Best Cabin Camping near Panama City, FL

Newly renovated following Hurricane Michael, the camp boasts great shower and laundry facilities, electrical hookups, back in and pull through sites among the quiet of the beach dunes and palmetto swamp... a great natural area minutes from Panama City/Panama City Beach. There’s great opportunities for beachcombing, snorkeling and diving, particularly on the south end of the park on Shell Island, which is accessible by water taxi shuttle during the season. Recent viewing includes the lower mount and traverse rings of gun turrets constructed 1942-43, when the 166th infantry regiment was stationed here to guard Gulf shipping from German U-Boats following the sinking of the Empire Mica.

Great campground with full hookups! Longer hike to the beach than Henderson State Park but everyone seemed to have adapted with beach cart trailers behind their bikes. Beach tram runs when not on COVID shut down. Some sites are close together but the south loop sites had more privacy. Great biking in the park and along 30A. Also has many nice cabin rentals. Beach is absolutely beautiful!

This campground is off the beaten path near Destin (about a 30 minute drive), but is still very convenient.  It's got all the amenities and then some. Cabin rental, ice, pool, fishing, boat dock, clean bathrooms, playground, etc.  There is a nice gas station/small store just up the road too.  It's on a dead end road, so there is little traffic.  Even saw a couple of small gators by the boat dock! Very nice place, would stay there again!

I love this camp ground you can camp right on the waterway. It has a lagoon right over the dune from the beach. Areas great for fishing, snorkeling and swimming.most beautiful water ive ever been in and ive been to Hawaii so that says A lot. Right in Panama city beach Florida, our great secret. Has a big bath house and bathrooms paved roads very well kept and not as expensive as most camp grounds.

Awesome area to camp and relax. Campsites are clean and taken care of. Hiking and biking trails within the park. Nice saltwater bay with a white sand beach to relax and snorkel. Good location next to Panama City Beach so you can have city time as well. Fills up quickly.

Beware of your billing. They will over charge you. Just a FYI to my camping friends. We are staying at Sun Outdoors Panama City Beach. While it’s a beautiful place with lots of amenities, don’t pay extra for the LOCK SITE. We have had a reservation for over 6 months and paid the Lock Fee for Site 73. We cancelled one night on the end of our stay within there guidelines. Julie, THE MANAGER, sent us an updated bill. She increased the lock fee to$50, increased the price of each night stay AND CHANGED OUR SITE. When I called her she did cancel the site lock fee and corrected the price per night but told us SITE 73 is under construction and she had to switch a lot of people around because of it. We get here and Site 73 is not under construction and she gave it to someone else. I sent her a message and ask her why she did that and she won’t respond. BEWARE OF YOUR CHARGES AT THIS PARK. UPDATE: She issued us 10% credit for not getting the Site we chose that she moved us. THE POINT IS YOU ABSOLUTELY LIED AND DID NOT FOLLOW YOUR RULES AND POLICY. This park was EMERALD COAST RV RESORT in Panama City Beach at 1957 Allison Ave. SUN OUTDOORS took it over.

Not crowded on a week day. State park requires small entry fee or annual pass. Large, interesting jetty rocks protect the end of the beach. Small beach/ snack shop near parking lot, but this beach avoids the touristy feel of other local beaches.

The lower numbered sites are great for viewing water fowl. The higher numbered sites are where the deer visit. The campground map does not show the jetty in front of sites 2 - 15. The location in Panama City Beach is perfect. From the Park gate it is literally a 5 minute drive and you're in the touristy beach area of PCB.

*This campground is currently under renovation post-hurricane and is taking walk-in camping only, no reservations.

My cousin was in from Germany and had always heard about Panama City Beach... we are campers at heart so we went to the nearest campground! However it’s a very short drive to PCB if you have someone along that wants to see the city...

Now, there are two beach areas. One is on the gulf, and one is between the gulf and the bay. The gulf water is a lot choppier but clearer, and the swimming in the spot by the bay is much calmer HOWEVER the purple flag was up and we got eaten alive by jellyfish (as did many others). There is a boat ramp on the bay side.

The sites are all VERY different. Some are tiny, some are huge. Some have waterfront and many don’t. We booked late and got a very small (although not the smallest) site. If you want a good spot once they reopen, definitely book early and pay attention to the measurements on the website.

There is also a nature trail with a freshwater swamp (featuring gators, of course). We saw lots of other wildlife around, including deer and rabbits.

This 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.

You need to book this place way in advance, within minutes of these cabins being available for reservation. Reserve even if you don't know you'll be able to go; cancellation is like $17 or something.

Cell reception is spotty with At&T.

Beach is a pretty hilly 10 min. hike or so - so you will need to be organized and not be hand carrying big coolers; you'll need backpack. But not many people make the hike; you'll often have the beach to yourselves.

Lots of wildlife around - deer, armadillos, etc.

If wind is blowing from the north (shore toward beach, from behind you if you are looking at the gulf) the beach may have nasty biting flies, so drive 45 mins and go to St. George beach. Usually wind comes off the gulf though and keeps the bugs at bay.

We love Cabin #7.Cabin 8 has steps down to the bay; all others are a straight walk out.

Downstairs "beds" are not really suitable for adults; I wouldn't try to put more than 2 adults in a cabin and expect much sleep.

Bring kayaks and SUPs! You will be right on the bay, and St. Joe bay is great paddling with tons of fish and wildlife. We've seen manta rays, tons of cownose rays, huge schools of Jack Crevalle, turtles, and caught many species of fish...redfish, snook, seatrout, etc. Even saw an alligator way out at the end of the peninsula once!

