Beach Camping in Florida?

[PKrieger]

Hello, I've been browsing through these forums for awhile now and I finally created an account, which was long over due.

My Brother is getting married in August, and as his best man, I have to plan the bachelor party. My brother loves outdoors and camping, but he hardly gets the chance to do it. I was thinking about doing a non traditional bachelor party and going on a camping trip instead, all of the groomsmen loved this idea.
I was wondering if there are any good spots in the pan handle of Florida for hammock camping right on the beach? I've looked at a couple state parks, like St. Joseph Peninsula Park, but I was wondering if any of you know any hidden sweet spots that are perfect for hammock camping right on the beach?

My brother, another groomsmen, and I we all have hammocks and the three other groomsmen are fine with a tent, so we dont need a lot of trees, just enough for three hammocks.
Any suggestions?

Thanks again guys!
Keep on Hanging!

[STinGa]

Can't help you in the pan handle area. I am sure someone will chime in soon, tho.

Good luck,
STinGa

[Not_Yet]

It is on the sound side (not the gulf side)... but St. George Island... I have never camped there but my parents used to rent a house on the island there every fall... Very cool place for "quite".

http://www.floridastateparks.org/stgeorgeisland/

[CLANKBANG]

Fort Picken's near Pensacola.
Top Sail st park near Destin (not sure where the camping is though)
Camping on the Gulf in Destin (not quite by any means)
A bit of a drive but Cayo Costa This is very primitive beach camping ..... bring lots of water.

Here is an article I found a while back it has some good info.

Also Info Here I have been all over the Mississippi Islands and I know there are some trees out there but not sure about the rules on hanging.

[MDSH]

Gulf Islands National Seashore is awesome. Ft. Pickens is there (where Geronimo was imprisoned), nice campsites, and great beaches.

.

[sunshower]

i am from FL and have camped at Cayo Costa. you take a boat ferry to an island and you literally camp right on the beach at designated sites. cool place but bring water like someone above said.
you can check out John Pennekamp State Park which ive also done -beach camping with a boat tour that takes you to a reef that you can snorkel or dive around.

[Firetruck]

+1 for topsail hill. I've been going there for years. We started about 17 years ago when it was a private campground. Now it's part of the state park. It is on the west end of 30a just off of 98. They have a nice primative camping area. If you are looking for something on the beach...this aint it, but it has a shuttle to the beach or a nice walk through the woods. I don't know their regulations for attaching anything to the trees.

[MAD777]

You need to hear from someone with more current info, but I grew up on the beaches in the Fla panhandle. We camped directly on the beach regularly during summers in the 1960's when there was literally nothing between Pensacola Beach and Ft. Walton Beach except for a couple of buildings at the Navarre bridge crossing. It was wilderness with no regulations.

We didn't hammock, but as I think back now, the trees were scrubby and loosely anchored in shifting sand dunes. I would be very careful in selecting trees to hang from.

The other thing I remember, is that the noseeums would eat you alive!

However, you have resurrected very fond memories of an absolutely beautiful, pristine, undeveloped landscape. Since it's been 40+ years since Ive seen it, I'm hoping that Joni Mitchell wasn't correct that they paved paradise and put up a parking lot.

[Firetruck]

Since it's been 40+ years since Ive seen it, I'm hoping that Joni Mitchell wasn't correct that they paved paradise and put up a parking lot.

I'm sorry to inform you that they have. They've done a good job of it, it's beautiful, but I've seen it explode with commerce since the mid 80's. Like you I remember Destin being just a few buildings and houses along old 98. We aint in kansas no more.