Big Lagoon State Park | Likes Dislikes

big lagoon state park boardwalk

Review: RV Camping, Hiking & Recreation Pensacola’s Big Lagoon State Park

Big Lagoon State Park is located along the Gulf Beach Highway that connects Fort Morgan and Gulf Shores at the western end to Pensacola and then east to Destin, Panama City Beach and beyond. Technically it is not on the Gulf but on the mainland side of the “big lagoon” formed by Perdido Key which forms a barrier island between it and the Gulf of Mexico. The park does offer some sand beach swimming areas on the lagoon but they don’t compare to what you find in nearby Pensacola Beach.

boardwalk big lagoon state park
A view from the park tower of one of the many boardwalks that are part of the hiking trail system at Big Lagoon State Park near Pensacola Florida

Big Lagoon Amenities and Activities

The lagoon and the interior lakes within the park offer lots of protected-water paddling territory for canoeing and kayaking. If you don’t have your own watercraft, kayak, canoe, and stand-up paddleboard rentals are available from the Ranger Station.

The hiking trails through the coastal forest and boardwalks along the shoreline plus a three-story observation tower provide lots of bird-watching and excellent wildlife viewing opportunities. There are over 5 miles of varied hiking and nature trails plus several boardwalks.

big lagoon state park
If you stand just outside the little camp store, you can get free Wi-Fi
big lagoon state park hiking
The hiking trails are wide and sandy or are wooden boardwalks.
big lagoon state park boardwalk
One of the Boardwalk/Nature Trails in the park

The park offers a full-boat launch area giving access to the lagoon and gulf for fishing and boating.

Biking is another popular recreational activity along over 3 miles of lightly traveled paved park roads. Gulf Beach Highway borders the North edge of the park. It provides additional biking opportunities as there’s a sidewalk running adjacent to the highway. That sidewal allowed us to safely bike to Shopping Plaza a mile or two West of the park entrance to do some shopping. If you are ambitious enough, you might also be able to bike across the Theo Baers Bridge all the way to Rosamond Johnson Beach along the gulf on Perdido Key. There you can enjoy a day on the outstanding several mile long white sand gulf side beach that is part of the National Gulf Island Seashore Park.

big lagoon state park
Lots of trails for biking and hiking plus several picnic areas

March 2023 Note: On our recent visit to Big Lagoon, we found, due to storm damage, the East Beach area and the central pavilion section of the park was closed. So some of the swimming, hiking, biking, and boardwalk area was off-limits. Unsure how long it will be before repairs are completed.

Review: Big Lagoon RV Campground Facilities

The campground has 75 campsites with 30 & 50 amp service and is served by 3 full-service restrooms. The main park roads are paved but the campsites themselves are sand with some gravel. Most of the sites have good plant screening providing some privacy separation. Some of the sites along the edge of marsh are subject to flooding in heavier rains. The maximum RV length is 40 feet. Several areas of the park, including the washrooms, are wheelchair accessible and there are a few designated accessible camp sites that are paved.

big lagoon state park
Typical Big Lagoon Campsite

There is a small camp store with limited hours at the eastern end of the campground. But a decent sized shopping center including grocery and adult beverage stores is only about a mile from the park entrance. Also nearby is one of our favorite Pensacola Golf Courses – Perdido Bay GC and Triggers Restaurant – a great family owned seafood restaurant. A library that offers Wi-Fi is located just across the street from the park entrance. Other popular Pensacola attractions, like the fantastic Naval Air Museum, Fort Barrancas, and the Pensacola Lighthouse Museum are about 8 miles east along the Gulf Beach Highway.

What to Like or Not Like about Big Lagoon State Park and Campgrouond

Pros: The Hiking, Nature and Boardwalk Trails. Easy access from Gulf highway, convenient to shopping and many Pensacola area visitor attractions. Modest camping fees and less competition for reservations, compared to Fort Pickens and other popular State Parks.

Cons: The sandy campsites mean you track a lot of sand into your rig. And those sites along the South edge of the campground can be wet. While there are some swimming beaches, they are less attractive than those on the Gulf itself and you have to keep an eye out for Alligators.

