Fort De Soto Park Campground
County Park
Write a Review 3500 Pinellas Bayway S Saint Petersburg, FL 33715 727-582-2100 Official WebsiteGPS: 27.6348, -82.7182
Overview of Fort De Soto Park Campground
Campsites 86 - 164 allow pets.
Last Price Paid: $48
Reported by Kathy on 6/30/2024
Longest RV Reported: 40 feet (Class A)
Reported by Peace on 3/21/2021
Number of Sites 236
Pad Type gravel
Reservations yes
Elevation 0 ft / 0 m
Max Stay 14
Tent Camping Yes
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Q&A - Ask the Community about Fort De Soto Park Campground
To ask questions of the owner or manager please contact the campground directly. 727-582-2100
JM asked on 12/17/2022
Does anyone know if there any way to see Fort De Soto's available campsites for your dates without having to check ea...
Dd asked on 5/31/2021
Any tips or tricks as to how to score a site here? Many have shared their frustration with the reservation site even...
Psychgirl74 asked on 5/26/2021
Hi! I made a reservation for Fort De Soto in Area 1, which is supposed to be for tent camping and trailers under 16 f...
Anna asked on 4/19/2021
Does anyone know if Fort De Soto Park has beach wheelchairs for rent?
Reviews of Fort De Soto Park Campground 65 people have reviewed this location.
Cell Phone Coverage
Confirmed by 35 Users
Last reported 9/26/2023
Confirmed by 21 Users
Last reported 5/27/2024
Confirmed by 11 Users
Last reported 5/27/2024
“Large, private sites with plenty to offer!”
Reviewed 3/19/2023
| Days stayed: | 5 |
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| RV Length: | 38' (Toy Hauler Travel Trailer) |
Overall Rating
There's a reason that this is a hard campground to get into. It's clean, the sites are fairly large and private, there's a lot to do at the campground, and the staff is friendly. We stayed in three different sites during our 5 days. Each was large and private. There's plenty of hiking, kayaking, and biking that can be done in and... more
There's a reason that this is a hard campground to get into. It's clean, the sites are fairly large and private, there's a lot to do at the campground, and the staff is friendly. We stayed in three different sites during our 5 days. Each was large and private.
There's plenty of hiking, kayaking, and biking that can be done in and around the campground. We didn't go swimming due to the algae bloom, but the kids loved the playground. The bathrooms were a little dated, but the showers were hot.
Overall, we will be back!
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RVwithRandC would stay here again
This review is the opinion of a Campendium member and not of Campendium.com
“Beautiful Campground.”
Reviewed 1/27/2023
| Days stayed: | 7 |
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| Site Number: | 209 |
Overall Rating
We stayed here for a week at different spots in the campground. The water view spots are the best. Very quiet here and clean bathrooms.
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Verizon 5G
Lori would stay here again
This review is the opinion of a Campendium member and not of Campendium.com
“Pretty but the dead fish, cost and rigorous rules reduce the stars”
Reviewed 12/19/2022
| Nightly rate: | $48 |
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| Days stayed: | 3 |
| Site Number: | 142 |
Overall Rating
This is a pretty area and at different times of year is probably a 5 star stop. For us, the red tide seemed to have killed off fish and there were dead fish all over the campground so we mostly stayed in the RV avoiding it and the smell. The campground is very strict about a 1pm checkin. Even though the spot we reserved was open, ... more
This is a pretty area and at different times of year is probably a 5 star stop. For us, the red tide seemed to have killed off fish and there were dead fish all over the campground so we mostly stayed in the RV avoiding it and the smell.
The campground is very strict about a 1pm checkin. Even though the spot we reserved was open, we couldn't check in even 15 minutes early. If you bring pets, you can have 2 BUT you must show valid rabies evidence. We called our vet in the parking lot and they were able to email us evidence. I appreciate protecting pets but we've never had this before for our indoor persian cats.
Otherwise this was a quiet, dark, and peaceful stay. We had business in St Pete's and this was about 30 minutes away with two minor tolls with our sunpass.
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AT&T 4G
Verizon 4G
Amanda would stay here again
This review is the opinion of a Campendium member and not of Campendium.com
“My favorite campground”
Reviewed 7/26/2022
| Nightly rate: | $44 |
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| Days stayed: | 8 |
| Site Number: | 162 |
Overall Rating
We are full time and of all the campgrounds we have stayed at, Fort DeSoto remains my favorite. Many of the sites are too tight for a big rig. We have a 35' 5th wheel and it fit easily into site 162. We have a Pepwave Max Transit Duo for AT&T and Verizon service. AT&T had download speeds of 15.7 and upload speeds of 3.84. Verizon w... more
We are full time and of all the campgrounds we have stayed at, Fort DeSoto remains my favorite. Many of the sites are too tight for a big rig. We have a 35' 5th wheel and it fit easily into site 162.
