Florida camping runs from beachfront sites in the Keys and sugar-sand dunes on the Panhandle to spring-fed rivers and national forest. Many of the best campgrounds are Florida State Parks, which open up to 11 months ahead and sell out quickly in winter and spring. Here are the campgrounds that go first, how full they are right now, and how to time your booking.
Availability updated . Booking rules checked .
Automatic add-to-cart works at Florida State Parks and Recreation.gov campgrounds — when a sold-out site is cancelled, Campsite Tonight puts it in your cart.
Ways to camp in Florida
Florida campgrounds are run by several different agencies, and each books on its own system with its own rules. Here is who runs what, and where to book it.
State parks
Bahia Honda, Grayton Beach, Fort Clinch, Blackwater River
- Book on:
- Florida State Parks
- Opens:
- 11 months ahead for residents, 10 for non-residents
Auto add-to-cart163 campgrounds
National parks, seashores & preserves
Biscayne, Big Cypress, Canaveral, Gulf Islands (Fort Pickens)
- Book on:
- Recreation.gov
- Opens:
- 6 months ahead at most campgrounds
Auto add-to-cart12 campgrounds
National forests
Ocala, Osceola and Apalachicola national forests
- Book on:
- Recreation.gov
- Opens:
- 6 months ahead at most campgrounds
Auto add-to-cart21 campgrounds
Army Corps lakes
Lake Okeechobee, Lake Seminole
- Book on:
- Recreation.gov
- Opens:
- 6 months ahead at most campgrounds
Auto add-to-cart8 campgrounds
State forests
Withlacoochee, Seminole, Myakka, Indian Lake
- Book on:
- Florida State Forests
- Opens:
- 11 months ahead for everyone
Cancellation alerts
County parks
Fort De Soto and Shell Key (Pinellas County)
- Book on:
- Pinellas County Parks
- Opens:
- 6 months ahead; 7 for Pinellas County residents
Cancellation alerts4 campgrounds
- State parks
- National parks, seashores & preserves
- National forests
- Army Corps lakes
- State forests
- County parks
Florida also has private RV parks and campgrounds, water management district sites and backcountry camping that aren’t booked through these systems.
Florida campgrounds that sell out first
The campgrounds where opening-day timing and cancellation alerts matter most.
Bahia Honda State Park
Big Pine Key, Florida Keys
Waterfront Keys camping beside the old Bahia Honda Bridge, with some of the best beaches in the Keys. One of the first Florida parks to sell out.
Florida State Parks · Auto add-to-cart
John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park
Key Largo, Florida Keys
The first undersea park in the US, with snorkeling and glass-bottom boat trips to the reef. A small campground with heavy demand all winter.
Florida State Parks · Auto add-to-cart
Sebastian Inlet State Park
Sebastian, Space Coast
Atlantic beach camping beside the inlet, known for some of Florida’s best surfing and for fishing off its jetties. Booked solid all winter.
Florida State Parks · Auto add-to-cart
Oscar Scherer State Park
Osprey, near Sarasota
Pine scrub along South Creek, home to the threatened Florida scrub-jay and a short drive from Sarasota-area Gulf beaches. A winter favorite.
Florida State Parks · Auto add-to-cart
Jonathan Dickinson State Park
Hobe Sound
Southeast Florida’s largest state park, on the Loxahatchee, Florida’s first federally designated Wild and Scenic River. Both campgrounds fill all winter.
Florida State Parks · Auto add-to-cart
Gamble Rogers Memorial State Recreation Area
Flagler Beach
Oceanfront campsites on the Atlantic dunes, steps from the beach. The beachside loop sells out quickly.
Florida State Parks · Auto add-to-cart
Silver Springs State Park
Ocala
Home of the famous glass-bottom boats on one of the largest artesian springs in the world, with a campground and cabins near Ocala.
Florida State Parks · Auto add-to-cart
Fort Clinch State Park
Fernandina Beach, Amelia Island
A 19th-century brick fort with two campgrounds, one on the Amelia River and one behind the Atlantic beach dunes.
Florida State Parks · Auto add-to-cart
Grayton Beach State Park
Santa Rosa Beach, 30A
White-sand Gulf beach and rare coastal dune lakes on Scenic Highway 30A. Spring break and summer dates go early.
Florida State Parks · Auto add-to-cart
Blackwater River State Park
Holt, Panhandle
A shallow, sandy-bottom river made for canoeing, kayaking and tubing, with white sandbars to camp near.