Rosamond Johnson Beach
Rosamond Johnson Beach on the Gulf is about 3 miles from the State Park

Things to see and do in the Pensacola area

Surprisingly Available RV Campground

Buccaneer State Park RV Site

Are you a Snowbird having trouble finding an RV site along the Gulf Coast? For Snowbird’s finding a decent and affordable Winter RV campground along the Gulf of Mexico drive from Mississippi to Florida is a challenge. We’ve found having to make a reservation a year in advance is normal. That degree of advance planning … Read more

Shell Mound Campground – Cedar Key, Florida

Our rialta at shell mound campground

RV & Tent Camping: Cedar Keys National Wildlife Refuge and Shell Mound Park

Can’t find a vacancy at Cedar Key RV Campgrounds? Or you are choking on the prices. Here’s an alternative to check out.

Our favorite place to RV camp when visiting the fun and artsy Gulf Beach Town of Cedar Keys, is the Levy County Shell Mound Park. It is located about 8 miles North and East of the town of Cedar Key in Florida’s Cedar Keys Wildlife Refuge.

Shell Mound offers both RV campsites and tent campsites at prices considerably less than the fare in Cedar Key proper. There’s a pair of nice hiking/nature trails and a fishing pier nearby in the Wildlife Refuge and a boat launch for canoes and kayaks. 

Most of Shell Mound’s RV sites have both electricity and water-hookups, but some are electric only and there are a few tent sites with no utilities. There is a full-service washroom/shower building and an RV dump site. The campground also has its own boat launch and a place to park trailers.  The campground managers are on-site during the day and we found themvanc very friendly and helpful.

Beside reasonable price, another outstanding feature of Shell Mound is there are no advance reservations, site occupancy is first come, first served. There’s a 7 day maximum stay, So even during popular times of the year, you might be able to get a site there. The camping fees are reasonable, even with a recent 50% increase.

shell mound campground cedar key florida
Shell Mound Campground
google map shell mound campground
campground – google maps

Since the campground is set within the Cedar Keys Wildlife Refuge it is remote, surrounded by woods and is generally quite quiet. The only noise we heard during our stay there was when an airboat launched at the boat landing. Some of the RV sites have a decent slope to them so some leveling blocks would be necessary for these particular sites. The road that circles through the park is paved and many sites are graveled. The camping sites  generally have some shade, and offer adequate separation from neighboring sites. The sites that are electric-only (no water and lower priced) are more open and on grass vs. partially graveled.

sunset shell mound county park
A pretty sunset behind our campsite at Shell Mound County Park

Directions to Shell Mound

From the town of Cedar Key it is about an 8 mile drive to the Shell Mound campground. You go north on Highway 24 about 3 miles, then left on Highway 347 for about 3 miles, and then turn left when you get to Highway 326. The park is near the end of the road.

There’s a short trail near the boat launch that leads out to a spit of land providing a view of the bayou and islands of Suwannee Sound.

Bayou Trail, Shell Mount County Park
A trail behind our campsite led out to this spit of land
surrounded by water where we could watch the sun setting over the Gulf

Nearby Hiking Trails in the Wildlife Refuge

While technically not in the Levy County Park, within walking distance down the road are two interesting hiking/nature trails in the Cedar Key Wildlife Refuge that surrounds the county park.

Review: What to Like and Not Like About the Shell Mound County Campground

Likes

Reasonable Price.  Although the County increased the RV site rate 50% between our stay in 2018 and the recent one in 2020, it remains quite a bit more reasonable than those in or nearer the town of Cedar Key.

Convenient to the attractive Gulf Beach town of Cedar Key. It is less than a 10 mile drive to Cedar Key. Some campers with bikes will bike to town. The only portion where you might encounter any traffic is on Hwy 24 before the Cedar Key bridge. Once in town, you have slower speed limits and a bike path.

The Cedar Keys Nature Area & Hiking. The park is surrounded by the Shell Mound portion of the National Wildlife Refuge. Within walking distance down the dead end road that runs past the campground are the trail heads for two hiking/nature trails within the Refuge. There’s also small park there with boardwalk leading to an observation deck overlooking a portion of the Keys and a canoe/kayak launch area.

