Do you enjoy camping but don't want to rough it? Glamping is a great option. Glamping near Lillian is especially popular among campers who enjoy beds and electricity. Search nearby glamping or find top-rated spots from other campers.
Fort Pickens Campground is situated on Santa Rosa Island, a part of the Gulf Islands National Seashore south of Pensacola and Gulf Breeze, Florida. Visitors are drawn to the Gulf of Mexico for Gulf Islands National Seashore's emerald coast waters, magnificent white beaches, fertile marshes and historical landscapes. Come explore with us today! Each camp site offers a fire pit, picnic table, and a paved pad to park on. There are heated showers and flush toilets. We offer electric and non-electric sites. Many of our sites have restrictions from low limbs or bushes so be sure you will fit. Limited overflow parking is available. Choose a site that will accommodate all of your equipment. Campers may not stay in the campground more than 14 consecutive days. This policy is strictly enforced. Entrance fees are required for the Fort Pickens area and are good for seven consecutive days from purchase. Pets are not allowed on any beaches sound and gulf side, ferries, piers, in forts, batteries, pavilions, or inside facilities.
Many visitors young and old come to Fort Pickens to enjoy its scenic location on the beach. The white sands of Santa Rosa Island are the perfect place for a long walk or an afternoon of building sandcastles. The warm ocean waters are great for swimming and snorkeling. Fishermen will find a pier just a short distance from the picnic pavilions. It can be used by visitors without a Florida fishing license. Many hiking trails through the sand dunes provide beautiful views and hours of exploration. Historic Fort Pickens, a pentagonal fort built to defend Pensacola Bay in 1834, is just 1 mile from the campground. The structure was fortified after the War of 1812 and was one of four forts in the South never occupied by Confederates during the Civil War.
The campground is located on a barrier island between the Gulf of Mexico and Pensacola Bay. Groves of live oak trees are scattered across the island, providing shelter for resident and migrating bird populations, as well as shade for park visitors. The Gulf Islands National Seashore is home to sparkling blue waters, white beaches and coastal marshes. However, more than 80% of the national park is underwater, as it's a vital protective habitat to marine life.
The campground is a short distance from restaurants and beach nightlife, downtown Pensacola, the Pensacola Naval Air Station and Naval Aviation Museum, the Pensacola Lighthouse and other historic sites. Campsites are within 1/4 mile of the beaches of the Emerald Coast of the Gulf of Mexico and Pensacola Bay.
Cancellation and modification fees are non-refundable.
$20 - $40 / night
Gulf State Park has two miles of beaches, a spacious campground and a brand new Lodge and Conference Center to greet you. Yes, we have gorgeous white sand,surging surf, seagulls and a variety of activities, but there is more than sand and surf to sink your toes into. There is something for everyone inside Gulf State Park Campground. The beach pavilion provides picnic tables as an escape from the beach, the nature center is a great place for the kids to learn, the swimming pool provides refreshment for our guests and the Lake Shelby day use area offers kayaking and canoeing. For a change of pace while visiting check out the fishing and education pier, miles of biking on the Backcountry trail, beautiful flowers in the butterfly garden, and additional education at the learning campus, interpretive center in the near future.
When you come to Jellystone Park™ you’ll find a family focused environment with something to make everyone happy! Relax by the crystal clear pool, take a hike around the beautiful grounds, participate in a planned activity, or catch a fish in the pond! We offer enormous RV Sites, cozy cabins and well equipped tent sites all at affordable prices. In addition, our staff is here to provide the atmosphere to create family memories that will last a lifetime!
Blue Angel Park is open year-round supporting active duty, retirees, DOD civilians and their family members. BAP offers two RV campgrounds, boat launch ramps, cabins and trailers, primitive campsites, 170 dry storage lots, a 35 acre paintball field, three 18-hole disc golf courses, geocaching, hiking/biking trails, miniature golf, fishing pier, children’s playgrounds, beaches and picnic areas, pavilion rentals, sailing classes, as well as sailboat, paddleboard, kayak rentals. The facility also has a small outpost store that offers a variety of items to include, ice, snacks, sodas and much more. Please see the links on the right side of this page for more information about our amenities and rates. The park has a total of 158 RV spots available with water and electrical hookups. Both campgrounds offer showers, restrooms, pavilions, and playgrounds. Laundry facilities are available for both campgrounds. LP gas fill ups are available at the Outpost Marina.
$7 - $75 / night
$20 - $150 / night
Scout
Really expensive for anything other than an RV reservation. Facilities are nice, and there’s lots of amenities. Wouldn’t recommend if you’re actually trying to get away, but good for glamping.
Traveler
The retreat offers several amenities including showers, laundromat, and gas grills. There are even bouncy houses and playgrounds for the kids.
It's located on the river and they have a pet beach separate so even your dogs can enjoy the water.