Florida State Parks · Auto add-to-cart
Swipe for more →
Auto add-to-cart: when a site opens for your dates, Campsite Tonight puts it in your cart on the official booking site, and you just check out. Cancellation alerts: you get an instant notification and book the site yourself.
Photos via Wikimedia Commons: Bahia Honda by Ebyabe (CC BY-SA 3.0); John Pennekamp by KimonBerlin (CC BY-SA 2.0); Sebastian Inlet by Ebyabe (CC BY-SA 3.0); Oscar Scherer by Ebyabe (CC BY-SA 3.0); Jonathan Dickinson by Ebyabe (CC BY-SA 3.0); Gamble Rogers by Ebyabe (CC BY-SA 3.0); Silver Springs by Mjrmtg (CC0); Fort Clinch by bubba73 (CC BY-SA 3.0); Grayton Beach by Paul and Jill (CC BY 2.0); Blackwater River by Operator 16 (CC0).
How booked up are Florida's top campgrounds?
Open sites each night, Oct 22 – Nov 20, from the availability Campsite Tonight checks throughout the day (last checked Oct 22, 2:30 PM EDT). Friday and Saturday nights are outlined.
Bahia Honda State Park is fully sold out on 24 of the next 30 nights (through November 20), and John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park on 18. Weekends are tightest at Bahia Honda State Park: 0% of its sites are open on an average Friday or Saturday night, and 9 of 9 are sold out. Silver Springs State Park is next, at under 1%. Oscar Scherer State Park has the most room, at 10%.
| Campground | T 22 | F 23 | S 24 | S 25 | M 26 | T 27 | W 28 | T 29 | F 30 | S 31 | S 1 | M 2 | T 3 | W 4 | T 5 | F 6 | S 7 | S 8 | M 9 | T 10 | W 11 | T 12 | F 13 | S 14 | S 15 | M 16 | T 17 | W 18 | T 19 | F 20 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bahia Honda Weekends: 0% of sites open | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| John Pennekamp Weekends: under 1% of sites open | 1 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | |||||||||||||||||||
| Sebastian Inlet Weekends: 1% of sites open | 2 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 1 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Oscar Scherer Weekends: 10% of sites open | 2 | 6 | 3 | 3 | 2 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Jonathan Dickinson Weekends: under 1% of sites open | 3 | 2 | 5 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Gamble Rogers Weekends: under 1% of sites open | 1 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 2 | ||||||||||||||||
| Silver Springs Weekends: under 1% of sites open | 6 | 3 | 5 | 3 | 4 | 1 | 6 | 3 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | ||||||||||||||
| Fort Clinch Weekends: 1% of sites open | 2 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 6 | 2 | 5 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 3 | |||||||||||||||||
| Grayton Beach Weekends: 3% of sites open | 1 | 3 | 5 | 6 | 5 | 1 | 6 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 | ||||||||||||||
| Blackwater River Weekends: 5% of sites open | 1 | 1 |
Swipe to see all 30 nights →
Weekend Availability in Florida
379 sites available across 27 campgrounds for Oct 23 - 25
MOST IN-DEMAND (LIMITED AVAILABILITY):
When to book a campsite in Florida
Each booking system opens dates a set number of months ahead on a rolling basis, so a new day becomes bookable every day. Here is how far ahead each one opens, the latest check-in date you can book today, and what you get back if you cancel.
- Within 24 hours of booking
- Full refund if you call to ask
- Up to the day before arrival
- Refund minus $17.75; the $6.70 booking fee is kept
- Day of arrival
- You also lose the first night
Date or site changes cost $10.
- Up to the day before arrival
- Refund minus $9
- Day of arrival
- You lose $9 and the first night; cancel by phone
Set per forest; this is the usual policy.
- 2 or more days before arrival
- Refund minus $10
- Day before or day of arrival
- You lose $10 and the first night
Cabins and group sites: the late rule starts 14 days out. No-shows lose $20 and the first night.