First Come, First Served Reservations. We like the fact the park offers no advance reservations. During the winter-spring season, it can be very difficult to get a campsite near a popular place like Cedar Key due to sites being reserved in advance. So the Shell Mound park means we have a chance to score a campsite mid-week at the last minute. During the day there is an office phone # you can call to see if the campground is full or not.

Review: What Not to Like About the Shell Mound County Campground

Airboat Noise. The boat ramp is apparently a popular launching site for locals who own flat bottomed airboats that are driven by huge aircraft propellers. While impressive to see, for those who have never seen on up close, the noise they make when taking off or arriving at the landing is deafening. You’ll most likely be treated to this experience Fridays – Sundays. The noise doesn’t last that long. Mainly it upsets people because it is such a stark contrast to what is otherwise a very peaceful and serene setting.

Sloping or Wet Campsites. Unless you get to the park early enough and/or during a non-busy period, your only site choices will be one of the very sloping campsites (so bring levelers) or parking on one of the low land, grass-covered sites that could get wet with a significant rainfall. So far, we’ve been lucky.

Old Washroom/Showers. While in general we’ve found the bathroom and showers clean, the washroom and showers fixtures are old and showing their age, and the building itself is a rustic cider block construction. But as I said it is clean and we found the hot water came quickly in the showers. 

Shell Mound Camping Rates and Reservation Information:

Shell Mound 2020 Rates

Other Cedar Keys Area RV Campgrounds

If you don’t mind paying a premium and being in a busier, more crowded campground here are your three choices:

More Good RV Campground Options Close enough to Cedar Key

A little further away (29 miles from Cedar Key) is Chiefland, Florida where the are some good RV Park & Camping options. During our previous stays in the Cedar Keys area we have also camped at the Manatee Springs State Park campground which is about 33 miles from the center of town. Manatee Springs has an excellent campground, reasonably-priced and offers other amenities we like. They do offer reservations so if you want to guarantee a camping spot for your visit to Cedar Keys, this is a good option.

Another very good RV camping option in Chiefland is Strawberry Fields RV Campground (see our review), a new facility on the East edge of town.

More Articles on Cedar Key Visitor Attractions:

Hot Springs Park Campground

Hot springs naitonal park campground

Review of Gulpha Gorge Campground at Hot Springs National Park, Hot Springs Arkansas

The Hot Springs National Park campground is located on the east side of Hot Springs Mountain, in a wooded setting, isolated from the urban area. The Gulpha Gorge creek runs along the edge of the campground and several camp sites overlook the creek.

The Hot Springs Campground is very tidy clean and well-maintained. The roads through the park are fully paved, There are 44 sites with full-hookups, including sewer. All sites have level or close to level paved parking pads. Each site has a concrete picnic table and elevated BBQ grill. There is adequate space between camp sites. Tall trees provide good shade for most sites.

One of the top features we like about the Gulpha Gorge campground is that sites are only available on a first-come, first-served basis. You cannot make reservations in advance. Occupancy is limited to 14 days.

The modern washrooms are well-maintained, but there are no showers. All waste disposal bins are animal proof. There is a RV dump station and fresh water fill station. Other amenities are a day use picnic area and an amphitheater with sturdy bench seating. The park staff occasionally presents programs at the theater.

hot springs campground
Gulpha Gorge Campground, Hot Springs National Park
Hot Springs Campground
Hot Springs Campground Map

Hot Springs Hiking Trails

For us a most attractive feature of the campground is the trail head at the Gulpha Gorge Campground has access to the extensive network of trails on Hot Springs Mountain. The trails vary from easy walking trails to more rugged to allow people to progress gradually to more strenuous exercise.

Leading from the campground, the Gulpha Gorge trail goes to the top of the mountain.

One of our favorite day hikes is taking the Gulpha Gorge trail that runs to top of eastern side of Hot Springs Mountain. Part way up is the intersection with the Goat Rock Trail which leads to Goat Rock, an outcropping with a panoramic view east. If you continue on the trail past the Rock, it eventually ends at the top of the Mountain where you can intersect with the Gulpha Gorge trail for your return leg of your hike. A great 90 minute exercise with a number of scenic views.

