Are you planning a tent camping trip to Cape Canaveral? We've got you covered. The Dyrt helps you find campsites near Cape Canaveral with tent camping. Each tent site offers quick access to one or more of Cape Canaveral, Florida's most popular destinations.
The East Camp Zone is located within Little Big Econ State Forest (Seminole County), about 40 miles east of Orlando, FL. The East Camp Zone is only accessible by boat and consists of six suggested camp zones. There is no water, electric or amenities... Recreational activities featured here are: boating, fishing, bird watching, wildlife viewing, wildflower viewing and nature study. The Little Big Econ State Forest offers two camp areas for primitive camping. The West Camp Area is located near the Barr Street hiking trailhead and can be accessed only from the hiking trail and by canoe or kayak from the Econlockhatchee River Paddling Trail. The East Camp Area can be accessed only by canoe and kayak at this time. Overnight camping is allowed by obtaining a State Forest Use Permit available at the Little Big Econ State Forest office. For more information and to get a State Forest Use Permit, please contact the forest at (407) 971-3500 or email the Little Big Econ State Forest.
Hatbill County Park allows primitive camping by permit on weekends. Please call (321) 264-5037 for camping permit. Boat ramp open 24 hours a day.
This vast property straddling portions of four counties was the first acquisition in Florida funded by the Save Our Rivers program. It includes 12 miles of the St. Johns River and is part of a large group of publicly owned conservation lands in the area that includes the Little-Big Econ State Forest, the Tosohatchee State Reserve and the St. Johns National Wildlife Refuge. Within the property are more than 4 miles of the Florida National Scenic Trail.
The property helps to filter nutrients during seasonal flooding; 96 percent of the area is part of the St. Johns River floodplain.
One of the special highlights of this property is that its unique plant community that is supported by naturally salty water, which flows from small springs near Harney and Puzzle lakes. The salinity of small lakes in the area approaches one-third that of seawater. Many salt-tolerant and marine-dwelling organisms present here are not found anywhere else in the St. Johns River.
Visitors often say they enjoy this property because of the sheer size of it and how open and vast much of the landscape is. There are huge marshes, miles of open water, shady hammocks, piney woods, and much more. They’ll also tell you it’s a big enough place to easily feel like you are lost – a treasure of remoteness in the busy central Florida area. Wildlife viewing
Please respect Florida’s wildlife and use caution while visiting district lands. These are wild animals. For your safety, do not approach or feed any wild animal. A diversity of migratory and resident wading birds and waterfowl is frequently found at the conservation area. Occasional sightings include white ibis, roseate spoonbills, white pelicans, southern bald eagles and sandhill cranes. Recreational activities
The southwestern 6,000 acres of this conservation area comprise the Seminole Ranch Wildlife Management Area, which is seasonally hunted.
Year-round activities include fishing, horseback riding, primitive camping east of the river, hiking (4.3 miles of Florida National Scenic Trail — hikers, please check hunt dates), canoeing, boating, bicycling, wildlife viewing, picnicking and nature study.
The trails are seasonally flooded.
For visitors wishing to backcountry camp in the seashore, primitive camping is available on designated islands throughout the Intracoastal Waterway and Mosquito Lagoon. These campsites are available by reservation only and require a permit. You may reserve campsites for $20 per night and up to six months in advance. RV or vehicle camping is not permitted within the seashore.
The following conditions apply to all backcountry camping permittees: The permittee identified on this permit shall retain and present the permit upon request to the National Park staff.
$20 / night
This conservation area includes lakes Washington, Winder and Poinsett. St. Johns River water flow is regulated at one point — a fixed-crest weir located just north of Lake Washington — to help ensure water supply to Melbourne. The area was acquired as part of the Upper St. Johns River Basin Project, undertaken jointly by the district and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, as a long-term flood control project to revitalize the upper basin. The Upper St. Johns River Basin Project reclaimed drained marshlands by creating reservoirs and replumbing existing canals. The goals were numerous: to improve water quality, reduce freshwater discharges to the Indian River Lagoon, provide for water supply, and restore or enhance wetland habitat. The area contains extensive wetland communities, typically dominated by emergent species such as sawgrass, smartweed, arrowhead and maidencane. One of the special highlights of this property is its numerous primitive camping sites (accessible by boat) along the river and access to more than 7 miles of trails. Other special features include open vistas dotted with palms, seasonal wildflowers and grasslands that change colors with the seasons. Portions of the hiking trail are unshaded, and portions go through dense shaded hardwood and palm hammocks. Eastern meadowlarks are plentiful here. St. Johns River Water Management District lands are natural, wild and scenic places. While camping on district lands, you may have an opportunity to see various wildlife, sit under the stars, listen to a soft evening breeze rustling tree leaves and experience Florida much as some of the earliest settlers did. However, be prepared to rough it. Only primitive tent camping is allowed on district lands and only at designated locations. No travel trailers, campers or RVs are allowed. Most properties offer no amenities such as rentals, restrooms, potable water or shelters. Many of the campsites are in remote areas and can be reached only by hiking, bicycling, boating or horseback riding. Campers should use the designated campfire rings for fires and should carry out all garbage with them when they leave. Check the notices section of this website for updates on any current burn bans. First come/first serve and reservable camping sites are available at most district properties. All camping is limited to a maximum of seven days per visit and you may camp no more than 30 days on a property per year.