- 3 or more days before arrival
- Refund minus $10
- Within 2 days of arrival
- You lose one night (no $10 fee)
Refunds start as account credit and reach your card in 3–5 business days.
| Booking system | Who | Book up to | Tips | Latest check-in date | Cancellation policy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Florida State Parks | Florida residents | 11 months | Book at 8:00 a.m. Eastern | September 22, 2027 |
Date or site changes cost $10. |
| Non-residents | 10 months | Book at 8:00 a.m. Eastern | August 22, 2027 | ||
| Florida State Forests | Everyone | 11 months | September 22, 2027 |
Set per forest; this is the usual policy. | |
| Recreation.gov | Everyone | 6 months Most campgrounds; some use shorter windows | Book at 10:00 a.m. Eastern (usually) | April 22, 2027 |
Cabins and group sites: the late rule starts 14 days out. No-shows lose $20 and the first night. |
| Fort De Soto | Pinellas County residents | 7 months | May 22, 2027 |
Refunds start as account credit and reach your card in 3–5 business days. | |
| Non-residents | 6 months | April 22, 2027 |
Checked against Florida State Parks: Reservation Information, Florida Statutes §258.014 (resident booking window), Florida State Forests reservations, Recreation.gov FAQ, Recreation.gov reservation policies and Pinellas County camping information on October 14, 2026. Rules can change, so confirm on the official site before you book.
Booking tips
- Be signed in and on your campground’s page a few minutes early. Florida State Parks release new dates at 8:00 a.m. Eastern, Recreation.gov usually at 10:00 a.m. Eastern, and popular sites go in minutes.
- Florida residents: add your driver license or ID number to your account ahead of time, or you only get the 10-month window.
- Pick two or three backup sites before release time, and check out right away. A site in your cart isn’t booked until you pay.
- Late-month dates open together. There is no February 29–31, so on March 1 residents can book every arrival from January 29 through February 1, and competition piles up that morning.
- Sold out isn’t final. Plans change and sites reopen all season, so set alerts for your dates instead of checking by hand.
What cancellations look like
- 49%of Recreation.gov openings are for arrivals within 3 days, so last-minute trips to federal campgrounds are often possible.
- ~56sites a day reopened at Upper Pines Campground in Yosemite, one of the hardest campgrounds in the country to book, and 31% were for arrivals within 3 days.
- 69%of openings are for stays of 4 nights or more. Cancellations usually free up whole trips, not stray single nights.
Last 30 days, across 57 Recreation.gov campgrounds Campsite Tonight users are watching. See when cancellations appear for the full study.
Cabins and group camping in Florida
Cabins
Florida campgrounds with cabins, including:
Group camping
Group sites for scout troops, families and clubs, including:
Parks in Florida
View all 74 →Camping by city
View all 73 →Florida camping FAQ
How far in advance can you book a Florida State Park campsite?
Florida residents can book campsites and cabins up to 11 months in advance. Non-residents can book up to 10 months in advance. Residents must provide a valid Florida driver license or Florida ID number to book more than 10 months out.
What time do Florida State Park reservations open?
New dates become available every day at 8:00 a.m. Eastern. At popular parks, especially in the Florida Keys, peak dates sell out quickly, so sign in early and be ready to check out.
How do you count the Florida State Parks booking window?
Count back 11 months (Florida residents) or 10 months (non-residents) from your arrival date to the same day of the month. If that day does not exist because the month is short, the date opens on the 1st of the next month. For example, on February 28, 2027 residents can book arrivals through January 28, 2028. On March 1, 2027, January 29 through February 1, 2028 all open at once.
How do I get a campsite at a sold-out Florida State Park?
Watch for cancellations. Booked sites reopen when campers cancel or change dates. Campsite Tonight monitors sold-out Florida State Park campgrounds 24/7 and automatically adds an open site to your cart the moment one appears, so you only need to check out.
Can I book Florida State Parks by phone?
Yes. Call 800-326-3521 (TDD 888-433-0287) between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. Eastern, or book online at reserve.floridastateparks.org.
How far in advance can you book Fort De Soto camping?
Fort De Soto is a Pinellas County park, not a state park. Anyone can book up to 6 months in advance, and Pinellas County residents up to 7 months, on the county’s reservation system or at 727-582-2100. Stays are limited to 14 nights in any 30-day period.
How far in advance can you book a Florida State Forest campsite?
Florida State Forest campsites can be booked up to 11 months in advance on floridastateforests.reserveamerica.com, and same-day reservations are allowed. State forests are a separate system from Florida State Parks and don’t list a separate, earlier window for Florida residents.
Are there campsites available this weekend in Florida?
Yes! There are currently 379 campsites available this weekend across 27 campgrounds in Florida. The most in-demand campgrounds with availability include Loop CG1 at Tomoka State Park, Loop LG01 at Lake Griffin State Park, Fort De Soto Area 1 at Pinellas County.
Get the Florida campsite everyone else missed
Campsite Tonight watches sold-out Florida campgrounds around the clock and, at State Parks and Recreation.gov campgrounds, adds the open site to your cart the moment someone cancels. Free on iOS and Android.