Adventures by Drennon- Jen, Michael, Royce and Everett take every chance they can to travel and discover all there is in Florida.
As a family of weekend warriors in Florida, warm weather is never out of reach or hard to find. However, Florida is a vast state making it difficult to travel to another state during a long weekend. Luckily, there is no shortage of great campsites to visit in the sunshine state with a bit of advance planning. We are going to share five of our family's favorite campgrounds around the state of Florida.
Wekiwa Springs is a Florida State Park. Located about 20 minutes outside of Orlando this popular park has a little something for everyone. The stand-out features for us include a large swimming area situated around a natural spring that is 72 degrees year-round. It's quite popular in the summer during the hottest parts of the year as you can imagine. Kayaks and canoes are available for rent or you can bring your own. Paddle along the Wekiwa River on the lookout for manatees, otters, and alligators. If you get tired or thirsty along the way stop at Wekiva Island for a cold drink and a bite to eat in the summer or hot cocoa by the fire pit in the winter. Weikwa is also home to an extensive system of trails to explore on foot, bike, or horseback.
Gamble Rodgers State Park is comprised of two separate campgrounds. The Riverside campground can accommodate larger campers and the Beachside campsite which is better suited to smaller rigs (less than 38 feet). The Beachside Campground and the Riverside Campground are divided by the famous A1A Highway. Beachside sites 17, 19, and 21 offer the best views of the ocean. All sites enjoy the relaxing sounds of the crashing waves and an amazing breeze that cools you off even in the Florida heat. High Tides Snack Shack is a short stroll from the campground boasting great conch fritters and an even better view. If you want this affordable spot on the beach, be ready to book 11 months in advance. Totally worth it in our opinion.
Fort Desoto Campground is considered a county park, located in Pinellas County close to the city of St. Petersburg Florida. This campground is comprised of several areas: one for small rigs, tents, and vans, a pet-friendly area, and a camping area that does not allow pets. There are beautiful waterfront sites as well are larger pull-through interior sites. Within this park, you can find several playgrounds, beach access, biking and walking trails, and of course a historic fort to explore. With so much to do at this campground, you may never leave. However, the city of St. Petersburg is a short 20-minute drive and offers many dining and cultural options. This campground is very popular and often fills up fast. Spots can be booked six months in advance.
The Jolly Rodger RV Resort is located on Grassy Key in the Florida Keys approximately one hour from Key West. This resort boasts full hook-up sites with a variety of views. We opted to spring for the sea wall sites directly on the water. This resort is in the perfect spot to explore the rest of the Florida Keys. The location of this resort is as amazing as the resort itself. Directly off the sea wall is a shallow area perfect for floating or snorkeling. When you are not floating in the ocean you can swim in the resort pool or enjoy the sunset from the colorful Adirondack chairs on the beach. In addition to campsites, there are a variety of boat slips for rent and a boat ramp if you are wanting to do some fishing while in the Keys. The Jolly Rodger RV Resort offers everything you would expect in a campsite in the Florida Keys.
Fort Wilderness Resort is Disney’s version of a campground. This campground is large, rich in Disney history, and a whole lot of fun. This campground spans a variety of sites at a variety of price points depending on the season. Fort Wilderness offers so many family-friendly activities including a pool, playgrounds, a dog park, tennis courts, and basketball just to name a few. Each night at sundown you can join Chip and Dale for a campfire sing-along, s’mores roasting, and an outdoor movie under the stars. Visiting this campground in December is a family tradition going on for six years now. The campers are what make this time of year so incredibly special. I guarantee that you will not find a larger amount of holiday inflatables per campsite anywhere else. Cruising around the campground and checking out all the decorations is something we look forward to every year. If Christmas is not your speed you can find an equal amount of decorations around Halloween.
Follow the weather and travel to Florida if you can. Camping season is all year round here. You can find a variety of camping scenarios; state parks, beach resorts, and great spots tucked in the shadow of a city. Florida has so much to explore and our family is only just getting started!
Adventures by Drennon- Jen, Michael, Royce and Everett take every chance they can to travel and discover all there is in Florida. Upgrading from tent camping, they now enjoy their Passport Travel Trailer. The love of their communities is a driving force of how they found RVing, getting to know others, helping in any way they can, and enjoying time to laugh and explore. We hope you get a chance to meet Adventures by Drennon, but in the meantime follow them on Instagram.
