Searching for the perfect place to pitch your tent near Mexico Beach? The Dyrt is an easy way to find tent camping spots near Mexico Beach. Each spot offers quick access to one or more of Mexico Beach, Florida's most popular destinations.
$69 / night
For Active and Retired Military only.
$9 - $16 / night
From White Oak Landing, boats can launch onto the River Styx for an approximately three mile trip to the Apalachicola River, or head upstream to its quieter, slower moving reaches. The primitive camping area serves as a hunt camp during general gun season.
A picturesque campground situated among cypress stands along the bank of Owl Creek, Hickory Landing provides easy access to the Apalachicola River. There are 10 sites with picnic table and grill. ACTIVITIES Boating: Hickory Landing, on Owl Creek, is another excellent put-in for the two-mile trip to the Apalachicola River. Owl Creek is deep and wide, lined by the beautiful river swamp habitat of the Apalachicola floodplain. Camping: Campsites have picnic tables and grills. Vault toilet nearby. Hiking: Access to the Wright Lake Trail, a 4.6-mile loop. Wildlife Viewing: Excellent birding.
$10 / night
Small dispersed campsite for FNST hikers. No facilities.
Cotton Landing, on Kennedy Creek, is a favorite of fishermen and canoeists alike. Its lazy, winding current has breathtaking views into the heart of a cypress swamp. From Cotton Landing, it's a four-mile trip to the Apalachicola River. Paddlers can also work their way upstream for several miles.
Small, on-trail campsite for FNST hiker use. No facilities.
Smith Creek Landing, at the southernmost tip of the forest and directly on the Apalachicola River, provides the last chance to put in or take out a boat or canoe before heading downriver off the forest. It offers primitiva camping, and is used as a hunt camp during general gun season.
Traveler
Loved this oasis outside of Port St. Joe! Tent camping limited but the 5 tent sites are ON THE WATER and the fishing is spectacular!
TravelerThis is a campground inside a resort city, space is limited but it has beach access and a great location. Store is very well stocked and all the employees were very friendly and courteous. bathhouse is showing age but was clean and well kept. Was there for an event weekend and despite every spot being full we never felt crowded, stayed in tent site #99, all sites are very shady as they all have trees between them. We had lots of rain and the tent site was well drained. Only downside is the sites have lots of roots in them, be prepared if you are not using an air mattress.
ScoutWe tent camped and brought our boat. If you love snorkling check out TH Stone Park. It is a protected bay with clear water. Lots of sealife to explore. Fishing is excellent all around this area.
Guide
Tyndall's family camp offers all the amenities you hope for when camping. You can also simply tent camp if you prefer rather than camping in an RV. Its conveniently located near the base and also near the bay for fishing and other fun water recreational activities.
Scout
St Joseph Peninsula State Park on Cape San Blas is a great spot. We tent camped for 4 days and loved it! Bathhouse is air conditioned, sites are large and most have ample shade. Easy walk to the beach and the bay is also close for paddling and fishing! Wonderful very secluded beach and shells galore!
Traveler
10 campsites all fairly spacious (too big for just me as I am solo tent camping). CG overlooks a small lake. Nice open day use waterfront area. Swimming area as well. The lake has a hiking trail encircling it. Showers had hot water, I was surprised. 2 mi dirt road to get to it. I recommend.
LegendWe had a bit of weather to deal with on our first night but it only got better from there. Our tent site was right on the water and was great for putting our small boat out when we wanted. The bathhouse is clean and the water hot. The views are spectacular.
The only negative is there’s no septic, so you have to have your black/gray water pumped, but even that’s not worth a rating deduction.
Guide
This camp ground was fantastic for our church group. They had electricity and water by the tent sites and also a shower facility that was very well kept. The water is a very short walk and the beach is beautiful. At night the stars are like nothing you have ever seen. A blanket above you for sure. The only downfall is that we could not have our hammocks hanging up. This was a few years ago and may have changed.
