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Nearby Tierra Verde, Florida (Air Miles)
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Florida
Tierra Verde
Most Recently Reviewed
Fort De Soto Campground
Latest Review Submited On
2013-02-24 13:12:20
1 Park(s) Reviewed Near
Tierra Verde, Florida
Camp Information
Sites
238
Date of Stay
February 2013
Latest Rate
$38
Hookups
Electric
50amp
Water
Sewer
Wireless Internet
Cable TV
Accommodations
Pull-Thru Sites
Big Rig Access
Waterfront Access
(Ocean)Shade Trees
Pool Access
Pets Allowed
Tents Allowed
Family Friendly
Latest Review Information
Ratings (Last 10 Newest/Oldest)
10 9 9 10 8 8 10 8 8 10
Clean Restrooms (Last 5 Newest/Oldest)
Clean Showers (Last 5 Newest/Oldest)
Review Rating
[ 10 / 10 ]
[ 10 / 10 ]
February 2013
$38
You can't get much better than this park. Great beaches, great wildlife and a friendly professional staff. We had site 39 which is for tent and van campers. It was level and easy to back in and super quiet at night. Nothing larger than a 22' van could make the road turns however, pretty close vegetation. We got up early to photograph and at 5 am there was a line of 2 dozen people in the dark, at the camp office hoping to get a walk-in spot because all reservable spaces were taken (late Feb). Two fishing piers, multiple beaches including a dog-friendly one. We will be back again. (This was our second trip.) We camped here in a Motorhome.
The user that posted this review has 31 other reviews online. Click here to see them.
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Review Rating
[ 9 / 10 ]
[ 9 / 10 ]
February 2013
$38
Gorgeous park with so many waterfront sites! We were able to get a lovely site on the water but only for three nights - you need to book ahead in the winter months. Loved that sites were spacious and separated by trees. Also, there is so much to do in the park. We biked, explored the pier/fort/museum, hung out on the beach, watched the kayakers, and walked the trails looking at birds. Bathroom was really nice and clean. Only downside was the dump station had some kind of wasp infestation. We decided to skip and hold off dumping until the next park. We camped here in a Fifth Wheel.
Review Rating
[ 9 / 10 ]
[ 9 / 10 ]
June 2012
$38
I would recommend arriving early if you are arriving on a Sunday afternoon. The park is very nice and beautiful; it is moderately wooded, and I did not get any mosquito bites. I had site 179 which is a pull through. I could have fit 3-6 more trailers depending on how close I wanted them so the park had a roominess feel to it, and it did not seem that I was too close to my neighbors. There were a lot of racoons and bold squirrels, so I recommend keeping your food well hidden and secure. Being that there are no sewer hookups, I would recommend emptying before you start a full week of camping. They have a camping store to buy any last minute things that you, but if you need ice I would recommend the Publix near the interstate which is half price. I would also recommend getting a site not directly across from the bathrooms as there are bright lights on all night. All in all, it's a beautiful park and well worth the camping. I plan to go again next year, but this time I want to get water front. This place would be a 10 if there were sewer hook ups. We camped here in a Travel Trailer.
Review Rating
[ 10 / 10 ]
[ 10 / 10 ]
March 2012
$45
This park is justifiably popular so book early. (Six months ahead is earliest, 7 months out for Pinellas County residents.) we booked a waterfront site and loved it. Boaters or kayaks can pull right up to the sea wall by their sites (note, no swimming from campground itself but beaches are in the park.) Tropical foliage separates sites, which are paved with crushed shells and is easily tracked in, so a mat outside is handy. There are two dump stations as you leave the campground. We were there on a spring break weekend so had noisy, unsupervised kids next site over. Will return sometime midweek in winter for quieter atmosphere. Will also bring bikes as the park has trails throughout. We enjoyed visiting the fort and museum. Park rangers run a tight ship in this very busy park. If you plan to go to the beach section on a sunny weekend, head over before mid morning to avoid a long line of day visitors' cars waiting to pay a fee of $5 to enter that section of the park. Your camping fee covers it, but only one road in. We camped here in a Motorhome.
Review Rating
[ 8 / 10 ]
[ 8 / 10 ]
February 2012
$42
Roads are tight with low hanging limbs, but we saw large rigs managing. Site pictures and dimensions on the reservation site are accurate. Restrooms were clean. There was interesting wildlife (and odorous, with a skunk hanging around). It is a great place to ride bikes. The fort is interesting, and has beautiful sunset views. The dog beach was quite busy, but our Golden thought it was great. The dog park is huge, with separate large/small dog areas, and a shower to rinse off the salt water. We probably wouldn't stay again for the price. We camped here in a Fifth Wheel.
Review Rating
[ 8 / 10 ]
[ 8 / 10 ]
February 2012
$24
Large campground on a connected key in the bay, with lots of trees and brush between sandy sites, some of which are hard to enter due to low hanging palm fonds that need trimming, 90 degree turn ins, and close trees to entry. Many sites on the bay shore or canal sides. Good bay view and sunset. Excellent bike paths lead to old Fort and extensive beaches. Small army quartermaster museum with area history and artifacts. Bathhouses are unique circular buildings but tiled interiors look grungy and need cleaning/renewing. Free Wi-Fi at ranger entry station. We camped here in a Motorhome.
Review Rating
[ 10 / 10 ]
[ 10 / 10 ]
January 2012
$36
We love going here with our two dogs! The pet park and beach area for them makes the trip well worth it. I wish there were more places that allowed us to bring our well-behaved pets to play in the water and spend t he day outside. The campgrounds are super, shady, private, wild birds, water views which keep us coming back several times out of the year. We camped here in a Motorhome.
Review Rating
[ 8 / 10 ]
[ 8 / 10 ]
January 2012
$25
We loved this place! Very nice for a county park. Very close to the beach which has an area specifically for dogs with a great dog park and free run of the doggie beach. Sites are dirt but fairly level with lots of vegetation. A little difficult getting into our first site but we came back a couple days later and had a much bigger pull-through site. Sites have electric and water but not sewer hook ups. The sewer hook ups are central dump stations. Lots to do nearby. Would have stayed longer if we had the time! We camped here in a Motorhome.
Review Rating
[ 8 / 10 ]
[ 8 / 10 ]
January 2012
$40
Although we were right by the playground (and don't have kids), we really enjoyed this campground. Lots of partying on weekends but quiet during the week. Wonderful views of the water. Great big and private site. Water is in a bit of an awkward location but what the heck. Well maintained and cleaned properly between campers. Close to a great dog park and beach. We camped here in a Motorhome.
Review Rating
[ 10 / 10 ]
[ 10 / 10 ]
January 2012
$31
We love this park! Ft. Desoto is one of our favorite places to travel to. We will be back. We camped here in a Motorhome.
Review Rating
[ 5 / 10 ]
[ 5 / 10 ]
January 2012
$42
Mostly shaded E/W sites. Waterfront sites are well worth the extra few dollars. Because of low hanging branches, some of the back-in sites are difficult to maneuver. There are no fire pits, but large wash basins can be rented for $3/day from the camp store. Very slow internet at the office, laundry ($1 wash, $0.75 dry). Extensive cycling and walking trails, kayak and canoe rentals available, fishing, swimming at North and South beach. Camping fee includes admission to the park, which for non-campers is $5 per day as of Jan 1st 2012. We camped here in a Motorhome.
Review Rating
[ 9 / 10 ]
[ 9 / 10 ]
January 2012
$49
This is an outstanding campground with sites on the water which is very rare in Florida. Only two drawbacks - the first is that the bathhouses are in need of an upgrade. They are kept reasonably clean. Second is the WiFi service. Several years ago there was a major price increase implemented justified on the basis of offering WiFi. Problem is that this service is only available at the office and not through out the park. We have been coming here for five years and will continue to come based on the natural beauty and water front access. We camped here in a Motorhome.
