Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Florida's state parks offer multiple ways to stay in our parks overnight and enjoy the great outdoors:

• Camping in a tent, RV, travel trailer, pop-up camper, fifth wheel, motor home, school bus camper, truck camper or hammock, on a campsite where you have power/water and restroom/shower facilities nearby.
• Staying in a cabin – either along the lines of a vacation home or in a more rustic camp-style atmosphere.
• Primitive camping where you hike, bicycle, ride a horse or paddle out to your campsite and stay in a tent.
• Boat camping in a marina slip, anchored or attached to a mooring buoy.
• Camping with your horse in either a full-facility or primitive campground setting.
• Hotel-style rooms in the historic Lodge at Wakulla Springs.
• Developed group camping facilities for organized nonprofit groups such as Scouts, faith-based groups and civic service clubs. These facilities can be found at Hugh Taylor Birch State Park in Fort Lauderdale, O’Leno State Park in High Springs or Wekiwa Springs State Park in Apopka.
• Primitive group camps for organized nonprofit groups such as scouts, faith-based groups and civic service clubs.

1.2. How does a visitor make an overnight accommodation reservation? 

Cabins and most boat camping slips, equestrian campsites and standard campsites can be booked by visiting the Florida State Parks reservation website or by calling 800-326-3521 or TDD 888-433-0287 between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. Eastern time.  

 Florida residents may make campsite or cabin reservations 11 months in advance. Non-Florida residents may make campsite or cabin reservations 10 months in advance. 

 If you are booking a primitive campsite or reserving a group camping area, please contact the park where you wish to camp.  

 For The Lodge at Wakulla Springs and glamping campsites, please contact the concession provider to make the reservation. 

Camping fees range from $16-42, per night. Visit the park's webpage for specific fee information. 

There is a nonrefundable $6.70 reservation fee per transaction, which visitors will pay at the time they make their reservation either online or through the call center.

Additionally, there is a $7 nightly utility fee for all RV, boat, cabin and yurt units at all parks. This fee does not apply to tent camping.

We offer a 50% discount off nightly campsite rental rates to permanent Florida residents who fall into one of three categories:

• Florida residents ages 65 and older.
• Florida residents who receive a Social Security Disability award or who are otherwise rated at 100% disability by a government agency.
• Florida residents who operate a Level I-V foster family home licensed by the Florida Department of Children and Families.

For more information about the eligibility documents required to receive this discount, please view Overnight Accommodation Discounts.We do not offer discounts for cabins, primitive camping, boat camping, group camping or campsites booked through a concessionaire.

New sites become available for reservation daily at 8 a.m. Eastern time. Any new sites that become available throughout the day due to a cancellation are released back into inventory following the cancellation. 

Reservations can be made by visiting the Florida State Parks reservations website or by calling 800-326-3521 or TDD 888-433-0287 between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. Eastern time.  

Florida residents may make campsite or cabin reservations from the same day before 1 p.m. up to 11 months in advance of their arrival date. Reservations may only be made beyond 11 months when the reservation period starts within the 11-month period and ends outside that period. The result is reservations could extend 11 months and 13 days into the future. 

Non-Florida residents may make campsite or cabin reservations from the same day before 1 p.m. up to 10 months in advance of their arrival date. Reservations may only be made beyond 10 months when the reservation period starts within the 10-month period and ends outside that period. The result is reservations could extend 10 months and 13 days into the future. 

New sites become available for reservation daily at 8 a.m. Eastern time. Any new sites that become available throughout the day due to a cancellation are released back into inventory following the cancellation. 

All campsites or cabins not reserved or occupied may be rented to walk-in visitors on a first-come, first-served basis. Reservations are made on a pay-in-advance basis.

Pets are permitted in certain designated camping areas and campsites. The number of pets allowed is variable by park depending on the campsite, but four pets is the maximum number allowed on any campsite. 

Pets are not permitted on beaches, playgrounds, bathing areas, cabins, park buildings or concession facilities. Individual parks may have specific areas prohibiting pets.

