marina and camping in Florida

C

corsaut

New member
We are still very new boaters with out little C Dory but having a great time learning. Ready for a new adventure now. We would like tor travel from Ohio to Florida for the winter with the RV and the 22 ft C Dory. Looking for a place to camp and to launch the boat. Since we are so new at this, kind of reluctant to go without knowing a safe place to launch as well as to leave the car/trailer. Would be great to have campground/marina combination (affordable). Leaning toward the Tampa area, but open to any area that would be safe for newbies to boat in. (totally clueless about tides at the moment). Thanks for any suggestions! K Corsaut
 
My personal preference is the Keys. Several of the C Brats have had excellent reports about the marina at Tavernier in the Keys. We spend about 3 months at Knight's Key--Bahia Honda is a great place to spend a few weeks--and camp in the boat--where as the actual land camping spots are taken 6 months in advance.

For me Tampa is still subject to the cold and Northers. The "cruising" is somewhat limited specifically in the Tampa area, but a trip down to the keys from there would be a lot of fun on the water. There are great places South of Tampa on the GCICW. You would want a very secure place for your truck and trailer when in many of the S. Florida areas.
 
You can have a ball in South Florida. We recommend that you go as far south as Ft Myers. It is warm there most of the winter.

Just up river from Ft Myers there is a camp ground called Franklin Locks on the N side of the river. It is a Corp of engineer Camp.
Reservations for camping are difficult. You can get a reservation for one of the docks much easier. You can launch there and keep your rig right there. That way you have a car to use for shopping ect. The cost is about $24.00 per night with elect and showers.
If you have a Golden Age Passport the fee is cut in half. There is a two week limit. You can do a lot of exploring up the river to big Lake O. and beyond.

We also used a launch ramp up river at LaBelle. Free ramp and we have left our rig there for several weeks with out a problem. There are Free docks across the river maintained by the town of Labelle. There is a limit of several days, but is is a nice place close to shopping and restaurants. There are several commercial camp grounds in the area with good rates.

You can cruise up river to Clewiston. and stay at the Rolland Martin marina. Located on the edge of the Big O The Clewiston Innj will send a van to take you to dinner.

The river is part of the ICW and all the locks are free. You can boat in sheltered water from the Atlantic to the Gulf.
We really always enjoyed Pine Island Sound on the Gulf end of the river. Pm us if you would like more info..
 
Call up San Carlos rv at 18701 san carlos blvd phone 466 313 This is a real nice marina and RV with floating docks call for price and availability

Jim and Sandy on Pandy girl have stayed here for years
We live in North Naples and there's lots to do here in SW florida
 
I agree with thataway. Bahia Honda and most of the Keys are a nice place to stay. We do get some wind down here during the winter, but you always have a choice of the Gulf or Atlantic side.

Lots of great fishing in the flats during the winter.
 
The Keys are really really cool but there's lots to see and lots to do between Charlotte Harbor and Tampa Bay. The Keys are more remote.
 
Take a look at www.geigerkeymarina.com ten miles north of Key West great restaurant and RV sites and boat docks. Not sure about the launch ramp but I'm sure one must be close by. Not sure if you are staying on the boat or in the RV. We like Marathon which is in the middle of the Florida keys. We are staying at the Black Fin Marina in February. I think a weekly slip comes to around 35 dollars a night. Great spot, gulf side. Pool, launch ramp, laundry, free trailer and truck parking free wifi and clean rooms available in a beautiful setting if friends want to join you there. Plenty of things to do with a great collection of restaurants food stores and lots of water on the gulf side in Marathon. www.blackfinresort.com check it out. If your a senior citizen you can get on the public bus and ride down to Key West (50 miles) for a dollar.
:xseek
D.D.
 
Thank you for the suggestions. I am following up on all of them. They look great. It seems we may be a bit late in making reservations for this coming winter, we'll see what happens.
yes, we are taking a 29 ft rv, the Cdory, and a car, plus two little dogs. Quite a load. Kozy Corsaut
 
There is NO WAY Florida is full up. The chamber of commerce would cringe to read you post. Seriously, the state is full of campgrounds, rv parks, marinas and resorts, etc....tourism and snowbirds are a major part of our economy. The internet is your best bet for info on different areas and a couple of phone calls should do it. I might propose to get something in the middle of the state so you have access to both coasts. I guess a lot depends on how much time you have to spend, and money of course..... :)
 
I did not make my self clear enough about the booking for the Franklin Locks Camp Ground and Marina. The camp ground is probably full up. The marina usually has space most times. Good showers, water and electric. At the right price. Note: the entrance is on the North side of the river.

