Best Cabin Camping near Ocean Ridge, FL

Rustic. Freedom. Old timers. Families. AANR. Pool is heated comfortably year round. Sauna. Hot tub restaurant fitness laundry pool table clubhouse. Pavilliin. Much is centered around the above area. But more is being done for trails and sites.

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.

Really had a fantastic time at this campground, I'm typically a tent camper and had great facilities. The cost of camping in Florida isn't cheap though this one actually had the value in it given that you could also rent boats and paddle up river alongside manatees to the wild man encampment. Amazing hiking nearby, the tower to check out, even a little mini museum with reptiles. I enjoyed it so much I would go back.

They have wonderful camp grounds and beautiful cabins. It’s also very family friendly with lots of outdoor activities for families

This campground that sits just outside of the only drive through animal safari with over 1,000 different types of animals, is great for families to enjoy. This has all the amenities as a typical KOA campground except you get a bonus by hearing the Lions roar in the morning. The campground is gated during evening hours with the gate closing at 10:00 pm, so you will need to get a gate key card with a $20.00 deposit which will be refunded when you turn the key back at the end of your stay. The staff are very friendly and the campground is very clean. They also do a great job with abiding by the CDC guidelines for Covid-19. The Raccoons like to come out in the evening, so make sure you pick up you garbage at night. The rabbits were having fun playing in the primitive camping area every evening and early morning hours. They offer cabin and platform tent rentals for slightly more than a tent site. There are many seasonal campers from the North along with weekend campers trying to escape the everyday stress in their lives. We live 1 hour south of this campground but we will definitely be going back fir weekend trips.

This place has cabins and a shared bathroom, but it is such an amazing park right in the middle of an overcrowded city!! I love going here is like 55 bucks a night or so!!

I stayed at one of the cabins, and they were a little smelly, and lacked toiletries, but overall not too bad. make sure you have all you need, since the store doesn't really carry anuthing besides snacks and it closes early anyway. May is the very end of the season, so it was nice and quiet.

Hard to believe that this oasis is so close to major urban centers, but it's true. It boasts 15-miles of trails in more than 1,000 acres! You can bike, snorkel, paddle, run, picnic, rent cabins, primitive camp, and even get married. No bugs during the day. Some bike trails get flooded and are closed sometimes. The website gives the latest updates. It's quite easy to get to the park from I-95 or US-1. In October, some of the pavilions remained closed unfortunately. They have water spigots but no electricity. Lots of kayaks available as can be seen in the pictures and videos. Super ample parking. Youth programs. The only thing missing is water/electric tent sites!

This park has a spacious modern sites close to the entrance. They additionally have another area with closer sites more rustic. Lots of bike trails and hosted a race when we were there. River access with boat rentals and tours. Fascinating nature center. Lookout stand for viewing g and lots of wildlife.

Stayed here during a very HOT weekend May/ June 2020. We stayed in the River Campground, lot 139. This site had a small amount of shade, so it offered some relief from the heat, but compared to other places I have camped this was very exposed. The bugs are pretty bad. Bring your OFF and screened shelters. No-see-ums were bad in the evening, and flies were plenty all day. Lots of ant issues too; we never had a problem with them anywhere else. Once you get past that, there is a ton of stuff to do. A paved and off road bike trail, boat ramps and kayaking, the Florida trail cuts through the park, so there is a lot of hiking. The shower and restroom facilities were kept very clean, and we were very happy with the cleanliness of the park. The off road bike trails are very fun, but just like the rest of the park, very exposed to the sun. This park would be best when the weather cools down in fall and late winter. If you’re a boater, you could get away with it year round, as long as you’re not tent 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.

Absolutely a wonderful spot in the brush jungle of so Florida. Extended my stay and was planning to again but it’s booked solid this weekend

This park was potentially one of our biggest surprises of any Florida State Park! 

I’ve actually driven past the entrance to this park more times than I can count, but had never ventured in nor made the time for a special trip across the state to visit until this trip. What a surprise with unbelievable biking and BIG OPEN SPACES. I was astonished to learn just how large this park is. I understand not why it is known on Florida’s East Coast for biking. The roads, trails and bike paths are great. 

We brought everything just in case and enjoyed canoeing, paddle boarding, biking, hiking and exploring. 

There are two campgrounds, one near the entrance called Pine Grove and one several miles into the park by the river, named… you guessed it… The River Campground. 

Many people recommend the River Campground as it is where most of the activities are including swimming, boat ramp, water activities etc. The River Campground for sure has a more State Park vibe and intimate feel. We were in spot#112. However when we biked through Pine Grove Campground we really liked the modern look, larger spaces and better air circulation on top of the hill. Next visit we will try this one even though most of the campers were BIG RIGS and we have a small trailer. 

Views from observatory are great and the park has lots of history. What a Gem for the east coast of Florida which is not often on our radar for camping opportunities. 

We will return.

We absolutely love Jonathan Dickinson State Park. We camped for 10 nights and enjoyed every moment of it! The bathrooms are the cleanest we have ever seen at a campground including expensive campgrounds throughout Florida, California and Colorado. So much to do there too. Family or retirement oriented.

