also you can walk out far and fish.

 

[Flipper]

Trust me you do not want to be around thousands of drunk kids, so that rules out the panhandle during spring break for us. We have beautiful State Parks here, the problem is they are so popular they are difficult to get in. Many of the popular ones are booked a year in advance. Some people abuse the booking and book as many as they can especially on holidays and pay the small cancellation fee and dont show if they make other plans, you see it all the time with empty campsites in the parks. Tricks that we have learned is lets say we want to go to Bahia Honda, very hard to get in, on the 4th of July weekend you go to reserve america on July 4 2017 and when the 12 month booking window opens for the 4th of 2018.You have to do it first thing in the morning because they will go in literally minutes.
An other way is monitor reserve america every morning for parks you want to visit and watch for cancellations . Folks cancel all the time for various reasons. I will load in the date we want to go there every morning and hope for a opening. This works pretty good. If you find one snag it right away because it will go in a matter of seconds.
We go to Colorado every year which some parks are hard to get in,some of theirs have a 6 month booking window, so if we want a site June 1st Im on the web first thing Jan 1st to book that site. Jan 2nd it will be too late.
An other issue in Fl is the Snowbirds, people who come down for the entire winter then go back up north in the summer when it is too hot. Everything is packed. All the parks in the south are full from the folks that evacuated the Keys because of Irma.

 

[stuart.404]

Got it! It looks like a lot of State Parks have pretty well-developed camping facilities. What about more basic, dispersed, or totally undeveloped options? I'm thinking like no RVs, no power, no water. Is there anything like that in the south?

 

[Flipper]

Reserve America, Type in Fl, then camping it will give you a list of all camping in Fl. There are 3-4 primitive campsites in Ocala National Forest, Flamingo in the Glades is semi. Most are down through the middle of the state, the coast is mostly developed. Another good reference is the Fl. DeLORME Atlas & Gazetteer. Another thing make sure your screens in your tent are rated for no-see-ums, they are really really small mosquitos that can go right through a regular screen and will eat you alive. Not to mention the gators and pythons! If there is a pond,lake, or river there is probably a gator in it, the pythons are further south in the Glades. Never a dull moment down here.

 

[Caligirlnic]

Got it! It looks like a lot of State Parks have pretty well-developed camping facilities. What about more basic, dispersed, or totally undeveloped options? I'm thinking like no RVs, no power, no water. Is there anything like that in the south?

Not much, I lived there for 16 years and its mostly organized camping. You might have more luck in northern Florida for less crowded camping. The campsites in Saint Augustine are pretty nice and have tent only sites, and even though next to each other they feel private. They are also next to the drive on beach. We camped there every July 4th for a while.