Dauphin Island Alabama

dauphin island water tower

Dauphin Island, a worthy detour. If you are traveling along the Mississippi-Alabama Gulf Coast Scenic Drive (Hwy 90), take a detour off the main highway to experience the unique, low key, friendly community of Dauphin Island. No Casinos, No high-rise hotels, very light traffic, but lots of interesting places to visit and things to do … Read more

Camping at Fort Pickens National Park

Fort Pickens Beach Sunset

Fort Pickens Campground RV Park Review, Pensacola Beach Florida Pros & Cons, What to like and not like about camping at Fort Pickens. See campground maps, pictures, information and links below. The Fort Pickens Gulf Islands National Park RV park and campground is set about a half mile east of the old fort, nestled between … 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:

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

Fort Pickens National Park Review

Camping and Visiting Fort Pickens & Gulf Islands National Seashore Park – Pensacola Beach, Florida

Top 10 things to do at Fort Pickens Gulf Islands Park & Campground?

  • Go beach combing, swimming, and sunbathing on sparsely populated white sand beaches on the Gulf of Mexico.
  • Tour the historic Fort Pickens and Island Gun Batteries and learn about the military history of the Fort and of Santa Rosa Island.
  • Hike the several hiking and nature trails in the park.
  • Bird-Watching. Over 280 species of birds have been identified on the gulf barrier islands.
  • Visit the Gulf Islands Discovery Center to explore exhibits on the natural environment, wildlife, and history of the Fort Pickens Area.
  • Bike the roads in the park and bike the 6 mile road between the park and the fun things to do in Pensacola Beach.
  • Camping in a tent or RV in one of the full-service campsites or in a group the more rustic backcountry sites. (See our Fort Pickens Campground Review here)
  • Like Fishing? Fort Pickens does have a fishing pier that extends out into Pensacola Bay.
  • If staying in the campground, enjoy numerous attractions in the nearby vacation community of Pensacola Beach and the larger city of Pensacola across the bay from the park. At the end of this article are several links to interesting things to see and do in the area.
  • Watch the famed Blue Angels Flight team from the Fort Pickens Pier


Slide Show Top Fort Pickens Attractions

  • Historic Fort Pickens
    The 1834 historical fort is the main visitor attraction for non-campers. The Fort along with the island's numerous gun batteries has an interesting military history from before the civil war through World War II.
  • Fort Pickens Campground
    The popular campground at Fort Pickens will accommodate larger RVs as well as smaller units and tents
  • Fort Pickens Gulf Beach
    The uncrowded pristine beaches at Fort Pickens are among Floridas top rated.
  • Fort Pickens Hiking Trails
    Hiking/biking Trail from the Fort to the Campground
  • Biking at Fort Pickens
    Bikes are useful for riding from the campground to one of the beaches within the park as well as on the hiking/biking trails in the park. Also useful to ride the 6 miles into the town of Pensacola Beach (speed limit on the park road is 25 mph and is not heavily traveled)

Pensacola Beach Santa Rosa Island
If you like the excitement of ocean resort towns, Pensacola Beach is less than
15 minutes from the Fort Pickens campground

Driving Directions to Fort Pickens Historical Site from Pensacola, Florida

To get to Fort Pickens from Pensacola on the mainland, you have to take the bridge across the bay to Gulf Breeze and then take another bridge to Pensacola Beach on Santa Rosa Island.

Touring Historic Fort Pickens

Historic Fort Pickens
The 1834 historical fort is the main visitor attraction for non-campers.
The Fort along with the island’s numerous gun batteries
has an interesting military history from before the civil war through World War II.

History buffs, particularly those interested in US military history from the War of 1812 to World War II, will also enjoy the experience of touring the old Fort Pickens and several gun batteries that exist throughout the park. Fort Pickens also has an interesting museum, featuring interactive exhibits on the natural and historic features of the Gulf Islands National Lakeshore.

