Best Cabin Camping near Shalimar, FL

First you will check in at the front office, where you will be greeted by a very kind lady. They are very knowledgeable about the area and when you are done checking in a man on a cart will escort you to your campsite. We tent camped but we had a nice shady spot on a comfortable raised sand bed. This campground has it's own sweet little beach and pier. Also has a small hot tub and a 4 foot deep heated pool. It is also a mile away from the public beach across the Santa rosa sound. Dont forget to stop at Tommy's Sno Balls we went there every day and tried a different flavor snow cone every time.

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!

10-Stars⭐️ We came down from North Georgia, to put a contract on a home in Brewton, AL nearby and found this lovely cabin on working Goat, Chicken, Tortoise, etc& Tree farm on AirBNB.:-) Merle& Russ treated us like family, and have stayed friends ever since❣️ They stocked the cabin with all kinds of extra touches& even left us some wine to enjoy after our long trip. Peaceful and tranquil out there. Great hosts and special friends❣️ P.S. We joyfully bought our home there, and even came back to stay at the cabin when we closed on the home and during the moving in process. We moved my precious Momma, Connie, in with us and Mom was able to stay at the cabin that week till we got unpacked& her bedroom/bath suite all ready for her. She fell in love with the tranquility there, too. Merle& Russ checked on her like she was their own Mother, Lordy- we could not have asked for any more special care!! Thank you both!! Love, Donna, Artie and Connie🌅

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

We had a great vacation at this cabin. It was full of supplies and goodies. Bed is and pillows were super comfortable. Cabin is beautiful decorated with lights and candles. The property is very peaceful, full of trees and plants. There were recliners and seats throughout the place for us to relax. We enjoyed the nature and birdwatching the most. Bathroom was impeccable clean at all times. The owner is very friendly and accommodating. He gave us our privacy and was available at all times when we needed him. I will 1000% recommend this place and will for sure be coming back.

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.

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.

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.

A private, gated road leads to level, stamped concrete pads landscaped with red lava rock around 2 lakes with great fishing either on the water or newly renovated or rebuilt piers lighted for night fishing. They have, likely, the nicest shower rooms you'll encounter on the rv trail. A well equipped camp store has everything you need to get by and some things you didn't realize you need ( hello hammock seats that I had to drop $200 on). They have townhouse cabins and glamping yurts as well as a community center, pool, and laundry room. Full hookups and Wi-Fi. Sites not located on the waterfront are elevated so they still have a water view. Since buying this resort a few years ago, the new owners have poured their hearts and souls into updating this resort into a next level haven for the new generation of the rv lifestyle.

I paid 457 for 2 night stay, it is too overpriced fir this conditions. You have to rent sheets for extra 25$.I wanted to leave this disgusting place, but I could not cancel the second night! The beach is under maintenance. Not as described. They used photo manipulation! My vacation was destroyed. Rude service, ugly place!! Later today we found the manager, she asked us to leave“ her park” and that she will call 911 only because i wanted to cancel my second night here and to be refunded! I have never met so rude person in my life! So me and my husband were kicked out of the property and we have not been refunded. We paid for the cabin and haven’t used the second night. But i was so happy to leave this place. Would be happier if I never meet so unprofessional and rude people! The manager should know that the customers are not there to be offended!

Campground Review:

If you are ever in the Florida Panhandle, you have to stop at Topsail Hill Preserve State Park. I have been coming here for years as a visitor and the past four volunteering in the campground because I love it so much. The campground used to be a private RV park so there are lots of amenities with really nice campsites but once you leave the campground there are over 1,600 acres to explore and 3.2 miles of pristine white sandy beaches to walk on. The park is divided into three sections: the RV park, a 22-site tent-only section, and 32 one and two-bedroom bungalows and cabins for rent.