Review Rating
[ 9 / 10 ]
[ 9 / 10 ]
January 2012
$35
One of our favorite campgrounds. The park was very full, and staff was friendly. No firepits. Rented a "wash-tub" for $3 per day. Bundles of wood $9. Park was very quiet after 10PM. Low lying limbs and some "hairy" spots to get your trailer backed into. The playgrounds for the kids were excellent. Campground receipt gets you into Fort Desoto Park to see the fort and fish, etc. ($5.00 value). Lots of dogs on the dog park side of the campground, but all were well behaved and no droppings laying around. Wi-Fi was at the office only, or within 50 feet. Many channels on the antenna from the trailer. Squirrels are trained to beg. Lots to do in St. Pete. We will return. We camped here in a Travel Trailer.
Review Rating
[ 7 / 10 ]
[ 7 / 10 ]
September 2011
$40
Very private sites with lots of shade. Showers were clean. Staff very helpful We camped here in a Motorhome.
Review Rating
[ 10 / 10 ]
[ 10 / 10 ]
September 2011
$37
Very nice staff and very clean park. Felt very private, because the sites are quite long and lots of vegetation and trees between sites. We camp here again when in the area. We camped here in a Travel Trailer.
Review Rating
[ 10 / 10 ]
[ 10 / 10 ]
September 2011
$32
Great place. Shaded level dirt sites. Electric, water. Our site was right on the lagoon. Enjoyed great sunsets looking over the water. We had a tree at the edge of the water that attracted several types of local birds. Showers/restrooms clean. Site area well maintained. We biked to the fort and gulf beaches via a great bike/pedestrian paved path. Beaches are excellent. Will return. We camped here in a Motorhome.
Review Rating
[ 9 / 10 ]
[ 9 / 10 ]
September 2011
$40
We just returned from our Labor Day camping trip. We have stayed here several times before. As usual we were very happy with the park. We saw several work campers cleaning the area all the time. I also noticed quite a few county workers throughout the CG. The check in staff was very accommodating and helpful as we wanted to stay a couple of days longer. My only negative remark on the park is some sites are VERY tight for larger TT/RV's. Our site, 222, took us about 20 minutes to get backed into, we have a 36 foot TT, and about 30 minutes to get it out. Although I will say after we got our trailer into the site, there was plenty of room. We will definitely stay here again! We camped here in a Travel Trailer.
Review Rating
[ 8 / 10 ]
[ 8 / 10 ]
July 2011
$37
Ft. Desoto is one of the best parks in all of Florida. If you like to fish, ride your bike or just relax in the clear gulf waters, this is the place for you. We stayed in site 219, which backs into the bay. The kids like the bay side sites because when the tide is down you can walk along the shoreline and look for crabs. There is no swimming allowed. The Mosquito's were active, but that's Florida in the summer time. We saw a couple of raccoons walking near the rear of our site, I have never seen raccoons this big anywhere! If there was one negative about the park, it was the conditions of the bathrooms. It's time for Pinellas Co. to step up and renovate the the showers and bathrooms. Overall, it's a great place to spend some quality family time. We camped here in a Travel Trailer.
Review Rating
[ 7 / 10 ]
[ 7 / 10 ]
July 2011
$35
While the sites are private and most are shaded, attempting to back into most of them is an adventure. We watched more than our fair share of frustrated drivers trying to navigate the trees, branches, palmetto bushes, etc. We couldn't sit outside at all due to the bugs. But it's July in Florida on the water, it's to be expected. The best part of this campground is the nearby beach and fishing piers, which we took advantage of nearly daily. Be prepared for two toll bridges to get to the campground and at night, have exact change because they don't man the tolls. We'll camp here again but only if we can get a pull through site. We camped here in a Travel Trailer.
Review Rating
[ 7 / 10 ]
[ 7 / 10 ]
July 2011
$41
We stayed at a waterfront site in the pet section in a 40 foot motorhome. This park might be big rig accessible, but it is not big rig friendly. It took quite a bit of navigating to avoid damaging our RV with the low hanging branches and ultra tight turns. We saw motorhomes leave with branches stuck to the roof and 5th wheels running into bushes and trees to back in. We got in OK, but it took numerous turning events to get out. We stayed here 4 days. Where there was grass, it was pretty high until if was finally cut on our last day there. While it was scenic and peaceful, we really could not enjoy being outside unless we were moving due to the mosquito infestation. The staff arrived early each morning to clean the showers, and the county sheriff's office patrolled the park each day. The park office had posted warnings about the problem they are having with Argentine ants. We were careful with our outdoor area, and it doesn't appear that we have them on board. I would not return here in a large RV. We camped here in a Motorhome.
Review Rating
[ 10 / 10 ]
[ 10 / 10 ]
June 2011
$35
We have to agree with all the positive ratings for the Ft. DeSoto campground. The sites are all very spacious, clean, well-maintained and there’s plenty of privacy space in between each site. The park rangers are very efficient, friendly and helpful. The only negative is the lack of sewer, but bathrooms are well-placed and close by. The showers are roomy with lots of hot water, and the bathrooms are always clean. Our dog’s favorite beach at the park is the Paw Park dog beach, and there are always well-behaved, friendly dogs (with their responsible owners) there for her to play with. The award-winning North Beach is just breath-taking, and there are miles of trails through the park to challenge the runner in our family. There’s great seafood close by at the quaint and friendly little town of Tierra Verde, and many of the restaurants have excellent live music on the weekends. It’s no wonder we keep coming back to Ft. DeSoto time after time! We camped here in a Travel Trailer.
Review Rating
[ 10 / 10 ]
[ 10 / 10 ]
May 2011
$33
Wonderful long weekend. Campsites were clean and ready when we arrive. Plenty to do with the beach nearby, a dog park and a dog beach. Plenty of restaurants nearby and lots to see in St Pete Beach. Campground was full over Mother's Day weekend, but all families having lots of fun. We camped here in a Motorhome.
Review Rating
[ 10 / 10 ]
[ 10 / 10 ]
May 2011
$39
This is our favorite place to camp near the beach. While you can't swim at the waterfront sites, you can fish or just enjoy the most beautiful sunsets you've ever seen. The beaches here have powder white sand and the water is usually crystal clear. Can't wait for our next trip to Ft. Desoto! We camped here in a Travel Trailer.
Review Rating
[ 7 / 10 ]
[ 7 / 10 ]
May 2011
$48
Our 3rd time here. For the location alone, I have rated it more than it should deserve for the money. The site was very large, as are all, and the view is fantastic if you opt for a waterfront site. Unfortunately the prices keep going up, and the service keeps going down. Very lacking in maintenance everywhere. Same limited tiny shower hooks in the bath houses, with many missing as was last year. I had a broken shower head in the one I used. Roads were full of pot holes, and one tree in the entrance to the motorhome area had a large low hanging branch that scraped the top of our motorhome. It was obvious that many others have hit it. We pointed it out to one of the camp hosts early in the week, and he just ignored it. Playground area is over run with weeds and has not been mowed in a long time. Bathrooms are not cleaned daily, and when finally done after several days, it was just taking out the trash, replacing towels and tissues and light sweeping. Rangers still don't get out to visit the park, as they are kept too busy with phone reservations to do so. Suggest Pinellas county parks system offer discounts for online bookings to free up their time. Real shame, as this used to be a top notch park. We camped here in a Motorhome.
