Best RV Parks & Resorts near Gulf Islands National Seashore

Fort Pickins is a large National Park campground on Gulf Islands National Seashore in Florida. There are 4 camping loops. Loop D is tents only. The others can accommodate small/medium RVs and travel trailers. There are water and electric hookups snd a dump station in all but D loop. Bathrooms and showers. Every site is just a short walk to the beach. Some sites have shade, bu those on the inside loop do not. Also, because of the trees, there are hight, length, and slideout restrictions on some outside loop on sites. Be sure to check before making reservations. Reservations can be made through the .gov website.

I’m not sure if Geronimo ever visited this roadside RV depot, for which this and the road that you’ll have to navigate down to find this place are named for, but if he did, I am sure he would be happy to be somewhat removed from the crazy busy touristy town of Destin in favor of a plot of land that offers a bit of shade, respite from the sun as well as the noise and commotion of a Spring Break destination. Geronimo RV boasts about being a ‘hidden gem on the emerald coast,’ and if you are looking for a spot to park your oversized RV for the night, all the while being incredibly close to the pristine aqua green ebb and flow of slow moving Gulf coast waves that gently massage flawless white powder sand beaches here in a part of Florida where time seems to have stopped altogether, then Geronimo RV Resort might just be the spot for you.

Located just 3 miles from Destin, this family-friendly, pet-friendly and big-rig-friendly RV hangout is situated in Miramar Beach and just two short blocks to the sugar sand beaches that you came here for. This RV parking lot has just 34 slots, the majority of which are located on the interior and exterior of a decent size simple circular loop, with about 4-5 slots located nearer what looks to be like the main office (although it is not), along with a few slots placed in front of this same building that you’ll easily be able to spot as you drive in. For those wanting to store their RV or boat, there is also additional storage space at the front of the property and the southern side. You will discover that the actual main office is located just as you approach the circular loop and it will be immediately on your left as you turn left into the loop with a handful of places to park and check-in.

Amenities: level concrete large RV parking pads with patio, tree-shaded main RV parking loop, full hook-ups (30 / 50 electric amp, water (40-55 PSI) and sewage), free WiFI and Cable TV (70+ channels), 24 / 7 spartan clean bathrooms and showers, potable water and dump station, large recreation area for throwing the frisbee or taking the puppy for a walk, coin-operated laundr-O-mat as well as storage lots for boats, RVs and other vehicles.

Driving Directions: From Emerald Coast Pkwy: Turn onto Old Hwy 98, stoplight across from Silver Sands Premium Outlet and Chic-fil-A (Scenic Gulf Dr.). Follow Old 98 for approximately half a mile, and you will see Embassy Suites on your right. Turn right onto S. Geronimo St. Drive a few hundred feet and arrive at Geronimo RV Park on your left. Or from Hwy 98 turn on to S. Geronimo St, head South a quarter mile, then turn on to Arnett Lane where our sign is located.

Insider’s Tips: (1) One irritating element about Geronimo is that they will only allow you an RV+ another vehicle, but if you come packing a golf cart, motorcycle or even a boat, then they will charge you for two vehicles and make you park this in another spot (and charge you nightly for it), so think twice before you bring your entire caravan to this place; (2) For my tent-pitching bredren, there is ‘no luck at the Inn here’ as this is only an RV parking site, so head on over to nearby Henderson Beach State Park if you want to find a simply fantastic camping spot right near the Gulf; and (3) When you get tired of trying to fix a meal with the leftovers in your onboard mini-fridge and want to try out some local fare I HIGHLY recommend nearby Brotula’s for simply fantastic Dungeness, King and Snow Crab that you can wash it down with a local micro-brew or stunning glass of Whitehaven Sauvignon Blanc.

Happy Camping!