We have a Pepwave Max Transit Duo for AT&T and Verizon service. AT&T had download speeds of 15.7 and upload speeds of 3.84. Verizon was 11.68 for downloads and 0.06 for uploads. Our Mifi with T-Moble had download speeds of 13.41 and uploads of 6.25
angnjefftravel would stay here again
This review is the opinion of a Campendium member and not of Campendium.com
“Ditto to all the great reviews.”
Reviewed 4/18/2022
| Nightly rate: | $42 |
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| Days stayed: | 4 |
| Site Number: | 95 |
| RV Length: | 28' (Class C) |
Overall Rating
Site 95 was wonderful. Probably not for rigs bigger than our 28' motorhome. Tight entrance to the site. Access parking pass for the beach is included when using your car pass. Heads up, there is a walking trail directly behind the site between you and the water. a few people and dogs coming and going, but really no problem. Stayed wit... more
Site 95 was wonderful. Probably not for rigs bigger than our 28' motorhome. Tight entrance to the site. Access parking pass for the beach is included when using your car pass. Heads up, there is a walking trail directly behind the site between you and the water. a few people and dogs coming and going, but really no problem.
Stayed with a 6 and 9 year olds and they has a ball. Showers were awesome and clean!
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Verizon 4G
This review is the opinion of a Campendium member and not of Campendium.com
“Amazing campground and park but reservation system is awful”
Reviewed 4/6/2022
| Nightly rate: | $43 |
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| Days stayed: | 3 |
| Site Number: | 65 |
Overall Rating
I love this property. You honestly can’t get much better. The only downfall is the county reservation system. You can’t modify or cancel reservations outside of business hours. A water site opened and we wanted to switch but there wasn’t any option to switch sites through my account. They need to get an updated system. It was sad to se... more
I love this property. You honestly can’t get much better. The only downfall is the county reservation system. You can’t modify or cancel reservations outside of business hours. A water site opened and we wanted to switch but there wasn’t any option to switch sites through my account. They need to get an updated system. It was sad to see many sites go unused because their system is so outdated.
Showers are a little rough and they have a ton of raccoons.
VanBeas would stay here again
This review is the opinion of a Campendium member and not of Campendium.com
“Wonderful! ”
Reviewed 3/3/2022
| Days stayed: | 4 |
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| Site Number: | 188 |
| RV Length: | 21' (Class B) |
Overall Rating
Loved our time here! We had a site on the boat channel and it was great. We saw dolphins and so many birds from our site. We kayaked with manatees. We walked on the beach and the few trails. We faced the sunrise each morning. The bathrooms were dated, but clean, and the laundry was useful. My only complaint was that I found the reser... more
Loved our time here! We had a site on the boat channel and it was great. We saw dolphins and so many birds from our site. We kayaked with manatees. We walked on the beach and the few trails. We faced the sunrise each morning. The bathrooms were dated, but clean, and the laundry was useful. My only complaint was that I found the reservation system to be super hard to navigate and use. And yeah, the roads were dusty. But well worth it!
Wherearedaveanddar would stay here again
This review is the opinion of a Campendium member and not of Campendium.com
“Camping in the Jungle 🌴 ”
Reviewed 3/3/2022
| Nightly rate: | $38 |
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| Days stayed: | 14 |
| Site Number: | 144,129 |
| RV Length: | 36' (Travel Trailer) |
Overall Rating
What an amazing campground in Florida. We stayed on a pull-through site (144), and a waterfront site (129). The lush vegetation makes this campground one of a kind. Sites are super private and large. You need to pay attention to low limbs when you drive through the campground but other than that everything is 5 star for me. We would ... more
What an amazing campground in Florida. We stayed on a pull-through site (144), and a waterfront site (129).
The lush vegetation makes this campground one of a kind. Sites are super private and large. You need to pay attention to low limbs when you drive through the campground but other than that everything is 5 star for me.
We would absolutely camp here again!
We had great Verizon service for work/school.
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Verizon 4G
T-Mobile 4G
Ancsi would stay here again
This review is the opinion of a Campendium member and not of Campendium.com
“Extremely lucky break”
Reviewed 2/2/2022
| Nightly rate: | $33 |
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| Days stayed: | 4 |
| Site Number: | 29, 76 |
| RV Length: | 23' (Travel Trailer) |
Overall Rating
Disclaimer: When we booked our stay we didn't notice that sites 1-86 are designed for tents and campervans under 16 feet... That being said, when we DID realize it, we read enough reviews and looked at enough campsite pics to feel brave enough to try backing our 23 foot travel trailer into our space (the reservation website doesn't ... more
Disclaimer: When we booked our stay we didn't notice that sites 1-86 are designed for tents and campervans under 16 feet... That being said, when we DID realize it, we read enough reviews and looked at enough campsite pics to feel brave enough to try backing our 23 foot travel trailer into our space (the reservation website doesn't ask for equipment size, and no one came by to tell us we couldn't stay in our spot once we were parked).
