Camping in Florida

Camping in Florida is wonderful. You can wake up beside a spring, a river or a beach, and in much of the state you can often do it in January in a T-shirt. It also comes with a few surprises. Your towel may never dry. A bug too small to see may ruin your dinner. A raccoon may study your cooler latch like a safe-cracker.

You will have plenty of company. The Florida Department of Health's January 26, 2026 permit list shows 2,098 permits that list RV spaces, tent spaces, or both. That count does not include primitive sites on public land.

Humidity: why everything you own feels damp

Here is the science, without the homework. Warm air holds a lot of water. When the air cools at night to its dew point, that water has to go somewhere. It lands on your tent, your chairs, your windows and the shirt you left on the picnic table.

During the rainy season, the National Weather Service in Tampa Bay describes dew points staying above 70°F, lows in the 70s to around 80°, and highs from the upper 80s to the middle 90s. In that part of Florida, the season runs from about May 15 to October 15 in the southwest and May 25 to October 10 in the rest of west central Florida. Other parts of the state have their own dates.

What this means when you plan

• Summer is for water. Pick a site near a spring, river or beach breeze, plan hikes for the morning, and expect storms later in the day.
• Winter is for everything else. It's a popular time to camp in Florida, so book early. Everglades National Park even sets a 14-day limit in a row from November 1 through April 30.
• Don't fight the damp. Manage it. Give things air, keep dry things sealed, and dry wet things fast. The EPA says wet materials dried within 24 to 48 hours usually will not grow mold. That goes for tents, cushions and carpet.

Tent campers: your house is made of fabric, so choose its address well

Picking the spot

• Stay out of low spots. That flat, sandy dip looks perfect until it rains. Look for dried mud lines and matted grass, which show where water sat last time.
• Look up. Don't pitch under dead limbs. Florida storms bring them down.
• Look down. Check for fire ants before you unroll anything (more below).
• Chase morning shade. Direct sun turns a closed tent into a slow cooker. If you can, take the shady site with a breeze.

Beating the damp

• That wet wall may not be a leak. Your breath is moist, and it condenses on cooler fabric. Keep the vents open and stake the rainfly out so that air moves between the fly and the tent.
• Tuck the ground tarp under the tent. If it sticks out past the floor, it catches rain and funnels it right under you.
• Bring a battery fan. It moves air, and it gives you a fighting chance on a still night.
• Get off the ground. A cot or thick pad helps. On warm nights, a sheet beats a sleeping bag.
• Use dry bags. Clothes go in sealed bags, and wet gear stays outside. Pack more socks than seems reasonable. Then add two.
• Dry the tent at home. Set it up in the yard or hang it within a day or two. Pack it away damp and you'll meet a whole new ecosystem next trip.

Bugs, sand and food

• Check the mesh. No-see-ums can get through ordinary screen, so look for a tent with fine no-see-um mesh, especially on the coast.
• Use longer stakes on sand. Wide sand stakes hold better. Some campers fill a bag with sand and bury it as an anchor.
• Keep the tent food-free. FWC says the easiest way to avoid attracting a bear is to secure anything with a scent, and that includes toiletries and bug spray.

Remember: a tent is shelter from bugs and rain. It is not shelter from lightning. Know where your car is.

Trailer campers: you have walls, and the humidity is coming in anyway

Keeping the inside dry

• Buy a cheap humidity gauge. The EPA's advice for homes is below 60 percent, ideally 30 to 50. It's a good target for a trailer too.
• Use the air conditioner or a dehumidifier. On hookups, both help. If your dehumidifier has a drain hose, use it, because the tank fills faster here than you'd believe.
• Run the vent fan when you cook or shower. Those two jobs put a lot of water into a very small room.
• Treat wet windows as a warning. The EPA calls condensation a sign of high humidity. Wipe them and find the source.
• Let air reach the hidden spots. Open closet doors and cabinets now and then, and check under the mattress. Those places get musty first.
• Keep wet towels outside. A wet towel inside a closed trailer is a humidifier you didn't buy.
• Check roof and window seals. Florida rain finds every gap. A soft spot or a musty smell is your first clue.
• Before storing it, empty and prop open the fridge, take out anything damp, and check on it during the wet months.

