Best Tent Camping near Jensen Beach, FL

State parks and conservation areas surrounding Jensen Beach, Florida provide several primitive tent camping options for outdoor enthusiasts. Jonathan Dickinson State Park, located just north of Jensen Beach, offers two tent-only primitive campgrounds: Scrub Jay and Kitching Creek. These hike-in sites require visitors to pack in their gear along park trails. DuPuis Campground, situated about 30 miles west of Jensen Beach, provides tent campsites in a more natural setting. For those seeking unique tent camping experiences, Peanut Island Campground in Riviera Beach offers boat-accessible tent-only sites approximately 30 miles south of Jensen Beach.

Most primitive tent campgrounds in the Jensen Beach region have basic amenities. Fire rings and picnic tables are standard at most sites, while toilet facilities vary from basic vault toilets to composting options. Water sources can be unreliable, with campers at Loop 4 reporting that the water pump produced water with "a purple tinge and smelling of Sulphur." Sites at Little Gopher have no water source on site, requiring filtering from nearby canals. Campers should be aware of wildlife, particularly alligators near water sources. Permits are required for many locations, with DuPuis Campground requiring registration through the South Florida Water Management District website to obtain gate access codes.

Tent-only sites in this region offer varied experiences based on location and access type. Kitching Creek Primitive Campground has been described by visitors as "beautiful and remote," making it ideal for those seeking solitude. Scrub Jay Campground, while "less pretty and less remote than Kitching Creek," is located only 5 miles from the park entrance, making it "perfect for beginner hikers or families with small children." Little Gopher campground provides accommodations for multiple tents and hammock setups with four wood benches surrounding a fire pit. During summer months, shade becomes a critical consideration, with several reviewers noting the intense Florida heat at exposed sites. Cell service is sporadic throughout the region's backcountry tent camping areas.

Best Tent Sites Near Jensen Beach, Florida (10)

    1. Scrub Jay Primitive Campground — Jonathan Dickinson State Park

    1 Review
    Hobe Sound, FL
    16 miles
    Website

    $10 / night

    "Although less pretty and less remote than Kitching Creek, it is only 5 mi from the park entrance, wich makes it perfect if you are a beginner hiker or have small children."

    3. Indiantown Marina

    1 Review
    Indiantown, FL
    21 miles
    +1 (772) 597-2455

    4. DuPuis Campground

    1 Review
    Indiantown, FL
    24 miles
    Website
    +1 (866) 433-6312

    "Each site has a fire pit and picnic table. Various trees at the camp sites to provide shade. First come first serve. Two cars, two tents, 6 people max per camp site. The sites surround a pond."

    5. Loop 4

    2 Reviews
    Canal Point, FL
    27 miles
    Website

    "Plenty of trees for hammock camping and shade. There are two picnic tables/firepits and a water pump. However the water from the pump came out with a purple tinge and smelling of Sulphur."

    "this is a verynice campground with water pump, fire ring and picknic tables"

    6. Little Gopher

    3 Reviews
    Canal Point, FL
    29 miles
    Website

    "A primitive campground on the Ocean to Lake trail, it is well maintained by the FTA-Lox chapter."

    "little nice quiet camping spot away from civilization"

    7. Peanut Island Campground

    2 Reviews
    North Palm Beach, FL
    34 miles
    Website
    +1 (561) 845-4445

    "There are bathrooms with shower next to the campground. All sites are tent only sites and they are very close to each other. You can get two sites instead of one when available."

    "Kayak and puddle board to snorkeling with beautiful fishes and manatee if you are lucky;)

    The best place to spend on long weekends away from crowds and technology."

    8. Indian Prairie Canal RA

    1 Review
    Okeechobee, FL
    46 miles
    +1 (863) 946-0771

    "Yes it was hot and sweaty but thats what the lake is for. This is very sweet free camping. Theres maybe 10 sites here and you can't quite literally take a boat to the campsite."

    9. Blue Cypress County Park

    2 Reviews
    Fellsmere, FL
    47 miles
    +1 (772) 589-9223

    "It’s run by Middleton’s Fish Camp Park, so really this location on the map needs a name change.

