Florida Camping by Boat
With thousands of miles of coastline along ocean, gulf, rivers and lakes, Florida offers a multitude of options for camping by boat. Florida's Gulf Coast has a number of barrier islands that can only be accessed by boat and which offer formal camping accommodations. The St Johns River and many of its tributaries are also lined with camping friendly coves and shorelines. Florida State Parks which include many of these waterways offer great camping facilities.
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Gulf Coast
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Florida's Gulf Coast offers a number of barrier islands which can only be reached by boat. Some of these islands welcome campers by boat with camping cabanas for rent. Others simply offer pristine beaches and some pine trees.
One popular spot is Cayo Costa State Park near Boca Grande Pass in Southwest Florida. The park is only accessible by private boat or ferry from Pine Island. The island offers miles of nature trails, an amphitheater where educational programs are presented and primitive cabins for those who need more than a tent.
Atlantic Coast
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While camping along an exposed ocean shoreline by boat is nearly impossible due to surf conditions, there are a number of passes and inlets that attract boat campers up and down Florida's Atlantic Coast.
One such spot is Sebastian Inlet, located 30 miles south of Cape Canaveral. Sebastian Inlet State Park has boat ramps on both ends of the park offering access to the brackish waters of the Indian River Lagoon, the Intracoastal Waterway, the freshwater of the Sebastian River and the Atlantic Ocean's salty water. Camp here overnight and enjoy some of the best saltwater fishing in all of Florida.
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Florida Keys
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The Florida Keys offer hundreds of remote islands and back country waters lined with pristine beaches and mangrove forests. Camping in the keys can be done by boat or even by kayak. There are also many public campgrounds with boat ramps and boat docks.
One of the best spots to camp in The Florida Keys is John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park in Key Largo. With access to both shallow water coral reefs and calmer back country waters on Florida Bay, Pennekamp State Park is a great family campground. There are 46 separate campsites spread across the 70 nautical square mile park.
Panhandle
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Florida's panhandle is known for some of the finest sand beached on the planet. With dunes of sugar sand crested with pine scrub as far as the eye can see, panhandle beaches offer a unique twist to the Florida beach experience.
T.H. Stone Memorial St. Joseph Peninsula State Park sits on a hair-thin peninsula that shoots out into the Gulf of Mexico. This gives the park the full gamut of marine activities including fishing, canoeing, kayaking and snorkeling. A full-facility campground is located within a short walk from the beach. The park also features eight camping cabins for those less willing to rough it in a tent.
St Johns River
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The St Johns River is the longest river in Florida and runs 310 miles north from the Indian River Lagoon up to Jacksonville where it spills into the Atlantic Ocean. It is 3 miles wide at its widest point and has a number of lakes and tributaries which feed it along the way.
Blue Spring State Park is home to the largest spring along the St Johns River and a manatee refuge. The park covers 2,600 square miles and is the winter home to a growing population of West Indian Manatees. The park also has plenty of picnic areas and hiking trails. Air-conditioned cabins, a full-facility campground and several campsites are available for campers. For more information,
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References
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