Looking for nice Campground in Florida


medic9280

Junior Member
Hello, We are from Michigan and are looing for a nice place to camp in Florida for the months of March and April 2009 that won't break the bank. The wife is looking for someplace close enough to go to Disney World and I am looking for a place on the gulf coast. Hope I win!! LOL.

Hope to hear of some nice places.

Thanks,
Sue and Todd :laugh:
 

H2H1

Senior Member
Re: Looking for nice Campground in Florida

Hello Todd if you are military retired or civil service connected then you can stay at Destin RV Park on the Gulf Coast near Panama City. This RV park is own and maintained by Ft Benning Military Base in GA. I stay there 2 times a year, the facility charge $19.00 a day and has full hook up with cable, super clean bath house and laundry. I you need that # PM me and I will give you info you need plus a lay out of the site. Good luck on the decision
 

SnowbirdInFlight

Senior Member
Re: Looking for nice Campground in Florida



This is a link to the Fort Benning web site: LINK


We've stayed here with our 38 foot trailer. Sites are EXTREMELY small.


Here are some reviews from the U.S. Military Campgrounds Directory:
3%20Stars%20Sm.gif
Visited on Dec 2005 - Very friendly staff. Location is beautiful. Campground is a little too tight for my liking. Not too much room to manuver, but still a very good campground. Well kept. Would visit again.
2%20Stars%20Sm.gif
Visited on Mar 2006 - All back into sites very tight full hook ups. clean well taken care of. Just a little tight getting around in and I like for the camps to be a little further a part.
4%20Stars%20Sm.gif
Visited on Jan 2006 - Clean camp area but I have to agree that it is tight for trailer and 5th wheel parking.
5%20Stars%20Sm.gif
Visited on May 2006 - Great place for families! The staff was friendly and very professional! We stayed in the hotel room. Our friends stayed in a cabin. These were awesome! The carpet in the room was a little musty, but that pales in comparison to all the other wonderful amenities! We felt safe. The weather was perfect. The pier was a blast for fishing and fellowship! We will return. I hope we can get a cabin!
4%20Stars%20Sm.gif
Visited on Aug 2006 - This is a hard one. The CG is pristine with cement pads, nice grass, tables, grills, great price in a high end resort area, and the latest in hookups (cable and phone) etc. The pool is great and nearby. A great view of the bay from the shore area. Great pier and boat rentals. Very nice staff. Centrally located in Destin. So, what?s so hard? This is a case of what are you looking for? There?s no view in the RV Park. It is very tight from the time you come in the gate. I was within inches of the RV across the street as I backed in. We (and most others) cannot use the very nice BBQ grills because they are under the slide. With a 35? MH backed all the way in, there is barely room for the Grand Cherokee to be parked sideways in front of the MH. Pets are tolerated but you get 3 different handouts saying what are common rules in most RV parks?and, pets cannot be taken, even on a leash, outside of the RV park. Alas, this is probably because pet owners in the past have not done the right thing and us Army guys tend to over react. Again: this is a very nice park. It is pristine. If you want a view, this is NOT the place. If you want a very nice park with all of the other many amenities mentioned, this IS the place.
5%20Stars%20Sm.gif
Visited on Sep 2004 - Very nice area for RV camping. It is alittle tight but well worth it. I have been going there since 1991, first time with a RV. It has some of the best people working there in the office. You can't beat the view!!
5%20Stars%20Sm.gif
Visited on Nov 2006 - I agree this is a very tight campground.. The new RV'S have a hard time getting around...Great Staff!! Great View!! Go during the winter season the rates are $280.00 a month with full hook-up,with Cable TV/Phone Jacks!
5%20Stars%20Sm.gif
Visited on 2 January 2007 - Just returned from a 3 night stay. This is a nice campground in a super area, within a 10 minute drive to the nicest beaches in the country. There is a lot packed into a very small area here, with pool, marina, cabins, motel and campground. Well kept, very clean, very friendly and helpful staff. The bathhouse is one of the best I have seen. The only negative is the cramped campground. Narrow access road with cars at each site parked right at the very edge of the road. I had no real problem getting through with my 30 foot travel trailer or backing into the angled site, (and there were many 36+ ft motor homes there) but it is tight.
3%20Stars%20Sm.gif
Visited on Mar 2007 - Just went in to check it out without having RV along. Good thing. The RV's are closer together than anything I have ever seen. Wonder why??? Rest of place looked great, price was fair. I would never think about going there unless was staying in one of the apts or cabins. My idea with the RV is to have some room to walk or look out of the RV. No place to park vehicle either. And no idea what to do with the dog. You have a limited area for that and it not close to the RV parking at all. Would be good if you just had a van to park there. The guys with the bigger rigs had to be crazy to stay in such a place.
5%20Stars%20Sm.gif
Visited on March 2007 - Great location, but RV's are packed way too close, and little room for vehicles. Postage stamp sized area for pets.
5%20Stars%20Sm.gif
Visited on Aug 4 thru Aug 11, 2007 - I have seen many comments about the small camper spaces. Although that is true, all the camper plots are concrete and the facility is run to make your stay enjoyable. My wife and I took three small children in a 29ft travel trailer and felt the only shortcoming was the lack of Internet Access. But that is no longer an issue. They installed WI-FI on our last day there, (Friday, Aug 10, 2007). The camper spaces, fishing dock, swimming pool, bath house, laundry, and game room were all VERY well kept and the staff were all extremely friendly. I heartily recommend the Ft Benning MWR Center at Destin!
4%20Stars%20Sm.gif
Visited on 5 Sept thru 11 Sept, 2007 - Spent 7 nights 5 Sept - 1 Sept. Very nice and clean facilities. I agree the sites are a little on the small side but the location and prices is very good. Staff was friendly. I was in RV slot #22 and the WiFi signal was very low to no connection. I was told that that side of the park they were having trouble with.