    When you get here, you pay $10 per person to the bait shop for the night."

    10. FALCON RANCH

    Be the first to review!
    Fellsmere, FL
    42 miles
    +1 (786) 474-6920

    $60 - $120 / night

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Recent Tent Camping Photos near Jensen Beach, FL

3 Photos of 10 Jensen Beach Campgrounds


Tent Camping Reviews near Jensen Beach, FL

311 Reviews of 10 Jensen Beach Campgrounds


  • Mike  Y.
    Feb. 23, 2020

    Pine Grove Campground — Jonathan Dickinson State Park

    Extremely clean

    Spent 2 nights here to a full campground. Facilities all in working area. Large graveled lots with picnic table, fire ring and bbq grill. Sewer, water, 50/30 amp power. Paved roads with some paved walking trails. Plenty of gravel trails. Ample restrooms and showers. Like 1 bathroom/showerhouse for every 20 campsites with vending, washer,dryers and book game share spot. The buildings are kept clean. Also a nice dump area. Dog cleanup stations are along trails.. Bonus they have a clothes line at each site to toss your towels etc over to dry. T-mobile 3 bars LTE or -104db inside rv. Staff very friendly and helpful at check in. A place to come back to. They also have planned activities throughout the week. During work week you hear road noise from USHwy1. If not for the morning and evening traffic on 1 this would be a 5.

    My movie of camping area on youtube.

    https://youtu.be/xZbjPdWI4QA

  • Mike  Y.
    Jul. 5, 2020

    St Lucie South

    Beautiful getaway

    The staff at check-in was the best. I talk with several over my 5 day stay sharing ideas and stories. Very helpful. The spots are laid out perfect. Easy to backend. Concert pads, gravel fire pit and covered picnic tables. No bad views i was in 3 different sites during my stay. Grounds are kept clean, cut, trim and edged. Reception good on t.v. Antenna and dish satellite. No wifi on sites but free wifi at reception area. Great river views. 3 bars on T-mobile. Your right at the locks so watch the boats pass from the gulf to the Ocean. Horseshoe pits. Clean showerhouse. Tent camping is primitive m. All RV sites have water 30 and 50 amp service. Sites on river will hold 45’ class A. Close to shopping. All sites have 30/50 amp service and water. Sewer is not available. Dump station near exit on way out,  Because of the cleanest of the campground and the friendly staff I rate this a five. they make up for the only downfall of being allowed to dump once per week or there is a fee of $20.00.  there is no charge for a honey wagon dump.  I would assume the extra fee is to encourage water management since there has been issues with algae growth in the waterways. 

    https://gopro.com/v/XlMX9lDE8bbq6

  • Napunani
    Jun. 21, 2023

    Torry Island Campground

    Cheap with Tight Sites and Roadway

    PROS 

    Cindy very helpful with reservations and check-in 

    Quiet. No traffic noise. Train whistles in distance 

    Insecticide fogging truck ran thru campground each evening around 7pm when no winds

     Site 351 100% grass 

    Site 351 backed up to a canal 

    Moveable metal fire ring at site 351 

    Climate controlled, Individual shower/toilet/sink rooms with four to every 100 campsites. 

    Very nice complimentary pancake breakfast on a Saturday morning 

    Lots of birds 

    Security gate always closed. Must buy keycard to open gate. 

    CONS 

    Numerous pages of COVID liability release forms had to be signed and notarized at checkin 

    General Liability release forms had to be signed at checkin 

    Very tight roadways. 

    No turn around at end of roadway so plan accordingly. 

    Most larger trailer had the front of their trailer on the roadway edge 

    Had to park tow vehicle next to camper so limited outdoor space. We did not have sufficient space to deploy our awning 

    Two power failures in less than 12 hours. One was 5 hours long. 

    Site 351 unlevel 

    No picnic table at site 351. Sites with picnic table were hit or miss. 

    Insufficient supply of TP in park restrooms 

    Black ash from nearby sugar cane field burning raining down on everything---what a big mess. 