Jo about to climb the stairs to the Goat Rock overlook.
Great view from the top of Goat Rock.

Another favorite hike is taking the trail all the way to downtown Hot Springs and Bathhouse Row.

Situated in a valley in the Zig-Zag mountain range the city of Hot Springs is surrounded by hills. The Hot Springs National Park (see our article here) begins in the center of the city and encompasses the mountains to the east and west. So only minutes from downtown Hot Springs you can be in the woods several hundred feet above all the hustle and bustle of the city. Hot Springs became a center for physical therapy not only because of its abundant hot springs, but also because an extensive network of hiking trails were built in the hills surrounding the city to provide an exercise program to supplement the hot spring treatment.

Hot Springs National Park Links:

Arkansas Scenic Drives: Highway 7 Scenic Byway

–Ross

Strawberry Fields RV Park Review

strawberry fields rv campground

RV Campgrounds Chiefland, Florida – Strawberry Fields Opened in 2019, Strawberry Fields is still expanding its number of sites and amenities. It currently offers over 400 full-service pull-through sites with water, electricity, and sewage service. About 200 sites have paved pull-through pads and spot-on level; the remaining are spacious grass and gravel sites. All roads … Read more

Mississippi Gulf Coast RV Campgrounds

southern leisure rv park

Listing and Reviews of RV Campgrounds along the Gulf Coast Scenic Drive Our RV camping directory begins at the Louisiana-Mississippi state line and proceeds East to Mississippi-Alabama state line. It includes Bay St. Louis campgrounds, Gulfport Campgrounds, Biloxi Campgrounds, and Ocean Springs in addition to reviews of campgrounds we’ve camped at and links of particular … Read more

Alabama Gulf Coast Drive – RV Campground Directory

Fort Pickens Campground

Listing and Reviews of RV Campgrounds along the Gulf Coast Scenic Drive Our RV camping directory begins at the Alabama-Mississippi state line and proceeds East to Orange Beach near the Alabama-Florida state line. It includes Dauphin Island Campgrounds, Gulf Shores Campgrounds and reviews of campgrounds we’ve camped at and links to places-of-interest recommendations for RV … Read more

Dauphin Island Campground | Alabama

dauphin island campground

Dauphin Island Town Campground, RV Review We spent two nights and days on Dauphin Island and RV camped at the Dauphin Island Campground on the east end of the island. We were pleasantly surprised at the quality of the facilities of the campground and the charm and attractiveness of the island community. Read on to … Read more

Best Wisconsin Great River Road RV Parks & Campgrounds

Nelson Dewey State Park

Taking a Road Trip along the Wisconsin Mississippi Great River Road? To help you plan your trip, I review the top campgrounds for RV travelers or campers. The list Campground Reviews is organized from South to North, beginning North of East Dubuque. At the end of the article is a Google Maps with links to … Read more

Campgrounds and RV Resorts | Chiefland, Florida

southern leisure rv park

Best Campgrounds for RVs in Chiefland, Florida and Cedar Key Most RVers and campers come to Chiefland for its nearby Manatee Springs State Park or because of the attractions found in the Gulf resort community of Cedar Key (about 30 miles SW). While Cedar Key does have 4 RV parks, they are mostly filled with … Read more

Pikes Peak Campground

Pikes Peak Scenic Lookout

Our Review of Pikes Peak Iowa State Park, RV Camping & Hiking Located across the river from Prairie Du Chien, Wisconsin Pikes Peak is one of our favorite RV campgrounds along the Mississippi Great River Road (see our reviews of other best River Road RV Campsites). It is located high on a bluff above the … Read more

Mississippi Palisades Campground

mississippi palisades park

RV Campground Review: Mississippi Palisades State Park Located a short distance North of Savanna, Illinois the Mississippi Palisades is an Illinois State Park and Campground. Portions of the park include high steep sided bluffs looming over the Mississippi River valley. We like the Palisades park for the numerous scenic overlooks of the Mississippi and its … Read more