The camp manager is nice and very helpful. They are definitely a great asset.
Full service hookups are currently limited as they work on an expansion, but they do have plenty of water/power hookups both off and on the river. There's also a cabin, glamping tents, and a tiny house. There are plenty of shaded spots.
There are a few long term residents who are friendly and welcoming.
I definitely recommend this campground for a fun, relaxing stay.
Legend
Campground Review:
Let me start by saying this is a very large park with a variety of campground options so I will do my best to first review the overall park then discuss each of the sites individually. The park sits alongside the gulf coast and has multiple access points to the beach. It also has an extensive paved trail network that is perfect for all kinds of activities including running, walking, and biking. While visiting the park we biked and explored the butterfly garden which I highly recommend. We also had the chance to visit the pier and the education center and everything is so well organized and taken care of. Overall, there is so much to explore you will definitely need multiple days worth of adventure. There are two major campground areas in the park and I will start by discussing the yurt option.
There are several yurts that are set up and organized for camping during certain parts of the year that each have 4 cots and a fire pit. There is also a large pump sink and a wild west looking shower in this area. If this option is available I would highly suggest checking it out. It is perfect for groups and provides a nice private area to spend your night away from the more crowded RV sites. This area is also centrally located and remote from the remainder of the park so you will have an incredible view of the night sky. The site is kept very clean and mostly covered in sand so it was wonderful to walk around barefoot. Finally, although you will have to bike or hike to get to these sites there is already firewood available for purchase so you won’t have to carry that in with you.
The tent/RV area is very large and has a variety of amenities that will make your stay very enjoyable. Overall, it is on the slightly more expensive side for a campground but provides easy access to the beach and is significantly less than many of the nearby hotels. One thing I really liked was that they have created a separate area for tent-only sites from the combined tent/RV spaces. This gives you a slightly more rustic experience if that is what you look for. On top of all the usual features, they have a pool and picnic areas that campground guests can use and don’t forget to stop by the wildlife education center. You can also join in for one of the rangers led educational walks to see wildlife around the park
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**Product Review:** As a Ranger for The Dyrt, I get to test products. At this campground, I tried out the Morsel Spork XL. After eating several meals using this innovative spork some of my favorite features are:
Scout
Enjoy taking the grandkids to Jellystone campground in Elberta, Alabama. Lots to do with their activities, wagon rides, group s'mores campfire, fishing, crafts, super clean restrooms, well supplied camp store if you forgot something, wifi, holiday weekends will usually include a inflatable water slide. Nice pull through sites also.
LegendBeautiful park along the gulf coast and one of the few beach options in Alabama. They have really nice RV and tent camping that has easy access to the gulf as well as tons of walking and biking trails. The campground also has an incredible nature center with so many amazing animals. If you are feeling up for a little adventure you can stay at the backcountry campground accessible via bikes or walking.
TravelerWhat can I say? Gulf State Park is the one by which all other parks in the region (NW Florida/Alabama) are to be compared. Everything you want: Hiking, BIKING, access to the beach, fishing, etc. Many sites have shade and a degree of seclusion. 28 or so paved bicycle trails, great Wifi, etc.
Only caveat: Good luck trying to book a site. Takes a pro, or a bot or something. It's rightfully popular.
Guide
We’ve stayed here several times. Nice flat sites in the pines and next to the Bay. Bathhouses are nice. Only problem is they are push button showers so it takes a couple pushes to get it hot. Shelter houses, boat ramp, tent sites, and a few cabins. Only 5 miles west to the USS Alabama Memorial Park. Well worth a visit!!
LegendGulf Shores Alabama Gulf State Park Current camping spot on the canal. Ours is a nice pull thru with electric and water. Almost 500 sites here from tent to big rig friendly. Spacious sites, some with foliage, some with Lake or canal views. Grills but no fire pits. Right now there's a shortage of usable bath houses because of hurricane damage repairs in progress. Good wifi, local TV, and cell service. Close to stores and dining. Free access to adjacent pier. Great coastal access. Free use of bikes. Lots of great paved and boardwalk trails. Gators, snakes, armadillos and birds reside here.
LegendWe stayed at Gulf state park in Gulf Shores , Alabama for 2 nights at site 178, then 1 night at site 74 ( next to bathrooms and trash) yuck. This campground is massive, miles and miles of bike trails, and a pool. Full hook ups Pull through and back in sites. Well spaced sites, didn’t feel like we were on top of our neighbors. 5 mins to public parking for the beach Campground included a free parking pass to the beach parking area. Extremely well maintained, there was always someone mowing and taking care of landscaping. Staff were all nice. Bathrooms were clean. Pool area was well maintained.