    Lots of construction workers staying in park who leave in their diesel trucks starting at 5am 

    Park WIFI 1 bar 

    Dont Miss in Belle Glade  

    Margaritas Restaurant 

    Banyan Tree Restaurant Nice 

    Winn-Dixie Grocery on Main Street

  • David R.
    Oct. 24, 2020

    St Lucie South

    Peaceful respite

    Located just minutes off of Indiantown Road at I-95, getting in and out of here is no problem.

    Tucked into a beautiful green spot next to the St. Lucie Canal, this hidden gem is a must if you’re just looking to get away from the grind for a weekend. Boaters traversing the canal and tent campers have their own sites along the river, too! Great birding and fishing opportunities.

    Only nine RV sites, but all of them are level and paved, with a sheltered picnic table, fire ring, and elevated grill in a gravel space adjoining your concrete pad. We stayed in site RV5 for two nights. The small Army Corps of Engineers park is very well-maintained. Bathhouse is small, but you can get the job done.

    2 to 3 bars of Verizon, Sprint, and AT&T (we use all three) ensure a pretty decent cell connection for keeping in touch. Reliable 50/30/20 and good water at the post. Dump station nearby.

  • D
    Jun. 17, 2020

    Vero Beach Kamp

    Resting up for the Keys

    Desperate for a place to pitch our tent rather than spending $$$ for a hotel, we lucked up when we found VBK on The Dyrt. This quiet campground lined with moss covered oaks, palm trees and long leaf pines was a dream. They are set up mostly for RVs but have a few campsites. Our primitive campsite was at the far back. Large, Quiet, shady and near a water source. We ended up sharing the site with another very pleasant family. Heated pool, nice restroom and laundry facilities. I didn’t have a chance to check out the activities room with bocce ball, shuttle board and horseshoes. It was great being able to camp on our way to Bahia Honda State Park. No hotel for us!

  • j
    Jan. 18, 2022

    Pine Grove Campground — Jonathan Dickinson State Park

    Great to escape winter

    Hobe Sound FL Jonathan Dickinson SP This park has two campgrounds. Pine Grove Campground, has 90 sites, it is located near the ranger station. These large sites have more space between and foliage for privacy. Sites have clothes line, fire pit, picnic table and are all level gravel. Very nice clean bathouses with family room. None of the washers and dryers were working. There's a playground and picnic Pavilion. Some road and train noise. Had good downpour today and had a little lake at back of site but within an hour it disappeared! Great place to stargaze. Saw a  great full Wolf Moon.

    River Campground is more rustic, it has 52 sites, is about four miles from the park entrance, near the Loxahatchee River. Sites close together, no privacy. The River CG is great if you plan to fish or kayak. Close to boat ramp. Sites are dirt. Also more mosquitoes. There's major utility construction going on next to this camp right now. 

    Good things- Miles of paved and off road bike  and hike trails, great bird watching, star gazing, canoeing, kayaking, fishing. Seasonal horse back rides. Fun and informative boat tour to Trapper Nelson's. There's a great learning center. Amazon delivers to Ranger station. Stores and restaurants a couple miles away.

  • JThe Dyrt PRO User
    Aug. 9, 2022

    Little Gopher

    Recently renovated. New poles for backpacks and new benches, on the FTA-OTL

    A primitive campground on the Ocean to Lake trail, it is well maintained by the FTA-Lox chapter. A large site capable of housing multiple tents and hammock setups, a firepit, 4 wood benches surrounding it and two poles for hanging backpacks. Plenty of firewood in the area. No water source on site, however there is a canal (Big Gopher) 0.2 miles west of the camp on the OTL that is a good source. As with any water in FL, watch for alligators and filter before drinking. I was able to get sporadic cell phone service while there. I stayed there during the dry season and out of hunting season. Check for both as the camping experience will be drastically different. We parked at lot N and hiked 4.3 miles to the camp.

  • S
    Jun. 21, 2018

    Pine Grove Campground — Jonathan Dickinson State Park

    RV Tent and Cabin Camping

    This park is a haven for bikers and beach going snorkelers! There are 9 miles of mountain biking with trail skill levels ranging from green to black diamond, rated like ski slopes. They are lined with crushed shell and gravel which makes them flowing and fast! There’s also a pump track and skills practice area. There are 2 miles of paved bike trails as well.