Keep in mind, this is a Preserve. Good trails, coastal dunes with lakes, fishing, paddling, beach, cabins, and tent camping including Glamping!

this place is upscale as can be. has a great pool, and entertainment in the common area. Great cabin area if u don’t have a RV. will need to reserve a year ahead.

This place is just nature at it's best! Great fishing! Gorgeous dunes! Shells, shells, shells!!! If you have a boat....take it!!! You can walk from the waves across to the calmer water....short distance. Deer frolic in the ponds at sunset. It is by far one of the best beach camping experiences I've ever had! Good facilities. GREAT cabins! Primitive camping too!

I visited first time this park. beautiful sites happy people on earth day last Saturday I took msny pics talked to interesting people ,received face paint bee for me and butterfly for my Margaret Cabins were also rented in this park. bicycles ,a nice store and everyone was very helpful and friendly.

I truly enjoyed all day Left about three in afternoon Greg and Margaret

Surrounding is beautiful and quiet with the live oak trees and creek. Off the beaten path and out of traffic but close (15-20 minute) drive to many public beaches. 45 minute drive to either Destin or PCB. Park has a pool, nice pavilion with clean bathrooms and fully equipped cabins. Cons are the price, non-functioning laundry, and too few bathrooms/showers. The “pontoon” to rent is a joke.

Lovely area, bring snorkels, kayaks, and bikes. Lots of wildlife. Really neat shorelines with sand and very tall trees, driftwood, dunes. Make sure to explore both sides of the peninsula. About 1.5 hours from Apalachicola National Forest, lots more to do in the area. Watch the sunset! Camp sites have nice privacy, some areas are wooded for shade. Some of my group stayed in the cabins and they were also nice (though sparcely stocked, call to know exactly what to expect). Very clean, great services as described.

We had an awesome time at Camping on the Gulf (Camp Gulf). My husband and I took our 4 kids and they loved it there. They can’t stop talking about it and are ready to go back. The campground is right on the Gulf of Mexico with some sites right on the sand. We were in a pull through and it was a bit tight and small, but really that was my only complaint with the campground. The sites in the back of the park were roomier and had some shade, which I think made up for them not being as close to the ocean. The bath houses were awesome! They had individual bathrooms with a toilet, sink and fully tiled shower with glass enclosure. These were by far the best bathhouses I have ever seen. There is a large laundry in the middle of the campground and it was very clean with a huge table for folding clothes on and large rolling carts to put your laundry in when you take them out of the washer or dryer. There were also 2 pools, one of which was heated. This was great because it was still pretty cold at the beginning of April. There is a large water slide beside the main pool. They also had lots of activities for the kids. My kids made lots of friends and really hated to have to leave. In addition to campsites they also have glamping tents which looked really neat and cabins/tiny houses for rent. Additionally they offered golf cart rentals and had a food truck located inside that park. We ordered nachos from it one night and they were great.

There is currently no camping allowed at the campground due to the significant damage caused by hurricane Michael in October 2018. The park is open for day use of the beach, swimming and paddle boating. I urge everyone to please stop by to show continued interest in this beautiful area. In time this will once again be as spectacular as ever and hopefully a decision will be made on reopening the campgrounds. This was one of those places that once visited you will never forget. I’m providing a few pictures from my last visit in 2018 before the hurricane to show what it was and what it will return to over time. 

Here’s the information currently on the Florida State Parks information page and on the Reserve America web site

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T.H. Stone Memorial St. Joseph Peninsula State Park T.H. Stone St. Joseph Memorial Peninsula State Park is recovering. The natural communities on the peninsula, such as coastal scrub, have evolved over millions of years and countless storms. Tall dunes provided extra protection. The resilient coastal ecosystems in the park are some of the best suited to rebounding after hurricanes. The south end of the park reopened in January 2019. Staff and volunteers made an incredible effort to clean up debris and make the park safe for visitors. The northern area of the park is currently closed to visitors. Natural sand infill has narrowed the channel created by Hurricane Michael’s storm surge. Across the channel, in the northern half of the park, roads, utilities and several facilities were destroyed and are not accessible. It will be some time before camping or cabins are available. The south end of the park still offers many of the experiences that make St. Joseph a great destination. Swimming, snorkeling and beach-combing are still popular activities. The concession is offering rentals of kayaks and paddle-boards, and a boat ramp provides easy access to St. Joseph Bay. The Division of Recreation and Parks' Office of Park Planning continues to assess the park’s condition. The Office of Park Planning shares opportunities for public comment on their webpage. For the most current information on available amenities and conditions, visit St. Joseph Memorial Peninsula State Park or call 850-227-1327. Please remember, for your safety and to protect the park’s ecosystems, please obey all posted signage. ______________________________________________________________________________

From what I understand, the park is currently closed to camping and cabins due to hurricane damage but some areas are still open. I am reviewing anyway to help encourage public support to rebuild the access to the park and reopen.

This park had smaller sites that were close together; however, the thick vegetation between sites gave each one a very private feel. The ground is dirt/sand (with a paved road leading to sites). The beach is absolutely wonderful. The restrooms were very large, clean, and well kept. There are bike trails leading down boardwalks and paved roads, and a large playground. All of the staff we encountered were very polite and helpful.

As we left, a very heavy storm came and the site flooded as we were packing up. Of course, as most daily gulf storms go, everything dried up rather quickly.