5%20Stars%20Sm.gif
Visited on Oct 31 thru Nov 4 2007 - Spent four nights in campground. All sites are paved with paved roadways. Bath house was modern and clean with nice laundry room. WI-FI was unavailable unless you subscribe to a service provider. Proximity to beaches was good. Eglin AFB private beach pavillion was a short distance away. This campground is on the waterfront of the bay with opportunity to see beautiful sunsets. Overall a good experience and I will return. As previously mentioned sites are tight for big rigs.
5%20Stars%20Sm.gif
Visited on 19 Nov - 26 Nov 2007 - Location is hard to beat; have stayed here several times since Jan 2001. Space is tight but just have to be careful and even big rigs are able to fit in with ease. Was looking forward to WiFi addition, but was a total disappointment! Did not work at all until call was made to the provider (Wireless Escape) 800 number, fixed after a day's delay. Then the big news - price is $9.50 day, $24.95 week, and $40 something month, can't recall exact amount. This is the most exorbitant pricing I have experienced at any campground; military, private or public in seven years of full timing. Shame on whoever in Army MWR worked up this deal - thanks but no thanks to your WiFi!
4%20Stars%20Sm.gif
Visited on Feb 20 - Feb 23, 2008 - Great location with lots to do an see in the local area. Some Rv spaces were small but services and hospitality were great. Wi-fi was a total waste of money. It was very expensive and reception weak and poor throughout the facility.
5%20Stars%20Sm.gif
Visited on Mar 18-20, 2008 - Destin, Fl for $16/night. C'mon, it doesn't get any better than that. Sure spaces are tight but you can get your car next to your rig if you want. Clean park, friendly staff, bayside vice oceanside provides shelter. The ONLY detractor is internet: Very pricey, very slow and very intermittent. I'll go back there.
4%20Stars%20Sm.gif
Visited on April 8 - 15, 2008 - From the time we pulled into front entrance we could see that things were going to be a little tight for our 37-foot 5th wheel and crew cab truck. It was a very tight turn from the street and around the curves into the campground part of the park. Most big rigs will have trouble getting into most of the sites. There is a couple of corner sites a little longer and with straight back in. We were unlucky to get Site #6 which was a nightmare to get into with about 6 feet separating it from our neighbor site #5. We had to fight a lightpole and a fire hydrant directly across from our site on the one lane road. There was a car parked on the grass ajacent to our site which helped make backing in difficult (Parking on the grass is against the rules and they "strictly enforce" their rules). The owner of the car was not home. The neighbor across the street did move his truck which helped a lot. I had to back into the site the best I could, unhook, rehook, and try it again. We found later that there were 2 corner sites open so don't know why they don't put the larger RVs in these when they are available. We did see the next day two small RVs in those sites (maybe friends of staff). That's why I rated hospitality so low. I also found that if you ask to extend a few days past your reservation, they make you move to a different site even though there were 6 sites open. Who makes these stupid rules? We seemed to get the worst neigbors in Site #5. We had 2 different families during our stay with each having 3 very unruly children. One day I heard a noise from the rear our trailer and found a 6-year old about half way up our roof ladder with the father watching. I hate to sound so negative here, this park could be a very nice place with a little more room. WiFi is available for $9.50 per day or $24.95 per week. There were phone hookups and I chose to use dial-up rather than pay the ridiculous prices for WiFi. RV washing allowed on site for $5.00 but POV washing is not allowed. Another rule I don't understand. This is a very close-nit recreation area with cabins, motel type rooms and campground crammed into a very small plot of land. The beaches are very close but we probably won't stay here again unless we are desperate. NOTE: Try to stay away from Site #6 because when you have a neighbor in Site #5 you have no view at all.
5%20Stars%20Sm.gif
Visited on April 2008 - My husband and I have four children and it is very hard for us to find a vacation spot that will accomodate us at a reasonable price. We found that here. We stayed in an apartment room and it was very nice. I was surprised at the quality of the matresses and sheets, very comfortable. The grounds were quiet and beautiful. Our balcony overlooked the bay. We really enjoyed our stay. Only things we were not overjoyed with were the price of internet and we thought the pool hours could have been longer. Overall, can't wait to go back!!!
5%20Stars%20Sm.gif
Visited on May 17 - 24, 2008 - Outstanding MWR facility! My wife and I camped 6 nights and loved every minute of our stay. The Campsites are a little close, but we never saw anyone having trouble parking their rigs. It?s a very clean, quiet and peaceful location with an on site swimming pool, fishing peer and very reasonable boat rentals. Note on the boats, you must take the online boater safety course before you can rent boats. The MWR facility is just a stone throw away from the sites and sound of Destin. For those who bike ride, there is a great bike route all along Calhoun Ave. Also the Eglin AFB private beach club is only 6 miles away, there is a $2.00 parking fee but worth every penny! We will definitely return!
4%20Stars%20Sm.gif
Visited on June 19, 2008 - Great value for the location. As has been pointed out, most sites will not accommodate big rigs or are VERY tight to get bigger rigs into. Staff could do a better job managing the size of rigs that go into sites that will handle big rigs. We noted that parking restrictions regarding multiple vehicles at sites was not enforced. Those extra vehicles makes it difficult for rigs of most sizes to negotiate their way thru the park. Rigs with slides on both sides need to make sure they park on or to the right of the white line on the site. Otherwise, when you extend your slides you will risk hitting the BBQ grill cemented next to the pad. AND FYI, it is not a casual drive from I-10 to the facility. Anticipate heavy traffic on U.S. 90.
 