Very clean. Spacious sites with level concrete pads. Full hook ups. Only 8-10 minutes to the beach.  Very clean bath houses. Easy to navigate campground road with tons of room to back into back-in sites. Pull throughs also easily assessible. Nice pool. Check in easy and quick. Employees very friendly. Will be back next month. Camp store on site. They also have a few rental tiny houses and rv's. Trash pickup at your site each morning. Cable TV and great WIFI.

9/6/20 update: all things mostly the same, bath house closed from 8pm to 8am and WiFi not nearly as good as past visits.

Just as nice as a resort but here you have direct access to the sand, because you can park directly on the beach! No need for shoes if you get a site on the sand. Sites are very tight here, but daytime staff escorts help you back into your site. Lush foliage and palms provide some division between sites and facility buildings. The showers and laundry houses are well above average and super cute, actually. The first beachfront row books out far in advance, but the drawbacks are that you cannot have dogs on that row (or on the beach) and you have to maneuver your tires in deep sand. The soft, white sand here is a dream on your feet but quite a challenge to park a big rig on. Still, you see plenty of Class A and toy haulers here. I stayed in site 705 on the second row from the beach and it was ideal for dogs. Beach front site 805 never showed up so I had a direct view to the waves for two nights. With everyone’s AC units on, you cannot hear the waves as you might have hoped, but the stars were very visible. This beach is really spacious and clean (besides being anti-dog), and the steep $125/night is justified when you step directly from your RV into the sand. The downside was really just the tightness of the sites. My neighbor’s awning nearly touched my camper on one side and I could not open my umbrella due to my other neighbor’s slide out. I would have been in trouble in this site had I had slide outs too. The two pools (water slide), kid-friendly food truck, and clubhouse seemed to keep the hordes of children entertained. Conveniently located near Sandestin on Miramar Beach between Destin and the cute resort town of Seaside. Lots of delivery food options nearby and Holi Indian Kitchen was particularly delicious (and vegan friendly). Can’t wait to return and stay longer next time.

We arrived at a very clean, gravel campsite with a picnic table, fire ring, water & electric access, as well as a clothes line. Because we were tent camping, the gravel made it difficult to pitch our tent on site. Luckily, we had enough space and privacy on our site to unload the car and sleep in the trunk of it. The bathrooms were kept very clean, and the showers were fantastic! The beach itself is kept extremely clean and is beautiful. The volunteers do a wonderful job around the campground. Here you will find a family friendly stay! I would for sure visit Henderson Beach again for the clean facilities, beautiful beach, and local attractions.

This was my third trip to Pickens and it was amazing as always.

*The camping store is closed until they can find someone to run it. Wood and ice can be bought at the Tom Thumb just outside the park or at Walmart/Publix in Gulf Breeze.

*Battery Cooper Rd was closed so those two batteries are inaccessible.

*Loops B/D no longer have electric or dedicated water (there is a water spigot every few sites). Tent sites D24, D25, B6 have the best shade and space.

*We stayed at A15 (right next to walking trail entrance) and my best friend on A14. Other good shaded sites on this loop are A4 (grass not level enough for tents), A6, A12, A19, A21, A24, A26, A35 (next to dumpsters though), A36 (okay but not great).

*You can no longer hang anything from trees or power poles (hammocks, clotheslines etc). You also cannot having a shower looking tent (we have one for a changing tent only—no toilet or shower—and they made us take it down). Max two tents or camper and one tent per site (awnings/pop up shelter over picnic table don’t count towards the two).

*I didn’t peek into the restrooms in loops B-E. A-loop restrooms were a little dated but clean and functional. The laundry/dish washing station was stellar.

*There are dump stations (one in loop A and one for B-E) but no sewer hook ups per site.

*The price for getting into Gulf Island National Seashore is now $20 and it’s a 7 day pass.

*The campground now gives out two slips at check-in. One is for your car and one is to keep with you after 8pm so you don’t get kicked out of the area after dark.

Everyone was very nice and helpful.