Davis Bayou Campground | Ocean Springs

davis bayou campground

RV Campground Review: Davis Bayous Gulf Islands National Seashore Park

Davis Bayou is one of two full service RV campgrounds that are part of the Gulf Islands National Park. The other campground is Fort Pickens on Santa Rosa Island near Pensacola Beach, Florida. The Fort Pickens Beach that stretches from the old fort east to the village of Pensacola Beach is regularly voted as Florida’s favorite beach so getting a reservation at the Fort Pickens campground can be more difficult than at Davis Bayou – which is one thing we like about Davis Bayou, we can actually get a camp site there! Another thing we like about Davis Bayou is the camp roads and the individual site parking pads are paved. The sites are also nicely spaced from one another and the mature live oaks and pine trees offer most sites at least some shade during parts of the day. All 52 sites offer water and electricity.

The Campendium camping and rv community rated Davis Bayou as one of the Top 10 Mississippi campgrounds.

davis bayous campground map
52 nicely spaced campsites, all with water and electricity.
davis bayou campground
Sturdy picnic table in excellent condition on a paved pad. First class campsites.

The Park Visitor Center has some exhibits explaining the natural features in the park and suggestions on things to see and do. There is also a fishing pier adjacent to the center for anyone who possess a Mississippi State Saltwater Fishing License. The park also has a boat launch and pier for fishing and boating in the bayous or out in the Gulf itself.

Popular activities of campers are biking, bird watching, boating, fishing, hiking nature trails, and alligator watching. The popular tourist mecca of Biloxi is about 10 miles away with its sand beaches, casinos, restaurants, museums, golfing, and other entertainments.

Nature Hiking Trails – Slide Show


davis bayou nature trailsdavis bayou nature trailalligator davis bayouGator pond davis bayou

The entrance to Davis Bayou is off of Gulf Highway 90 that runs along the Gulf from Bay St. Louis to Pascagoula. Unfortunately there is no direct connection to the Florida Gulf Coast Scenic Drive highway without going away from the Gulf through Mobile to connect with Gulf Highway 98 that runs to Pensacola. An attractive alternative that greatly reduces the highway miles is to stay along the Gulf shore and drive out to Dauphin Island where you can take a ferry to Fort Morgan and Gulf Shores and then to Pensacola. Along this route is one of our other favorite campgrounds, Big Lagoon State Park, which borders Perdido Key.

Summary of Pros & Cons of Davis Bayou RV Campground

Pro: Top Notch Campsites, Easy Access from Highway, Decent Affordable Price, Good Roads for Biking, Close to Grocery Shopping, Less Competition for Reservations.

Cons: 10+ miles to decent beach and other visitor attractions, fewer & shorter hiking trails.

Gulf Islands Visitor & Travel Attraction Links:

MIssissippi-Alabama Campgrounds & Travel Attractions

Travel Attractions: Mississippi Alabama Gulf Coast Drive

Campground Directory – Mississippi Gulf Coast Drive

Campground Directory – Alabama Gulf Coast Drive


Grant River Corps of Engineering RV Campground

mississippi river sunset

RV Campground Review: Grant River Recreation Area – Potosi, Wisconsin

Grant River is one of our favorite Corps Parks. Located on the banks of the Mississippi River, it has nice mature trees offering lots of shade options for the camp sites. Modern full service washrooms with showers kept spotlessly clean. Lots of frontage along the river with benches every 100 feet or so offering a pleasant places to sit and watch the river roll by. There isn’t a lot of activity on the river itself, largely free of the sound of jet skis and power boats charging back and forth disturbing the tranquility. But there is an adjacent boat launch for fisherman and a large parking area for trailers.

grant river campground
Spacious, well-planned camp sites with shade at least part of the day.

The sites are level and concrete and the road throughout park is paved. The heavy, substantial picnic tables are well-maintained and stand on a well-drained gravel pad with a fire-ring and grill. The sites are electric-only with 20, 30, and 50 amp service. No water hydrants at each site, but several hydrants are sprinkled throughout the campground for convenient refilling. There is adequate spacing and green space between the camp sites. A few of the camp sites are dedicated for tent campers and provide very adequate spacing away from other camp sites.

grant river campground
This may be an original Shasta camper. Looks in good shape.

