Smiling Gator RV Park

While this RV roadside camping lot has recently changed hands from Cookseys RV to Smiling Gator, even after they had published their new roadway sign, just a week later, it was already being replaced by a new one, so keep your eyes on who’s actually managing this place. Despite the management ‘change O hands’ game that might be going on, from what I can tell, very little has changed between ownership teams. This location is still just off a rather busy 16A highway (just a 7 minute drive due east towards the ocean from I95) complete with 3 or so very basic lanes lined with diagonally parked RV’s. 

While Smiling Gator doesn’t offer up much in the way of amenities, it does still provide back-in and drive-through slots with the typical RV hook-ups (water, sewage and 30 / 50 amp electrical) along with a main office that has stacks of information on the local surrounding area, which is principally Ancient City (St. Augustine) and nearby attractions. There’s no tent camping offered here per se and a simple restroom and shower facility that has recently been renovated(and I use that term very loosely – likely just a fresh coat of paint). You’ll discover that there’s a few scattered picnic tables and a designated dumpster or two, but that’s about it, so if you are planning to stop by Smiling Gator, bring whatever lawn furniture and accoutrement that you might require. 

Insider’s tips? Here’s a few: (1) Just across the street from Smiling Gator you’ll access one of the many entrance points to 12 mile swamp, which has some pretty fantastic hiking trails (just be sure to pack the mosquito repellant!); (2) If you come bearing watercraft, there’s no shortage of great access points, where I would highly recommend a stop by either Princess Preserve or Faver-Dyke State Park, both of which offering fantastic boat / kayak / canoe launches and some really great natural exploration; (3) When you have grown tired of digging through your RV’s mini-fridge or over-stocked Cordova cooler (props to my peeps in Idaho making the best cooler known to man (or Sasquatch for that matter!) and want to venture into the local community for some typical fare, then I highly recommend you give the food trucks gathered at Munch a try for some excellent Venezuelan empanadas, southern fried chicken sandwiches, mouth-watering hamburgers or freshly fried fish& seafood; (4) Don’t mind getting a bit dressed up and want a high-end, but local experience next to the water and don’t mind whatever the price is on the receipt? Then head on over to Cap’s on the Water where you’ll have the most delectable seafood experience overlooking the Intracoastal; and (5) If you come bearing tents and want one of the most amazing authentic (quasi) primitive camping experience, then head on over to North Beach Campground on the strand between Ponte Vedra and St. Augustine beaches where you can encounter both the best of what the Atlantic Ocean has to offer as well as the Intracoastal. 

Happy Camping!

Let's begin with 'what a weird name' for a campground, right?  And while I drop that question upon you at the very start of this review, it's actually kinda the problem.  I'll tell you why.  Because if you try to look up 'Cookseys RV Park' (and let's just pretend that you actually spell the place right, it is nowhere to be found).  So when I was looking for a joint to drop down my tent, hammock and galoshes on, based upon The Dyrt's map of nearby camping grounds, I actually had to search this place out, as it doesn't exist.  Don't worry though - as a top-notch marketing pro, I alerted the owners about this very dilemma.  That being said, 6 weeks later, they still haven't done anything about their campground's searchability.  All of this aside, IF you are rocking up in an RV (I discovered us tent-erecting campers aren't the welcomed sort here) and are looking for a good patch of pavement to call home for a few days (or even by the week / month as they have rates for this), then this might well be your mobile Casablanca.  It's just a s short drive off I-95 and very short commuting to the nearby retail outlet stores (extra points for this campground contributing towards promotion of materialism and BOGO deals for American brands made overseas!  In all seriousness, this is a pretty well organized campground, with solid amenities (volleyball court, doggie park and even a community crochet club on Wednesday nights - OK, that last one I made up).  No worries here - apart from the name, of course - with Cookseys!  

Happy Camping!