Anastasia State Park Campground

I’m following up on my review from over a year ago with updated insights, additional photos and a quick breakdown of HIGHLIGHTS and LOWLIGHTS: 

HIGHLIGHTS: (1) 139 shaded sites nestled under live oaks dripping with Spanish moss and palmettos with water and electric hookups; (2) Quick access to 4 miles of pristine Atlantic beach; (3) Amenities include bathhouses, dump station, camp store and rental concession; (4) Nature trails and birding along salt marshes and dunes; (5) Minutes from downtown St. Augustine’s history and attractions; (6) Nearby restaurants include O’Steen’s Restaurant, which is famous for fried shrimp, Mellow Mushroom offering hippie-themed pies and Salt Life Food Shack offering up casual seafood with rooftop views. 

LOWLIGHTS: (1) Tight sites where large RVs may struggle; (2) No sewer hookups at individual sites; (3) Reservations book up fast, especially weekends – trust me, this is one of the MOST POPULAR CAMPGROUNDS in all of Florida!; (4) Mosquitoes and no-see-ums thrive in warm months; and (5) Road noise from A1A can be noticeable. 

Happy Camping!

You really can have it all at this campground - with its 'next door' proximity to one of the most amazing beachheads on Florida's Atlantic coastline and quick access to the country's oldest town (St. Augustine) to the countless nautical activities on the nearby Intracoastal all within a very well-maintained and organized campground that provides great privacy and, most important here in Florida, lots of shade, from the sweltering heat and scorching sun. Whether you are an all natural camper who prefers tents or rocking up with a mobile living room-encased RV, this campground is perfect for beach lovers, nature activists as well as those that want to experience a bit of old world historic charm that the nearby town has to offer. 

As for the campground itself, I discovered that this place has a masterplan that has been carefully thought through, so there are a number of different 'neighborhoods' (some specifically designed for RV's, with others held for tent camping, and yet others that blend the two) that offer a simple circular loop for each mini-camping subdivision. The roads themselves are first rate and the grounds that you will be living on for a few days be-speckled with powdery sand atop firmly packed soil (not the sort of fluffy sand dunes that you might expect next to a beach). There is incredibly lush vegetation and ground cover everywhere (which shouldn't be a surprise as you are in FL after all!) providing a sense of privacy and separation, yet somehow still a communal connection with the rest of the camping community via the roads, pathways and trails you'll come across. 

Amenities for each of the campsites is fairly standard: fire ring, water spigot, electrical outlets (in some, not all sites) and a picnic table (all seem to be in relatively good working order, although the fire rings are dated). Onsite bathroom amenities are just barely tolerable and incredibly basic - you won't be impressed by what you find on this front, and may want to consider a nice ocean bathe instead! And while you may be coming here just for the camping, I'm sure you have been lured here by being positioned just a short walk to the beach, which is incredibly well organized and maintained. It has 2-3 separate wooden walkways that will take you directly to the beachhead. 

There's a brilliant cafe here serving up traditional bar food (burgers, hot dogs, sandwiches, fish and chips, etc.) as well as offering various rentals from golf cars (which you will discover become incredibly useful as you zip back and forth between beach and campsite) as well as kayaks, inter tubes, etc. There's also a small playground and park here for the kiddos to run around and play on. As for the ocean, while we were there, despite the parking lot being completely filled, the beach itself wasn't crowded at all and it was easy to simply walk 50 feet away to find a patch of sand that wasn't busy. 

Given the ocean's currents and underwater dunes, there's some pretty unique features here at this beach, including 'double roller' waves that are especially strong and produce rip currents, so be careful if you're surfing, body-boarding or have little ones wanting to tackle the waves. Away from the beach and heading past the campground entrance, but yet still within Anastasia Sate Park itself, you'll come across a rental kiosk that has paddle boards, kayaks and canoes available by the hour(s) or for the full day. Right in front of the store you have direct access to the Intracoastal, which in contrast to the ocean, will be flat, serene and dark, complete with tons of nature and wildlife to spy on. Keep heading west down this road, you'll eventually pass the Ranger Station and exit the park, where you'll find a few food trucks and a surf shop for all your beach-faring needs. 

Keep heading west on the main road and you'll have access to the Alligator Farm, several restaurants, bars, ice cream stands and small boutiques and shops. Cross the bridge from Anastasia Island to the mainland, and you'll be planted firmly in the oldest town in the country, which will have you exploring century's old architecture from cobble-stone streets featuring quaint boutiques, bar patios brimming with inebriated patrons and a nice variety of seafaring restaurants. 

Happy Camping!

This park is now the standard by which I will judge all other state parks. I haven't seen its equal anywhere in the US. I would give it ten stars if I could.

When I first pulled in, I saw a sign with a braggadocios statement along the lines of "Florida state parks: the best state parks in the country." This was my first night ever in Florida, so I thought to myself "yeah, well, we'll see about that." If all Florida's state parks are this good, though, that may not be hyperbole.

First off, the park is a destination in itself. It has excellent bike paths and walking trails, as well as a lovely beach within walking distance of the campground. There is also an abundance of small lizards and large tortoises, both very entertaining to watch.

The campground, however, is superb. It is cut out of the jungle, so every site has abundant shade and privacy. Some sites are better than others, of course, but I didn't see any that looked unattractive. Bathrooms are well sited, spacious, nicely designed, and clean. All in all, I couldn't find anything to complain about, which is rare.

That said, reserving your campsite in advance would be a good idea here. The only reason I was able to stay three nights was because someone else cancelled. In this case, however, the campground's popularity is well deserved. Well done, Florida.