Manatee Cove Campground Camping - We just spent a month at Patrick AFB Family Campground (aka FamCamp), Manatee Cove. It's in a great location close to several beaches and lots of activities!
It is quite small with 156 full connection points (electricity, water and sewage). There is also a 24-hour community center with free Wi-Fi, but it does not extend to individual sites.
Manatee Cove Campground Camping
They don't take reservations unless you're on active duty, but as you can see in the video above, there are plenty of spots open during the summer. However, if you want to stay here for the winter, you should come early in the season. You can stay for up to 179 days at a time, and then you must be gone for 48 hours before returning.
Little Manatee River Campground
Before I tell you more about the base and the camping grounds, let me explain how you arrived at the base. Patrick has a maze style entrance and no vans can get through the main gate. Instead, you should approach the shopping gate from the A1A. If coming from I-95, take Pineda Road to A1A and turn left. On the right, in front of some brown buildings you will see a sign telling you that on the left is a shopping gate. There is a curve to hit. This is important because the driveway to the gate is not very long and depending on the size of your RV, you may have to wait in this turn lane for someone to open the gate. If you are arriving outside of traditional Monday through Friday hours, you will need to call law enforcement at 321-494-2008 to have someone meet you at the gate.
After going through the shopping gate, you will turn right and move along the flight line to FamCamp. Along the way there are signs to help you. If you are flying at night, you will need to stay at Chevron Park overnight, as the campground does not allow check-in after dark.
As you continue past the park, you will come to a campsite. It is also important to know that the campsite office has very unusual hours. I would recommend checking the website to be sure, but at the time of posting they are open 9am to 1pm 4 days a week. When you arrive outside this window, you will find out with the camp host. When you enter the campsite, you will see a large area where you have to stay. The first places on both sides of the road are the camp owners, who change the service schedule. There will be a sign indicating who is on duty. If the sign is not upside down, you can go to the office directly in front of you.
There are plenty of gravel sites right on the river and they cost $30 a night or $810 a month. All other sites are $22 per night or $595 per month from May through October and $24 per night or $650 per month from November through April.
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Just after the turn to the office is the new part of the campsite. The old points are all gravel, but the new section has lots of cobblestone pitches as you pass by the office. However, there is no shade, and many of the nearby drains are very close to adjacent yards.
Right behind the office is the newer of the two bathrooms and the only working laundry. This means there are only 6 washers and 4 dryers for the whole campsite, even though the price is 0.75 each! There are two dog runs immediately adjacent.
One of my favorite parts of the camp was the availability of two hiking trails. Every morning I walked along it at the edge of the camp. The other starts just beyond Chevron Park and is a paved trail that leads to outdoor dining and recreation. Boarders can eat in the dining room and it has a screened in porch overlooking the water. Be sure to check out Outdoor Recreation while you're in Patrick. They rent regular and new ellipticals, as well as boats, kayaks, fishing gear and paddle boards. You can rent things by the hour, day or weekend to use at FamCamp.
Finally, in addition to all the usual Air Force base amenities, there are two that stand out. First, there's the pier at the south gate, which has live music every weekend. They also offer sailing lessons and boat rentals. Next is the Beach House and the base beach. Just across A1A from the east gate, there is food, beach rentals and live music to enjoy right on the beach.
Frenchman's Cove Provincial Park
A great source of information on Patrick AFB campgrounds and more is the US Military Camping and RV Parks website. It provides a wealth of information, including which gate to enter the facility, as well as reviews.
From now on, we plan to post reviews of all the campsites we stay at, so sign up for updates. To see a recent review of MacDill AFB Campground in Tampa, Florida, click here. Take Pineda Rd., I-95, exit 188 (new exit east off Pineda Rd., which will not show up on GPS), onto A1A (continue on Pineda Rd., past Patrick Air Force Base FIRST GATE) turn left, entrance truck is about 1 mile left on Annville Ave. After hours, call law enforcement at 1-321-494-2008 30 minutes prior to arrival to open truck doors. Main and rear gates should NOT be used for large vans. Once inside and during inspection, follow this road to the end and turn right onto S. Patrick Rd. Continue on S. Patrick Rd. in 1.1 miles. Near the end of the runway, it turns left and changes its name to Atlas Avenue. Go through the stop sign, 2nd left onto Rescue Rd for approximately 2 miles. It's a stalemate in Famcamp.
Patrick's FamCamp is awesome. They have seaside locations. Amazing view watching the sunset in the evening. The view is to the west. Ocean beaches are right outside the gate.
This place reminded me of the TV series I Dream of Ginny. Located near Cocoa Beach and Cape Canaveral, it sits directly along the historic Banana River. Reservations are not accepted except for active staff and we advise you to call ahead as sites are available on a first come first serve basis...
Manatee Springs State Park
Good wooded areas. .. a nice change of scenery here on the Florida coast. Quiet and peaceful. Not a "party" camp like Long Point. The staff in the office were helpful and friendly. Lotto ran on the small side. Anyone with a skirt of 42 or more may struggle in some places. Call the office,…
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