Best Cabin Camping near Apalachicola, FL

Lovely area, bring snorkels, kayaks, and bikes. Lots of wildlife. Really neat shorelines with sand and very tall trees, driftwood, dunes. Make sure to explore both sides of the peninsula. About 1.5 hours from Apalachicola National Forest, lots more to do in the area. Watch the sunset! Camp sites have nice privacy, some areas are wooded for shade. Some of my group stayed in the cabins and they were also nice (though sparcely stocked, call to know exactly what to expect). Very clean, great services as described.

This place is great! A beach within a short walk, palm trees,clean bathrooms, wildlife, sunsets………… And the Florida State Parks system is contactable and friendly!!! There are hike in spots for those with tents who want to. There are very nice screened in cabins available.

You need to book this place way in advance, within minutes of these cabins being available for reservation. Reserve even if you don't know you'll be able to go; cancellation is like $17 or something.

Cell reception is spotty with At&T.

Beach is a pretty hilly 10 min. hike or so - so you will need to be organized and not be hand carrying big coolers; you'll need backpack. But not many people make the hike; you'll often have the beach to yourselves.

Lots of wildlife around - deer, armadillos, etc.

If wind is blowing from the north (shore toward beach, from behind you if you are looking at the gulf) the beach may have nasty biting flies, so drive 45 mins and go to St. George beach. Usually wind comes off the gulf though and keeps the bugs at bay.

We love Cabin #7.Cabin 8 has steps down to the bay; all others are a straight walk out.

Downstairs "beds" are not really suitable for adults; I wouldn't try to put more than 2 adults in a cabin and expect much sleep.

Bring kayaks and SUPs! You will be right on the bay, and St. Joe bay is great paddling with tons of fish and wildlife. We've seen manta rays, tons of cownose rays, huge schools of Jack Crevalle, turtles, and caught many species of fish...redfish, snook, seatrout, etc. Even saw an alligator way out at the end of the peninsula once!

This place is just nature at it's best! Great fishing! Gorgeous dunes! Shells, shells, shells!!! If you have a boat....take it!!! You can walk from the waves across to the calmer water....short distance. Deer frolic in the ponds at sunset. It is by far one of the best beach camping experiences I've ever had! Good facilities. GREAT cabins! Primitive camping too!

There is currently no camping allowed at the campground due to the significant damage caused by hurricane Michael in October 2018. The park is open for day use of the beach, swimming and paddle boating. I urge everyone to please stop by to show continued interest in this beautiful area. In time this will once again be as spectacular as ever and hopefully a decision will be made on reopening the campgrounds. This was one of those places that once visited you will never forget. I’m providing a few pictures from my last visit in 2018 before the hurricane to show what it was and what it will return to over time. 

Here’s the information currently on the Florida State Parks information page and on the Reserve America web site

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T.H. Stone Memorial St. Joseph Peninsula State Park T.H. Stone St. Joseph Memorial Peninsula State Park is recovering. The natural communities on the peninsula, such as coastal scrub, have evolved over millions of years and countless storms. Tall dunes provided extra protection. The resilient coastal ecosystems in the park are some of the best suited to rebounding after hurricanes. The south end of the park reopened in January 2019. Staff and volunteers made an incredible effort to clean up debris and make the park safe for visitors. The northern area of the park is currently closed to visitors. Natural sand infill has narrowed the channel created by Hurricane Michael’s storm surge. Across the channel, in the northern half of the park, roads, utilities and several facilities were destroyed and are not accessible. It will be some time before camping or cabins are available. The south end of the park still offers many of the experiences that make St. Joseph a great destination. Swimming, snorkeling and beach-combing are still popular activities. The concession is offering rentals of kayaks and paddle-boards, and a boat ramp provides easy access to St. Joseph Bay. The Division of Recreation and Parks' Office of Park Planning continues to assess the park’s condition. The Office of Park Planning shares opportunities for public comment on their webpage. For the most current information on available amenities and conditions, visit St. Joseph Memorial Peninsula State Park or call 850-227-1327. Please remember, for your safety and to protect the park’s ecosystems, please obey all posted signage. ______________________________________________________________________________

From what I understand, the park is currently closed to camping and cabins due to hurricane damage but some areas are still open. I am reviewing anyway to help encourage public support to rebuild the access to the park and reopen.