Legend
There are about 10 sites total at this free campground. There is a tent-only side with about 4 sites, with a pit toilet. The tent sites are much nicer than the RV sites. They are among the trees, they are more spread out, and on the water. The RV sites are all lined up in a row in an open field with no shade. The RV sites have a concrete pad as well as a fire pit and a grill and a picnic table.
We were here over a weekend and it was really, really quiet. There was only one other RV camper here besides us and no hooligans coming through, surprisingly.
Good cell service with ATT and Verizon. There are garbage bins (no recycling).
Not a fancy place but great for free. You need to make reservations in advance with the Northwest Florida Water Management District.
Ranger
At over 200,000 acres, Tate's Hell is the second largest State Forest in Florida, second only to Blackwater River State Forest in Santa Rose County. That's Hell is located off of U>S> Highway 98 in Franklin County, between the Apalachicola and Ochlockonee rivers. Check out The Ledgend of Tate's Hell on the State Forest webpage, https://www.fdacs.gov/Forest-Wildfire/Our-Forests/State-Forests/Tate-s-Hell-State-Forest.
For roughing it in the woods, nothing I have found beats Tate's Hell. With 36 primitive campgrounds (tent space, fire ring, and picnic table) with multiple campsites and 4 campgrounds with facilities (restrooms and some RV sites) there is plenty of room to camp and explore Tate's Hell.
The Womack Creek campground, where I spent one night, has both RV and tent campsites and a boat ramp with access to Womack Creek.
Recreation opportunities include the High Bluff Coastal Hiking Trail which is part of the Forest Service's Trailwalker Program.
Legend
Nice primitive campground located near 30A beach. The road leading in is sandy and gravely. The site was for tent camping and offers a picnic table, grill, fire pit, food/lamp pole and a porta house (which was fairly clean, considering). There was also a pier close by. The bed was gravel and uncomfortable but they were actually repairing it while we were there, so it should be quite comfortable for your stay! No hookups or water. We stayed at campsite #1 which had plenty of trees for shade and was closest to the water, but they all looked nice. The beach is right across the bay so it's a short drive to the ocean. Quiet and clean, we stayed four days and had a neighbor for two of them. He seemed respectful to nature and gave us no issues. Overall would stay again, just remember there is no shower to get off all that sand and sunscreen!
Traveler
Nice spot in Mexico Beach literally across the road from the beach. We were a little concerned as our lot backed up to the road and there was no security we could see. Gates open 24-7, but had no issues. Gravel lots close to your neighbors and a little pricey but you are paying for location.
ScoutThe campground doesn't have as much shade or as many trees as it had before the hurricane in 2018, but it is back open for business and is a great place for military and veterans to park their campers short or long term. There are also some small, elevated cabins back in business and a rec center/lounge area that can be reserved for groups, which includes a large kitchen (call ahead, may be closed due to COVID). It's close to Tyndall AFB and the Tyndall marina (requires a drive, not directly connected) where you can rent kayaks, canoes, pontoon boats, jet skis, bikes, and more (again, call ahead to verify availability and whether reservations are required). It's about a 15 minute drive from Walmart, Win Dixie, and a slew of restaurants both fast-food and regular. A 20 minute drive will put you in Mexico Beach, a town devastated by the hurricane but well on it's way to recovery--a real gem. A bit further away is Port St. Joe, a quaint Gulf-side town with restaurants, shops, parks, and more.
GuideThis 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.
ScoutTate's Hell State Forest is a primitive dispersed camping area slightly north the Gulf of Mexico in the Florida Panhandle region. Instead of a single campground with multiple sites, Tate's Hell provides individual camps sites through out the forest, many of which are along the Carabelle River. Sites offer fire ring, picnic table and cleared tent area. All sites are accessed by dirt roads that are fairly well maintained. Many of these sites can accommodate a popup or RV, but there are no electrical, water or sewage hook ups in the state forest. If you are looking for an authentic backwoods, roughing it camping experience - this is your place!