Mullet Lake Park is a 55-acre park located in Geneva. It offers a pavilion, camping, and boat launching in a rustic setting. There are 8 individuals campsites and one group campsite available for rent. All campsites have a fire ring, a picnic table and appropriate parking spot.
$15 - $30 / night
Traveler
Varied sites, walking distance from cocoa beach as well as watching rocket launches from Cape Canaveral and cruises ship launches. Sites vary from water only, water and electric to full hook ups. Staff are amazing and lots of security
TravelerFor what it is, this place is perfect. I stayed nearly three weeks here in December before heading back to the cold north, and I couldn’t have asked for much more. Staying out on the inlet, although primitive, does offer a bit more privacy compared to inside the campground. It also gives front row seats to the ships coming to port as well as any launches from cape Canaveral which are much more frequent now. The staff was very friendly and I would absolutely stay here again.
Scout
We tent camped a RV spot I really liked it
Guide
We tent camped for 1 night on our East Coast bike tour. There was an open field w a fun artisric tree stump, fire pit, picnic tables, and water. We charged phones in the bathroom. Nice warm showers. Would stay again!
Scout
Old fishing camp being cleaned up by new management. Pontoon boats for rent, bait, tackle, and snacks in the office/store. Rv sites, permanent mobile home sites and I think tent camping. General manager Doc is so friendly. He love ensuring people are enjoying themselves.
Traveler
Stayed 1 night in a tent site, car camping. Arrived a bit late and had to set up in the dark. Efficient lighting and close to washrooms. A cold front came in and thankfully I was prepared and was toasty warm.
LegendJetty Park CG Cape Canaveral Site for every type of camper from tents to trailers to big rigs and cabins. Primitive to full hook up sites. Staff is super friendly and helpful in choosing sites if you haven't stayed there before. Great camp store and playground. Nice clean bathouses. Great fishing, beautiful beaches, watch cruise ships, launches, visit Kennedy Space Center.
Scout
The tent sites are a little small but most of them are shady and secluded with lots of trees and shrubs between! Good bathroom and shower, and lots of trails to explore, leading to a boat ramp and playground
TravelerWonderful staff and well maintained Park, sites and facilities. Great fishing and kayaking in the lagoon with a view of Cape Canaveral.
ScoutVery friendly staff. Nicely laid out with space for everyone. Walk to the beach! Clean with shade. WiFi, water, electric and sewer hookup as well as tent sites and cabins. Cute! Concrete slabs to park your unit on. The sites 100-144 aren’t as shady. The red knot circle is the most shady.
TravelerFirst timer car/tent camping and our stay was perfect. Deer roam happily around and your wake up call in the morning is courtesy of feisty Sandhill Cranes calling back and forth. Park and facilities were super clean. Nearby trash facilities checked and cleaned multiple times a day during our stay. I can't say how crazy it is during the summer time, but in the early fall it's a beautiful campsite to just hang out in and chill.
TravelerThis campground is right on the river, and has both RV and tent camping sites. The lanes are rather narrow, and it’s all one way, so depending where you’re at, you may end up circling the whole campground just to take your trash out.
We were there in late spring/early summer for a month, and it was okay. They do allow long term tent campers, so you’ll see lots of tents with huge tarps over them.
This campground fills up on the weekends, so it’s busier, more crowded, and a little loud.
I would probably not recommend this for long term, but it is one of the most reasonably priced campgrounds (that aren’t 55+) in the area.