Service animals are permitted in all public areas of state parks. For more information about camping with pets, please read the Pet Policy.

In most state park campgrounds, you will need to bring your own camping gear.  However, a limited number of parks offer Glamping opportunities through our concession partners, combining modern comfort with the experience of camping in the great outdoors. Amenities may include a spacious tent already set up for you, quality bedding, climate control, decorative lighting or other special features. 

There are two ways to cancel or modify an overnight accommodation reservation: 

1. Call the telephone reservation center at 800-326-3521 and speak to one of the agents. Please have your reservation number available and let the agent know whether you are modifying the booking or canceling it entirely. 

2. Log into the Florida State Parks reservations website, select the drop-down arrow next to your first name in the upper right-hand corner of the screen and choose “Your Reservations.” All active reservations in your name will be shown. To the left of each reservation, you will see options for Cancel, Modify or Reprint.  

If you want to change your reservation from accommodations in one state park to a different state park, you will need to cancel your original booking and make a new reservation in the new park. 

Modifying a reservation incurs a $10 change fee charged at the time of modification. If any additional fees are applicable because of the change, those will be assessed at the same time. If any refund is due because of the change, it will be processed immediately. 

If you are canceling your reservation more than 24 hours prior to the scheduled check-in time/date, there will be a $17.75 cancellation fee assessed and we will retain the nonrefundable $6.70 service fee that was charged at the time of booking. All other monies will be refunded to you. 

If you are canceling your reservation within 24 hours of your scheduled check-in time/date, there will be a $17.75 cancellation fee assessed, we will retain the non-refundable $6.70 service fee that was charged at the time of booking, and we will also retain the cost of the first night of stay. All other monies will be refunded to you. 

Yes. Reservations can be made securely from mobile devices using our reservation website. This website is responsive and friendly for users of mobile devices.

Website and phone reservations, cancellations and transfers are subject to transaction fees.

Campsites are available for campers and vehicles ranging in length from 10 feet to 104 feet. Most campsites maintain a soft gravel pad and each is equipped with water and electricity.

• Accessible campsites are available.
• Most parks have a central dump station.
• Some parks offer drive-through and waterfront locations.

Check the park's reservation page for specific information on site-specific amenities and maximum vehicle length. Look for the site length and site width. These numbers represent the length and width of the site. Consider the overall length and width of your camper or RV and your tow vehicle when deciding if a site is appropriate for you.

RVs and campers are not permitted on sites reserved for tents only.

Guests are welcome to inquire at the ranger station as to whether there are campsite or cabin openings within the park that evening. Park staff will book you a campsite/cabin if there is availability. However, we cannot guarantee walk-in campsite or cabin availability, nor can we guarantee how many nights any campsite/cabin may be available for use. Campsite and cabin bookings may be made through the Reservation System on the same day as desired check-in until 1 p.m. local time.

When making a new reservation, visitors select the equipment type they will use for their reservation (i.e., tent, RV, etc.).

• A $7 nightly utility fee is automatically applied for all RV, boat, bungalow, cabin and yurt units at all parks. 
• Tent campers are not assessed the fee but can use electric and water as available on their site. This includes tent campers staying in a standard RV site.
• Campers staying in any equipment other than a tent will be assessed the entire $7 nightly utility fee, even if they choose not to use some or all of the utilities offered.
• Discounts do not apply to the $7 nightly utility fee. The $7 nightly utility fee will be applied as a taxable charge to the reservation on top of the base campsite/cabin fee.

No. The maximum length of stay that one may have for a single reservation is 14 nights total. 

If you want to make a subsequent cabin/campsite reservation in the same park, there must be at least three nights in between each reservation where you are not present in the park. 

In addition, you may not reserve more than 56 nights in the same park within a six-month period. 

No. Overnight stays in Florida's state parks must take place in a designated campsite, cabin or lodge to better preserve our natural features and the safety of our park visitors.