Review Rating
[ 5 / 10 ]
[ 5 / 10 ]
April 2011
$45
We have stayed at this park before, however, it's not likely that we will return. The fees have gone up significantly over the past few years and considering there is no sewer hook up, no cable, no Wi-Fi (except at office) it is high. In order to have a fire you either have to buy your own ring, or rent one of theirs for $3 per night; firewood costs about $8.00 a bundle! There was "stuff" on one of the toilets that remained there for two days, and the showers were not overly clean. We found getting into the site (#225) with our 35 ft/3 slides a bit difficult. The setting is beautiful, but, considering all things, we will not likely return to Fort DeSoto in the future. We camped here in a Fifth Wheel.
Review Rating
[ 10 / 10 ]
[ 10 / 10 ]
March 2011
$38
This is one of the best campgrounds. We have been here several times. The only time of year we avoid is early August because the place gets overrun with caterpillars (thousands of them everywhere). Great beaches just a bike ride away. Great dog park. Ferry rides available. Small store with very basic stuff. Canoe rentals. Bathrooms are OK and usually clean. Choose a spot on the water if you can. Some sites on seawall, others on a beach where you can drag your kayak into the water from your site. The only thing that could improve this park would be sewer hookups. We stay here 2-3 times a year. We camped here in a Motorhome.
Review Rating
[ 10 / 10 ]
[ 10 / 10 ]
February 2011
$40
We would stay here over and over. Sites are large but many have trees with low hanging limbs. Camp sites are long with lots of trees between them. Loved this campground. We stayed a week, so can't tell you the exact price for a night. We camped here in a Motorhome.
Review Rating
[ 10 / 10 ]
[ 10 / 10 ]
February 2011
$34
Beautiful campground with plenty to do. Sites are large and fairly easy to navigate in and out. Plenty of shade with plenty of privacy. Dog park and Dog beach next to each other. Great views, especially of the Skyway Bridge. Clean restrooms and great trash control. Great family getaway. Will be back again in May. Book early, as the sites fill up quickly. We camped here in a Motorhome.
Review Rating
[ 10 / 10 ]
[ 10 / 10 ]
January 2011
$30
Great place for kayaking and bicycling. Many sites are right next to the water. Clean bathhouse. We camped here in a Tent Trailer.
Review Rating
[ 9 / 10 ]
[ 9 / 10 ]
January 2011
$40
One of the few campgrounds in Florida right on the Gulf. Exceptionally beautiful with abundant bird life. Ft. Desoto is an outstanding park with nice amenities including a dog beach. The bath houses are in need of upgrading due to age and use - only reason why I didn't rate this with 10. We camped here in a Motorhome.
Review Rating
[ 9 / 10 ]
[ 9 / 10 ]
December 2010
$40
Beautiful park in a great location. Fort De Soto is what Florida used to look like before condos and strip malls. The narrow roads and lush natural landscape that privatize the sites give it the old Florida charm. Nice place to getaway to if you enjoy the beach, bicycling, kayaking, fishing or just relaxing. Also the dog park and dog beach are a nice touch. Would stay here again. We camped here in a Motorhome.
Review Rating
[ 9 / 10 ]
[ 9 / 10 ]
December 2010
$40
The campground is very nice with three areas, one designated for campers with pets. The sites are mostly heavily shaded. The roads are dirt and narrow for a big rig. There is a caution sign about overhanging low limbs. We noticed that many of the trees by the road's edge were scarred from being bumped into. Some of the sites are a challenge for a 40'+ motorhome to get in and out of. The park itself is beautiful and well maintained. The beaches including a dedicated "dog beach" are just the best. There is a lot to do here and a bicycle path to the beach area about 1 mile away. The access is via toll roads only, but worth the expense. The restrooms are old, but tidy and clean. They are not heated nor air conditioned. We camped here in a Motorhome.
Review Rating
[ 9 / 10 ]
[ 9 / 10 ]
October 2010
$41
Pricey but beautiful location overlooking water and near dog beach. Wonderful restaurants about 7 miles away. Would definitely stay again. We camped here in a Motorhome.
Review Rating
[ 9 / 10 ]
[ 9 / 10 ]
October 2010
$40
Beautiful park, yes you do need to watch for tree limbs but it is manageable. We stayed on the pet loop and our dog had plenty of exercise chasing the lizards. If this park had sewer we would rate it a 10. The showers were hot with good water pressure. The employees were friendly. The surrounding area offered a lot, multi purpose trail, great beaches. St Petersburg and Clearwater are a short distance away. We would stay here again. We camped here in a Motorhome.
Review Rating
[ 9 / 10 ]
[ 9 / 10 ]
July 2010
$47
Absolutely gorgeous park, albeit expensive. Amazing facilities for pets. Dog park is divided for large and small pets; large pet beach is separated by mangrove bushes from public beaches. Our site was on Inland Waterway canal: tubes and kayaks were active. Each site is large and afforded some privacy by mature bushes and native trees. Very clean park and well maintained. We camped here in a Motorhome.
Review Rating
[ 6 / 10 ]
[ 6 / 10 ]
June 2010
$20?
They need to do something about the racoon's! One ruined our trip chewing a hole in our tent while we sleeping. There is no reason the population can't be thinned out. We liked the seclusion of each site but could use some manicuring to make it easier to maneuver. The Rec room came in handy during afternoon storms (took books, games and drinks). We would definitely return if racoon's relocated. We camped here in a Tent.
Review Rating
[ 5 / 10 ]
[ 5 / 10 ]
May 2010
$42
We arrived on Sunday for a 4 night stay, hoping to avoid the weekend crowds. I booked online months in advance to reserve our waterfront site. The location and the bay front site is the reason we returned. We were able to pull in forward in our 32 foot motorhome to have a sweeping view of the inland bay. Many sites are almost impossible to pull in forward into these back in sites, but there are a few that can be carefully negotiated. We had a wonderful stay last December, but things have changed. Now for the bad: Even though I picked a supposedly off season school night, the place was over run with rowdy teenagers till 1:30 on Monday morning. The sites are thickly divided with heavy foliage, but we still had one group of noisy, laughing teenagers run right through our site at 1:00 am. So much for the "10 pm curfew time". There was a large group of campers next to us that had several tents and 3 boats tied up to their site. So much for "no group camping". Across the roadway was a large pull through with a 15 passenger van, a car, a large trailer, and 5 tents set up. This group had 9 teenagers, and 4 adults. So much for "only 6 people to a site". The bathrooms were showing their heavy usage, as there were personal items, dirt, sand, water, etc., all over the place all day and night. The small showers had single tiny little "purse type" hooks, of which half were broken off. One tiny hook does not hold your toiletries, towel, clothes or wash cloth. The bench was always dirty and wet, so no help there. No rain for a couple of days, so the powdered dirt from the roadway always blew up in a massive cloud everytime someone went by doing about 25 miles an hour. So much for the "5 mile an hour limit". Be prepared for layers of dirt inside and outside your unit, with the powdered dirt site being of no help. WiFi was available only during business hours at the ranger station. I noted while I sat inside with my laptop, the rangers were very busy taking phone reservations which was taking up all of their time, thus no rangers were out in the park to observe what things were going on, and also unable to take the time to stop and chat to their quests in the actual park itself. May I suggest the Pinellas County Park people start offering a discount to people that do their own booking online? This will enable the nice rangers to stop spending time as hotel desk agents, and be actual rangers. The website for reservations is the best I have ever seen, with full details and pictures of each site. Very user friendly. We camped here in a Motorhome.