RangerGiving 3 stars for now. I read a review in this and is at my backdoor. Never new about this place. Hiking trails, boat ramp, fishing, on the Sebastian Waterway. There are 30 sites that are for tent or a small pop up. Sites are large include a concrete picnic table and fire ring. There are several locations to get water from. Bathhouse is for camping guest only and you need a combo code to get in. There are 4 sites that are for Rv’s that have water hookup and 30amp service. This is a first come first serve campground. Reservations are not taken. Tent camping you would be fine the Rv sites I think on weekends you would be out of luck. Today on a Tuesday there was 2 taken and all the 30 other tent/pop up were available. Close to a lot of shopping. Plenty of wildlife and plants to discover.
GuideThis is a great spot to RV camping, less so for tent camping. Nice and clean park amenities conveniently located within biking distance of several restaurants at Port Canaveral for dinner with the family or drinks as you watch the cruise ships leave. The campground, Itself, has easy beach access with great views of the sunrise, however this also means it is typically VERY crowded during the summer months. It’s closeness to the jetty means that the waters on the beach side are fairly calm and blocked from the big waves of ships leaving port but the pier on the other sides of the jetty has water deep enough for fishing and even the occasional sea turtle sighting!
This site is also located very close to the boat launch. If you like deep sea fishing this is a great location to bring your boat or look into one of the day trips offered at the Port about a mile away. Great for a day trip if you are visiting the Orlando area or want to avoid beachside hotel prices on a family vacation.
LegendArrived here for a three-night tent stay at spot 153. The campground is easily accessible from the highway, and a breeze to check in. Friendly staff. Dumpsters behind the main office. All roads are one-way counterclockwise. The bathroom and laundry room are about 100 meters from spot 153. Both are clean. There's a nice pavilion overlooking the water inside the eastern loop. There's a good size, fenced-in, leash-free dog park next to the water. The water views are beautiful at sunrise. There's a pier for fishing and just serene eastern observation toward Cape Canaveral. There's a kayak launch ramp as well.
Spot 153 was perfectly partially shaded, with a mix of sand and grass, and it was level. The only critters seen here are playful squirrels. RV spots can be quite close to each other, but not many of their inhabitants were seen outside during these chilly, mid-December days when the temperature dipped to 40F at night, and high 50's in the day. All spots have electric and picnic table. The water spigot at 153 was about two inches from the ground. Why?
The only downside of the campground is its proximity to railroad tracks and airport. The noise seemed to be constant on weekdays.
TravelerThe park was full. We got one of the last two spots left, which were the only two that were full sun so it was very hot! We checked in around midnight and they had security at the gate that just kept an eye on things. Our whole purpose of camping is to fish so although they had a nice pier to fish off of, you could see straight through the 1’-2’ deep water with no drop off in sight. All you can catch really are horseshoe crab and rays. This was very disappointing for us. To make it up, there is a pool on site which was great for the kids. The bath houses were clean and always had soap and toilet paper and parking also so you don’t have to walk. Unfortunately there was a bad apple there that decided to vandalize one of the game tables while we were there but management posted updates on the main doors of the office about what activities were available or unavailable. It was a good place to watch the shuttle launches. If you go to the right of the pier there are benches under the palms so you can sit and watch. Go to spaceflight.com for launch info. We did notice they have a dog park with waste bag stations but nobody was in there. Primitive tent camping is closer to the water but not waterfront while RV camping is behind the tents. You are only allowed one shade structure per RV, no tents on RV sites. The sites are really squished together so I felt like I was walking in the backyard of the RV next to us every time I went outside. We used the 30 amp electric and water hookups without problems. They do have picnic tables at each site. Fires are allowed but have to be off the ground, no fire rings. Our site backed up to the drainage ditch which was full of shrubs and no water whatsoever. Overall it was a good trip. The kids rated it 4 stars each (I’m sure because of the pool) but we do not plan on returning any time soon as we want to explore more fishing options. However we will return if we just want to get away and the kids can swim their little hearts out!
ScoutNo dogs allowed and they like many Florida parks should have some way for Fl residence to actually be able to camp in Florida but no they don’t 
Scout
Small tent area enough for about 4 tents close together... but clean and very nice!
LegendIf you find yourself heading to one of the best Atlantic-side beaches in all of Florida – New Smyrna Beach – then you are already in-store for what will be a fantastic experience. Until they actually let beachgoers camp out on the beach itself, finding a spot to ‘pitch your tent’ isn’t all that difficult to do in this area. That said, what you give up for convenience and close access to the white caps you’ll encounter in this beach destination makes you want to be somewhat more forgiving of the campground options available to you.