Sites can be reserved 1 877 879 3859. The regional ranger station is located at 290 Airport Rd, Carrabelle, FL 32322.
LegendLet me say first that St. George Island State Park is perhaps the main reason we purchased our small travel trailer in the first place and found groups like The Dyrt for insight for other places to explore. We visited St. George Island in May on Florida’s“Forgotten Coast” but the State Park on the island really stole the show.
The first thing you’ll notice about both the island and in particular the State Park is how remote it is. The beaches are seemingly empty even during busy seasons. It has one of the most beautiful beaches in the entire state of Florida and as Floridian’s we are pretty particular. The beach is lined with beautiful sand dunes from one end to the other. The island is narrow with a single road maybe 5 miles long. The road was closed after the camp ground as they are still repairing the park from the last hurricane that hammered The Panhandle area of Florida. Not sure what's taking so long as State Park HQ is in Tallahassee only an hour or so away.
The park has one camp ground and sites are very hard to come by. One visit and you’ll see why. Facilities are very well maintained with a friendly staff which is true for most Florida State Parks. There was a good mix of people camping in tents, small trailers and big rigs which is nice as many places in Florida are dominated by people who camp with everything they own and have rigs bigger than our house.
You bring your own fun here so just chill on the beach. If you have kayaks or paddle boards bring em. If you have bikes, those would be good too. Fishing(check). You could probably catch dinner as there is little pressure on these waters. There is some hiking but just walking on the beach is great. Nice flat beach at low tide with hard packed sand from the outgoing tide will make it a great walk.
Be sure to visit Apalachicola across the bay. A really good place to eat is the Owl Cafe and if you can get there for a Sunday Brunch, all the better. Very local, very southern, very authentic.
We will be back for sure whenever we can secure a camping spot that fits our schedule. Hope it won't be too long!
Scout
Lagoon front sites available for tents, vans, or campers with hookups and water! Close to private oceanfront.
TravelerHighly recommended, the campsites are fairly small but lots of privacy in an oak and pine hammock across from the beach. Not many tent campers when I went there, I think I was the only person with a rooftop tent. Almost everybody else was in RVs.
Electric and water at each site, nice facilities including showers. Make sure you get there before sundown so you can register and get your code for the gate. Luckily a nice camper let me in since I arrived after 7:30 p.m.
Absolutely gorgeous beach, very nice campsite.
Scout
A block from the beach, a walk to the water park. Small but quaint. They have shower and restroom facilities. Quite. Staff was good to us. If your looking for a beach vacation...but in an RV, or tent. This is a good choice.
GuideI’m not a dry camping enthusiast, but the sites were nice and the price was right. My biggest negative is that when we were there the walls and floors of the pit toilet were covered with flies. With a little maintenance that could be mitigated. The sites are a fine gravel, which was fine, but the ground was so hard underneath we couldn’t drive one of our stakes in.
For those like us who are in the area primarily because of beaches, be aware that while these campgrounds are very close to 30A by the way the crow flies, it’s about 20 minutes by car to Seagrove. Forest Road 2 to the campground took us 13 minutes to drive. Also be aware that you walk a short distance from a parking lot to your campsite which worried me a bit since we were planning on airing up our mattress using an inverter plugged into the cigarette lighter of our car once the mattress was already in the tent because I didn’t think it would fit thru the entrance after being inflated, but it did.
We stayed at campground 2 site 3, a stone’s throw across the lake from the Old Florida Fish House. You can definitely hear the music coming from there, so you may or may not like that. The first night it was a little loud but ended at 9:00. The second night it was soft enough my husband couldn’t even hear it. I didn’t pay attention as to how long it went.
TravelerMe and my husband tented here for 4 days and it was perfect! The tent sight we stayed in was 58 and 41. They both were open, spacious sights both with water and power.
Sight 60 seemed to be the best tent sight because there is some extra brush around the tent spot where you can pitch the tent. Feels a little bit more private.
No lights (like street lights) so it was nice, although there are lights across the lagoon so it’s not like pitch black. But you can still see plenty of stars on a clear night.