Review Rating
[ 7 / 10 ]
[ 7 / 10 ]
May 2010
$39
We did not get a waterfront site. I would avoid the non-waterfront sites because they were a bit overgrown. Recommend aluminum foil for the grill because they are rusty. The waterfront sites looked awesome. It was a 4 mile bike ride to the beach on a really nice bike trail. The beach had a small snack shop which was open from 10-4. The water was very clear and warm, and the beach was not crowded. The campground is not paved and the sites are dirt. There are a couple of dump stations. The bathrooms were mostly clean, but open to the outdoors. I would stay here again, only on a waterfront site. We camped here in a Motorhome.
Review Rating
[ 8 / 10 ]
[ 8 / 10 ]
March 2010
$43
Excellent park. The facilities are clean, sites are large with privacy in between. No full hookups available. Bathrooms were always clean and stocked. Wi-Fi is available at the office. There is a toll to cross bridge to campground and park. Prices at the campstore were too high. A day trip to Tarpon Springs was well worth it. Great Greek food, sponge fishing industry, and lots of shops to visit. I would stay here again when in area. We camped here in a Motorhome.
Review Rating
[ 9 / 10 ]
[ 9 / 10 ]
February 2010
$45
We stayed here 14 days in a waterfront site. I would rate this park a 10 except for the shower building. This winter was very windy and cold and the wind blows thru the openings in the roof. The waterfront sites can be very windy, but well worth it. There is a paved bike trail that goes to the beach area. The entire bike trail may be about 10 miles. There is Wi-Fi but you need to use it at or near the office. From 9 to 5 sometimes you can not connect as the connection is shared with all county workers. The Park staff are friendly and helpful. We will stay here again. We camped here in a Motorhome.
Review Rating
[ 9 / 10 ]
[ 9 / 10 ]
January 2010
$42
We spent two nights on the "Bay" side and two nights on the "Inlet" side. Clean laundry facilities and well maintained campsites. Wi-fi available at the office. Mature "tropical" type setting. Short drive to beautiful beach and old Fort De Soto. We are looking forward to a return visit this coming February. The only thing we found odd about this park is the fact that you can't book a site online but it was 30% empty. Apparently they keep a large number of sites for first come first served. We camped here in a Motorhome.
Review Rating
[ 10 / 10 ]
[ 10 / 10 ]
January 2010
$45
One of the finest parks, either private or public, we've stayed at. Excellent staff and volunteers, sites are very well maintained, large and level. The entire park is very well kept up and the pet areas are great! We look forward to returning as often as possible. We camped here in a Travel Trailer.
Review Rating
[ 10 / 10 ]
[ 10 / 10 ]
January 2010
$41
My husband has been camping for over thirty years and our mom has been camping even longer. They said that this was the best campground they have ever been to. I must agree with them as well. The sites were well maintained and level. Each site was surrounded by palm trees which created good privacy. We had reservations for a site and upon arrival we asked if we could get a waterfront site. They were able to accommodate us and we spent our week with probably one of the best campsites with a spectacular sunset view. Not only was the view great but we could literally launch our kayak just a few feet away from our site. Each site comes with a picnic table and fires are permitted as long as you have a fire pit. No need to worry because although the sites don't come with a pit you still can rent one from the camp store. The rangers and staff were all very nice and helpful. They park itself was just immaculate and my husband raved about the showers. All bathrooms were open air but the shower stalls were like roman showers with a private dressing area. Hot water and massage like water pressure. We all felt good after our showers. They do have Wi-Fi but you need to use it at the office. The playgrounds looked fun and inviting. Simply a beautiful place to stay, we were sad to leave. We will certainly be there again next winter. We camped here in a Travel Trailer.
Review Rating
[ 10 / 10 ]
[ 10 / 10 ]
December 2009
$35
What a wonderful campground! The staff was very friendly and helpful. The bathroom/showers very clean. There is LOTS to do at Fort DeSoto. We stayed a week and didn't get to do everything we wanted to do. We will definitely return! We camped here in a Motorhome.
Review Rating
[ 8 / 10 ]
[ 8 / 10 ]
December 2009
$40
Loved this park and will return for longer stay and better weather, even though it rained the whole 3 nights we were there, but no flooding in our site. Booked online, which was very convenient and loads of information including pics of each individual site. We had site right on water, which is inside a lagoon/bay off the Gulf. Beach is 2 miles away and beautiful. No A/C or heat in bathrooms, which were dated but clean, though sticky and wet due to high humidly. Wi-Fi only available inside front office, which many took advantage of each morning we were there. Check in was efficient, though confusing as to the "no pets" area. We booked in the "no pets" area as we do not own dogs, and wanted a particular site for the view. Told them I had 2 strictly inside cats, and they almost refused our entry. OK...I love dogs, but not the unfortunate few owners that let their dogs bark all hours, or the ones that do not pick up their "doggy doo-doos". I can see the "no pets" for that reason. But inside cats that do not bark or use the grounds?? How does that affect anyone? Also ironic as to the couple of beautiful and well fed mascot cats that roamed our "no pets" area. Hmmm...guess they did not read the sign. Fortunately, they let us in with a stern warning for next time. Area is isolated from the rest of the congested Tampa/St. Pete area, though still close it felt like you are in a world away. Very peaceful and quiet. Looking forward to the next stay there. We camped here in a Motorhome.
Review Rating
[ 9 / 10 ]
[ 9 / 10 ]
November 2009
$38
This is the most beautiful park we have ever been to with respect to the view from the sites. Many sites are right on the waterways and are very large. This park boasts a dog park and a dog beach. Wi-Fi is available at the park office. Although we usually stay in the Florida panhandle in November, this time we stayed at FdS which is near Tampa. The weather is much warmer at FdS than in the panhandle. St. Pete Beach is about 15 minutes away and is definitely worth visiting. This area of Florida is very popular for fishing and boating. The campground at Fort de Soto is a small part of the larger Fort de Soto County Park which offers 7 miles of biking trails within the park. From the campground, you can bike to North Beach, South Beach and the old fort on paved bike trails. Depending on when you bring your RV here, you might find huge crowds especially at North Beach. We camped here in a Fifth Wheel.
Review Rating
[ 6 / 10 ]
[ 6 / 10 ]
September 2009
$39
Beautiful park. Friendly staff. Great beach access. Narrrow roads and lots of low hanging branches. Not really big rig friendly no matter what the staff says. Our site totally flooded after an all night rain. I am talking at least 4 inches of water. Probably will not go back in a big rig. If you have a tent or pop up - go for it. We camped here in a Motorhome.
Review Rating
[ 10 / 10 ]
[ 10 / 10 ]
July 2009
$15
I tell everyone I know about this campground for several reasons. The staff was extremely helpful, the site we had was huge and it backed right up to the ocean. We woke every morning to dolphins swimming right off our site and a huge bird sitting at our front door waiting to be fed! We loved the beach and were able to rent a kayak that allowed us to float directly over a pod of manatee. The only draw back to this park were the overwhelming amount of raccoon, but they were actually quite comical to watch. I can't say enough about the beautiful beaches adjacent to this campground. It is also in a great location for day trips to all of the surrounding areas and the view of the bridge at night was fantastic. What a great campground and a great experience visiting it. We camped here in a Fifth Wheel.
Review Rating
[ 8 / 10 ]
[ 8 / 10 ]
June 2009
$36
This was a very nice park. Given the prior reviews, I had high expectations for this park. Most of them were met. My biggest concern was the bathrooms. They were old in need of repair and not clean. In the ladies room there was fecal matter in the shower. It was not good. The sites are private and there are some very nice water front sites. The path/loop we stayed in was tight for larger trailers. One other concern was traffic layout. In our loop the exit put you back on the main road and we had to come back into the park entrance to go to the dump station. That was just awkward. I would have preferred to stay on the campground to the dump station. Prices seemed kind of high in the camp store based on my experience at State Parks and other camp grounds that had camp stores. I would come back again, but would only get a water front site, as this seems to be the best part of the campgrounds. We camped here in a Travel Trailer.