    Blowing Rocks Preserve beach is about 10 min away on the other side of the intercostal. It is a spectacular site! Limestone cliffs line the beach, and a hard bottom reef lines the shores making for incredible snorkeling! The waters are generally a deep turquoise and crystal clear!

    There are two Campground loops. One in the front of the park, mainly for RV as there’s no trees or shade between sites. Because of the lack of trees and the location, these sites get the daily sea breezes! Bath houses and really clean and plenty of them. These lots are huge, with gravel pads.

    Water, electric and sewer at every site. Fire rings, picnic tables and posts to hang trash or clothes lines also at each site.

    the River Loop is in the back of the park. It has trees and shade but thecsites are a bit more like keyhole lots, very close together and smaller in size. These sites do not get the breezes as they are quite far into the park.

    There is river access in the back of the park, with a swimming area, river cruises and canoe rentals. There are hiking trails through the park, and a tower perched atop of the tallest sand dune in the area allows for awesome 360 views. Horse trails and guides horse rides are offered. A playground and historical areas are also there to keep you busy.

    We generally stay in the months of May and June as the ocean is quite cold in the spring months.

    It gets hot, it’s Florida. There are bugs, it’s camping in nature. Bug spray is a plus, but strong fans seem to be the best way to keep your site cool, and big free.

  • A
    Aug. 28, 2018

    Pine Grove Campground — Jonathan Dickinson State Park

    Family Friendly State Park

    Recently took a road trip from New England to Florida with my family and had the pleasure of staying here at the Jonathan Dickinson State Park.

    This state park accommodates RVs, tent sites, and cabin rentals with two camping areas -- one (Pine Grove Campground) located close to the entrance, right off of US Hwy 1 and seems to be more geared towards RV sites and the other (River Campground) located about four miles into the park along the Loxahatchee River. We stayed in the River Campground.

    Spacious sites offered: water, electricity, a picnic table, & a fire ring… and grounds include two well kept bathhouses with laundry facilities. Trees were sparse in some sections so be prepared to create shade. Our site was visited by a young raccoon who didn't seem fazed by us at all; just wanted what we were cooking.

    We only stayed for one night, so we weren't able to take in all the park has to offer, but we did walk some of the nature trails along the river towards the newly built amphitheater and swimming area. Unfortunate for us, the swimming area was closed during our stay -- which would have made the stay twice as nice… but the views were still incredible!

    If we ever find our way back to south Florida for camping, we'll definitely come back here.


Guide to Jensen Beach

Jensen Beach, Florida, offers a variety of tent camping options that cater to nature lovers seeking adventure and tranquility. From serene spots to more accessible locations, there's something for everyone.

Tent campers should check out Kitching Creek Primitive Campground

  • This campground is known for its beautiful and remote setting, perfect for those seeking serene solitude.
  • Amenities include drinking water, picnic tables, and the option to have campfires, making it a comfortable choice for tent campers.
  • Access is via a hike-in, ensuring a peaceful escape from the hustle and bustle.

Explore local activities at Scrub Jay Primitive Campground

  • Located just five miles from the park entrance, this campground is ideal for beginner hikers and families with small children.
  • It features reservable sites with picnic tables and toilets, enhancing the camping experience.
  • Although the water pump is currently broken, the campground remains a well-loved spot for its accessibility and natural beauty.

Discover attractions near Peanut Island Campground

  • Accessible only by boat, this campground offers a unique experience with opportunities for kayaking and snorkeling among beautiful marine life.
  • Facilities include clean showers and restrooms, making it a convenient choice for families.
  • The campground is dog-friendly and features large communal fire pits, perfect for evening gatherings under the stars.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is the most popular tent campsite near Jensen Beach, FL?

According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Jensen Beach, FL is Scrub Jay Primitive Campground — Jonathan Dickinson State Park with a 5-star rating from 1 review.

What is the best site to find tent camping near Jensen Beach, FL?

TheDyrt.com has all 10 tent camping locations near Jensen Beach, FL, with real photos and reviews from campers.