There are limited options for affordable camping in this part of Florida, so plan to book your stay here a while in advance as it fills up. We are lucky to snag two nights here on our way to Miami. Lots of hiking options and some really nice views. The RV park has full hookups and is almost completely filled with older adult campers high end big rigs. Clean facilities and level sites though.

Jonathon Dickinson SP, Jupiter Florida Dickinson SP Large park with miles of paved and off road trails for biking and hiking. Lots to do, horse back riding, boat tours, discovery center, bird watching, off road bike challenge course. We've seen otter, tortoise, birds, eagles so far.Nice sites in two campgrounds. We're in River CG, more shade, a few paved sites but most are dirt/mud. The Pine Grove CG close to entrance, more spacious, not much shade, paved and nice gravel sites. If you get the chance take the river tour. We went on the one that goes to Trapper Nelson's place where you get a ranger guided walk. Totally worth the$25 fee.

For hiking, biking(street and mountain), paddling, boating, and a great camping experience, Jonathan Dickinson State Park gives you all of that and more. Located off U.S. 1 in Hobe Sound, this park and campground offer a variety of activities. And depending on which of the 2 camping areas you choose, you can also have a Florida camping experience where the only noise you’ll hear is the rustling of the palm fronds in the breeze.

There are two distinct and very separate campgrounds in the park. The Pine Grove Campground is located along U.S. Route 1 after you go past the ranger station. We looked at the campground from the satellite view on Google Maps. It seemed very open with almost no trees. When we rode through it on our bikes it confirmed what we saw on Google. Immature trees next to flat slabs with no atmosphere. If you want to just experience the rest of the park, or you are just stopping over a night or two on the way to somewhere else, this might be an okay choice. And there are more campsites in this campground that can accommodate Class A motorhomes better than the River Campground.

But if you want to experience the best Jonathan Dickinson State Park camping, pick the River Campground. The River Campground is about 6 miles in from Hwy U.S. 1 and rests on the edge of the Loxahatchee River. These sites are smaller than at the Pine Grove campground. There isn’t a lot of shade here either, but the overall atmosphere is great. Lots of palms trees, pine trees, and saw palmettos. It’s quintessential Florida. And there is no ambient noise at all because you are so far in from the highway.

To see our full review visit https://lifestyleover50.com/jonathan-dickinson-state-park-camping-review/

The reason why I titled this “relaxing” is because I enjoy the feeling of the place! The people (mainly the snowbirds) the come down seem to be the friendliest! My favorite is their drum circles!

Camp site were $90 a night. Our campsite have a nice view of the maintenance building. It was kind cool hearing the lions roar / huff during the night and morning though...

When we were pulling in we noticed a train of 7-8 RV’s and trailers leaving. Didn’t think much of it. Went ahead and checked in, got to our camping site, etc. That’s when we noticed that it was literally swarming with mosquitos. Pulled out 3 thermacells but the swarms were so bad they didn’t even touch it. Couldn’t even open the trailer door for a split second without 10 mosquitos flying in. Ended up packing up and leaving within the hour and getting a nearby hotel for the night. Manager refused a refund, and suggested we go to John Prince Park in the future. Have never had such a terrible experience with KOA in the past. 0 stars if I could.

The campground staff was great: while going from 15% to 100% occupancy in 24 hours, they still kept up the cleanliness support, and friendliness. It was a great experience in a trying time like evacuating for a hurricane. We did hear the lions from our campsite. Sites were decent sized. Some were gravel, most weren't.

So, we were here a bit long term in the summer. Staying here in the summer is as bad as being in Vermont in winter. You need a reason to be there and sadly we did.
First off, waking up to lions roaring and bonobos scream in the morning was freaking amazing! I will treasure this memory for the rest of my life. The facilities are aging but are clean. The ladies in the front office were awesome and accommodating. We purchased a new RV while there and they had no issues moving us and making sure we were good with moving up from a 30 Amp to a 50 Amp site. At $99/night it is expensive and by not having the facilities of a KOA Holiday and being so far away from the Highway as a KOA Journey I can't give it 5 stars but, it is damn close.

First of all, this was a great location to visit the lion country safari. We stayed in a tent site.

Pros: The facilities were well kept and nice enough for a campground. People were not too noisy. The lions were plenty noisy, and it was so cool to hear them in the morning!

Cons: There was no privacy whatsoever between sites and the sites were very close together. The lampposts were plentiful and bright which isn't so great when sleeping in a tent. Also, no fire rings.

Great location near the Safari park with discounted tickets available. I recommend staying here if you are going to the Safari Park and need a place to stay. Big Rig friendly with nice pull through sites and a wilderness feel that I enjoyed. :)

Very nice KOA , clean well presented , friendly staff. The lions waking you up in the morning is really pretty cool. LOTS of local channels and good internet. It's pretty far from most everything but its really the only game in town. Very peaceful and quite. Discount tickets to Lion Country Safari which is next to campground.