Review Rating
[ 10 / 10 ]
[ 10 / 10 ]
June 2009
$36
Note that this is not on the ocean (the closest choice above), but has many waterfront sites best described as "bay front," close to the Gulf of Mexico. Campsites are not paved, but hard crushed shell, but ours was quite level. The campground is part of a large park complex -- a very large, spread-out park with enough activities to last a long time. A bicycle can get you to many of them. Among them: a huge marina for boat launching; fishing from boats, two piers, and lots of shoreline, including right behind your campsite; miles of wide, paved,winding pathways for bicycles and hikers; boat and bike rentals; an actual old Fort Desoto; swimming in the gulf; doggie park and dog beach. Campsites are relatively private, with lots of foliage and tall trees -- a surprise to us. The pull-throughs, while not on water, are quite large and shaded. Pet loop is separate. There is lots of nature as well as proximity (a couple of miles) to civilization, meaning shopping and restaurants, if you need those. Sunrise/sunset over water photo ops abound, as do wild flowers and birds. This is just a great place to go. We camped here in a Motorhome.
Review Rating
[ 9 / 10 ]
[ 9 / 10 ]
May 2009
$35
This was by far one of the best campgrounds we have stayed in. I would have given it a 10 if it had sewer for our motorhome. However, we would definitely stay here again. The spots are nice size and the pull through ones are terrific for big rigs. There's lots of vegetation so the privacy was terrific. The Wi-Fi only works within 75 feet of the office. Appeared to be TV reception with antennae. One of the most beautiful beaches was just a few miles down the road. And...the separate dog beach was clean and our golden loved it! Don't miss this campground when on the west coast of Florida We camped here in a Motorhome.
Review Rating
[ 9 / 10 ]
[ 9 / 10 ]
April 2009
$45
Great campground with general store and wooded lots that were very private. The beach was close, and you can tour the Fort Desoto for free, which is historical and very neat. It is a full-fledged county park with bike rentals, canoe/kayak rentals, etc. The campground bathrooms were clean and there is a great playground within the campground. This campground gets booked way in advance, so make plans early! We camped here in a Motorhome.
Review Rating
[ 10 / 10 ]
[ 10 / 10 ]
March 2009
$43
We stayed in a site along the water. Dolphins swam within 100 feet of our campsite. What a great park. There is a bike trail in the park and some of the best beaches anywhere. We will stay here again. We camped here in a Motorhome.
Review Rating
[ 9 / 10 ]
[ 9 / 10 ]
March 2009
$32
Very nice campground. The sites are wide, with trees and therefore very private (most of them). Bathhouses are well kept. Unfortunately no sewage hook ups for bigger rigs! A must see park on the west coast. Pet beach very appreciated by our airedale Niki! North beach is one of the best in Florida. Thanks to the staff for a job well done in keeping the place clean! We camped here in a Tent Trailer.
Review Rating
[ 10 / 10 ]
[ 10 / 10 ]
February 2009
$30
This is the nicest place we've ever camped. Bathrooms, laundry, entire campground and park are well kept, clean, and beautiful. Beaches are spectacular, and landscaping between campsites is great. 2 fishing piers, historic fort, lots of activities. We just love this place. We camped here in a Tent.
Review Rating
[ 9 / 10 ]
[ 9 / 10 ]
February 2009
$42
Other than not having a sewer dump, this is by far the most wonderful place we have ever stayed. Highlight for us is the privacy of the trees and bushes between each site. We camped here in a Motorhome.
Review Rating
[ 10 / 10 ]
[ 10 / 10 ]
January 2009
$30
Location, location, location! Very well maintained Pinellas County Park with lots to do. Very pet friendly areas with camping area set aside for pet owners. Looking forward to returning again. We camped here in a Travel Trailer.
Review Rating
[ 9 / 10 ]
[ 9 / 10 ]
January 2009
$42
Just an excellent campground! It would be a 10 if it had sewers. Many sites have ocean frontage. Access road and sites are crushed shells. There is a picnic table and grill on each site. Sites are 60 feet wide and very deep. It is really friendly to dog owners. There is a dog's beach. There are organized nature walks. There are laundries. There are bike trails and exercise stations. The beaches are one of the 10 best in the US. There is security. The park is fifteen minutes from the shopping center. Trash is emptied daily. We camped here in a Fifth Wheel.
Review Rating
[ 10 / 10 ]
[ 10 / 10 ]
December 2008
$40
This is an outstanding place to camp. Campsites are buffered by native trees and shrubs from neighboring sites. Most sites back up to a lagoons, maintaining a very natural look. The park has beautiful beaches a short drive away. We camped here in a Motorhome.
Review Rating
[ 8 / 10 ]
[ 8 / 10 ]
December 2008
$36
This park is a real gem! So beautiful! My only complaint is that there is no sewer hook ups at the sites and it is so popular they book reservations 6 months in advance. We came here from Canada and wanted to stay longer but had to change sites as they didn't have any we could stay in for more than two nights at a time. Even at that they were fully booked for the weekend and said they have a line up for sites that starts at 6:00 in the morning. Such a shame as we had traveled such a distance to get here. Also just to let you know they only allow pets in a certain section of the park and the wifi is at the office only. Friendly park staff though and great walking/biking trails, a pet beach and park and bike rentals etc. We would love to be able to return here but unfortunately don't feel hopeful of being able to get a site. We camped here in a Fifth Wheel.
Review Rating
[ 9 / 10 ]
[ 9 / 10 ]
October 2008
$38
This park has been well documented and is an exceptional county park. Beautiful scenery with site a good distance apart. We had a waterfront site. Bathrooms were nice, large, and clean. The Fort is extremely interesting and also free. Lots of beaches and rental equipment. There is a large segment of day trippers, but they are not permitted in the camping area. We got lots of photos. The city of St. Pete Beach is about 10 minutes away. There are two toll roads between the cities and the campground totaling only 85 cents. The Don Cesar, a large old hotel right on the beach with loads of history. There are several “local” inexpensive seafood restaurants in the area also. We would have stayed longer, but the weekend which was full shut us out as they were full. The park is easy to get too. The sites are a little hard to navigate as there are lot of trees. I’d much rather have the trees. We had to jog once on the way in. All in all it was a great experience. We camped here in a Motorhome.
Review Rating
[ 8 / 10 ]
[ 8 / 10 ]
September 2008
$39
This was our first visit to this park. We liked it very much and will return. I agree with others about the low hanging trees...this needs a little attention. Also the shell rock that was used to cover the dirt floor at our site and most others we saw needs to be added to. At our site there was almost none left so you were in dirt only. The park was quiet during the week and packed full of families over the weekend. Park did quiet down at the 10:00 PM curfew time. Very friendly staff, clean bathrooms. Great place to come to if you like to fish. Bugs were minimal, breeze was good. We brought a small boat and used it daily to travel to nearby beaches and collect shells and go fishing with our daughter. We camped here in a Fifth Wheel.
Review Rating
[ 7 / 10 ]
[ 7 / 10 ]
August 2008
$36
Just returned from our fourth visit to this park. It is a great park. It does not have sewer hook ups, and the bath house could use some work. Also, I have noticed that the roads could use some tree trimming. You definitely have to be careful going in, and because they have not trimmed the trees, getting into some of the sites can be quite difficult and could be much easier with some removal of bushes or trees. The sites vary greatly as far as size and ease of getting in and out, and you might want to call if you have a large unit. The views from some of the sites are spectacular, and the bike trails are great. There are two fishing piers, but they are about 2 miles from the campground. the beaches are very nice, but again, are between two and three miles from the campground. The price at the campground keeps going up and they need to take some of the money and devote it to clearing the roads and maintenance. Pets are only allowed in one section. There is wifi, but only at the office. With a little effort this place could be a 9. Oh by the way, be aware that there is an ant problem and you need to bring some spray. Bug spray is also a plus in the summer. We camped here in a Motorhome.
Review Rating
[ 10 / 10 ]
[ 10 / 10 ]
May 2008
$35
This campground is awesome. The people are very friendly and the sites are perfect. Lots of vegetation around sites. You can actually go online and take a look at the site before you make a reservation. The only drawback is that you have to make sure that you check for cancellations on and around thursday evening or friday morning as this is the only way you will get a site. This is a very popular campground to the area. This is a great family gathering campground. You are going to love it. You also have a trail to get to the beach!! The facilities are easy to get to and very clean. We camped here in a Motorhome.
Review Rating
[ 9 / 10 ]
[ 9 / 10 ]
May 2008
$40
County Park – water and electricity and close to $40 a day now for an rv (last year it was 25 – big jump). Florida has so many taxes on tourists, the tourist development tax, sale and county. Three loops in the campground – one for vans, tents and popups, one for rv’s and others with pets and one for rv’s etc. All the reviews have been right on about this campground – it is beautiful and the sites are private with a lot of shade. Ours was facing west over the gulf so the sunsets were beautiful with a nice breeze coming off water. There are bike trails, a fort and one of the best beaches in the country to walk, ride or drive to. The bathrooms could be more updated but they are ok and the showers are hot. Easy checkin and the campground is very quiet at night and even during the day. We went in May during the week for three nights so were able to get reservations for a site and there were many other sites available but they did have posted that they are booked every weekend through July. I know it’s very hard to get reservations here from January through April and I can see why. Everyone we met complained about how hard it is to get a site during those months. If you book though they do not give out refunds if you have to cancel but, you have a year to remake reservations. It worked out well for us because we canceled last year and stayed this year at last years price, and that was close to almost $15 a day difference. They do have laundry facilities, a camp store, playgrounds, dump station and a campers dayroom. Would love to come back but if only we could get reservations! There is a raccoon problem here from late in the afternoon through the evening and you can not leave any food out and even your coolers. The squirrels are brazen too one tried to sit in my husbands chair and join me eating peanuts outside. I had to go inside the camper to get rid of him. We camped here in a Motorhome.
Review Rating
[ 7 / 10 ]
[ 7 / 10 ]
April 2008
$40
This is my third trip to this campground. We really love the location and views from the waterfront sites. The site we had this time was really difficult to get my 35 foot motor home in. If the campsite across the road had not been empty I might not have made it. They really need to trim some tress and remove some that are right along the road. I would check with the office before booking a site if you have a large rig (we were on site 95). The campground does have wi-fi,but only with in 65 feet of the office. So you have to go up there to get on the internet. There are great places to ride a bike here. We rode for over 6 miles. Wide paved paths. The beaches and piers are not too far from the campground and you can boat and fish at the campground itself, just no swimming.The biggest negative to this park is the restrooms. They were built, probably in the 60's, and are showing their age. The tile is cracked and it is difficult to keep the floors clean. There is no A/C and the showers are open at the top. There is a roof, but from the top of the walls to the high roof is open. Probably helps with heat, but allows all sorts of bugs in the restrooms. The staff is very nice and helpful. If they would trim some trees and update the bathhouses they would have a top rate campground. We camped here in a Motorhome.
Review Rating
[ 8 / 10 ]
[ 8 / 10 ]
March 2008
$40
I had a good time at this park. The sites are spaced far apart and you feel secluded. The fellow campers and Park Rangers were very nice. The restrooms were clean, but outdated. They have no ac and they appeared to be built in the seventy's. There was rust on the floor grates. If the bathrooms were updated I would give this park a 9! We camped here in a Travel Trailer.
Review Rating
[ 10 / 10 ]
[ 10 / 10 ]
February 2008
$28
Enjoyed a 2 week stay in February. Grounds were exceptionally well maintained, and facilities were clean. Had a pull through site which was convenient. Wi-Fi was being installed just before we left - only disappointment was that Pinellas County IT people didn't assign enough IP Addresses so was unable to connect. Campground highly recommended. We camped here in a Motorhome.
Review Rating
[ 9 / 10 ]
[ 9 / 10 ]
February 2008
$24
What a spot!!! Many waterfront sites where one has easy access to launch a kayak or a canoe. The campground is very close to the beach (a bike ride away). Other amenities i.e. shopping, library...are a distance away but truly, this place is a GEM. We camped here in a Travel Trailer.
Review Rating
[ 7 / 10 ]
[ 7 / 10 ]
February 2008
$60
Great Park, after leaving the last park in Tampa where way too many dogs were we appreciated the no pet area we were in. They do have 1/2 the park for pet owners to stay in which was nice for us. We camped right on the beach in a very tropical looking site. Spaces are large but access to each site is very tight for larger units requiring several people to watch as you back in your site. Will stay here again. We camped here in a Motorhome.
Review Rating
[ 10 / 10 ]
[ 10 / 10 ]
January 2008
$45
Now this is a 5 star campground! We were booked into a site but were able to switch to a waterfront site when we arrived as these are available on a first come first served basis. They reserve 10% of their sites for “walk-ups” so they always have some availability. It was about twice as much per night as an average State Park campsite but it was worth. We backed in and had a view and access to Tampa Bay on one side and in front of us was a canal so had water on both sides. Tropical vegetation surrounded the site so it was very private. The canal was popular place for fishing and we even had dolphins come into the channel and right in front of our camper. There were heron, egrets, osprey, pelicans, fish jumping out of the water all in view from our site. We took our chairs down to the beach area that was available for several hours every day at low tide. This park also has a museum, 2 big fishing piers, a 4 mile gulf beach and a 1 mile stretch of beach on Tampa Bay looking out on the Sunshine Skyway bridge. It even had a dog beach and Paw Playground where we took the dogs to play Frisbee. Every place else requires them to be on leash so they loved getting a chance to just run and play. There is an historic fort, great hiking and biking trails. Facilities were well maintained and staff were very helpful. We camped here in a Fifth Wheel.
Review Rating
[ 8 / 10 ]
[ 8 / 10 ]
January 2008
$39
This is my second trip to this park, and I still love it. The sites can be a little tight for rigs over 35 feet, and there are some low hanging tree branches that you have to watch out for. Our site, 95 was a tight fit, but once in we had a great water view, just no room to put out the awning, but there was plenty of shade and the weather was great. There is a small store at the campground, but the prices are high as are their bike rentals. The campground is about 2 miles from the beach. A great bike ride, but the nicest beach is perhaps 5 miles from the campground. There are two fishing piers and it is a great place to ride bikes and plenty of small boat access. If you have a big rig, I'd call and talk to them about a site. I saw a guy who could not get in his site and had to be moved. He was lucky there were sites available. This place is very popular and you usually need to reserve well in advance. We camped here in a Motorhome.
Review Rating
[ 4 / 10 ]
[ 4 / 10 ]
December 2007
$39
We were very disappointed that we were not warned of the low branches in the pet friendly section of the park! We trusted that the staff would have warned us that our 35' long and 13'2" high rig would fit. It was impossible to maneuver into the first assigned site (#92). We made it into site #85 after scraping a tree branch the size of a trunk, causing $7,000+ worth of damage on our month-old fifth wheel's roof. The rubber roof was torn in four places and the frame was bent. Had the staff warned us, or had our reservation for three days not been paid in advance, (and was non-refundable -- only transferable to another date within a year), we would not have attempted it. We camped here in a Fifth Wheel.
Review Rating
[ 7 / 10 ]
[ 7 / 10 ]
November 2007
$35
We go here at least a couple of times a year. We enjoy it and its close to home. We are not crazy about their reservation system. There a a lot of raccoons and they are pretty aggressive, so don't leave anything out. Clean and well kept, sites can be hard to back into due to tree overhang. Price has went up recently so almost $40 with tax. For a county park it is a little pricey. We will camp here again. We camped here in a Motorhome.
Review Rating
[ 7 / 10 ]
[ 7 / 10 ]
November 2007
$22
A great county park. Some problems getting reservations. Some problems with small sugar ants in the campsites. Some problems with rowdyness in the campsites after dark. Local police have to patrol it due to lack of proper supervision by the campground rangers. Very few pull through sites, and lots of overhanging branches on oak trees, so be very careful of your overhead clearance. We camped here in a Travel Trailer.
Review Rating
[ 9 / 10 ]
[ 9 / 10 ]
October 2007
$28
Beautiful state park and fort, extraordinary beach, bike rentals, fishing..great family fun We camped here in a Motorhome.
Review Rating
[ 9 / 10 ]
[ 9 / 10 ]
August 2007
$30
We had an excellent site, but it did take some manuevering to get in, but once in, it was big and you can't beat the view. Right on the water, kids fishing from the site. Relaxing, easy drive to the beach. Bathhouses were very clean. My husband grew up coming to this campground and our family enjoyed it just as much! We camped here in a Travel Trailer.
Review Rating
[ 8 / 10 ]
[ 8 / 10 ]
August 2007
$25
Stayed on site 134 and had lots of space. Would recommend pulling in rather than backing in to full advantage of water view. Very nice park, great for bike riding with miles of paved paths. Beach is not within walking distance but there is ample parking and it is beautiful. Our site had 30amp service but the park ranger said the non-pet friendly sites have been upgraded to 50amp service and that the pet friendly sites should be upgraded in the next year. We definitely plan to visit again, just wish they had sewer hook ups! We camped here in a Motorhome.
Review Rating
[ 8 / 10 ]
[ 8 / 10 ]
July 2007
$28
First of all, I do not give any campground a 10 that does not have sewer hook-ups. So 9 was the best this campground could get. It would have gotten a 9, if the rest rooms had been as clean when we arrived as they were when we left. They power cleaned them while we were there. They are not the best design, in that the walls do not go to the ceiling and there are a lot of critters in Florida! One of the showers did not have hot water. So no 9. Otherwise this is a very nice campground. There is a special section for campers with pets and the sites are very nice. Lots of shade and bushes etc between sites. Our site backed up to the water and we could fish right at the back of the site. The roads are a bit tight, but we managed just fine in a motorhome. Roads in the campground are not paved, but pretty well taken care of. The campground is about a mile from the main part of the park. There are great bike trails that go everywhere and even places to rent bikes and boats. There are two fishing piers and miles of nice beach-- just hard to get to from the campground. Might be a bad selection if you do not have a car and want to hit the beach, but otherwise a very nice campground. We camped here in a Motorhome.
Review Rating
[ 3 / 10 ]
[ 3 / 10 ]
May 2007
$28
We had a pet so we could only stay in a specific area. There was a lake (pond), that was kept up, mowed, etc., but the RV sites were all grown over with weeds, and our site was on the water, but crummy back water. Even if you'd want to go to the water, you had to walk through weeds and mud to get to it. We were really disappointed as some people had told us it was nice there. I'll never go there again. We camped here in a Motorhome.
Review Rating
[ 8 / 10 ]
[ 8 / 10 ]
May 2007
$28
Our second stay at Ft. Desoto and it is an excellent park. Some sites are huge and most feel isolated due to dense brush between sites. Water pressure was good despite FL drought. Kids had great time at beach and in the park. Make sure you keep food inside at night. Many raccoons and they are not shy. Book early, because weekends fill up fast (people make reservations and then don't use them). I had to get in line at 4:30 AM to ensure I got a weekend "walk up" site. After June 1, you can't get into line before 6:00 AM for walk up. Overall, one of the best parks around and the only decent one in the St. Petersburg, FL area. We camped here in a Travel Trailer.
Review Rating
[ 10 / 10 ]
[ 10 / 10 ]
April 2007
$25
Great park. Surrounded by water. Great fishing. Clean and nice staff. We will camp here again. We camped here in a pop up. We camped here in a Tent Trailer.
Review Rating
[ 8 / 10 ]
[ 8 / 10 ]
April 2007
$28
We had site #226 which was a tight fit. Could not put our awning out but after the wind gusts (from 10-20) we were glad we didn't try. Bathhouses have washer/dryers, sites have only a stand up grill and a picnic table. No ground fires unless you use a container. There is a camp store with very basic items, a museum, pier, beautiful beaches, ferry to Egmont Key, nature trails, rentals for kayaks, canoes windsurfing, a nice bicycle path with jitneys to rent, boat ramp (can keep boat in water at your site if on water)Pet playground(near beach) and kids playgrounds in camping areas. Anything you want to do for recreation can be had here. We were camping with our large group and used a pull thru site for our meal which was plenty big enough. The PT's all dogleg strangely and most have trees that lean into them. Choose site very carefully because last year when we camped here we had to replace our entire 5th wheel roof because of trees that lean into the road (beware area 2 site #151 near bathhouse) The rangers know about these trees but do not trim them at all.NRP This was our first outing with our new motorhome and we enjoyed the park. We camped here in a Motorhome.
Review Rating
[ 10 / 10 ]
[ 10 / 10 ]
March 2007
$28
An excellent park, especially for the rate. We had a pull-through site (#173) which had hibiscus plants that provided a nice screen from the neighboring sites. In 30 seconds you could walk to the western edge of the camping area for a sunset view across the backwaters area. Note it is not on the ocean (do a Google satellite view) but various beaches are just a bike ride (10 minutes) or car trip (2 minutes) away. A real treat was seeing the sunrise from the beach closest to the Sunshine Skyway. The beaches in the park were clean with great shelling. Make sure you have some outside help pulling a big rig into the pull-throughs as some of the trees grow in at an angle and might brush your rig. Definitely a place we will go back to - hard to reserve in advance as locals have a one month head start. We camped here in a Motorhome.
Review Rating
[ 10 / 10 ]
[ 10 / 10 ]
March 2007
$32
This is a beautiful park. The only comment I would make is that some of the sites are very difficult to back into because of overhanging trees. We think our site, #91, was the worst; avoid it if you can. I had 4 people giving me directions and we made it in with no damage, but it was exhausting! The rate given above includes taxes and ReserveAmerica fees We camped here in a Travel Trailer.
Review Rating
[ 4 / 10 ]
[ 4 / 10 ]
February 2007
$28
Although this is a beautiful park, the stay was spoiled as a result of tree residue falling on top of our motor home. The roof and awnings were completely stained after a 14 day stay even though we swept the roof at least 4 times while we were there. They don't allow you to wash your coach so we were stuck with a stained mess that forced an 8 hour project and still we're left with stains. We would certainly consider camping there again but limit to a site not under live oaks. It seems there are very few of those. You could not keep the site clean of tree residue to the extent you couldn't even cook outside unless there was a cover on the food while cooking. The staff was friendly and all other aspects of the stay was great. We were pleasantly surprised that we were able to get Direct TV even under the trees. We camped here in a Motorhome.
