My wife and I hope to be Scamping from Nashville to Mobile to northern Florida (Panama City-Osceola-St. Augustine), then on to Savannah and Charleston for a few weeks in later winter/early spring. Probably will be in Florida from about March 16th through the 25th or so. Anybody have experience in these areas around that time of year? Never been to Florida yet, and we're not going very far south, but we don't want to have to negotiate large crowds of partying youth this first time. If anyone has suggestions of where to go and where to avoid, they will be much appreciated.
Sat, 11/05/2022 - 20:16
#1
seeking advice on avoiding college spring breakers in northern Florida
Panama City Beach is a spring break destination for college students so that week would not be my choice to visit PCB. Going a little south of there to places like Mexico Beach, Port St. Joe, Apalachicola, and St George Island will give you a much quieter experience while still seeing some beautiful gulf beaches. These are smaller towns but very picturesque and friendly. I can not help with campground recommendations as we moved from the area too long ago for that information to be up-to-date.
On the Atiantic side Flagler Beach and Amelia Island might be good choices.
Both coasts are lovely . I hope you enjoy the trip. Now I really, really want to scamp north Florida.
2002 16 ft Scamp
Having just done a trip last Spring to Gulf Shores, Pensacola and that whole sweep. I'd say to avoid Spring Breakers in Northern Fla don't go in March and April.
:One tidbit we found out when we were at Ft Pickens(Pensacola) in April from the Rangers, is that young kids were everywhere. They told us that Fla elementary/secondary schools have Spring Break all through March and April on different weeks. Families were all over the parks in N Florida during those two months.
If you must, cliffgail gave some really good advice. Avoid all the Pensacola, Destin, Panama City Beach stretch as that is a Spring Break destination and I can attest is it crowded with bad traffic. Gulf Shores was terrible on getting around for about 2.5 weeks in March and then it got fairly normal. Port St Joe is a nice destination and not a Spring Break hang. Mexico Beach was wiped out by the hurricane a few years back and I don't know how much rebuilding progress has occurred there.
East coast of FL during March/April would probably be pretty tough from St Augustine on down. If you go too far South in Fl in March you run into the Snowbirds and it's pretty hard to find any park space.
Since you're heading to Savannah/Charleston I'd really recommend the state park on Jekyll Island GA if you can get a booking there. Very cool history and great area with great walking beaches.
Let us know what you find.
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Belated thanks to Cliffgail and GregA for their thoughts. Our southern swing trip in March was great. We hit either the time right or were just not in spots frequented by college spring-breakers (although the kids in Savannah College of Art and Design were very much spring-breaking it on their dorm roofs at one point. Highlights included: Charleston, Beaufort, Tybee Island, Okefenokee, St. Augustine, Pensacola, Jackson (MS), Nashville, then home. Weather was perfect, crowds not a concern.
Jonathan Rockey