There are 156 RV sites that are level and a mix of paved and crushed gravel with full hook-up and cable television (75+ channels). Park roads are paved and easy to navigate in any size RV. There are plenty of tall trees for shade and bushes that provide privacy. There are no fire pits but you are allowed to have a fire if you bring your own pit. The fair majority of sites are back-in but there are a handful of pull-thru sites and all are level. The water sewer and electric hook-ups are all well-placed at the site and there is a light at the end of each driveway. There are 22 tent sites with an elevated gravel tent pad, fire ring, water spigot, and 110 electric hook-ups. Most of the tents are set under tall pine trees while a few are more in the open and are sunny. A concessionaire offers “glamping tents” with beds, lamps, carpet, chairs and outdoor furniture. There are also one and two-bedroom cabins that can be rented year-round.

Within the park is a free wifi hotspot, a non-heated swimming pool, beach access with tram service, club house, camp store, bike/kayak/canoe rental, laundry, amphitheater, shuffle board, and a host of park activities and ranger-led tours. The restroom and laundry facilities (which are only $1.50 per wash/dry) are clean and seemed adequate to handle the crowds. The campground is located ¾ mile from the beach which is accessible via a walking/biking trail or a tram operated by the park. During the winter months the tram runs every two hours, but during peak season it runs once an hour. Once you are on the beach you have miles and miles of unspoiled white sand and blue water to enjoy. There are also numerous ponds and coastal dune lakes scattered throughout the campground for the fishing enthusiasts. The coastal dune lakes are a globally rare ecosystem occurring in only a handful of places around the world and definitely worth exploring (which you can do with watercraft rental).

Nearby are thousands of acres managed by the state forestry department which have miles and miles of hiking trails. The park is located within a mile of a Walmart (with food), gas station, Subway and other restaurants. Within 5 miles are tons of shopping opportunities, movie theater, restaurants, grocery, etc.

What we really liked about this campground are the level, paved, full-hookup sites and the fact that it is in a state park so you have access to miles of hiking/biking and a gorgeous beach. The beach here is the most beautiful in Florida and can be completely empty in the winter. The not-so-good things about this park are the cost and how crowded it can be in the peak season. During peak season this park is very busy and you have to book very early. The cost is $42/night (unless you are a Florida senior resident and then it is half price) which is high for state parks . . . but compared to other private parks in the area that is reasonable.

Product Review:

As a Ranger for TheDyrt I occasionally get outdoor products to test and on this trip I was able to test a High Hopes Hammock. I was pretty excited to receive a hammock because I am one of the few people I know that does not own a hammock putting me a little behind the times. One cool feature of this company is that for every hammock purchased, they donate either a hammock, various survival supplies or money to organizations helping the homeless, impoverished countries or those affected by natural disasters.

High Hopes offers many different colors of hammocks many of which are bright and fun and the large selection made it hard for me to choose because I like so many of them. The hammock is lightweight at just 1 ½ pounds and tucks nicely into a pouch attached to the side of the hammock. The hammock fit perfectly into my small day pack so I took it with me on a long hike and set it up when I wanted a break. I chose the hammock and strap bundle which is $10 more than just a hammock but definitely worth it (bringing the total without tax to $59.99). The straps are 9 ½ feet long with 15 loop holes so you can make this fit in a lot of different locations where trees may be pretty far apart. The hammock is large at 9 ½ feet long and 6 ½ feet wide and easily fits two people or you and your furry friend. The capacity is a whopping 400 pounds so it is good that the tree straps and steel carabiners are heavy duty. The setup is super easy as you just wrap the straps around a tree or other supportive post and clip the carabiner into the loops on the strap. Then, in you go. Once inside you can use the attached Velcro to close the hammock so you feel like you are in a cocoon. This is also a nice feature if you want privacy. The Velcro closure may help keep some pesky insects out but not all as there are only three Velcro patches which leaves gaps.

Click here for my video review.

The downside of this company is their customer service. I was on a “live chat” with them and when I asked about a mix up with an order they went totally silent and I never got another response. I tried emails and those went unanswered. They offer various promotions online and discounts if you sign up for their email list. They were advertising free two-day shipping on orders over $50 which is great but keep in mind there is processing time which in my case was about five days.

In addition to hammocks they sell clothing, accessories and hats. There are a lot of hammocks of this type on the market but High Hopes sets themselves apart from the competition because of their involvement helping those less fortunate. Since I haven’t owned another hammock, I can’t attest to quality differences but this one seems to hold up well so far.