H2H1

Senior Member
Re: Looking for nice Campground in Florida

Todd rying to add a link of the destin rv park. PS I have a 36' MH and never had a problem backing in and I have been going for several years.
 

medic9280

Junior Member
Re: Looking for nice Campground in Florida

Hi, Thanks to everyone so far as to some places to stay. We are not from the military, turned of age the year we pulled out of Nam, but was #86 on the draft. The wife and I were both in the medical field. We are just starting to enjoy life.
 

DARLING

New Member
Re: Looking for nice Campground in Florida

There are quite a few in Polk County(Lakeland, Plant City area). Half way between Tampa & Disney.

Darlin
 

raskal

New Member
Re: Looking for nice Campground in Florida

If'n you would compromise and head to the East Coast, Camelot RV Park in Malabar is very nice with fishing and plenty to do. It will put the DW only two hours from "Mickey da Rat" and near all the big beaches and "ta-do's" on the east side.
 

Blueeyes

New Member
RE: Looking for nice Campground in Florida

My favorite campground in FL is at Panama City Beach-St Adrews State Park. Some of the sites are right on the bay water which is great if you are towing a boat. It has a private beach on the Gulf plus great fishing on a jetty. You can ride a bike to several resturants or rent a houseboat to roam the bay. The park also has a boat to Shell Isalnd several times a day.
 

H2H1

Senior Member
Re: Looking for nice Campground in Florida

hey blueeyes I have been there but never stayed there. I stray on down to Destin and stay in the military camp ground. it's right on price some on the spots are tight but manageable
 

Blueeyes

New Member
Re: Looking for nice Campground in Florida

To: h2h2

If you ever get a chance, stay at St Andrews. The rates are very reasonable & they have water & elec. hookups with avaliable dump stations. The veiws from the water side sites at sunset and sunrise are unbeatable.
 

H2H1

Senior Member
Re: Looking for nice Campground in Florida

well I guess I am spoiled the sites at Destin are ideal to me. beside the price is right, $19.00 a night. If you are in the area drop by and check it out
 

DL Rupper

Senior Member
Re: Looking for nice Campground in Florida

Hollis is right about the sites in Ft Benning Rec Area in Destin being tight. However, it is a good place to stay. :)
 

RVOA

New Member
Re: Looking for nice Campground in Florida

Try Sherwood Forest at Kissimmee - http://rvonthego.com/Sherwood-Forest-RV-Resort.html

Its within easy walking distance of many restaurants, shops, touristy things etc and has wall-mart etc etc just a few mins drive away. WDW is max 10 min drive.

They often do special deals on rates so I would sign-up for their email alerts. We got a full service site for 7 nights over Christmas 2006 for just $99.

Hope it helps
Paul
 
Top