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01-05-2014, 08:23 AM
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#1
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Senior Member
Trailer: 1990 Bigfoot 5th Wheel
Posts: 604
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Florida information
-50 this morning with the wind chill. It hasn't been much above -35 since November. Didn't make it last year, but we're headed for Florida within the week. I'm looking for good information sources for Florida camping. Don't have to be on the water, or even a coast. Dry camping just fine. It seems that there are a wide array of agencies that may have camping sites, right down to historic sites. I welcome any links, or location suggestions.
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01-05-2014, 10:44 AM
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#2
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Senior Member
Name: Sergey
Trailer: 2014 Scamp 16 layout 4, 2018 Winnebago Revel 4x4
SW Florida
Posts: 851
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Which part of Florida you're going to? Take a look at Ultimate Campgrounds - Home
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01-05-2014, 11:26 AM
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#3
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Senior Member
Trailer: 1990 Bigfoot 5th Wheel
Posts: 604
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Thanks for that. We've got lots of time and no destination in particular. We'll probably acclimatize in the panhandle awhile, then work south.
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01-05-2014, 02:25 PM
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#4
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Member
Name: Tim
Trailer: Scamp 16' Deluxe side bath
Minnesota
Posts: 63
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Florida
We are heading down to Florida this Thursday. It's bitterly cold here in the Twin Cities also and can't wait to get out of here.
We are camping at the Ocala National Forest where there seems to be plenty of available sites. No hook ups though. Water and toilets/showers are available with a dump site nearby. Very pretty campground in the north central part of Florida.
Tim
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01-05-2014, 02:32 PM
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#5
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Senior Member
Trailer: 1990 Bigfoot 5th Wheel
Posts: 604
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Looks great, thanks for the suggestion.
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01-05-2014, 02:38 PM
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#6
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Senior Member
Name: Sergey
Trailer: 2014 Scamp 16 layout 4, 2018 Winnebago Revel 4x4
SW Florida
Posts: 851
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If you want nice warm weather, wilderness and no crowds, then check out SW Florida, area along I-75 from Punta Gorda to Naples.
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01-05-2014, 02:58 PM
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#7
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Senior Member
Trailer: 1990 Bigfoot 5th Wheel
Posts: 604
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That sounds exactly what I'm looking for; thanks for the suggestion.
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01-05-2014, 05:01 PM
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#8
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Senior Member
Name: Letitia
Trailer: 2011 Eggcamper
Florida
Posts: 202
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Florida State Parks
Welcome to Florida State Parks
I have stayed in many.....would recommend all, although some may be totally booked. Also, if you get really far down south you might want to try Everglades National Park. We like Long Pine Key Campground there (no hook ups or showers at that campground, but further down you will find services at Flamingo Campground). 🐊🚣
Warning! We are expecting a cold front....weather tomorrow should start in the 80s and get down to the 40s during the night! 🙀
Have a safe trip!
__________________
Letitia
2011 Eggcamper #106
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01-05-2014, 05:11 PM
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#9
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Senior Member
Trailer: 1990 Bigfoot 5th Wheel
Posts: 604
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The 40s are 90 degrees warmer than here. Thanks for the info.
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01-05-2014, 06:40 PM
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#10
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Senior Member
Trailer: 16 ft U-Haul VT
Posts: 2,867
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Just left (darn it! not retired yet!) Marco Island/Naples KOA. Great place and not full when we were there! Wish we were still there and not in this deep freeze. Recommend Naples Zoo, shelling on Marco Island, and (very cool!) canoeing in mangrove swamp at Collier-Seminole State Park.
CindyL
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01-05-2014, 07:02 PM
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#11
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Senior Member
Trailer: Outback (by Trillium) 2004
Posts: 1,588
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all of the state parks in the panhandle are excellent...you can't go wrong at any of them. you are fairly early in the snowbird season so will probably not have much difficulty getting into most parks.
but i don't understand--you prefer the florida sun to staying home in winterpeg??
what's up with that?
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01-05-2014, 07:06 PM
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#12
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Senior Member
Trailer: Outback (by Trillium) 2004
Posts: 1,588
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and check out the manatees at blue spring state park between orlando and daytona.
awesome!
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01-06-2014, 05:07 AM
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#13
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Senior Member
Trailer: Eggcamper 17 ft Electric
Posts: 409
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Without reservations this time of year, finding a camp site at the state and federal parks can be a problem. But, most of the state parks hold at least one site as a walk-in, which means that it cannot be reserved. But, you need to be lucky and be there when the gates open in the morning and the current camper has to be leaving. Once you occupy a walk-in you can stay for 14 days.
The campgrounds nearer the coasts are more difficult to get in. Inland is easier, but those are often more distant from grocery stores, etc.. We've camped at Gold Head SP in Keystone Heights (about 30 miles east of Gainesville) and there have always been open sites when we were there.
