Our first Florida camping trip of the 2021 season took us to Clearwater/ Tarpon Springs area. The weather was warm and sunny, the beach was gorgeous, and there was plenty of fun to be had.
Since we camp as a family of five, I look for campgrounds that have amenities that fit our needs. We like KOA Campgrounds as they offer a standard of cleanliness and amenities across all their campgrounds. When booking a campground these are must-haves for our family:
Campground Amenities
Pool
Playground
Full site hookups
Firepit
On-site Laundry
We chose to stay at the KOA Clearwater/Lake Tarpon Holiday campground and it was a perfect spot to explore the area.
Tarpon Springs & Fred Howard Beach
A short drive away from our campground, we spent the day adventuring around Fred Howard Park. We found our spot on the beach and savored the morning playing with beach toys, watching all the birds, and splashing in the water.
Beach parking was easy, there were plenty of spots that required a $5/day parking pass. The park offered paddleboard rentals and pedal boats that looked like a ton of fun.
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Tarpon Springs Sponge Docks
We strolled through the Tarpon Springs Sponge Docks after we were done at the beach. This area is full of lots of cute shops and Greek eateries. It is worth taking time to stroll around and window shop while eating local flavors.
Clearwater Beach
The dates for our Florida camping trip coincided with many school districts’ Spring Breaks. To avoid the crowds and have a nice time at Clearwater Beach, I spent time doing some research so that we had a plan for our morning. We watched the weather forecast for the week, decided we would go mid-week on a Wednesday, and got an early start to our day.
We parked at Lot 36 which is known to fill up quickly so we made sure we got to our paid parking spot by 9 am. We made it to the beach early enough that we were able to rent two chairs + an umbrella spot nice and close to the water for $25/day. Our beach location was perfect for us; we were close to the bathhouse, our car, and the lunch spot we picked out Frenchy’s Rockaway Grill.
The beach did not feel busy until it was time for us to pack up and head up to lunch. We had plenty of space around our beach chairs and when we were enjoying the water. Our kids love playing toss in the water and building in the sand which were easy to do in the morning at Clearwater.
Our lunch restaurant pick was just on the other side of the parking lot so we didn’t have to move the car. As we went and dropped off all of our beach gear in the car, we were grateful to have our parking spot as there was a line for parking. Get to the parking lot early if you don’t want to mess with circling the lot waiting for a spot.
Frenchy’s Rockaway Grill was fun for the whole family. We were able to enjoy dining in the outdoors under shade. Cold drinks and burgers were just what we all needed after a morning in the sun. I would highly recommend Frenchy’s the food was great, the service was quick, and there was no-wait at noon.
Florida Camping
Florida camping was perfect! The weather treated us well, the beach was warm + sunny, and the KOA had plenty of amenities to keep the whole family happy. I would highly recommend adding this area of Florida to your camping wish list.
Happy Camping!
Explore Camping Life is a place where our family of 5 shares our travel adventures. We camp all over America, hike through National Parks, and eat delicious food prepared at our campsite.
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