This park had smaller sites that were close together; however, the thick vegetation between sites gave each one a very private feel. The ground is dirt/sand (with a paved road leading to sites). The beach is absolutely wonderful. The restrooms were very large, clean, and well kept. There are bike trails leading down boardwalks and paved roads, and a large playground. All of the staff we encountered were very polite and helpful.

As we left, a very heavy storm came and the site flooded as we were packing up. Of course, as most daily gulf storms go, everything dried up rather quickly.

Great, short walk to beach access. Lots of activities on bayside as well, including kayak rentals and put-ins. Two large, clean bathrooms with showers at Shady Pine campground. Recycling available and dumpsters in good order.

Most of the park, including camping, is currently closed due to damage from Hurricane Michael. The boat ramp and day use area are open. We spend the day swimming, looking for wildlife and enjoying the sun. 

Fish, sea urchins, starfish, deer, and birds were all in the park and viewable during our visit. Be sure to take sunscreen! They have kayak rentals that make the water enjoyable. We are looking forward to when the camping is back open and can further explore this great Park.

This trip, we stayed 2 nights in space 25. It is convenient to the bath house (which is among the cleanest we've ever seen) and has plenty room for our 28' trailer. All of the spaces are very close to their neighbors, some are too close. This park is the tightest Fl State Park in our experience. The road among the sites and the sites are all dirt but level to the eye. Only the handicap space has a concrete pad (#23). The river makes the experience. Boat ramp and swimming area. Fishing. Rental kayaks. Bicycling. Hiking. Mild climate except for late summer heat.

This is a pretty nice campground. It is flat and sandy, with lots of palms and shrubbery dividing most spaces. We tent camped, but there were hammock posts at our site, as well as the usual fire ring and picnic table, and a water spigot. Our site was very roomy. There are tons of sand squirrels here--as soon as we got in, we took to the bath house (nice); when we came back our neighbors had weighted down our food totes as those (really cute, white) squirrels (read: jerks) had already tried to get into our food. I appreciated that the tent camping sites were clumped together so there wasn't an RV right on top of us.

The campground is right next to the river, which is part of the Ochlockonee River Paddling Trail (the lower part, map 5 I think). There is a very flat walking/biking trail with historical facts posted periodically, which goes around the small park, a swimming area in the river, a playground. Nearby there is another walking trail, for birding. There are no real strenuous activities here, I would say. There is a lot of neat flora and fauna (white deer!). There is also less neat fauna--horse flies. They bite and it hurts like heck. Cover up, with clothing or spray. No sitings of those big reptiles with teeth and dino tails.

Sopchoppy is the nearest town. There isn't a lot to do here, it's pretty remote. There is at least one fish shack. Head into Apalachicola for oysters, craft beer, beaches, etc.

Set back in palms and live oak, the campground is private with some sites very private and others not at all. The best sites seemed to be #7-9 and #18-21 as they have the best privacy, are close to the river, and are completely set back from the main loop. Sites closest to the bathroom have to contend with hearing the bathhouse fan (although light from the bathroom didn't seem to be an issue). Unfortunately I ended up with the last sight available, #26, right next to the end of the bathrooms with the fan. Good thing I travel with earplugs. On the plus side, my site was a pull through so coming and going was very simple. 

There are some really nice trails along both the Ochlockonee and Dead Rivers, as well as a pretty scenic drive that is "paved" with wood chips, which makes it perfect for hiking. While I didn't see any gators, there were signs warning about them. I did see several deer, a raccoon, and some lizards. 

Town is about twenty minutes away if you need anything. There are several bars and restaurants as well as an IGA grocery. You can even find services offering boat rentals.

Enjoy the beach, snorkel in the bay, rent a kayak at the marina, go hiking, go fishing. One of the BEST Florida parks!

Quiet small campground, clean and nice amenities, good park. Our site was very private. Overall great Florida state park campground.