LegendGulf Shores Alabama Gulf State Park Current camping spot on the canal. Ours is a nice pull thru with electric and water. Almost 500 sites here from tent to big rig friendly. Spacious sites, some with foliage, some with Lake or canal views. Grills but no fire pits. There are a few community pits. Right now there's a shortage of usable bath houses because of hurricane damage repairs still in progress. Good local TV, and cell service. Close to stores and dining. Free access to adjacent pier. Great coastal access. Free use of bikes. Lots of great paved and boardwalk trails. Gators, snakes, armadillos and birds reside here.
TravelerThis park is now a Yogi Bear Jellystone park. It is located in Elberta Al. The sites are gravel and dirt but they are level and very spacious. Great for RVs and large rigs.
It offers a great central location for Gulf Shores, Perdido or Pensacola. They have tons of activities for the kids. (Crafts, hay rides, s'mores and more)
Just a short drive to many attractions including (Old Fort Morgan, USS Alabama, Drum Submarine, Pensacola Air museum, two water parks, Barber Marina and more)
If you are looking for a peaceful setting in a central location. This is the place!
There are many good restaurants - here are some of our favorites. (Reileigh's - best breakfast at the gulf, Wolf Bay, Fisherman's Corner, GT's on the Bay, Perdido Pass Oyster bar, McGuire's in Pensacola.
GuideThis was our first visit to Gulf Shores State Park in Alabama. The check in was as slow as molasses even though they had lots of staff, mostly standing. Waited in line for 45 minutes with one person ahead of us taking her sweet time to book a future campsite. Our site was nice, spacious with privacy. We were worried about the alligators and snakes so kept pups on a short leash.
The beach was beautiful, with sandy white shores and lots of shells. However, if you have dogs, it's a no-go so they have to stay back at the camp. They do have a lovely dog park, right on the lake where dogs can run and swim, but the 'do not feed alligators' was a concern. Locals said they had never seen one in 15 years... so not sure and not sure I want my dog to be the exception.
We enjoyed the friendly, southern hospitality of the town and would definitely return. I would investigate other dog friendly places in the area.
Ranger
When you think Alabama this is the kind of beauty you imagine. The water, huge oak and cypress trees, Spanish moss, boardwalks are all lovely to explore. The Civil War history is interesting and the rangers are well-versed in history (I think they have reenactments sometimes). Great hiking trails (all easy, not too long) that are horse friendly (BYOH). There’s a nature center and lots of different ecosystems.
Yay: Campgrounds are shaded in fairly dense forests for good privacy. They have simple campsites to full RV campsites, all have a fire ring and similar atmosphere. There are a few different campgrounds, one is tent only. They also have relatively new camping shelters that get you out of the bugs.
Nay: Close to Mobile so can be crowded. A little expensive for camping. Some areas have just a pit toilet and some have full flush.
Surprise: amazing cruises along the Delta with lots of wildlife viewing and history!! They have sunset cruises, seafood cruises, and seasonal themed cruises. Definitely the highlight of visiting this whole area. Loved the boardwalk.
TravelerThe wife and I stayed 4 nights here and it is now my all time favorite Alabama state park. If you’re a glamper and need WiFi and cable tv, then maybe this place isn’t for you. But if you want beautiful scenery, well manicured grounds, plenty of space, and peace and quiet....then come on down. It’s full hookup. It was quiet. Yes, you can hear traffic from I-10 a little, but it didn’t keep us awake or make us turn the tv volume up. The staff was friendly and checked on us to make sure we were having a good time and had no problems. They also came by and put poison out for the argentine ants you read about. We used some of our own also. The ONLY complaint I have is the sewer connection is high off the ground and our connection sagged down. This can be easily fixed with a larger diameter pvc pipe around the stinky slinky to keep it straight.
We loved it and will be back. The views were breathtaking. The alligators stayed far enough away and didn’t bother us. It’s close to supply stores and restaurants if you need them. This was money well spent.
GuideBeing an Alabama native we usually try to camp outside of the state. I’m ashamed to say at 55 I have camped @ GSP for the first time.
My husband & I were very impressed with the park. First let me say that this is a huge state park. The campground has almost 500 sites. I may be wrong but I think they all offer sewage which is not common in most state parks.
For the campground to be so big we were pleasantly surprise at how much space there was between sites.
Not may of the sites have shade bc of a hurricane that hit them pretty hard many years ago but we didn’t really see that as a problem during our visit. I would imagine during the dead heat of the summer it may be an issue for some people though.
The staff were some of the friendliest I’ve encountered. The bath houses were incredibly clean. We noticed a very nice swimming pool although we never went.
They have laundry facilities, a camp store & many other offerings. I suggest visiting the website to see all they have.
The biking & hiking trails are amazing. I think they have some where in the range of 28 miles of paved trails.