Salt Springs Recreation Area in the Ocala National Forest is a federal park with full hookups. They divide the trailer sites, with 1/2 reserveable and 1/2 non-reserveable. So, there's a chance that you can find an walk-in there, but if you don't, there's always dry camping in the forest nearby.
A note on the Florida weather. 40 - 50 degrees F can feel pretty chilly down here. The dampness reaches right to the bones. We try to get as far south in the state as possible during January, then gradually work our way back north as the weather warms up.
Good luck and safe travels
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01-06-2014, 05:54 AM
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#14
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Senior Member
Trailer: 1990 Bigfoot 5th Wheel
Posts: 604
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Thanks, Ron, I appreciate your advice.
CindyL, canoeing in a mangrove swamp is now on the list.
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01-06-2014, 09:17 AM
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#15
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Senior Member
Trailer: Bigfoot Silver Cloud -1988
Posts: 1,543
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As CindyL said, you might want to try the camping too at Collier-Seminole State Park about 10 miles east of Marco Island. Be prepared for bugs, however! The canoes are $5 for an hour rental. We went out 2 hours and only went about halfway out to the estuary in the channel. Lots to do in the Naples/Marco Island area and it's very mild with temps in the 70s most days.
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01-06-2014, 09:34 AM
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#16
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Senior Member
Trailer: 2005 13 ft Scamp / 2004 Honda Odyssey
Posts: 1,075
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What Ron said about the temperature is true. We came back from New Orleans recently and I was cold one night. checked the temp and it was 50 degrees, I thought it was much colder. We enjoyed our electric space heater that night.
Our north dry cold is just much different.
Nancy
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01-06-2014, 10:35 AM
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#17
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Senior Member
Name: Jan
Trailer: '96 Scamp 5th Wheel
Texas
Posts: 102
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Cold Snap
Am in South Georgia and the cold is just hitting here. The good news is it will last only a couple of days then warm up. Still not balmy tho! Plenty of camping in the state parks here on the way south. I'm headed for Venice and was lucky to get in at Oscar Scherer SP for a few days. Everyplace I tried further south was booked - you just have to keep checking.
__________________
JanB
The Gypsy Wagon
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01-06-2014, 10:47 AM
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#18
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Senior Member
Name: Steve
Trailer: 2018, 21ft escape— 2019 Ram 1500 Laramie
NW Wisconsin
Posts: 4,500
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Ron F
Without reservations this time of year, finding a camp site at the state and federal parks can be a problem. But, most of the state parks hold at least one site as a walk-in, which means that it cannot be reserved. But, you need to be lucky and be there when the gates open in the morning and the current camper has to be leaving. Once you occupy a walk-in you can stay for 14 days.
The campgrounds nearer the coasts are more difficult to get in. Inland is easier, but those are often more distant from grocery stores, etc.. We've camped at Gold Head SP in Keystone Heights (about 30 miles east of Gainesville) and there have always been open sites when we were there.
Salt Springs Recreation Area in the Ocala National Forest is a federal park with full hookups. They divide the trailer sites, with 1/2 reserveable and 1/2 non-reserveable. So, there's a chance that you can find an walk-in there, but if you don't, there's always dry camping in the forest nearby.
A note on the Florida weather. 40 - 50 degrees F can feel pretty chilly down here. The dampness reaches right to the bones. We try to get as far south in the state as possible during January, then gradually work our way back north as the weather warms up.
Good luck and safe travels
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We have been looking for a camping site in a Florida State park (South of Orlando) since early November . We have found sites but the sites were only available for one or two days during the week (NO weekends) . The SP sites in the Florida Keys are almost impossible to find . I called the State of Florida about the availability of sites in the Florida Keys and was told to forget about this Winter and try to reserve a site for 2015 . The parks in the Florida Panhandle had sites available as of two weeks ago but the weather is cooler there than in Southern Florida. We are looking at going to Southern Georgia , not as warm as Southern Florida but they have sites available for periods of a week or more.
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01-06-2014, 02:21 PM
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#20
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Senior Member
Name: bob
Trailer: 1996 Casita 17 Spirit Deluxe; 1946 Modernistic teardrop
New York
Posts: 5,413
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Steve; we are wintering on Jekyll Island GA. There are others from Wisconsin here for the winter also. A couple Casitas and a Scamp were here for a while. We could use some fiberglass reinforcements here as most of the snowbirds have big motor homes and 5th wheel campers. All nice people here, maybe just a couple snooty ones. We spent a couple weeks in Florida in late November, Henderson, Ft. DeSoto, Gamble Rogers, and Sebastian Inlet. All nice, but the only one far enough south is Ft DeSoto. Like Ray says it has been unusually cold in this area and more rain than we experienced last year, but there have been many nice days too. We have debated looking for a campground farther south, but like it here and hope the crazy weather will settle down. Beats the snow and cold of upstate NY. We have our site reserved here through February.
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