Sun, sand and salt

• Check tires before every tow. Heat is hard on them. Check pressure while they're cold, and look for cracks and age, not just tread.
• Walk the site first. Sand and soft shoulders swallow jacks and tires after rain. Put boards or pads under jacks.
• Rinse after the coast. Salt air works on metal, so wash the frame, hitch and connections when you get home.
• Roll in the awning. Do it when a storm builds and whenever you leave. Florida's afternoon wind isn't known for asking first.

Power and air

• Ask about amps and rig length when you book. Confirm 30 or 50 amp, and whether your rig fits the site and the trees on the way in. A surge protector is cheap insurance.
• Keep the generator away. The CDC says to run it outdoors, more than 20 feet from windows, doors and vents. That goes for your neighbor's windows too. Also check the campground's hours. Everglades National Park bans generators from 8 p.m. to 8 a.m. during fee months.
• Test your alarms. Press test on the carbon monoxide and propane alarms before every trip.

On the road: two Florida laws

• Brakes. Section 316.261 says a trailer over 3,000 pounds gross weight needs brakes on all wheels that apply automatically if it breaks away, and stay on for at least 15 minutes. A lighter trailer can be exempt from brakes on all wheels if it meets the weight and performance conditions in the law.
• Chains. Section 316.530 requires safety chains, cables or other safety devices when you tow with a rear hitch on a public road. Fifth-wheel hitches are exempt from that part.

Same Florida, different problem

Storms: the one part that isn't funny

In the wet months, afternoon storms can build fast. The sea breezes help start them, and a clear morning promises nothing about 3 p.m.

• When you check in, ask one question: "Where do we go in a tornado warning?" Then find that building before you unpack.
• Keep your phone alerts on, and bring a battery bank and a weather radio. Signal can be weak in the woods.
• Keep the car ready. Know where the keys are, and don't box yourself in. It's your shelter and your way out.
• Don't drive through water. If the road in is under water, turn around.

Heat: know the difference between tired and in trouble

Drink water before you feel thirsty, and rest in the shade during the hottest hours. Here is how the National Weather Service tells the two main heat illnesses apart.

One surprise from the same page: once the heat index is in the high 90s or above, a fan can make a person hotter. Your tent fan is for comfort, not treatment.

Critters: you're the guest, and some of them have been here a while

Mosquitoes

The Florida Department of Health's advice is drain and cover. Empty anything at your site that holds water, including buckets and coolers. Wear long sleeves and long pants when mosquitoes are out. EPA-registered repellent ingredients it lists include DEET, picaridin, IR3535 and oil of lemon eucalyptus. The full camp list of what works, and what does not, is on our mosquito guide.

No-see-ums

These tiny biting flies are less than 1/16 inch long. UF/IFAS says they breed mostly in salt marshes, and some inland species breed in tree holes and fresh water. In Florida, the most adults are out in June, July, and August. They do little feeding when there is a slight breeze, so a fan on the picnic table helps. It is not complete protection. Ordinary screen can be too coarse. On the coast, use a tent with fine no-see-um mesh.

Fire ants

Walk your site before you set up. UF/IFAS notes that Florida's sandy soil can keep mounds small and easy to miss. Disturb a nest and the ants quickly run out and attack, and the nearest target may be your ankle. Brush them off fast and wash the spot. Call 911 for trouble breathing, chest pain or serious swelling.

Alligators

Assume any fresh or brackish water could hold one. FWC's rules are simple: keep your distance, never feed one, swim only in designated areas during daylight, and keep pets on a leash and away from the water. Report a nuisance alligator at 866-392-4286.

Bears

FWC says to secure anything with a scent and keep where you cook, sleep and store food apart. Hide coolers in the trunk or a food locker, because many campground bears have learned what a cooler means. At a primitive site, FWC's method is to bag food in airtight bags and hang it at least 10 feet up and 4 feet from the tree or pole.

If a bear approaches, stay upright, back away slowly and speak in a calm, firm voice. Avoid direct eye contact. Do not run, climb a tree or play dead. If a black bear attacks, fight back. Feeding bears or leaving out food that attracts them is illegal. Report it to the Wildlife Alert Hotline at 888-404-3922.

Raccoons

They have hands, patience and no shame. Latch the cooler, put it in the car, and don't leave a bag of chips "just for a second."