We’ve been coming to Indian Pass and the area for twenty years and although there has been some areas of overdevelopment, this campground still has the old Florida feel. Friendly staff, beautiful sites right on the water, stunning sunsets and wilderness all around you!

I love this place. It’s located in a unmolested part of Florida. Clean bathrooms and friendly staff. We tent camped and had 3 tents on one spot without feeling cramped.

Very family friendly.

Florida State Parks did a great job redoing this campground after Hurricane Michael in 2018. Brand new facilities, excellent camping pads, and good beach access. You can still see some of the hurricane damage which is a testament to the severity of Michael in the area.

We LOVED this campground. It’s now one of our favorites in Florida. Campground is lovely, with live oak trees providing ample shade and privacy. Trail network connects directly to the campground so you can just walk right out onto the trails. River is serene with lots of tiny beaches along it. Trails go along river and through pine tree forest with prairie grasses. Rangers encourage campers to limit outdoor lights at night and the stars are amazing. Our site was tricky to back into but beautiful once we got in. Avoid site 11 - not much space or privacy. Others all looked great. Yummy BBQ restaurant (Hamahockers) nearby in Crawfordville along with groceries etc. Beautiful, remote campground in nature. Love it! We will return!

I live near Ochlockonee River SP and I really enjoy it for day use and camping. Camp sites are indeed close and some sites might be hard for trailers, campers, or RVs but I have no problems with my SUV and tent. Is it miserable in April - September? I wouldn’t know because I stay far away from forests in the Florida summer! You will certainly experience mosquitoes and deer flies if you do go in the warmer months, which isn’t the park’s fault but be warned. I love the Ochlockonee River - it’s very serene. There is a boat ramp and fishing spots as well as a campfire circle, benches along trails, and places to walk along the river. The flatwoods trail is often very wet and you may need at least knee-high boots to get through it. I usually bring tall water boots everywhere but I can see how it’d be disappointing if you didn’t have any on you and couldn’t hike far! There are indeed white squirrels and deer, and lots of deer in general! Bathrooms were pretty clean and everything was functional. They also have a little library with books to read! They have a dumpster and dump station for holding tanks. I had good phone and LTE service as a Verizon user. Sopchoppy is indeed basically non-existent. It has gas but come prepared with other essentials. No major complaints about the park other than it’s a little small! Love it though!

Easy to navigate, super clean and well maintained. The view is spectacular. Bathrooms are laid out super nice, clean and comfortable.

Definitely one of the best taken care of sites I've been to. A lot of amenities available with a great view of the Gulf.

This campground is amazing. Right across from Gulf of Mexico. Beautiful views and breeze from water. Nice sites and facilities. Rates are very good too. Close to beautiful St. George Island. A must stay at campground!

I love this resort. The sites up front by the bay are awesome. You can watch dolphins in the bay. They keep the facilities very clean.

The staff was nice upon entry. We are overnightting here but the view is incredible. We arrived right around 3pm and the park was busy but nothing crazy. Pets are welcomed here as long as they respect boundaries, same as kids per the notes. Which we appreciate on both sides.

Pool looked clean and enjoyable by others.

This is a very basic campground with a nice view of the water if you’re on one of the first two rows. Site 10 was on the end with no right side neighbors which made for good privacy. Short drive to beautiful St George Island. The wasps and yellow jackets on our site were swarming. The facilities were very private with 4 individual bathrooms (shower, toilet, vanity) no “stalls”.

If you are traveling without kids stay at the East Coastline RV park. It was so nice! The bathrooms were spotless. I felt like I walked into a spa when I opened the door calming music started and the lights came on. The showers are big! The pool was wonderful and the clubhouse amazing! You can cook a dinner in the clean kitchen. I liked it because it was a smaller park and there weren't any kids running around. The other coastline West RV park had a lot of families and was bigger. I would stay here again and next time for more than 2 nights! And one of the best things about the park is the view of the bay! Get a spot up front so you can watch the dolphins!

Excellent campground, just not on the beach. It’s on the back side of the bay, but it only takes about 10 minutes to drive to the beach. Nice pool and very nice bath house