Rustic camping near St. Petersburg, Florida centers primarily on barrier islands and preserves accessible only by watercraft. These destinations require self-sufficiency with primitive facilities and strict environmental regulations. Water depths around Shell Key range from 1-3 feet depending on tides, making access challenging for inexperienced paddlers during certain conditions. Summer temperatures regularly exceed 90°F with high humidity from June through September.
What to do
Fishing opportunities: At Anclote Key Preserve State Park Campground, visitors can try flats fishing while respecting designated areas and no-wake zones. The preserve spans over 11,000 acres with abundant marine life. As one visitor noted, "Spend your day swimming and sunbathing at the beach or kayaking around the island. If you arrived by motor boat try a bit of flats fishing but stay in designated areas and remember most area around the island is NO WAKE."
Stargazing: Overnight campers enjoy exceptional night sky viewing on the islands after day visitors depart. The lack of light pollution creates ideal astronomy conditions. According to one camper at Anclote Key: "It's worth every minute to see the sun rise and set in the same day, and the stars at night were endless."
Shell collecting: The barrier islands around St. Petersburg offer excellent opportunities for shell collecting, particularly during low tides. Morning hours typically yield the best finds. One visitor mentioned, "This little island is fun if you're a boater wanting to hang out in the water or look for shells."
What campers like
Island solitude: At Shell Key Preserve, most day visitors leave by late afternoon, creating a more secluded experience. The accessibility via relatively short paddle (about one mile from launch points) makes this possible even for weekend trips. "We paddled from Ft Desoto (one on kayak, other on paddleboard) with all of our gear roped on. Once you get to the island, it is 100% primitive as it's a preserve. Absolutely amazing with stunning views. Others camping were far enough away that they didn't disturb us."
Beach camping: Campers can set up tents directly on sandy sections of the barrier islands, though locations require careful selection. "You can find some sandy spots tucked into the vegetation every so often along the 'beach', but you won't fit a large tent in these areas."
Wildlife viewing: Early mornings and evenings offer prime wildlife spotting opportunities beyond the birds mentioned in the existing description. "Tons of edible flora, and fishing of course. Plus, shell key is one of the very few places you are allowed to have a fire on the beach in FL."
What you should know
Complete self-sufficiency required: Island camping near St. Petersburg demands thorough preparation as no supplies are available on site. At Upper Hillsborough Water Management Area, facilities are similarly limited. "There is a porta-potty, but I didn't check it out, so I'm not sure about the cleanliness. The grounds were nicely maintained, though. I do wish the fire rings weren't so damaged, and the lack of trash cans was surprising."
Weather impacts: Strong winds can make paddling to the islands difficult or impossible, requiring flexible planning. Storms may cause camping closures with little notice. "Usually it is quite windy so plan ahead. Reservations MUST be made in advance and the island does close during bad weather not allowing visitors to stay overnight."
Camping permits: Different preserves have varying reservation systems. For Anclote Key, reservations must be made online in advance. "Depending on the weather and the tides/current, they may shut down camping, or you may want to go by boat (not paddle/kayak)."
Seasonal conditions: Winter and early spring (November through April) offer more comfortable temperatures and fewer insects than summer months. "No skeeters in October," reported one Anclote Key camper, contrasting with summer conditions when "the mosquitos (among other bugs) are insane."
Tips for camping with families
Access challenges: Families should consider motorboat transportation rather than paddling, especially with younger children or when carrying substantial gear. "We kayaked out from Anclote river park and stayed two nights on the island. There are no amenities so we packed everything we would need in the kayak."
Food security: Secure all provisions from wildlife, particularly raccoons on the islands. One experienced camper suggests: "Make sure all food is secured (we anchored our boat with provisions on board a bit off shore and swam in to no risk raccoons getting into gear as it was a calm night with clear weather)."
Tent protection: Bring tarps and quality sleeping pads when camping with children on the islands. "You do need to be mindful that there are lots of plants, shrubs, sticks and stones which can make being in a tent pretty rough if you don't have a good pad and a tarp to protect your tent."
Tips from RVers
Inland alternatives: For RV camping near St. Petersburg, Upper Hillsborough Water Management Area offers primitive but accessible sites. "Large open area with great shade trees, no water, privy. Easy pull through for RV. Tent spots. Fire rings."
Site availability: Despite reservation systems showing full occupancy, physical sites may sometimes be available due to no-shows. "Didn't find the Main Camping area. Parked in one of the side roads. Didn't run into anyone eventhough permit page indicated Booked out."
Limited hookups: No water, sewer or electrical connections exist at dispersed camping locations near St. Petersburg. RVers must be fully self-contained and prepared to dry camp.