East of the town of LaBelle there is a commercial camp ground called the Glades. They have lots of space a launch ramp and a marina. All in one spot. They also have a small restaurant and a 9 hole golf course. The prices at Glades are a little more expensive than the Corp of Engineer camp grounds, but much less expensive than camp grounds in the Keys. they may work out something if you just park your rig there while you go cruising.
 
My son took my Carolina Skiff and his tent and spent a very pleasant 3 weeks at Big Pine Key Marina and campground a couple of years ago. He had a ball and lived in his tent with the boat in a slip with his car and trailer right there. I just asked him if I should recommend it and he said emphatically YES.
 
I'm almost reluctant to post this as Acosta Creek Harbor -

http://www.acostacreek.com/

is one of my favorites; it's quiet, very rural, and I like it that way. But Jay and Cathy, who run the place, are really nice folks, and if I can throw some business their way I will. I'll be there in a slip in my C-Dory in March, so perhaps I'll see you there.
 
Not to be contrary, but my wife and I stayed at Acosta Creek marina based on a recommendation by a review in Active Captain. The folks that ran the place were indeed nice. The thing is if you don't have a vehicle nearby getting to a store is not with in walking distance. The place seemed to have more than it's share of derelict boats; some at the docks and a lot on land seemed depressing to us. It was a one night stand for us as we wanted go up the Ocklawaha river the following day which is nearby. I would not think we would ever return. Lots of snakes in April, water moccasins. That was it for my wife. If you looking for nothing with in walking distance this place fills the bill. Just IMHO. To each there own.
D.D.
 
D.D.,

I can't disagree with almost anything in your post, except maybe the depressing part. Acosta Creek isn't for everyone. The place definitely has the flavor of Florida a hundred years ago. For folks like me who cherish the wildness of the surroundings it's a paradise. I like being able to cruise my kayak over the remains of a steamship that was sunk in the civil war, just a few miles downriver from Acosta Creek, or paddling among the pilings of the piers that lined Welaka's shoreline in the 19th century, when steamships were the only means of transporting goods and produce between there and civilization down in Jacksonville. And it's true the nearest grocery store is in Crescent City, 17 miles away. But I'll take the peace and quiet, the flaming red swamp maples that line the shores in the spring, and the snakes, `gators, turtles, manatees, ospreys, eagles, anhingas, otters and even an occasional monkey, any day.

Smitty
 
S.P. My main motivation was sort of a response to some of the high ratings on Active Captain which we thought were a bit over stated. Based on them we were disappointed. As a paddling destination it's probably close to heaven. Traveling with a / my wife is a game changer. I have been accused of getting a little too rustic on occasion.
But all things considered I'll take my wife over the snakes and monkeys. :mrgreen:
D.D.
 
These last comments are near perfect review information for me. If Smitty said "It's great!" and Will-C said "It's not so great!" -- that wouldn't tell me much. I mean, there will be someone in the world who will like and not like just about everything. But when you tell why/what you liked or didn't like, then it's perfect. I now know that if I'm looking for a secluded, "old Florida" type of feel with lots of wildlife, Acosta would rock. OTOH, if I'm transient and looking to provision, or with folks who like things a bit more "modern," then I'd likely choose something else. I could see myself being in either situation at various times. I wish everyone who wrote three-word reviews would do this type instead :thup
 
Smitty,

The Acosta Creek Harbor looks like a great place to hang out. Thanks for sharing. The photos remind me of the old Florida I knew as a kid fishing on the St. Johns, staying at fish camps with my dad. My great uncle was a shrimper and had a bunch of wooden boats in Tampa and Pensacola, he owned the Bothwell Shrimp Company. Wish I had taken a job with him after high school, it would had been a great adventure.
 
Back
Top