Flagler by the Sea Campground

As I'm writing this review, I'm still scratching my head - is this place Treasure by the Sea (as my photos taken within 48 hours would indicate) or is this Flagler By The Sea?  It's anybody's guess, but as a seasoned marketer and communications professional, I would strongly urge this campground to figure out what it's name is and communicate that 100% to its intended target consumer to avoid the confusion I encountered.  What we can agree - regardless of the name - is that the address is 2982 North Oceanshore Boulevard and this is one but a few RV campgrounds that offers direct ocean / beach access to your surfside camping experience!

Once here, maybe you could distinguish this RV camping lot as one part ‘surf’ and the other half ‘turf,’ so let me do my best to explain. As I’m a Pisces, let’s begin with the ‘surf’ side of the equation, which of the ‘two tales’ is certainly the brighter and sunnier side of the story (both literally and figuratively). What you’ll discover here at Treasure OR Flagler by the Sea is that indeed this is an absolute gem of a location as it puts you DIRECTLY in front of the white capped Atlantic waves that you’ll experience no shortage of. The only thing separating you from the beach and ocean is the number of steps it takes you to walk there (and if you get lucky enough to get a front-row slot or spot, that’s only about 10 paces)! What little patch of land and fence did exist prior to our visit was eliminated by Hurricane Nicole. On this eastern side of the AIA there is nothing but a flat and sandy landing for you to park (pull-through or back-in) or pitch your camp for the night. Along with a few scattered picnic tables, there’s also water and electric (30/ 50 amp) hook-ups along with a bathroom & shower facility (which were just OK to be honest – and in need of enhancement). Amenities include (in addition to beachfront RV sites): complimentary WiFi and cable, on-site laundry, scattered fire rings and picnic tables. 

With the ‘turf’ side of the property, this is where the main office is, and apart from stopping here to register and check-in, I don’t really encourage you to spend much (if any) of your time on this side of paradise (western side of A1A), apart from dropping your kayak into the Intracoastal / Matanzas River. Additionally, what you’ll discover on this side is mostly mobile home residents, although there were a few free and open spots for RVers who couldn’t get a spot on the beachside. 

Insider’s tips? Here’s a few: (1) There’s not a lot in these parts, apart from what hopefully is the primary reason you are here for in the first place – beachfront access. If that’s what you are looking for, then this is a DESTINATION that you won’t want to leave anytime soon. But when you do choose to get off the 'reservation,' head north to Palm Coast for smart shops and attractions, or head due south to a simpler, slightly more touristic experience in Flagler Beach; (2) When you get tired of preparing meals out of a cooler or on-board fridge and want to try out something local, I highly recommend the crab cakes at Turtle Shack Café, two scoops of Wala Wala Monkey at Sally’s Ice Cream or the firecracker shrimp tacos over at Tortuga’s Kitchen& Bar; (3) The best beachfront spots at Treasure-By-The-Sea are 1, 2 & 3; 19 – 21; and 10 – 17; and (4) After getting enough salt water and beach, be sure to head south to Gamble Rogers Memorial State Recreational Area (for more details on this spot, check out my other review on The Dyrt) for ‘frakish’ (salt and fresh) water where there’s a simply fantastic inlet to drop your kayak in to check out the Matanzas / Halifax Rivers. 

Happy Camping!