The restored 1834 Fort and the assortment of many shoreline battery units added to the complex in World War II are one of the major attractions of the park. Go here to learn about the fascinating military history of this fort and its companion Fort Barrancas which is situated across the bay.


Fort Pickens Campground

Located on the remote western end of the island, Fort Pickens Recreation Area & Campground is the largest unit of the Gulf Island National Seashore. It is a great spot for people who enjoy sun and surf, relaxing by the ocean or walking the beach in an uncrowded, natural setting. The Fort Pickens campground is set about a half mile east of the old fort, nestled between the remains of several of the coastal artillery gun batteries that were constructed during World War II. It offers over 200 sites, with about 170 with utilities for RVs.

See our Review & more information on Camping at Fort Pickens here

fort pickens map
Fort Pickens map (from Google Maps)

Alternative Campground. Times when we’ve not been able to get into the park due no sites available, we often have been able to find a spot at Big Lagoon State Park at the western end of Pensacola.

Fort Pickens Park Hiking Trails

There are hiking trails from the campground to the Fort Pickens restoration and museum, from the campground to the sand beaches facing the gulf, to the beaches on Pensacola Bay, between the two major camping areas, to some of the World War II Gun Battery encampments, and to picnic pavilions in the park. And there are several miles of sand beach to hike!

fort pickens hiking trails
hiking from the campground to the old Fort

Fort Pickens Discovery Center

The Fort Pickens museum offers exhibits on the Gulf Islands eco system and the natural environment, wildlife, and history of the Fort Pickens Area.

fort pickens discovery center
Gulf Islands Seashore Museum on the grounds of the Fort Pickens encampment


Biking around Fort Pickens

Fort Pickens is a great spot for biking if you are camping at one of the Fort Pickens Campgrounds. The sand hiking trails are generally firm enough to bike on and the extensive network of roads within the park have low speed limits and are lightly traveled. Some of the beach recreation areas are far enough away from the campground that you’d want to either drive or bike to them.

When we stay at the campground, we usually make at least one bike trip into Pensacola Beach to browse around town or get a bite to eat at one of the top Pensacola Beach seafood restaurants

Biking at Fort Pickens
Bikes are useful for riding from the campground to one of the beaches within the park as well as on the hiking/biking trails in the park. Also useful to ride the 6 miles into the town of Pensacola Beach (speed limit on the park road is 25 mph and is not heavily traveled)

Fort Pickens & Gulf Island National Seashore Links:

Other Top Attractions in Pensacola and Pensacola Beach

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

Scenic Hwy 98: Apalachicola to Cedar Key

st. george island lighthouse

Interesting Attractions and Campgrounds along the Gulf drive from Apalachicola to Cedar Key Florida The section of the Gulf Coast Drive along Scenic Hwy 98 from Apalachicola to St. Marks is known as the Forgotten Coast. It lacks the pristine white sand beaches of the Emerald Coast between Pensacola Beach and Panama City Beach. The … 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

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:

Grayton Beach State Park

grayton beach sunset

RV Campground Review: Grayton Beach State Park With its sugar sand beach being one of the most pristine and uncluttered along the Gulf Coast, Grayton Beach State Park is a very desirable campground along the Scenic Gulf Coast Highway. It is hard to top its beach for swimming, sunbathing and surf fishing. It also borders … Read more

Manatee Springs State Park

manatee springs state park

Campground Review: Manatee Springs State Park, Chiefland, Florida

Manatee Springs is located along the legendary Suwannee River about 6 miles west of Chiefland Florida. It offers swimming, snorkeling, and manatee viewing in its signature warm water spring. Other amenities include hiking/biking trails, canoeing/kayaking, and enjoying its full-service campground (see our review lower down this page)

Manatee Springs
Getting ready to take a swim in the spring

The Spring pool maintains a 72 degree temperature year round which draws in Manatees from the river during the winter months when the temperatures in the river fall, thus the reason the springs are named Manatee Springs. The year round moderate temperature also provides humans swimming, scuba diving and snorkeling recreation year-round.