The only negative in my opinion is that because the park is so big it’s not an easy walk to the beach if you are carrying much. Don’t get me wrong, there is plenty of access it’s just not going to be close by. The beach is actually across the hwy from the park. There are plenty of trails & boardwalks you can use to get there.
We chose to drive simply bc my husband had fishing gear as well as our usual beach essentials.
We do recommend giving this park a try. We think you’ll enjoy it.
Traveler
Good little spot for our needs. Restrooms and facilities are clean and updated. Our site was small and kind of on top of others, but it was nice. Lots of trees around and right next to the water.
ScoutDecided on an impromptu trip here since Tropical Storm Eta ruined our plans to go to Disney. Spent 3 nights here. Not a lot of privacy between sites and the dog park could be bigger and more maintained (had to keep retrieving our tennis ball from rolling under one of the gates), but overall it wasn't bad.
RangerWe stayed for the weekend. First thoughts were that it felt a bit cramped. We had an issue with the electrical that we couldn’t figure out, but one of the campground workers was very nice and tried to help us figure out the issue. We loved walking to the waterfront. My son enjoyed the basketball court. My kids loved the pool. It was quiet at night. The dog park consists of two fenced in areas which was nice because my dog gets bored quickly of the same area, so I alternated between the two. Overall it was a decent stay. The basic pull throughs do not have a fire pit, which sucked because it was chilly at night. The store was nice, as well. There is an entrance and an exit on opposite ends of the park - the exit is a bit tight and my husband was nervous to pull the camper that way. We noticed several people going out the entrance because it’s easier, just a heads up.
GuideWe absolutely loved this KOA. Staff was friendly and helpful. Departure day of our trip we had tire trouble (bolt in brand new tire) on our truck. Employee at camp front desk allowed us to stay some extra time at no charge so we could get the repair done and get packed up. Kudos!!!! Location is convenient to Gulf beaches and to Pensacola FL. Park is nice and quiet. Lots ate level. We chose one with a patio. Beautiful spot. Clean playground for kids. Dog park was a little rough but, hey, it's for dogs. We absolutely loved it here. Will stay again. Highly reccomend.
ScoutThis place is under new management and they are working diligently to better the place we had a blast even with the day of rain we had kids loved the pool area. There are some good sites there but we’re we were at was kinda tight with others around overall a good camping trip
TravelerThis KOA isn't the greatest but it isn't one of the worst I've stayed at. I'd stay again, but only if there wasn't camping availability around the area except for here.
Pros: Location on the bay - 👌 Pool/hot to on site Close to fuel stations Close to main roads to get you where you want to go (Gulf Shores, Pensacola, etc)
Cons: Office closes at 6, good luck if you have issues after that during check-in Very very few fire pits - I saw maybe 5 and they were in premium sites that are closer to 80 a night or more. Not worth it Sites were extremely close together The campground itself is small
ScoutCampsites are bad. To close together. Dogs roam free. Management is nor good. Other campers told us stories you won’t believe. Stayed one night and got a refund for the other. Privately owned with no help from KOA.
TravelerNice place to camp close to beaches and lots of things to do. Everyone was very friendly and the place was clean.
ScoutEnjoyed my time. Pool, fishing. Older RV park but doing some renovations .. staff was very friendly .
ScoutIf your looking for a quick over night stop this is it. Stayed for Father's Day weekend and was not impressed for what I have seen from other KOA's. Getting set up was a pain because the escort took me the wrong way and ended up facing the wrong way. Had drive around the park again which has some tight turns for campers over 30 feet. Reservation was for a 30 amp hookup but the site only had a 50. They did loan me a step up adapter which was nice. If you can get the site's closer to the entrance those are the good ones with more room but no shade. Sites are cramped here in some spots. There was a couple activities going on each night. There are a lot of cabins to rent here and they do have premium sites with decks. Being on the water is not a true statement if you have an rv or travel trailer. There are a couple of cabins and some tent camping only. Will not make a second trip.
Guidepack light! Have to do about a mile trek in the sand to get to the primitive camping area & it’s FREE! Can build fires right in the sand and set up! Absolutely one of my favorite places! Can cash crabs on the beach and wake up to the seagulls!
TravelerThis is not a friendly KOA! The girl in the office was more interested in the guy she was talking to than to help check us in. No one offered to take us to our site (most KOAs will escort you). It was pouring down rain. We requested a Deluxe Site. We were given a mud site that our motorhome would not even fit in. I have never seen a KOA this bad! Don’t waste your time!
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular glamping campsite near Lillian, AL?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular glamping campground near Lillian, AL is Fort Pickens Campground — Gulf Islands National Seashore with a 4.6-star rating from 95 reviews.
What is the best site to find glamping camping near Lillian, AL?
TheDyrt.com has all 22 glamping camping locations near Lillian, AL, with real photos and reviews from campers.
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