Wakulla Springs State Park is home to a 27-room lodge, and 21 state parks from Pensacola to the Florida Keys include overnight cabin accommodations. Some are modern vacation cabins with two bedrooms, and some are rustic.

Cabin fees range from $30 to $180 per night. Reservations may be made from one day to 11 months in advance online through our reservation website or by calling toll-free 800-326-3521 or TDD 888-433-0287 between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. Eastern time. 

The majority of campsites reservable through the Florida State Parks' reservation system provide a campfire ring on the site that has a removable grill top. This allows either campfire enjoyment or practical cooking over the fire. 

In certain locations, a charcoal grill on a post may be provided instead of a campfire ring. 

You may want to verify in advance which feature your campsite offers, either by reading the special remarks/amenities listing on the campsite details, or by calling the park directly and inquiring about the features of a particular campsite. 

A campfire ring is also available at many primitive campsites, but it is important to verify campsite amenities at the time of reservation or beforehand.

No. Firewood is sold by the park ranger station, campground host or campground store in most park locations. Unless otherwise stated, guests can bring locally sourced firewood into the park with them for campfire use. 

The gathering of firewood within the state park is prohibited.

Yes. To avoid fire hazard risks, please place the fire pit/grill on the dirt/gravel/concrete campsite pad and not in the buffer foliage in between campsites. 

In the case of a burn ban at a state park campground, you are welcome to use a charcoal or propane grill for cooking purposes but not a fire pit, which might generate airborne embers.

A burn ban is enacted in a particular region when there are dangerous fire conditions present that might result in wildfire. 

During a burn ban, you are not permitted to light a fire in the campfire ring nor to use freestanding fire pits. You are permitted to bring and use a propane grill, a freestanding charcoal grill or an electric grill/griddle (if the campsite provides an electrical power hookup) for cooking use during a burn ban.

No. Fireworks are prohibited in all Florida State Parks.

If non-motorized travelers (such as cyclists, hikers, paddlers, etc.) arrive at a state park with campground facilities and a campsite is available for their use, they will be booked into that campsite at the standard nightly rate. If the campground is full at the guest’s time of arrival, the park staff will attempt to locate accommodations at referral campgrounds. If none are available or time is short, park staff may use temporary space for one night to provide accommodation, charging one night’s fee. Normally, a tent is required, but in this case, is waived, as long as the long-distance traveler has a sleeping bag. The traveler is permitted to use the park’s campground bathhouse at no additional charge.

The opportunity to stay overnight at a state park is limited to Florida State Parks that offer campground facilities. If a state park is a day-use only location and does not offer overnight accommodations, a traveler would not be able to stay overnight on park property. 

No. The reservation system does not give an advantage to any particular group or individual in making reservations.

Everyone has the same opportunity to call or go online and make a reservation. Everyone also has access to the bookable inventory at the same time.

Camping in Florida State Parks is a very popular activity. Florida residents may make campsite or cabin reservations up to 11 months in advance of their arrival date. Non-Florida residents may make campsite or cabin reservations up to 10 months in advance of their arrival date. 

 New sites become available for reservation daily at 8 a.m. Eastern time. Any new sites that become available throughout the day due to a cancellation are released back into inventory following the cancellation. 

US eDirect provides a comprehensive reservation system to support online and call center reservations for visitors. Additionally, this system allows for quick check-in upon arrival. The system also provides an integrated point-of-sale system for day-use visitors. In the future, this system may expand to include annual entrance pass sales, pavilion rentals, recreation equipment rentals and more. This company is the best partner available to handle the robust volume of reservations needed for Florida’s state parks, which host more than 2 million annual overnight stays and more than 22 million annual day visitors.

No. Pets are not permitted in state park cabins, cottages or lodges. Pets are permitted in designated campgrounds.

Service animals are welcome in all public areas of Florida's State Parks.

• The Pet Policy shares guidelines for bringing your pets to the park.