We stayed at Henderson Beach State Park in a small travel trailer. Upon our arrival we were greeted by the attendant at the office window. We were asked to pull forward and park in the provided guest parking and to come inside the office. Once parked, we went inside the office to receive the booking and park information which included a map of the park with specific directions to our site. The staff was well prepared for our arrival and friendly to our needs. 

Our site was fantastic, site 22 is a pull through site that is extremely long and private. Any sized rig could be accommodated there with room for towed or towing vehicles. The gravel was freshly raked and all leaves recently removed. The sites included 50/30/20 electricity, water, table, fire ring and line for hanging towels. We required a couple of blocks to achieve level but still very good for an all gravel site. 

There are two bath houses with laundry facilities, they were very clean and well maintained throughout our stay. The park hosts and maintenance personnel were visible and approachable with information and assistance if needed. The campground is very close to the wonderful beach of Destin, FL with its own access for walking to enjoy the water and sunsets. Unfortunately, the boardwalk was under construction during our stay. Driving from the campground to the beach via the park's roads was only five minutes, access was easy and certainly worth the effort. 

There is one dump station with two lanes provided, this area was in great condition with non-potable available for tank flushing.  We didn't see and long lines waiting during our stay.

The available over the air TV was excellent, plenty of stations for local information, news and weather, The Verizon service was also excellent for cell and data coverage. 

There is an abundance of shopping and dining opportunities literally just outside the park's gate. This is very convenient but is also a distraction in my opinion. For the park to be so private and beautiful, the noise generated by the traffic on state highway 98 is obvious. Don't let this deter you from coming, this is a small inconvenience for the beach which is the showcase for this park. 

Reservations here are extremely hard to get, especially on short notice. I highly recommend staying here if an opportunity presents itself.

RV sites are concrete pads with full hook up (power, water, sewer, WiFi, and cable). Most sites are a little closer together than we are used to. No fire rings at the RV sites. Tent sites do have fire rings, but no power or water. Bathhouse is large and very clean. Laundry facilities available. There is a community center building with TV, tables, and fire ring that hosted a dirty Santa and nightly BYOB happy hours while we were there, as well as a NYE Party planned. Staff and camp hosts are very friendly and helpful. Walking distance to the Pensacola Lighthouse and National Naval Aviation Museum. Dog friendly beach right at the campground. They do not allow swimming at this beach, but still fun for letting the dog run, fishing, and hanging out. Swimming beach and pool are located at other areas of the base. Reservations are site type, not site specific, but after talking with the staff they said they’d try to accommodate site requests the best they could when making reservation.

This campground was almost perfect! We called ahead for reservations and used a discount membership program. We arrived around 4pm and were glad we had reservations because the park had no more open spots. Check in was quick and the office has a small camp store with some basic necessities, fishing supplies, and firewood. They also have propane. They have FHU sites, but our site (#24) was a back-in site with 30 amp and electric. There is a dump station. It was a mostly level and sandy. Our spot was great because it was at the end of the "cul-de-sac". The spaces are not uncomfortably close together. We did have a picnic table and fire ring. They do have WiFi, but it was not the greatest. The best reception we got with our Verizon cell service was about 2 bars of 3G! It made it difficult to get any work done. There is a laundry room ($1.50 for each machine). They had a pretty small playground with swings. They did have horseshoes and basketball. The clubhouse had a pool table, TV, puzzles, and books, but it was locked when we tried to check it out. They did offer free coffee in the morning in the clubhouse (which is the only reason we knew what was inside). They allow fishing on the bank and have a small boat launch for guests. The restroom/shower was fairly clean with plenty of hot water. There is only one shower stall and 2 toilets. You can lock the bathhouse door for privacy. We really enjoyed the setting with the big trees and the riverbank. The slow internet and low cell signal was the only downside for us personally. We made a day trip into Navarre Beach and Pensacola Beach. The weather was cool, windy, and overcast but we still enjoyed it.  

*P.S. this campground is in Florida not Kansas