The best camping near Tarkiln Bayou Preserve State Park

Discover the most magical spots to pitch your tent or park your rig on your next Tarkiln Bayou Preserve State Park adventure.

Discover the natural allure of Tarkiln Bayou Preserve State Park.

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Top-rated campgrounds near Tarkiln Bayou Preserve State Park

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The Wandering Path

9 sites · Lodging, RVs, Tents21 acres · Milton, FL

Located 20 minutes north of downtown Milton, FL, The Wandering Path is a serene escape, offering a unique blend of untouched natural beauty and comfortable accommodations. With 2000 feet of waterfront along the picturesque Coldwater Creek, this nature retreat is a world away from the hustle and bustle of city life, set within a sprawling 20-acre landscape. Accommodations at The Wandering Path are designed for those seeking a peaceful retreat. Four glamping tents, equipped with real full-size beds, portable AC for summer, heaters for winter, and essential amenities, ensure a comfortable stay amidst nature. Each tent is adorned with solar string lights, and outdoor essentials like a picnic table, fire pit ring, small charcoal grill, and trash can are provided. For those who prefer a more raw connection with nature, four primitive campsites are available, each equipped with solar string lights, a fire pit ring, and a trash can. A hike-in site with a picnic table is also an option for adventurers. Guests have access to a centrally located bathhouse with two full bathrooms, ensuring comfort and convenience. There is now an outdoor kitchen for all guests to use. There is no cookware, silverware or dishes. There is a counter-top oven, toaster, 2 stove top burners, 1 flat top griddle, sink and keurig coffee maker. There are reusable k-cups for you to put your own coffee in, or your own k-cups. The property boasts 2000 feet of trails alongside the creek, perfect for hiking and exploring the natural surroundings. Kayak rentals are available for guests with appropriate vehicles, and fishing enthusiasts are welcome to cast their lines into the spring-fed creek. At The Wandering Path, nights come alive under a starlit sky, unblemished by city lights, making every evening perfect for a campfire. It’s more than just a stay; it’s an experience of tranquility, a chance to recharge amidst nature’s embrace. We look forward to becoming your go-to spot when you’re in need of recharging. We are less than 1 hour from Pensacola and Navarre beaches, 15-20 minutes to local grocery stores and restaurants. At this time, no pets or children under 12 are allowed in yurts. ***All pets do require prior approval to maintain the safety of other guests.

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Heart of the Country

8 sites · RVs, Tents12 acres · Bay Minette, AL

Heart of the Country is our home and also your own personal twelve acre state park whenever you stay with us! We are less than 15 minutes from Interstate 10 and from Interstate 65. I offer a half-dozen campsites, all either on a relatively level paved driveway or grass. Power (20 amp and 30 amp) and water is available. We have two 30 amp campsites, which are first come, first served. WIFI is available! (please ask for password). We have a portable toilet for your use. This is a Longleaf Pine sanctuary with lots of nature trails. This is also a hobby farm with livestock (Donkey, two Goats, a Duck and a flock of Chickens). I feed the livestock grain every morning usually between 8 and 9 am, and again hay before dusk. You are always welcome to join me and I'll introduce all of them to you! My dog, Homer, is our very friendly welcoming ambassador who will enthusiastically great you upon your arrival. I put him up in his kennel each evening around dusk, then lock him in his shed until morning which keeps him from backing during the night. We also host an AirBnB, so other guests may be here as well. Texting via the app is our preferred mode of communication. If you call, please leave a message if I can't answer, and I will call you back. We are slowly updating the site photos. Use them only to determine your price, for example: A site with 30 amp power and water is $25 per night. A site with 20 amp power and water is $20 per night. A boondocking site (no power) is $15 per night. All sites have access to a porta-potty and water. Suggested local attraction: Blakeley State Historic Park is four miles away.

