Just a 10 minute diversion from Florida’s major highway artery, I95, you’d have to get lost at least a couple of times before meandering to the corner‘elbow’ hideout that is hidden from the bends and forks of the northern expanse of the Indian River, which really just comes to define this spot quite well: Mangrove Cove(RV Park). Once here, if you can find any‘room at the inn,’ you’ll be struck by the close-knit vibe of this place, where there’s only about 20 or so RV’s– many of them, by the looks of it, have been parked here for quite some time. You won’t meet fellow campers here, but rather, make friends with neighbors. Kids run aimlessly across the paths or gravel roadways that criss-cross this little patch of frackish water-lined heaven. Any advice I could give you would be to call in advance(386.345.1054) to see if there is any availability ahead of arriving. Our experience was that when we arrived in the mid-afternoon, the last slot had been rented out, forcing us to head further down south a bit to another RV roadside stand with equally bliss views of the waterfront. If you are fortunate enough to land a spot here, you’ll get all the standard hook-ups(electric, waste and water). The facilities are incredibly basic, yet clean. But the real hook here is, of course, access to the water, as well as perhaps some of the friendly encounters you will come across. Insider’s tip? I’ll leave you with 3. If you kayak or canoe, get in the water after 10am, when the tide is beginning to rise, and if you find yourself in low tide, pray that you don’t have an inflatable flotation craft. Second, when you get tired of grilling fish or roasting hot dogs over the fire, escape to Goodrich Seafood& Oyster House(https://www.goodrichseafoodandoysterhouse.com), which has been around since 1910, for some outstanding views of the Indian River where they have all you can eat fish on Fridays and all you can eat Shrimp on Saturdays… and don’t miss the Fried Green Tomatoes! Lastly, if you have the time, I highly recommend you check out Castle Windy, for those beachgoers amongst you, where you’ll discover some of the most amazing pristine beach conditions that northern Florida has to offer you. Happy Camping!
