We came to watch Blue Angels. Covid and Hurricane Sally messed up our plans but we were so thankful our reservation wasn’t cancelled. We were able to fish and enjoy nearby Johnson Beach and had a wonderful time.

Hurricane Michael beat this park down. They’ll be working a few more years before they’re back in operation for camping. The south part of the park is currently open for day use only.

Things we love about this campground: Snorkeling for scallops Swimming Bike riding Nature Secluded areas

Best area for protected, near shore snorkeling. A small area located inside rock jetties provides the perfect area for amateur and intermediate snorkeling. Many divers also frequent the rougher/deeper areas near the jetties. A beautiful beach is located on the west side of the jetties. Hard to get campsites range from waterfront to tiny but any spot here will have you thankful to be here.

A quick stop, convenient and easy. We were able to get into the primitive section without any reservations which is always wonderful. Sites are beautiful and the lake near our site was a nice place for a dip.

This close-to-home Campground is an all time favorite for anyone who has been here. We especially like to stay here in early November for the Blue Angels Homecoming airshow. They have been working to update the restrooms here. Many of the campsites are out of this world. Others are designed for RVers convenience and may seem a little bleak for many tenters. The road leading to the campground may be affected by flooding during extreme storms. The beaches are A1 and the Fort is very well care for. Overall this campground gets a 10!

We were excited about having electricity and shade in the heat of the summer. Our site was large and shady. No tent pad outlined just set up anywhere on the site. The one drawback on the site was the dust got everywhere. Well…there is also the lack of wi-if if that’s a priority for you. Considering some of the difficult conditions we have camped under in the past this was a very mild inconvenience. The bathroom in the Hickory section needed updating and because of the dirt roads and tent sites by evening were usually affected by everyone tracking in. There was a dishwashing station on the backside that was helpful. We rode over to the Magnolia section and there were 2 other bathrooms, 1 that was newly updated, the other had some improvements made in the past 10 years or so. The good news is that once we arrived we were so happy with the spring here that we never moved our car or drove anywhere. There is one concession stand that served bbq chicken, beef and pork plus hot dogs. You could also buy a few swim supplies and tent kayaks there. Next time we come we’ll be sure to same time cooking and eat here. A float to use in the spring would also be nice. I did have an opportunity to use my mask and fins here. I am hoping to get a spot here in the winter during manatee migration. I LOVE THIS SPRING!

Primitive site #73 is large, set up as a hammock site and convenient to restroom/dish washing sink. Very limited shade provided by bushes depending on time of day. We made use of the hammock poles to creat additional shade. What I really like about this section is there are only 8 sites. It was peaceful. If you are not accustomed to extreme heat and no-see-ums with very sharp teeth you may want to ante up and stay at a hotel with the big dogs. We managed to survive the heat by purchasing an easy up to cover our tent. We removed the tent fly so we could get air flowing through. During the day we only wore swimsuits and stayed wet by dousing ourselves with buckets of water. The view of the water from our site was not a swimming area but it was teeming with tarpon playing. The no-see-ums were prevalent in the late afternoon. Deep woods off heavily applied along with long sleeve sun shirts, light weight capris and a head/face scarf helped us enjoy the sunsets as we sipped our cocktails near our site. Our mornings were spent being productive around the site, cooking while the slight cool breeze was present. Errands and sightseeing in mid-day during the hades-like temps had us adoring the car AC. By 3pm we were at the beach neck deep in the water. Snorkeling on the 2 beautiful beaches usually commenced by 4pm. Even though the Atlantic beach had the stench of sea grass, the water was crystal blue and filled with families enjoying the water. The bayside beach had a roped off swim area with patches of sea grass and also rock jetties. Both were teeming with various fish. Be careful of the current near the rope. We personally enjoyed the current bc it took less effort and carried us along at a nice pace. Overall yes I would come back. We may try to secure one of the waterfront bayside sites with power but I know those are much harder to reserve.

Desperate for a place to pitch our tent rather than spending $$$ for a hotel, we lucked up when we found VBK on The Dyrt. This quiet campground lined with moss covered oaks, palm trees and long leaf pines was a dream. They are set up mostly for RVs but have a few campsites. Our primitive campsite was at the far back. Large, Quiet, shady and near a water source. We ended up sharing the site with another very pleasant family. Heated pool, nice restroom and laundry facilities. I didn’t have a chance to check out the activities room with bocce ball, shuttle board and horseshoes. It was great being able to camp on our way to Bahia Honda State Park. No hotel for us!