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Bay Forest Retreat

7 sites · Lodging, Tents11 acres · Navarre, FL

Explore 11+ acres of rustic and untamed woods. We are two military veteran families who enjoy the land as a place for family and friends to explore, camp, and relax at the 250+ feet of the East Bay beach. Primitive camping is permitted at designated wooded high grounds in the middle of the property. It is a 5 and 10-minute rugged hike in to the middle ground and waterfront, respectively. The trail remains under development, so please bring close-toed shoes or boots for hiking throughout the property (depending on rainfall, there may be mud and water). Our Glamper is a 10x12 canvas furnished tent located a short but rugged 2-minute hike from parking. It provides the opportunity to go camping without having to pack all the gear. Our location is minutes from the Emerald Coast - 7 mins to Navarre Beach, - 30 mins to Pensacola Beach, - 15 mins to Naval Live Oaks, - 45 mins to Fort Pickens, - 50 mins to NAS Pensacola, - 45 mins to Santa Rosa Island, - 35 mins to Okaloosa Island, - 40 mins to Destin. Recommended local restaurants: St. Michael's Brewery which has rotating food trucks and is family friendly, Ye Olde Brothers Brewery, Dewey Destin’s, Windjammers, TC’s Front Porch, Deb’s Coffee, The Eatery food truck park, Top’s Burgers, and New York Pizza Depot. Other sightseeing in the area includes: Museums: National Naval Aviation Museum, Air Force Armament Museum, Fort Pickens, Indian Temple Mound Museum, Pensacola Museum of Art, Museum of Industry, and Destin History & Fishing Museum Additional activities include: Navarre Beach Sea Turtle Conservation Center, HH Arts Gallery, Emerald Coast Science Center, Gulf Breeze Zoo, and Gulfarium Marine Adventure Park.

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Navarre Beach Camping Resort

161 sites · Lodging, RVs, Tents10 acres · Navarre, FL

Navarre Beach Camping Resort is located in Navarre, FL. We have 99 rv sites 29 cabins and three travel trailers. We are on the water, the Santa Rosa Sound, it is an intercoastal water way. We are a ten minute drive to Navarre Beach. Fishing, boating, kayaking, paddle boarding are fun things to do in the area.Learn more about this land:Back-in standard sites throughout the park have full hook-up and will accommodate up to twenty five foot campers. You park your RV on a sand, dirt pad, you have a concrete pad and a picnic table. Site comes with water, sewer, electric, wifi and cable. Some sites have shade. None of our sites are shaded all day long. Every site is a short walk to our beach.

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Malakai 🏕 different by design

6 sites · Lodging, Tents15 acres · Dickerson City, FL

Welcome to Malakai campgrounds different by design 🏕 I purchased this land several years ago after a loss of a child a daughter her named was (little jo) JoLisa Marie Roadcap , it was a life changing moment, teaching me that family and enjoying of life is what it all about... so I want to welcome you here to Malakai for a peaceful and relaxing time, it's even a place that may help you heal from life hardships... At 5:30 just as the Sun comes up it is time for you to go out on to the deck and listen to the birds song 🎵 . As the Sun starts to rise on a new day ✨️ dozens of species of birds from the Great American Bald Eagle , To the endangered woodpecker, The blue herrings, bluebirds(we have mating pair that comes every year) blue jays, mocking birds, doves and several other species and occasionally a couple small black bears like walking through, we want you to have a peaceful and relaxing stay here while you visit everything,here at Garson Point were several species of carnivorous plants grow wild and our beaches have much to offer. It's official -- after 4 years of politics we are officially a park and a preserve.....9 acres of 🚶‍♂️ trails 👣 we are still constructing trails by hand I believe this place has a spiritual strength to people of all nations History of our location Count De Galvez awarded a land grant on Garcon Point to Antonio Garzon following his 1781 Siege of Pensacola in consideration of “his good services rendered as an interpreter to the Indians of Pensacola." The grant was held for 35 years before Maria Garzon, who survived husband Antonio, sold the land they called Garzon’s Point to Joseph (Jose) Bonifay. The land uses were favorable for cattle grazing and turpentining through the 1800s. Many more pioneer families moved into the area and began their own business in the booming industrial opportunities of western Florida. It came to be known as Yellow River Marsh State Buffer Preserve on June 12, 2000, when it was purchased by the state of Florida to protect rare and environmentally sensitive lands, plants and animals. Through generous donations, Preservation 2000 and the Florida Forever Program, more land was added to protect contiguous habitat of the Garcon Ecosystem. Today Yellow River Marsh Preserve State Park provides recreational opportunities for hiking and nature study along the Great Florida Birding Trail among rare and endemic plant species and within one of Florida’s oldest multi-cultural frontiers.The preserve is located in Santa Rosa County on Garcon Point, which separates Escambia Bay from Blackwater Bay. Nearly 20 rare and endangered species of plants 🪴 and animals make their homes along the bay and its wet prairies, dome swamps and flatwoods.