Only about 2 miles away from the soft lulling of lapping waves, you’ll come across one of a few good options (see my other reviews for those other options), one of which is Gold Rock Campground & RV Park. Conveniently located off State Road 44 (which you’ll take after getting off the main I95 highway), you’ll head south when you come to Old Mission Road, which is just a short drive to this location. I would describe what you’ll find as basically a big open football field with a few lanes of mostly RV’s lined up side-by-side. The vibe is definitely pleasant and the place is communal with fringes of hippiness (just look at some of the psychedelic painted camper vans and buses – the owners of which will certainly not disappoint!).
There’s a small office upon entry that you’ll check in at, pay your nightly deposit and then you’re off to find an open space of greenery that you’ll call home for the night. There’s all the standard hook-ups for the RV’s and as a tent camper, you really have the run of the town to place your portable home for the night pretty much anywhere you want to. The only real insider tips I can give you if staying here or in the area is to get to the beach early – and note that the white sandy beaches in these parts are ‘drive-on only,’ so bring everything with you, find your perfect spot at the beach and open up the backgate of your SUV or Jeep and set up your camp in the sand there for the entire day. Simply one of the best beach experiences I’ve ever had in Florida (and I live here, so that should be saying something).
Happy Camping!
TravelerHas been wonderful clean and quiet. We have a truck tent.
Guide
Launch at river breeze park, book through Canavaral National Seashore. 20 bucks a night your own island. Can book for up to 15 people but I don't know where you would put enough tents. Got a 6 man and a 2 man set up and could get a 4 man as well but who actually puts that many people in a tent, lol.
GuideTraveler
Put out the roof awning on my car and set up the tent. Had charcoal grills at the campsite with a massive picnic table.
Traveler
The area seemed more of a housing area for the less fortunate. Lots of tents and what it looked “ permanent outdoor living “ nice park , but the camp grounds were not great.
Legend
Warning: you are not actually on New Smyrna Beach at this RV wonderland, but rather, a good 15-20 minute drive to one of the most glorious drive-on beaches in all of Florida. So what you may sacrifice in terms of immediate beach access, you more than make up for in an affordable place to rock up your RV (max 50 feet length), rent a cabin (1BR or 2BR) or pitch a tent for the night. This destination marries ancient Oaks with swinging Palms and has a very nice forested feel encircling the place (and helping you forget all of that traffic that is whirring by just outside of the property).
As for the campground itself, all of the typical hook-ups (electric, water and sewage) are available for the mobile-inclined RV’ers out there. For those that prefer to camp au naturale, there’s a handful of spots, but honestly, you won’t feel as though you are out in nature whatsoever, as the noise in the place is pretty unsettling as the individual campsites are too close together. And if you have just rocked up in your car or SUV and are looking for an alternative to hotels, then you have just hit the lottery, as the cabins here, while small, are quaint and fairly new as well as offering a proper front porch swing.
New Smyrna Beach RV Park & Campground offers up amenities like a nice little swimming pool (at about 4pm, there were some pretty nice cocktails being poured poolside!) along with free WiFi, TV scattered relatively new picnic tables and stand-up BBQ grilles.
Insider’s tips? This spot is perfect whether you are heading to Daytona 500 or watching a rocket launch form Kennedy Space Center. I’d also highly recommend Central Florida Zoo, which has 116 acres of exotic animals and botanical gardens to explore. Of course, there’s 25 miles of pristine Atlantic shoreline encompassing the dunes and Mosquito Lagoon, which is one of the state’s longest stretches of undeveloped and protected preserve to explore.
Happy Camping!
GuideThere are tent and rv sites. The bathrooms were dirty the last two times we went. And the beach was trashy. This used to be my favorite place but has went downhill and I doubt I will ever return
Scout
We love this campground! We have camped here many times and also just have visited their awesome park and pavilions. The campsites are nice, we had our favorite one. It was big and secluded so we had privacy. Our tent is like the Taj Mahal of tents and we bring lots of stuff with us and we had plenty of room. The bathhouses are very nice and clean. There is a huge park with a great playground, which the kids love, and also a big lake. The pavilions can be used by anyone for the day and they range from small to large. This is just a great place!
Tent camping near Cape Canaveral, Florida, offers a unique blend of natural beauty and convenient access to local attractions. Whether you're looking for a peaceful retreat or an adventure-filled getaway, there are great options available.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular tent campsite near Cape Canaveral, FL?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Cape Canaveral, FL is Wickham Park Campground with a 4-star rating from 6 reviews.
What is the best site to find tent camping near Cape Canaveral, FL?
TheDyrt.com has all 13 tent camping locations near Cape Canaveral, FL, with real photos and reviews from campers.
Keep Exploring