From the spring pool, about 100 million gallons of cool, sparkling clear, clean water are discharged into the stream that connects to the Suwannee River. The stream and the river provide excellent waters for canoeing and kayaking; both types of water craft are available for rent by the park concessionaire, Anderson’s Outdoor Adventures, who also carries a collection of camping equipment and supplies. Another service is pontoon boat tours of Suwannee River.

manatee springs state park
Boardwalk around the spring pool.
manatee springs boardwalk
Boardwalk to the fishing pier and boat dock on the Suwannee River.
manatee springs fishing
Going fishing from the canoe launch by the spring.

Camp Store & Grill

In the same building as Anderson’s Adventures is a walk-up grill and beverage stand with covered picnic tables and Free Wi-Fi service. So you can sit there have a brew or a burger while surfing the Internet!

manatee springs concession stand
Having a burger and surfing the Internet overlooking the springs

Other types of recreation popular in the park are fishing, hiking, and mountain-biking. There are 8 miles of hiking and nature trails, plus two boardwalk trails. Biking is allowed on most of the hiking trails as well as on the roads running throughout the park. Some ambitious bikers will bike to town on highway 320; we’ve found the road to town relatively less busy so reasonably safe for biking.

manatee springs state park bike trails
Biking on one of the many wooded biking-hiking trails

The Manatee Springs Campground

The campground offers 80 campsites in three camping areas. Most sites are reasonably level and nicely spaced away from adjacent sites. Each of the three camping areas has its own conveniently located washroom and bath house. One of the bath houses we used had heat lamps in the showers, a nice feature if you are showing on a cold morning. There is electricity and water at each campsite and a dump site near the park entrance for emptying your holding tanks. There is no Wi-Fi within the camping area, however there is free Wi-Fi at the concessionaire pavilion near the springs itself.

Cypress Trees line the spring pool and lowland areas near the river, but Oak trees are the major tree species in most of the park. Sweetgum and Ash are also found throughout the woods. The mature trees provide nice shade for the campsites and woodland plants and shrubs provide welcome privacy screening in the campground.

After each campsite is vacated, park service personnel pick up trash, sweep and rake every campsite. Sort of like a good motel has the room swept, sheets changed, bathrooms cleaned, and waste baskets cleaned between stays. We also found good maintenance of the picnic tables and fire rings and the cleaning of the washrooms excellent.

Price-wise, Camping fees at Manatee Springs is middle-level and in our opinion is a very good bargain for the services offered by the park and the high level of good maintenance.

manatee springs state park
Level campsites, electric & water, decent privacy screening.
Manatee Springs Campground Map

Nearby Visitor Attractions

In the village of Chiefland (6 miles away) you can find most every kind of shopping or dining service. Among the attractions of special interest to RVers is a propane fill-up at Wilson Gas and a mobile RV Repair Service. Another Chiefland attraction is only about a mile from the park: a friendly 18 hole golf course – Chiefland Golf & Country Club.

Gulf Coast Beach Town. An easy drive (about 30 miles) is the fun Beach Town of Cedar Key (see our post). The friendly village is built on a collection of gulf islands and offers the expected beach resort attractions such as restaurants, pubs, gift shops, T-shirts shops and the like. Yet is also offers a more homey, laid-back atmosphere than you find in most other gulf beach communities. Beach sunbathing, swimming, deep sea fishing, boat and dolphin-watching tours, shopping boutiques, and excellent sea food restaurants and pubs abound in Cedar Key.

Other Campground Options

strawberry fields rv campground
our rv site at strawberry fields
Our rialta at shell mound campground
our campsite at shell mound county park

There are five other campgrounds or RV parks in the Chiefland area (see our review); our favorite is Strawberry Fields. Another campground in the area we like is the Shell Mound County Park Campground near Cedar Key.

Visitor Attraction Links:

Sunset Ceder Keys Wildlife Refuge
Sunset Cedar Keys Wildlife Refuge – Shell Mound Natural Area Observation Deck