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Country near the Beach

2 sites · RVs, Tents3 acres · Pensacola, FL

The property is 3.29 acres. Surrounded on 3 sides by thick trees. The front of the property is open and great for letting the dogs run around. The back of the property has a pond and dock fed by a creek that is great to swim in that also feeds a major bayou in Pensacola Bay. Perfect for a kayak, canoe of paddle board trip. And also has about .75 acres of thick wooded area for a great forest feel on the property. Only one 50 Amp connection but if you have a generator or are tent canping I have many locations to camp

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CampFire at the Riverbend

7 sites · Lodging, RVs, Tents38 acres · Robertsdale, AL

38 plus acres with 1200ft pristine riverfront. Remote but accessible. Chose your site. Blaze a trail to the river, private beaches, tubing and swimming. 20 acres wooded and open field for a more remote experienced. Camp off your tailgate. You still have river access. RVs are welcome nice level easy access spots but no hook ups. Plenty of room for extra vehicles and trailers. Bring your horses!

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Gateway Trails

7 sites · Lodging, RVs, Tents14 acres · Holt, FL

Wooded, FHU, tent and Glamping Sites! - Welcome to Gateway Trails! Our site offers a place to stay as a gateway to Destin, Okaloosa Island, Pensacola Beaches and waterways, or to the expansive local activities in the Blackwater State Forest and surrounding rivers, including hiking, hunting, canoeing, and kayaking! We have: 3 FHU Sites - Water, electric, and Sewer at each site. (One 50 AMP + Two 30 AMP sites); Boondocking Site, Primitive Site, and Glamping in our refurbished 2003 Dutchman Camper. The site is on fully fenced in 14 acres. The campsites are behind a natural barrier of trees that offer privacy. Though we are a peaceful setting, there are neighbors beyond the fence and you may hear donkeys braying, roosters crowing, cows mooting, or dogs sounding off to deer moving around in the woods of the state forest. There are well maintained walking/biking/hiking trails are on the property, with many shaded sections. Porta potty on site for our tent campers and boondockers, but coming soon - a bathroom house w/ flush toilet! Our Sites: Red Oak Nook has 50 AMP power and we have an available converter from 50 AMP to 30 AMP. Go Bull's Landing and Long Leaf Landing both have a 30 AMP power hookup. We also offer Cozy Camper at Long Leaf Landing for an amazing "glamping" experience with A/C, microwave, refrigerator, and RV bathroom & shower! We also have a primitive site and Boondocking site. A large spacious boondocking/tent site and a walk in primitive site! Something for everyone! We are pet friendly! Though pets need to be on a leash outside of your site. Follow us on Instagram @gatewaytrails850 or Facebook Gateway Trails to see more details about the campsite and surrounding area. Check out below how far we are from some area Points of Interests! *3 miles to Baker or Holt, Fl for grocery, restaurants, dollar generals *7 min drive from I-10 Holt Exit (Exit 45) *1.9 miles to Bone Creek Recreation Area *5 miles to secluded Blackwater River access point (this route does require dirt road rough terrain access). *2.0 Miles to South Laurel Farms Florida Wedding Venue *40 Miles to Destin via Mid-Bay bridge *35 Miles to Pensacola, Fl *50 Miles to Pensacola Beach, Fl *Not far from Hwy 189 South as you travel to Destin, Florida from Alabama *And if you are coming from Texas, Louisiana, or North Georgia & Alabama we are a great ½ point to Walt Disney World or Tampa!