The bathhouses were kept very clean and they had hot water which was nice to shower in on a cold morning! There are electrical outlets in the bathroom for hairdryers and such. Also very handicapped/wheelchair/walker accessible. They have showers and bathrooms, and ramps for those specific needs.
There is a small drive to the beach from the campground sight but you can have access to the beach at all hours of the day and night free. We went late close to midnight and it was beautiful and eery at the same time! I would highly recommend!
We saw no gators, but we did see some cool things at the beach! Jellyfish, stingrays (a couple), dolphins, pufferfish, hermit crabs (they are literally everywhere! Check your shells to make sure you have no visitors coming home with you!) and we also saw so many regular crabs! We found some beautiful shells!
I’m sure that if you are adventurous and go out further out you will see many more creatures and shells, I just stayed close to shore.
Many many sandbars! It was pretty to Wade out to them and be sitting on the sand in the middle of the ocean!
Definitely an underrated campground and beach!
Oh also, because you stay there, the beach is kept nicer and not as many people come there. After a certain time it’s just the campers that are on the beach and it’s so peaceful! You feel like you have the whole beach to yourself.
We went at the beginning of May and it was cool in the evenings and warm during the day. It did sprinkle and was overcast but that was perfect! Not much of a sunburn and the cool made the beach more enjoyable so we didn’t feel like we were dying of heat exhaustion! Lol
I would recommend this beach to everyone I know and I will continue to go there every year as much as possible!
The staff was super helpful and nice too! They are kind and gentle. Really feel at home here!
There is a store on sight that has basic needs, we never went there so I can’t tell you anything else about it but they do have it. Firewood is also sold here, and is a very fire friendly place.
The roads are bumpy in the park with lots of pot holes, so just go the speed limit and watch out and you should be fine. Everyone in a big rig and pull behind, 5th wheels and just regular cars did fine on the roads. Just wanted to put that out there.
Scout
If you forget to reserve, there’s a sign reminding you to call. 2 sites on the cash creek boat launch, both clean and scenic. The boat ramp gets some use (4 kayaks total for the day) but otherwise it’s very quiet. Bathroom available because of the boat ramp. It says tent only but the sites are big enough to back in a 20 foot trailer.
ScoutGreat primitive camping with several spots on the water in camping area 2
Has a “outhouse” no running water or hookups in the primitive camping area. Roads are easy to travel in a sedan. Campsites provide picnic table and grill with a lantern pole and pea gravel area to set up tent. Very glad I found this!
RangerWe stayed here several years ago. This is a pretty campground, but in the heart of summer, the mosquitoes and bugs were plentiful. It rained so much that our tent was virtually floating and we had to seek shelter in the bath house. We ended up getting a hotel that night. The island itself is beautiful. Great beaches that are not overcrowded and there is even a lighthouse.
ScoutEnjoy the beach, snorkel in the bay, rent a kayak at the marina, go hiking, go fishing. One of the BEST Florida parks!
LegendBrand new campground. Nice gravel sites. Some are waterfront. A little less “outdoor feeling” than other Florida state parks but very comfortable. The park itself is great with an amazing beach.
ScoutYou'd never expect to find such a nice little state park right there in PCB! We've camped there in our tent and even when we don't camp we still visit the state park. The staff is friendly and helpful. Recent renovations to the campground are very nice. I do feel a tiny bit disappointed that the new renovations decreased the privacy of some sites but I suppose that's the price to be paid and makes sense.. There's an abundance of local wildlife to be seen, including dolphin and alligators. I just wish they had an area for us parents with fur-babies. Our big guy enjoys the water too! Overall I'd definitely recommend St Andrews!
Tent camping near Mexico Beach, Florida, offers a unique blend of coastal beauty and outdoor adventure, making it an ideal getaway for nature enthusiasts.
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According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Mexico Beach, FL is El Governor Motel & RV Park with a 3.7-star rating from 6 reviews.
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