Fort De Soto Park Campground Review
We found one of our favorite Florida campgrounds this winter! As we drove our camper south from New Hampshire, we landed in the Tampa Bay Area. I am excited to share my Fort De Soto Park Campground Review today.
Fort De Soto Park and Campground were one of our favorite stops!
Fort De Soto Park Campground has over 200 camping sites. There are three different types of sites you can reserve. The sites are separated into 3 different areas. Area 1 is for small campers (>16ft) and no pets are allowed. In area 2 all campers are welcome and pets are allowed. The 3rd area is for all campers and no pets.
There are waterfront and non-waterfront sites and the price is reflected in which one you get the opportunity to reserve.
The waterfront site being a bit more expensive. Some of the waterfront sites have mangroves in front of them, some go straight into the water, and others have a seawall.
Each site is equipped with a picnic table and a charcoal grill, not a fire pit. There is a communal fire pit near the playground right outside of Area 3.
To get the best spots you have to reserve Fort De Soto Park Campground early. This campground books out pretty quickly. The sites are available to be reserved 6 months in advance to out of staters.
The bathhouse was clean, but super dated. At times it seemed a bit grimy, even though I know it was cleaned daily, just because of how old it is. There is laundry available at every bathhouse and there are 2 dumping stations.
Cell service was okay at the campground but WIFI was only available at the camp office and camp store.
There are two great playgrounds on the campground.
Cons to Fort De Soto Campground
It gets super dark at Fort De Soto Park Campground. I know that might be a pro for some people. Just be prepared that if you are walking to the bathroom after sunset, it is pitch black.
There are no full hookups at this campground. There are only water/electric sites.
You will find lots of squirrels and raccoons that aren’t afraid of humans. We had many raccoons and squirrels come through our campsite even while we were there. It took a bit of effort to shoo them away, more than usual.
The best swimming beach is 5 miles away. That was a little bit too long for my kiddos to bike to. To park inside of Fort De Soto Park you have to pay $5 for the day, even if you are staying at the campground.
Pros to Fort De Soto Campground
This campground is breathtaking. So beautiful! Fort De Soto Campground has hibiscus trees, palm trees, palmettos, and live oaks. There is vegetation everywhere.
There is a bike path from the campground to Fort De Soto Park. You can ride your bike to the beaches and the fort for free.
There was so much wildlife here. We saw stingrays and dolphins just looking out from the camp store. There are lots and lots of different birds to see. We saw osprey, egrets, and even parakeets.
Fort De Soto itself has over 1,000 acres with two different beaches. The East Beach being more for finding creatures and shells. The North Beach being perfect for swimming, and we found a ton of sand dollars here.
All in all, we loved camping here and we will definitely be back. It was so much fun to explore Fort De Soto Park and to just enjoy the natural beauty of the campground.
Every day there was something new to do and explore. We loved how the camp office had nature books that you could look through and learn more about the wildlife and vegetation that was native to the area. It was such a good time for the whole family.
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