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Colorful Camping at Beakertopia✨️🌈

22 sites · Lodging, RVs, Tents2 acres · Bon Secour, AL

Come camp on one of the Southeast's most unique properties, Beakertopia! Our 2.4 acre artist compound is enclosed in bamboo and lush with hundred-year-old live oaks + native pollinator flowers we’ve planted. Choose any spot to pitch your tent and enjoy our magic oasis only 20 min from the beautiful white sandy beaches of Gulf Shores. You're welcome to use the "outdoor living room" as you please. This area includes a bar with rainwater catchment for washing hands/dishes, refrigerator, freezer, electric tea kettle, microwave, solar oven, complimentary coffee/tea station, 2 burner biogas stovetop with cooking equipment&utensils, games, aerial yoga silks, climbing wall, slackline, Iyengar yoga rope wall, trash/recycling, filtered alkaline drinking water and more! Feel free to use our laundry facilities, communal picnic basket, and complimentary condiments, seasonings, sauces, etc found in the door of the fridge. Attached to the lounge is our air conditioned ecobathroom with *hot* shower, bio toilet, and complimentary toiletries if you forget anything. We currently have an armadillo taking up residence at Beakertopia and he comes out every night. He is cute and harmless, but sounds like a grown man walking around if it’s dark and you can’t see him- don’t be alarmed! Please note that our growing community is not "finished" as we have many years worth of projects we intend on using this land to experiment with. With our 2 aircrete domes are under construction, there are lots of tools and materials on site. We do try to limit any loud work being done while campers are here, but we cannot fully clean up the construction site every single day. While many visitors leave with inspiration for their own homes & appreciate the chance to view our building process rather than just the final product, we understand it's not for everyone. Gulf Shores offers many nice, high-end condos+hotels if you're looking for a more luxurious experience. Just like ourselves, Beakertopia is a work in progress and we are happy to share our journey with those who resonate! Learn more about this land: Community. Art. Sustainability. At Yum Arts Collective we believe that the power lies in the collective, rather than the individual. A group of people working towards a shared goal can truly create magic out of thin air. We know this to be true because we've witnessed it time and time again through our business and life. We created Beakertopia to show that alternative lifestyles are indeed possible and can actually flow beautifully. We hope to inspire others to break out of the square boxes that society puts you in from the moment you enter this world. Beakertopia is a beautiful 2.4 acre piece of land in Bon Secour, AL that we purchased in 2020 to explore sustainability, alternative building methods, and permaculture. Due to the seasonal nature of this region we're able to devote half the year to our business and half the year to our land which allows for a symbiotic relationship for the 2 to serve one another simultaneously. Our intention for this artist community is to bring like-minded people together and make the world a more beautiful place. It serves as our primary residence and also residence for seasonal workers&traveling artists when they come here. Every year we have the opportunity to employ about a dozen people to work with us during the tourist season, from March-October. Aside from our local employees, we also wanted to create a space that would allow for fellow travelers to join our crew. Beakertopia provides the possibility for friends from around the world to come live and work. Check out our website for more info ✨️

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M & A’s Sweet Retreat

1 site · RV1 acre · Pensacola, FL

Our area does not offer a lot of RV camping, especially since Covid, and when our best friends needed a place to stay, we had to help. Our backyard if fairly large and shaded with old oaks, and at night the stars are super bright. The best part of our site, is it’s close proximity to lots of adventure.