Water: beautiful, and worth two quick rules

• Salt or brackish water and an open cut don't mix. The Department of Health says to keep open wounds out of warm salt or brackish water because of Vibrio vulnificus, a naturally occurring bacteria. Get medical care quickly if a wound looks infected after contact, and stay out of floodwater.
• In warm fresh water, protect your nose. A rare brain infection from an ameba happens when water is forced up the nose. The Department of Health in Marion County says to use nose clips, hold your nose shut or keep your head above water.

Heading to the shore? Our beaches page is a good next stop.

Fire and food: s'mores are fine, food poisoning is not

Campfires

• Buy firewood where you burn it. The state agriculture department says to buy it at or near your destination, because moved firewood can spread tree-killing pests. If you can't burn it all, give it to another camper.
• Dry wood lights easier. The same page suggests dry pieces with little or loose bark, and cooking with gas or charcoal when you can.
• Ask before you light. Some places allow fires only in the fire ring, as Big Cypress does in its developed campgrounds, and counties can issue burn bans. Never leave a fire unattended, and put it completely out.

The cooler

• Keep cold food at 40°F or below. The FDA says perishable food shouldn't sit out more than 2 hours, or 1 hour when it's above 90°F. In a Florida summer, plan on the 1-hour rule.
• Use two coolers. Drinks go in one, food in the other. The drinks cooler opens all day, and the food cooler stays cold.
• Freeze ahead. The FDA says meat, poultry and seafood can go in the cooler frozen, so they stay colder longer.
• Keep the cooler in the shade. Then keep it away from raccoons, as discussed.

Rules: every campground has its own rulebook

Florida's campgrounds are run by private owners, cities, counties, water districts, and state and federal agencies, and the rules change with each one. Here are a few real examples of how different they can be. Always confirm with the campground before you book.

Ask these when you book:

• How many people, tents and vehicles fit on one site?
• What's the longest rig you can take, and is the road in tight?
• How long can you stay, and how long must you leave before coming back?
• Are there age rules for the guests or the rig?
• What are the rules on pets, fires, generators and quiet hours?
• Is there a permit or a reservation, and who has to make it?
• Where do you go in a storm?

The Florida packing list

Check things off as you pack, or print this page. It covers the Florida extras, not the whole camping basics list. Your check marks disappear when you close the page.

Keep these numbers handy

• Emergency: 911
• FWC Nuisance Alligator Hotline: 866-392-4286
• FWC Wildlife Alert Hotline: 888-404-3922

Save your campground's address and phone number in your phone, too. "We're at the third pine tree past the bathrooms" won't help a dispatcher.

This Is Florida does not book the campsite. Fees, fire rules, and closures can change. The campground is the last word.

Where we got this

Safety facts, numbers and rules come from the agencies linked in the story. Everyday tips, like tent placement, trailer care and packing, are common camping know-how, not official rules. Rules and closures change, so check with the campground before you go.

• Weather: National Weather Service pages on heat index, heat illness, lightning, tornadoes, Florida's rainy season and camping safety (from its Blacksburg, Virginia office).
• Wildlife: Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission pages on alligators and bears.
• Bugs: Florida Department of Health on mosquitoes, UF/IFAS on biting flies and fire ants.
• Health: CDC on carbon monoxide, EPA on moisture and mold, FDA on eating outdoors, Florida Department of Health on Vibrio and water safety.
• Emergencies: Florida Division of Emergency Management.
• Firewood: Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.

General information, not medical or legal advice. In an emergency, call 911.

Questions campers ask

Does a tent protect you from lightning in Florida?

No. The National Weather Service says a tent offers no protection, and picnic shelters are not safe either. Get inside a safe building or a hard-topped vehicle. Wait 30 minutes after the last thunder before going back to the campsite.

What humidity should a Florida trailer stay under?

The EPA's advice for homes is below 60 percent, ideally 30 to 50. Use that as the target inside the trailer, with the air conditioner or a dehumidifier and the vent fan when you cook or shower.

When does a trailer need brakes in Florida?

Section 316.261 says a trailer over 3,000 pounds gross weight needs brakes on all wheels that apply automatically if it breaks away, and stay on for at least 15 minutes. A lighter trailer can be exempt from brakes on all wheels if it meets the weight and performance conditions in the law.

How long can camping food sit out in Florida?

The FDA says perishable food should not sit out more than 2 hours, or 1 hour when it is above 90°F. Keep cold food at 40°F or below.