BEAUTIFUL FLORIDA CAMPING AT FORT DE SOTO CAMPGROUND

Have you ever wanted to get away to a fantastic tropical location!? One where you can wander miles of beautiful beaches or grab a kayak and explore the five islands that make up this great place. How about a hike on one of the many nature trails or hanging out at a historic fort!? We gotcha! Beautiful Florida camping at Fort De Soto Campground is your perfect camping trip!

EXPLORE A TROPICAL PARADISE

With miles of waterfront situated on the Gulf of Mexico and Tampa Bay, this beautiful 1,136-acre park offers plenty of activities for the whole family.Managed by Pinellas County, Fort De Soto is a public park that offers camping, feisty raccoons, historical military structures from the Spanish-American War, and three miles of beaches and wetlands perfect for exploring. Located at 3500 Pinellas Bayway S., Tierra Verde, Florida, Fort De Soto Park is a short drive from downtown St. Petersburg, Florida, and is a convenient location to the Tampa Bay area. Learn more about the history and beautiful Fort De Soto Park.

CAMP RESERVATIONS & OTHER STUFF

This incredibly popular park has 236 campsites tucked away amongst the Florida palms and mangroves and is a short drive to access the main park area. During peak season, which begins Thanksgiving weekend and continues through April, has people clamoring to call the reservation number in hopes of grabbing a much-coveted campsite. To book a reservation, you must first create an account. It is quick and easy. I promise. To call in a reservation call 727-582-2100, or hit the web at Pinellas County to book and create your account. 

HOW FAR OUT CAN YOU BOOK?

Pinellas County residents get the jump on the rest of us. Do you live in Pinellas County! Fantastic! You can book out seven months to get a jump on landing that perfect spot! Everyone else can reserve up to six months out. Another perk for Pinellas residents is they can show up first thing in the morning to the campground office and book a site then head home to pack all their gear. Pretty sick! During the summer months, the Florida can be brutal . If you do not mind the heat or mosquitos, take advantage and enjoy an off-season discount. Ideally, the best time to fully enjoy the Fort De Soto area is during a fabulous Florida Fall! The weather this time of the year is fantastic and the perfect place to be to enjoy the outdoors. 

BEST TIME TO VISIT FORT DE SOTO CAMPGROUND

Here’s the deal..Fort Desoto reserves an “undisclosed” amount of campsites. The RV’ers and the locals get in line bright and early to either extend their stay or secure a campsite. The line sometimes looks as if Jimmy Buffet concert tickets are going on sale! Not lying! During peak season, it can get crazy. The campground office opens at 8am. Get there early! Once you visit and camp, you’ll understand why. The best opportunity is to wait until the off-season or stalk the phone and continuously call in. We have our best luck with this option.  

MAXIMUM STAY FOR FORT DE SOTO CAMPGROUND

Like our Florida State Parks, you can stay up to 14 days in any 30-day period with the option to extend another 14 days if there is availability. Yes, please!

HOW MUCH TO CAMP!? 

• Year-round Campsite rates are current and include all taxes as of March 2024
• RV SITES (86-236): Interior, $45.77;  Waterfront, $48.03
• TENT SITES (1-85): Interior, $40.12; Waterfront, $42.38
• CANCELLATION POLICY: Life happens and sometimes our plans need to change. In the event of this happening, campground cancellations made two days prior to your arrival date, will result in a one night loss. For all other info regarding cancellations, check out this link.

FIRE PITS, PARK WILDLIFE, AND WHERE TO CAMP….OH MY!

So now you got dibs on that perfect waterfront site…now what? Fort De Soto Park IS NOT part of a Florida State Park. If you are accustomed to pristine set-up campsites, this aint it! Fort De Soto campsites are still nice but here are a few things that might help you. 

THE MISSING FIRE PIT AND FIRE RING

Where the heck are they!? Since Fort De Soto is a county-run park, there are no fire pits or any place to build the “traditional” campfire we all love. Ummm..not camping without a fire! I hear ya! So, here is what you can do. Bring your own approved “fire pit”, (a giant galvanized bucket works out perfectly), or when you check in at the campground store, you have the option to rent from a private vendor. They have a huge pile of buckets ready to go!

YA’LL…THE RACOONS AND OTHER WILDLIFE!

Listen, I get it. One of the pleasures of camping IS the wildlife and beautiful Florida camping at Fort De Soto Campground is packed full of wonderful creatures! However…these raccoons in the camping area are on a whole different level. On one camping trip, our sweet little guys wreaked havoc on our campsite all night and slept in a palm tree all day.  They opened things we thought were safe and stole every shiny object we hid. So know before you go, you’ll have raccoons…and ALL their best pals partying at your campsite!

Every morning, we had the opportunity to watch a pod of dolphins swim by. They headed out to the bridge and a while later swam back by. There had to be dozens of them playing and jumping. So cool! Keep a lookout and your camera ready for more than a dozen rare shorebirds that visit Fort De Soto’s delicate ecosystem. Watching the different species is always a highlight of our trip.

WHERE TO PITCH A TENT OR PARK A RIG AT FORT DE SOTO CAMPGROUND

Fort De Soto Campground is comprised of three loop sections. Check out the park camp area layout before you book and here is why. Sites 1-85 are designated for tents and smaller setups such as Van-lifers, pop-up campers, and trailers shorter than 16 ft. Campsites 86-236 are designed and equipped to accommodate all camping units. The middle loop section, campsites 86-164, are the only areas for pets so perfect for bringing Fido.

One final note on the campsites… be aware that your waterfront campsite does not entitle you to full privacy. Other campers will and do come to hang out our decide to have a family fight on the grassy area between the campsite and the water. Just be polite and enjoy the fact that you HAVE a waterfront campsite.

Campground amenities include electric hookups, a water hookup, charcoal grills, and a picnic table. Other Fort De Soto Campground features include sanitary disposal stations, modern restrooms with showers, laundry facilities, and a camp store which by the way serves up AMAZING ice cream!

EXPLORE SHELL KEY PRESERVE AT FORT DE SOTO PARK

​Looking for a bit of quiet and adventure!? This 1,800 acre preserve is home to one of the country’s largest underdeveloped barrier islands. Since it is a waterway preserve and island, Shell Key is only accessible by boat or ferry. If you’re looking for more adventure, Get Up and Go Kayaking offers an amazing 2.5 hour kayak excursion that gets you up close to the abundant marine life.

Grab your kayak and gear and set up on one of the 85 campsites with your private beach on Shell Key Preserve. The cost is $6 per day, with each guest up to six per permit. Grab your Shell Key camping permit and you are on your way for a great time of fishing, shelling, and just simply relaxing.  

Camping at Fort De Soto Park is one of our favorite places raccoons and all!  We love to jump in our kayaks and head out on the 2.25 designated paddle trail which keeps us pretty busy exploring. Chasing a group of dolphins or jumping in the water for a swim is how we roll here. Did I mention cooking on the campfire something freshly caught and delicious!?

Fort De Soto offers something for everyone to go do and explore whether it’s heading out on the 6.3-mile bike trail, hiking Soldiers Hole, or fishing one of the two fishing piers. So, Friends, make a date for beautiful Florida camping at Fort De Soto Campground…you’ll wonder why you didn’t do it sooner. Happy wandering!

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