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Sugar Sands RV Resort

90 sites · Lodging, RVs15 acres · Gulf Shores, AL

Sugar Sands RV Resort in Gulf Shores, Alabama, features roughly 80 sites including 5 stylish Tiny Homes for rent. All sites have full hookups, including 30/50 amp power, water/sewer, a picnic table, and WiFi! Each site is a well maintained, spacious 22′ x 60′ concrete pad to accommodate even the largest RVs. You are sure to enjoy the beautiful, lush landscaping set among our coastal craftsman style buildings.Learn more about this land:Sugar Sands RV Resort offers full hookups with our 22’ x 60’ concrete spacious sites with privacy between , as well as power, water, sewer, cable, and Wi-Fi. Our Clubhouse is available for your use and is complete with kitchen, restrooms, sitting areas, tv area, library, and computer area. And did we mention our zero-entry pool? It is beautiful! You can also enjoy our fitness center. One of the many reasons to come and stay with us, if you love the beach, we are minutes away from Gulf Shores Beach and Orange Beach. Golfers can enjoy many of our pristine golf courses. Or if you wish to take in concert, a boat ride to see the dolphins or just sit and watch the boats, the Wharf is the place to visit. Just minutes away from the resort you will also find the new Park OWA, which features shops, dining, and an amusement park. At OWA, there are restaurants such Groovy Goat, Paula Dean’s, Trattoria Pizza & Italian, Rock n Roll Sushi. The Pensacola Naval Aviation Museum is only a 25.6-mile drive away. This is the home of the world-famous Blue Angels. Ft. Morgan State Historic Site is 25.9 miles from the Resort.Our list of attractions goes on and on! We have only named a few!All rigs over 10 years old will require photos to be submitted prior to approval of the reservation.

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Sunny Days Finca

2 sites · Tents1 acre · Navarre, FL

Sometimes life transitions lead you to where you are meant to be; this is where I belong! Come enjoy the Emerald Coasts white sandy beaches! Learn more about this land: If you are looking for a spot to park your RV/Trailer/Motor home so you can hit up all the Emerald Coast has to offer.......this is it. The parking spot is a flat grassy area on quiet street with views of East Bay and new homes across the street with 2-3 more being developed. Bring your kayaks, canoes, fishing gear and boat so you won't miss out. **Some gear available to rent** Areas of interest: East Bay Boat Ramp - 4.1 miles Navarre Beach - 6.8 miles Blackwater River - 20 miles

The best camping near Tarkiln Bayou Preserve State Park guide

Overview

About

If you're a camper with a penchant for unique flora and fauna, a Tarkiln Bayou Preserve State Park camping trip deserves a spot on your list. Spanning over 4,000 acres, this preserve is a sanctuary for the carnivorous white-topped pitcher plant, a species found only between the Apalachicola and Mississippi rivers. Its presence is a testament to the park's commitment to conservation and biodiversity.

But the white-topped pitcher plant is just one of the park's botanical marvels. In total, almost 100 rare plants and animals thrive in the wet prairie habitat of Tarkiln Bayou. From the alligator snapping turtle to the sweet pitcher plant and Chapman's butterwort, the preserve is a haven for species that are seldom seen elsewhere.

For those eager to witness this natural spectacle, a boardwalk offers an unobstructed view of the wild and enchanting Tarkiln Bayou. After a leisurely picnic, visitors can set out on the nature trails, each step offering a chance to spot the park's rare inhabitants. And for those seeking a longer adventure, a day-hike across the park to the Perdido Bay promises both challenge and reward.

Camping near Tarkiln Bayou Preserve State Park is more than just a getaway; it's an opportunity to immerse oneself in a world where nature's rarities take center stage. Whether you're a botany enthusiast, a wildlife lover, or simply someone seeking solace in nature, this park promises an experience unlike any other.

When to go

The best time to visit Tarkiln Bayou Preserve State Park is during the cooler months, from October to April, when the weather is pleasant for outdoor activities. Summer months can be hot and humid, with increased mosquito activity, making it less comfortable for visitors.

Know before you go

Check the park's operating hours, open from 8am until sunset, 365 days a year, before planning your visit.
Remember to bring cash for the entrance fee, as it's $3 per vehicle and $2 for pedestrians and bicyclists.
Accessible amenities are available, ensuring all visitors can enjoy the park's natural beauty.
While pets are welcome, they must be on a 6-foot leash, and owners should clean up after them.
Prepare for your visit by noting that potable water is not available on-site, so bring sufficient water supplies.