Just north of the campground is a day use area with a picnic pavilion, a boat ramp and dock, and lots of parking space.


grant river corps park
Watching the sun go down at Grant River Corps park

Things to See and Do at Grant River Corps Park

Besides hanging out at the campsite, we enjoy hiking around the park, enjoying the scenic views of the river, and biking both around the park and to the Potosi Brewery for a brew or food (see our review). The National Brewery Museum is also located at the Brewery and is a fun and interesting look at the history of brewing with stories and pictures from former breweries in Wisconsin and across the nation.

Potosi Brewery
One of our favorite things to do at Grant River Corps park is dine at the Potosi Brewery

For bikers, the rustic rural road that runs from Potosi’s main street to the park isn’t that busy with traffic and is a scenic bike ride over a mostly level terrain. More enthusiastic bikers can take the return trip along Brewery Hollow Road (a Wisconsin scenic rural road) back to the campground. And even more enthusiastic bikers can take the scenic River Road 20 miles north to Cassville and the Stonefield Village Historic Site.

When we have the grand kids or grand nephews/nieces with us they enjoy fishing from the banks of the river and the park playground that has slides, swings, climbing gym, volleyball court, and horse shoe courts.

Provisions like ice, beverages, and basic groceries are available at the Pine Point Store 4 miles away in downtown Potosi.

One Downside to RV Camping at Grant River

While we consider Grant River an A+ campground, some campers would downgrade that vote due to the fact of frequent trains running by. Seeing the trains is a neat experience for kids and train aficionados, but the noise of them passing can disrupt what are otherwise a very peaceful nighttime atmosphere.

All along the upper Mississippi River there are railroad tracks with active freight trains running day and night, so one downside of any campground near the Big River are the periodic trains that run overnight.

grant river campground site map
Grant River Camp Site Map

See our list of Best Great River Road RV Campgrounds from Dubuque, Iowa to Prescott, Wisconsin

Links to Nearby Travel and Visitor Attractions:

Indian Pass RV Campground

Indian Pass Campground Beach

RV Campground Review: Indian Pass Campground, Port St. Joe, Florida

Indian Pass is a hook-shaped peninsula, about 3 miles long, jutting out into the Gulf along Scenic Highway 30A between Port St. Joe and Apalachicola.

Indian Pass Campsite
One of the pull-through RV campsites

The Indian Pass Campground is at the very tip of the peninsula adjacent to a portion of the St. Vincent Wildlife Sanctuary and the Boat Ramp and Ferry Dock. There are 34 RV sites with electric, water, and basic cable, plus a handfull of tent sites. There is a bath and shower building, a laundry area, and a modest store in the campground office. Wi-Fi is available at the office and on the porch. The lagoon formed by the peninsula and the adjacent St. Vincent Sound (bordering St. Vincent Island) make the campground popular with kayakers and canoeists. The convenient boat ramp and the protected waters are also ideal for fishermen. While the campground has its own beach, the isolated sand beach bordering the wildlife refuge is a better alternative for sunbathing and swimming.

Indian Pass Beach
The beach across the street at the wildlife refuge.

The Indian Pass community is mostly homes with a few smaller condos with few commercial establishments so there’s not much traffic and being located at the end of the road, the campground is in a very peaceful setting and the extensive beach looking out towards St. Vincent Island is uncrowded and unspoiled.

The campsites in general are well-shaded and mostly level. The sites are arranged in a somewhat crazy-quilt manner oriented around the trees and terrain. I think this adds to the general attractiveness, although it means large units will have trouble accessing some of the sites. But some will easily accommodate larger RV units and some sites are pull-through.

indian pass campground layout
Indian Pass CG Aerial View. Google Maps

Other Nearby Attractions. The nearest bar or restaurant is 3 miles away on Highway 30a at the entrance to Indian Pass. The closest general shopping is in Port St. Joe, 13 miles from the campground. The St. Joseph’s Bay Golf Course (see our review) is 10 miles away and for us a nice bonus as we enjoyed the course very much. Historic Apalachicola, with many notable seafood restaurants, raw bars, galleries and shopping boutiques is 21 miles from the campground.

Gulf Coast Drive Travel Links: