Best Tent Camping near Ponce de Leon, FL

State forests surrounding Ponce de Leon, Florida provide several primitive tent camping options within driving distance. Point Washington State Forest offers two distinct tent campgrounds: Eastern Lake Campground 1 and Eastern Lake Campground 2, both located approximately 40 miles southwest of Ponce de Leon. Pine Log State Forest Primitive Campsites, situated about 25 miles south of Ponce de Leon near Ebro, provides additional backcountry tent camping opportunities. These locations feature designated tent sites with varying levels of amenities and access to natural features including lakes, forests, and hiking trails.

Tent sites throughout these areas typically feature gravel tent pads measuring approximately 12'x20', with most providing basic amenities like picnic tables, fire rings, and lantern poles. Access roads to primitive tent campgrounds can be challenging after rain, with several campers reporting significant puddles requiring higher-clearance vehicles. Reservations are required through ReserveAmerica, which provides gate codes for secured entry. Most tent-only areas have limited facilities, with Eastern Lake Campgrounds offering only pit toilets and no running water. Pine Log State Forest primitive sites maintain similar rustic conditions ideal for self-sufficient tent campers.

In early spring and fall, tent campers experience fewer crowds at these primitive sites. According to reviews, Eastern Lake Campground 1 offers more privacy between sites and less highway noise, while Campground 2 provides better lake views but requires a short walk from the parking area to tent sites. One camper noted, "The site was pretty and felt nicely distanced from the other three sites in campground #1," highlighting the secluded nature of these walk-in tent sites. Point Washington State Forest also offers extensive trail systems, with hikers and bicyclists able to access 3.5, 5, or 10-mile loops directly from the camping areas. Visitors frequently mention the quiet atmosphere, with one camper reporting they "were the only ones at the campground" during their stay, making these locations ideal for backcountry tent camping experiences away from developed areas.

Best Tent Sites Near Ponce de Leon, Florida (7)

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Recent Tent Camping Photos near Ponce de Leon, FL

4 Photos of 7 Ponce de Leon Campgrounds


Tent Camping Reviews near Ponce de Leon, FL

510 Reviews of 7 Ponce de Leon Campgrounds


  • Elizabeth G.
    Jul. 20, 2020

    Henderson Beach State Park Campground

    Quiet and secluded for the beach

    My family and I stayed here for one night in July 2020 as our midway point from GA to Texas. We stayed in site 44 and it was private and near the bathrooms. All the sites had gravel, a picnic table, and and a fire pit as well as a clothesline. There’s a path to the beach from the bathhouse. The bathhouse was very clean and there were men and women restrooms as well as private bathroom/showers.

    We fit 2 tents at our site. It was so humid and muggy I cowboy camped on the gravel with my picnic blanket and sleeping pad. Everyone else slept in the tents without the rain fly’s for some ventilation. It was a nice, clean, and quiet park and we felt very secluded in our site. There was WiFi and cell service (2 bars for Verizon).

    Each site has electric and water. There’s a dump station near the entrance/exit of the park. Overall, lovely experience and I would definitely stay here again.

  • Shea M.
    Apr. 1, 2020

    Eastern Lake Campground 1 — Point Washington State Forest

    Beach camping

    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!

  • Dale W.
    Jul. 10, 2021

    Sand Pond Campground — Pine Log State Forest

    Quiet, secluded, and beautiful.

    I initially had a reservation at one of the primitive camp grounds, but my reservation was cancelled due to flooding that closed all three primitive camp grounds. Better yet, I got an RV spot on the day of arrival. Great pull-through sites with fire ring, picnic table, water, and electricity. Pitched my tent on the banks of Sand Pond.

    The two-mile Campground Trail, part of the Forest Service's Trailwalker Program, winds along the banks of Cyprus Pond, through the mixed hardwood/pine forest, and around Sand Pond. This is a nice and easy, well-maintained, level trail.

    Was lulled to sleep by the croaking of bull frogs while watching the moon rise from my sleeping bag. A thoroughly enjoyable stay.

  • lydia B.
    Mar. 19, 2022

    Henderson Beach State Park Campground

    Family Friendly

    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.

  • Maria E.
    Jul. 18, 2021

    Grayton Beach State Park Campground

    Nice

    We were initially assigned to site number 10 which was small but fine because we were tent camping. After a quick set up we started walking around and found site number 16 open by the water with a breeze. We drove up to the front confirmed availability and moved camp. Keep in mind this is not the beach, it is a lake but also has a trail along side where we walked the dog which was nice.  Ground is gravel but not difficult to stake. Bathroom facilities were very well located in the middle of the inner loop. Our site was on the outer side of the loop but paths to the bathroom are easy to find because there are reflectors making it visible with a flashlight at night. We only stayed one night but would definitely come back and bring bikes so we can check out the cute little beach town nearby.

  • Beth B.
    Jun. 28, 2022

    Eastern Lake Campground 1 — Point Washington State Forest

    Forest Nights

    I liked this forest and thought it was very pretty. Good distance to beaches, although I didn’t see a way to walk to the beach - we drove. I would not chance the forest roads in a sedan. You might be okay if it stays dry but if it rains you will not be in good shape. Lots of roads and trails to explore.

    Pros and cons of each campground

    Campground 1 Pros: can park in your site, further apart, no highway noise Cons: only have access to a tiny part of the lake, breeze kind of blocked by trees

    Campground 2 Pros: beautiful lake view and easy access to water, prettier view, more breeze Cons: traffic noise, cannot park in your site

    Both campgrounds have a bathroom (I did not use so not sure of conditions). Every site has a fire pit, bbq pit, picnic table, and lantern pole.

    Would definitely camp here again.

  • D
    Jul. 10, 2018

    Florida Caverns RV Resort

    Awful

    We called ahead to reserve tent sites and ensure they had electric and water on every site. Upon arrival, we were told all sites to the right edge (water side) and right of the road were tent sites. However, the first half of this row has electric for rv’s only. Moving down the row, the sites had no electric or water hookups. The last sites were in complete sun and next to a boat ramp. All the sites had trash on the ground and none had picnic tables. The showers were just curtained off from the bathroom with no privacy, hook or bench. The staff was unwilling to help and we left without staying.

  • D
    Aug. 23, 2019

    Eastern Lake Campground 2 — Point Washington State Forest

    Is located outside of Destin off of 98 east.

    Great 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!

  • a
    Feb. 12, 2022

    Fred Gannon Rocky Bayou State Park Campground

    1st road trip!

    What a wonderful place! Let’s start off with the super sweet lady at the office she was the most kind welcoming person I’ve ever met! Checkin was quick, the office had supplies and firewood. Our site was a tent or Rv, we were camping with a roof top tent on our suv. It was back in which worked fine for us. The site was clean and tidy with a picnic table, fire ring, water and electric. The restroom and shower facility was very clean, hot water and heaters for winter. The roads around the park were all paved and nice for walking or biking. Lots of wildlife! The park was beautiful and well kept up, we will definitely be visiting again!


Guide to Ponce de Leon

Tent campsites near Ponce de Leon, Florida include options within Blackwater River State Forest approximately 60 miles northwest and Point Washington State Forest about 40 miles southwest. Most primitive camping areas in these forests feature sandy soil terrain and longleaf pine ecosystems. Many forest service roads accessing these remote sites become impassable during heavy rainfall periods, particularly December through March when the region receives its highest precipitation levels.

What to do

Hiking trail access: Eastern Lake Campground in Point Washington State Forest connects to multiple trail networks. "I did the 10 mile single track flat bike route. I saw not much wildlife or birds. It was a foggy overcast day," notes Andrea S., mentioning the trail condition regardless of weather.

Kayaking opportunities: Launch directly from Eastern Lake shoreline at Eastern Lake Campground 2. "I had a beautiful view of Eastern Lake and easy access to the water where there is a small dock. Great place to launch a canoe or kayak," reports Dale W., who plans to bring kayaking equipment on future visits.

Wildlife observation: Watch for native species throughout state forest areas. "Signs for active bears but we saw none," mentions Andrea S. about Point Washington. Forest lands support diverse wildlife including deer, turkey, and various bird species, though sightings depend on season and time of day.

What campers like

Privacy between sites: The campground layout at Point Washington provides good separation. "The site was pretty and felt nicely distanced from the other three sites in campground #1. We didn't use the gravel tent space, but hung up hammocks in the nearby trees," describes camper H M.

Quiet atmosphere: Pine Log State Forest Primitive Campsites offers exceptional seclusion. "Private maybe one person will drive down the road but they turn around pretty fast with out a problem nice back country campground," notes Barb D. about the minimal traffic.

Proximity to beaches: Despite forest locations, many campsites provide reasonable access to Gulf beaches. "It's not far from Destin and other popular locations, but it's a gem itself!" Savannah S. mentions about Point Washington, highlighting the balance between natural seclusion and beach access.

What you should know

Road conditions: Forest access roads often present challenges, especially after rainfall. "I came in a day after rain and there were numerous significant deep puddles to get through. I was grateful my Sprinter had knobby tires and was a little higher; even then at one point the puddle was so deep it covered my headlights!" warns Jared at Baptism Hole Group Camp.

Gate access procedures: Most primitive sites require reservation codes for entry. "There is a code to lock on gate when you go in," Andrea S. explains about Point Washington. "Your online reservation will include a four digit gate code, which you will need!" emphasizes Jared.

Driving distances: Despite appearing close on maps, actual driving times may be longer than expected. "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," details one camper at Eastern Lake Campground 2.

Tips for camping with families

Site selection considerations: Choose sites based on specific needs and vehicle access. "Sites 1 and 2 slope down to their campsite, and would be difficult to sleep in your vehicle without balancers. Sites 3 and 4 are more flat and work fine for sleeping in your vehicle," advises Jared about Point Washington.

Beach day planning: Allow adequate travel time when planning beach excursions from forest campsites. "It's about 20 minutes by car to Seagrove," notes a camper at Raptor Ranch at Tyndall AFB, highlighting that actual drive times exceed what map distances suggest.

Tent pad preparation: Pack appropriate sleeping equipment for gravel surfaces. "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," warns a camper about tent setup challenges at Eastern Lake Campground 2.

Tips from RVers

Clearance requirements: Standard RVs may struggle with forest road conditions. "I would not chance the forest roads in a sedan. You might be okay if it stays dry but if it rains you will not be in good shape," cautions Beth B. about Point Washington access, noting even passenger vehicles face challenges.

Reservation planning: Book primitive sites through ReserveAmerica system to secure entry codes. "The primitive campsites, which require reservations through the ReserveAmerica system, can be accessed via forest roads 11 or 2 from U.S. Highway 98," explains Dale W., providing specific access route information.

Seasonal considerations: Military campgrounds offer alternative options with more amenities. "Full hookups campsite with cable. Nice building with pool table, TV, games, laundry, bath and showers," notes fletcher6531 about North Karick Lake Youth Group Camp, providing an option with more facilities than primitive forest sites.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is the most popular tent campsite near Ponce de Leon, FL?

According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Ponce de Leon, FL is Eastern Lake Campground 1 — Point Washington State Forest with a 4.3-star rating from 10 reviews.

What is the best site to find tent camping near Ponce de Leon, FL?

TheDyrt.com has all 7 tent camping locations near Ponce de Leon, FL, with real photos and reviews from campers.