Welcome to Amelia Island and Fort Clinch State Park, which is just about the only campground on the island (more on that later), where rich Floridian history is complemented by one of the more popular seaside beach destinations in the state – and with 825 miles of oceanfront here in sunny Florida, that’s saying something! As you arrive to this prized Florida state managed park – and let me add that with all of my journeys exploring all of the amazing SPs the Sunshine State has to offer, this is definitely one of the finest – you will be almost immediately captivated by the never-ending maze of ancient Oaks with their signature cascading Spanish Moss that appear to have been hanging on for dear life for centuries, if not millennia.
At first, the idea of camping out on or near a gloriously flat endless blue horizon of gentle lolloping white-crested waves set against the singular frontline of pastel-colored umbrella-strewn beaches like what is found on the northern edge of Amelia Island sounds so idyllic, what with its sunsets, white powder beaches and fairly uncrowded beaches … but then, when you put that to the test, well, it’s another thing altogether. To begin with, the month is July and our location, lest you forgot, is northern Florida where 100 degree weather and cloudless skies, coupled with the southern reaches of Georgia, with its swamp-like, muggy humidity, combined can make for a sweltering hot outdoor experience, to say the least. So while shoulder seasons like spring and autumn might be more favorable than the middle of summer, if you do plan on camping at this particular campground here at Fort Clinch, then you will want to ensure your RV has A/C and if you are tent camping, you better bring plenty of shade with you, because for some unknown reason, the good folks at Florida State Parks saw fit not plant any shade whatsoever in the tent camping area.
As for the campground itself, you will discover Atlantic Beach Campground is quite small and sits on the northeastern most corner of Amelia Island offering just 6 tent campsites, which will be the first half dozen sites you see on the left as you approach the campground, following by a small oval loop with only 21 slots, definitely earmarked for the RV driving or 5th Wheel toting campers. There’s just a dump station that separates the RV parking oval from the tent camping area. In the center of the RV parking oval is a very good-sized restroom and shower facility that is spartan-clean and also features coin-operated washer and driers. On the eastern side of the RV oval is the beach access point which has a very nice, well-maintained beachwalk offering both a shower (for rinsing that sand and salt off after you leave the beach, which I have to admit, is a HUGE bonus as most beaches in Florida don’t have this, which makes all the difference when you’re trying to keep sand out of your RV or tent) that will welcome you to a most glorious beachfront with white powdered sand waiting for your footprints.
Insider’s tips? Here’s quite a few: (1) If possible, time your stay here to coincide with the first weekend of every month when a soldier garrison re-enacts battlefield movements and skills by firing off cannons and offering up some hands-on storytelling of what it was like to live centuries ago when this area was a key military outpost; (2) You will want to note that there are several oceanfront beach access points that unfortunately lead to ocean water that apparently you are prohibited from swimming in – according to the signs at least, due to rough currents, which seemed odd as there weren’t even waves in those parts – so if actually getting in the ocean is an important factor to you actually deciding to come here (let alone camp here) in the first place, then I would STRONGLY recommend you call the Rangers Station ahead of driving or reserving here to confirm that swimming is actually allowed and if so, specifically where; (3) I was absolutely blown away by the bicycle wonderland that exists here at Fort Clinch SP – with more than 6 miles of off-road, bush-wacking, hill rolling and dune descending, oak tree canopy covered multi-use bike trails that are just begging for your wheels to leave their mark here – the best bit? Unlike the beachheads, these maritime forested bike trails are completely covered by shade, so while you can escape the heat and humidity, at least you won’t get sunburnt as you pedal throughout this park. Do note that this multi-use trail is also used by hikers, which can move in both directions, but bikers may only be pointed in one direction and helmets must be worn at all times; (4) Don’t have a bike or forgot yours at home? Not a problem, the good people at the visitor center will rent you one (if there are any left) but as this is a very popular activity here, be prepared to get here early (or better, call ahead and reserve one); (5) If you are here to experience the Great Florida Birding and Wildlife Trail, you’ll be delighted to know that there’s more than 100 species that are protected here from Red-tailed hawks and great horned owls to purple sandpipers, barred owls and painted buntings, to name but a few; and (6) My best tip is saved for last (who are still reading) – as I am a tent camper, when I first came here to Fort Clinch, I was certain that I would fall in love with the Atlantic Beach Campground, but honestly, with absolutely ZERO shade, coupled with the timing of our visit being in July, we were completely miserable with the heat, humidity and unrelenting heat. After several hours of doing our best to enjoy ourselves, we ultimately contacted the Ranger Host and asked to be moved over to the Amelia River Campground, which is also here at Fort Clinch (and you thought there was only 1 campground here, didn’t you?!). After moving to this location, complete with tons of shade … as well as its very own access to the beach, we were much happier. Just something to bear in mind – know the difference between where you want to hang out for a few hours, like a super sunny hot beach location, and where you want to spend several hours relaxing and ultimately spending the night. We definitely learned our lesson and just want to pay that forward here.
Happy Camping!