We had site 29 for our first two nights and it was tight. Not length-wise, but narrowness and height. The main issue with these spots is low-hanging tree branches, and the road in is somewhat narrow. There are a handful of sites which look perfectly fine for medium-sized trailers (not 5th wheels, though), one of which we moved to after snagging another two nights here. Number 29 has two very low oak branches right over the center of the space though (photo posted here), and with care and constant checking the top of our trailer (at 10'5" high MINUS the a/c and t.v. antenna) we snuck in with only two inches to spare.
We would strongly advise anyone inexperienced or uncomfortable with backing up against trying to get in here. Instead, if you really want to stay at Fort Desoto ( and it IS worth it!!) either plan to do your booking months in advance or keep checking the reservation website every few hours for last-minute cancellations. The latter is how we scored two extra nights, even though we had to move to another site.
Alicia would stay here again
This review is the opinion of a Campendium member and not of Campendium.com
“Beautiful, no ATT”
Reviewed 1/26/2022
| Nightly rate: | $38 |
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| Days stayed: | 7 |
| Site Number: | 33, 44, 75 |
Overall Rating
This campground feels like a little paradise, but I expected based on the reviews to have two bars of ATT which would enable me to work. This was inaccurate. I either had zero bars, or one spotty bar, throughout the campground. The boat launch area was a little better, but on most days I just drove into town to work. The showers are... more
This campground feels like a little paradise, but I expected based on the reviews to have two bars of ATT which would enable me to work. This was inaccurate. I either had zero bars, or one spotty bar, throughout the campground. The boat launch area was a little better, but on most days I just drove into town to work.
The showers are an odd setup, with a communal bench to place your things, and no private changing area. The bathrooms are very clean though, and the campground is really well maintained. The people have been fantastic.
Get a waterfront site if you can, we’ll with the additional few bucks!
I’d love to come back here for a couple of days of kayaking, and bird watching, but wouldn’t recommend for those who need to work from camp (and rely on ATT).
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Taubs would stay here again
This review is the opinion of a Campendium member and not of Campendium.com
Page 2 of 7
2 reviews not included in the overall rating
The reviews below are not up to Campendium's standards for quality and reliability and therefore are not counted toward the overall star rating. Please see our FAQ page for more information.
“Beautiful groubds- Sh*t People Run it”
Reviewed 12/12/2018
| Nightly rate: | $45 |
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| Days stayed: | 1 |
| Site Number: | 90 |
Overall Rating
Beautiful grounds, sh*t people run it. The park itself has well kept grounds with beautiful camping spots. Sadly from the lady at the office to the grounds keepers all we got was redness. Everyone there seems to hate their job. Maybe because FL minimum wage is barely $8 and Florida is not a cheap place to live. Also be aware that g... more
Beautiful grounds, sh*t people run it. The park itself has well kept grounds with beautiful camping spots. Sadly from the lady at the office to the grounds keepers all we got was redness. Everyone there seems to hate their job. Maybe because FL minimum wage is barely $8 and Florida is not a cheap place to live.
Also be aware that getting to this place will cost you $5-7 as there are 3 tolls and you have to pay to get into the park even if you are camping.
Price for camping that is being advertised is way lower than what you will actually pay. There is a 7% tourism tax and 5% sales tax. So all of a sudden $33 turn into $45.
Also the place seems to have unbelievably strict rules from no alcohol anywhere in the park to "curfew" that starts at 10pm. No generators are allowed at any time and trails in the park are shut down at dusk.
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Verizon 4G
T-Mobile 4G
This review is the opinion of a Campendium member and not of Campendium.com
“Noise was an Issue”
Reviewed 11/11/2018
| Days stayed: | 3 |
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| Site Number: | 206 |
Overall Rating
Accommodations were good and facilities were clean. However, the neighboring site had an unbelieveably loud A/C unit set up (ran louder than my generator does) and it ruined the ambiance of the evening. Dinner by the campfire and a relaxing night turned into a headache. Would rate more highly if noise complaints could be addressed more... more
Accommodations were good and facilities were clean. However, the neighboring site had an unbelieveably loud A/C unit set up (ran louder than my generator does) and it ruined the ambiance of the evening. Dinner by the campfire and a relaxing night turned into a headache. Would rate more highly if noise complaints could be addressed more thoroughly by staff. In 25 years of camping we have never heard an A/C unit in this poor of condition... would pay to have it repaired.
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Verizon 4G
This review is the opinion of a Campendium member and not of Campendium.com
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Amenities
Hookups
- 50 Amp
- 30 Amp
- 20 Amp
- water
- Partial Hookups
Recreation
- fishing
- playground
- recreation trail
- swimming beach
- water access
Site Amenities
- fire ring
- picnic table
Facilities
- dump station
- general store
- laundry
- restrooms: flush
- showers
- trash
- water available
Pets
- pets
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