Review Rating
[ 9 / 10 ]
[ 9 / 10 ]
January 2007
$28
A beautiful campground. The only real problem is that some of the sites are very tight to get into due to all the closely-spaced trees and the narrow access road. Be very careful and watch out for the many large overhanging limbs. Bigger units may want to avoid the sites numbered below about 105 due to a lack of space for backing and maneuvering in that area. The sites themselves are mostly good-sized once you get into them. There are a few long pull through sites. We camped here in a Fifth Wheel.
Review Rating
[ 9 / 10 ]
[ 9 / 10 ]
December 2006
$28
Quiet, clean, well-maintained campground. Area 1 has some sites on the water (a bay, not the gulf) and they can be open and windy; Area 2 sites in general have more vegetation and shade -- and privacy. Restrooms clean, spacious and nicely-designed, and each has a laundry. North beach is 4 miles distant. Paved bike paths total 10 miles if you do round trips; there isn't much hiking except on paved bike paths. Nearest grocery store is several miles distant on 19; the campground store has the basics but no refrigerated food. The fort is worth a half-hour visit max. We camped here in a Motorhome.
Review Rating
[ 9 / 10 ]
[ 9 / 10 ]
November 2006
$25
Beautifully kept County Park, one of top 10 beaches, lovely big sites. Unfortunately, only one area is "dog access", so you are restricted as to what campsites you can stay in with a pet. Some of the branches are pretty low, we tore a roof vent off just driving down the road, and almost tore the a/c off backing into the campsite. Lots of mosquitoes. But the views and the relaxing atmosphere more than make up for it. Tried to reserve online when we got home for a return trip, but the "dog access" sites were not available. Would like to go back soon, it's beautiful, one of the nicest campgrounds I've ever stayed in. We camped here in a Fifth Wheel.
Review Rating
[ 10 / 10 ]
[ 10 / 10 ]
August 2006
$28
We camped here during the hot August season. It is an excellent campground, lots of room, privacy between campsites and very clean. We had an ocean front campsite on the north end. It was beautiful, lots of palm trees and lovely sunsets. The only downside was that the insects were very bad. I am sure that it was the season for them. If you like camping near or on the ocean, this is the place. The beach in the park is one of the best around. We camped here in a Travel Trailer.
Review Rating
[ 10 / 10 ]
[ 10 / 10 ]
April 2006
$25
Fort De Soto was one of the most beautiful campgrounds we have stayed at, and is about a 5 minute drive to the beautiful North Beach. Sites are sandy, very large, and very private with your own private view of the water. You cannot swim in that area because of deep holes. We saw a great deal of wildlife, including racoons. The racoons really weren't a problem, however, you did need to look out for them if you were walking around after dark. There were also quite a few cats. They are currently having a problem with ants. There are two washrooms and dryers outside of the restrooms ($1.00 per wash/.75 for one dryer cycle). Store is not well stocked and it is a long drive to a decent sized grocery store. Campfires are not allowed except in an approved enclosure. They recommend a steel tub like you would wash a small dog in. It was to be enclosed on the bottom and on all sides. We had no problems manuevering our 25 ft TT, in and out of our site (#218). We stayed here for 4 nights, and wished we could have stayed longer. We will definitely return to this campground if we are in Florida again. We camped here in a Travel Trailer.
Review Rating
[ 9 / 10 ]
[ 9 / 10 ]
January 2006
$28
This is a great park. The sites are level and easily deep enough for our 30 ft class A (although not overly wide) but fairly thick trees all around provide nice privacy. The utilities are about half way back in the site and we needed a few feet of our 10 ft water extension since we had backed up as far into the site as we could. Many people pulled in forward for a really great view. The piers and the remants of the fort were interesting to see and the east beach area had a really good view of the Sunshine Skyway Bridge. Tarpon Springs was a nice day trip. All of the beaches had an amazing variety of shells and sea life visible. We liked watching the big boats and tugs going by. We had site #215 and loved it. The bay is just a few feet behind the RV; we saw beautiful sunsets. Two separate dump stations have easy access. Bathrooms and showers were clean with good hot water. Each bathhouse also had one open air washer and dryer. This seems to be a very busy, well run park and after seeing it I'm not surprised at how popular it is even though it's a bit expensive. If we ever get anywhere near this area again we will return. There are two toll points on the way into the park ($1 and $.55 for four axles) and the Sunshine Skyway Bridge was $2. We camped here in a Motorhome.
Review Rating
[ 9 / 10 ]
[ 9 / 10 ]
January 2006
$28
We really enjoyed this campground and we sure weren't the only ones. Everybody we spoke with loves this place and returns year after year. Because stays are limited to 2 weeks, there is no seasonal community, but there certainly are loyal regulars. The modem located in the campground office is excruciatingly slow. We will return. We camped here in a Motorhome.
Review Rating
[ 9 / 10 ]
[ 9 / 10 ]
December 2005
$25
Excellent experience would visit again for sure, Only thing preventing a 10 is no sewer hookups, excellent sites, a little tight to get into, but once you are in it is great, all facilities are clean and in good working order, Bike paths are excellent! We camped here in a Travel Trailer.
Review Rating
[ 10 / 10 ]
[ 10 / 10 ]
May 2005
$27
First time at this place and we loved it. We will definitely go back. Large, level sites. We had a waterfront site. You can launch a kayak from your own site or fish there. We were in the pet loop. I saw no raccoons only a few squirrels here and there. The beach is a 2 mile bike ride away. Doggie park and doggie beach available also. Tour the Fort while there. We will definitely go back. We camped here in a Travel Trailer.
Review Rating
[ 10 / 10 ]
[ 10 / 10 ]
March 2005
$27
We camped here for the first time after hearing great reviews about this park. They were right. It is a great park with beautiful views. Many bike trails and easy access to the beach. The sites are large. We had a waterfront site and had lots of room, the sites are very level. Very nice, informative rangers. The only downside is you have to pay a toll every time you leave the cg. to get back in, but it is only $0.35. We had heard they had a raccoon problem, but we only saw 1 while we were there. We will definitely return to this park. We camped here in a Fifth Wheel.
Review Rating
[ 7 / 10 ]
[ 7 / 10 ]
2004
$28
Love the island setting in Tampa Bay. Shelling was even possible on the beach near the Ft. Yes Raccoons abound but they didn't bother anyone's hose. We put a plastic bucket of water out just to be sure. Sites can be very odd with branches in the worst places. But the setting is so pleasant. Highly recommend you view site before committing to pay. Heard rumor that internet reservations may be coming this year. No heat in bath houses, brrrr in Jan. Wash/Dry .75/.50 We camped here in a Motorhome.
Review Rating
[ 9 / 10 ]
[ 9 / 10 ]
2003
$22
This is a beautiful state park right on the Gulf of Mexico. We stayed in Sept. of 2003 and
practically had the park to ourselves. There are kayak rentals available and small camp store. The beaches are right down the street and of course don't forget the fort itself. This is real gem! We camped here in a Tent Trailer.
Review Rating
[ 4 / 10 ]
[ 4 / 10 ]
2000
$18
This is a county run campground. It has many low limbs and some sections are for tenters only because of the inability of RVs to maneuver around the trees. Unfortunately, they let the tenters go where they want so many times the sections for tenters only is empty but there is no vacancy for RV's because tenters have filled the only sections RVs can fit into. Also, you have to pay in cash, reservations have to be made in person only up to a month in advance. Right now they are having a problem with raccoons. They are all over the place and I love these creatures but they chew through all your hoses etc. at your
campsite. We camped here in a camper.
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