Can You Go Camping On The Beach? (Must Read This)

Camping is a form of recreation that allows you to take a break from the stress of your everyday life and improve relaxation.

If you like being close to water, you probably considered camping on the beach. Is it okay to go camping on the beach?

Yes, you can go camping on a beach. Camping on beaches in most areas is legal if you have a permit and use a designated campground. Depending on your location, you may or may not be required to pay a camping fee.

In this article, I’ll explain some beach camping spots. You’ll also learn some tips when using tents on a beach.

Is Beach Camping Legal?

Beach camping may or may not be legal, depending on the location. Therefore, before you plan to go beach camping in your area, you must first research whether it’s legal.

Here are some places where beach camping is legal and their designated campgrounds:

#1. Hawaii

Here is a list of some of the designated beach campgrounds in Hawaii:

• Salt pond park
• Bellows field beach park
• Hulopoe beach park
• Hanini beach park
• Kalalau beach
• Kiholo State Park reserve
• Polihale state park
• Hapuna beach

#2. Louisiana 

Here is a list of some of the designated beach campgrounds in Louisiana:

• Cypremort Point state park
• Grand isle state park
• Holly beach
• Jimmie Davis state park
• South Toledo bend state park
• Lake Claiborne state park
• Fontainebleau state park

#3. Georgia

Here is a list of some of the designated beach campgrounds in Georgia:

• Skidaway island state park
• Jekyll island campground
• River’s end campground and RV Park
• Fort McAllister State Park
• Belle bluff island campground
• A Big Wheel RV park
• Blythe regional island park

#4. Florida

Here is a list of some designated beach campgrounds in Florida:

• Red Coconut RV resort
• Turtle Beach campground
• St. George Island State Park
• Jetty park
• Fort Desoto’s tent campground
• Gamble Rogers state recreational area
• Anastasia state park
• Grayton beach state park
• Sebastian inlet state park
• Fort Pickens Campground
• Cayo Costa island
• Camp Gulf
• Anclote Key preserve

#5. Massachusetts 

Here is a list of some designated beach campgrounds in Massachusetts:

• Horseneck beach state reservation
• Scusset beach state reservation
• Race Point Beach, Provincetown
• Sandy Neck, West Barnstable
• Salisbury beach state reservation

#6. Mississippi

Here are some of the designated beach campgrounds in Mississippi:

• Starkville KOA
• Presley’s Outing
• Paradise Ranch and Resort
• Yogi on the Lake
• Piney Grove Recreation Area
• Lake Tiak-O’khata
• Sardis Lake recreation area

#7. New Jersey

Here are some of the designated beach campgrounds in New Jersey:

• Atlantic shore pines campground
• Beachcomber Camping Resort
• Big timber lake RV camping resort
• High point state park
• Holly shores camping resort
• Lake and Shore RV resort
• Ocean isle Campground
• Ocean View Resort Campground
• Pine cone resort
• Parvin state park
• Ponderosa campground
• Sea grove camping resort
• Sea pirate campground
• Shorebird campground

#8. New York

Here are some of the designated beach campgrounds in New York:

• Avon by the sea
• Jacob Riis Park
• Keansburg Beach
• Sandy Hook Beach
• Rockaway beach and Boardwalk
• Robert Moses State Park
• Fort Tilden
• Gunnison Beach
• Sandy Hook

#9. North Carolina

Here are some designated beach campgrounds in North Carolina:

• Whispering pines park
• Carolina beach state park
• Camp Hatteras RV resort
• OBX oceanfront campground
• Cedar Island RV park

Can You Bring Tents to the Beach for Camping?

Yes, you can bring tents to the beach for camping. However, you have to be more careful with tents on the beach to ensure they stay in place.

Here are some tips on using camping tents on the beach:

• Carry tent stakes for sand with you. Regular tent stakes cannot keep your tent in place when beach camping.
• If it gets windy, carry weights to keep your tent where you want it to be.
• Make sure to avoid high tide lines. 

Is Beach Camping Free?

Beach camping is free in some places but not all. Most beaches charge a fee to make a reservation to use their campsite. Some, however, allow you to camp without paying a dime.

Here are some places to go beach camping for free:

• Boca Chica Beach, Brownville. Address: 54299, Boca Chica Boulevard, Boca Chica Village, Cameron County, Texas, 78521, United States
• Magnolia Beach, Portlacava. Address: 1707 N Ocean Dr., Port Lavaca, TX 77979
• Chamber Park, Bay City. Address: Canal Drive, Bay City, MI  48706, United States.
• Bolivar Flats Free beach. Address: Rettilon Rd. Bolivar Peninsula, TX 77650 
• South Beach, Corpus Christi. Address: Park Road 22 Corpus Christi, TX 78418

Ten Best Spots for Beach Camping

Here is a list of the ten best spots for beach camping:

#1. Kalaloch Campground Olympic National Park

Address: Forks, Washington 98331 USA. Kalaloch campground olympic national park has up to 170 campsites. 

The park charges a camping fee of about $24 per night at any of its campsites. The amenities of camping at Kalaloch Campground are potable water and flush toilets. 

You can reserve the Kalaloch campground on the Olympic national park website.

#2. Homer Spit Campground

Address: 4535, Homer Spit Rd, Homer, Alaska 99603, USA. Homer spit campground has about 80 campsites available for reserve. 

You’ll need to pay a fee of $35 to use the campsite for a night. The amenities provided by Homer spit campground are laundry facilities, hot showers, and a gift shop. 

You can reserve the Homer Spit campground at the Homer Spit website.

#3. Napali Coast State Wilderness Park

Address: Kapa’a, HI 96746, USA. The Napali Coast wilderness park has only three campsites at Kalalau, Hanakoa, and Milolii. 

Kalalau allows for a maximum stay of three nights, Hanakoa allows for a maximum of one night, and Milolii allows a three-day maximum.

You’ll need to pay a fee of $25/night to use a campsite at the Napali Coast wilderness park as a resident of Hawaii. However, if you don’t reside in Hawaii, you’ll have to pay $35.

Composting toilets are the only available amenities for camping at the Napali coast state wilderness park.

You can only make a reservation for a permit at the Napali Coast website 90 days in advance.

#4. Apostle Islands National Lakeshore

Address: 415 Washington Ave, Bayfield, WI 54814, USA. Apostle Islands National Lakeshore charges about $15-$30 to stay at any of their campsites for a night. 

The amenities for camping at the Apostle Islands national lakeshore are fire rings, a vault toilet, a bear-proof locker, and picnic tables.

The apostle island national lakeshore has three types of campsites, and they include:

• Individual campsites
• Primitive campsites
• Group campsites

#1. Individual Campsite

Here is a table showing details on individual Apostle island national lakeshore campsites.

Specifications	Details
Capacity	1-7 people
Rate	$15 per night
Amenities	Fire ring, nearby privy, picnic table, and bear-resistant food locker

#2. Primitive Campsite

Here is a table to show details on primitive campsites at the Apostle Island national lakeshore.

Specifications	Details
Capacity	1-5 people
Rate	$15 per night
Amenities	No amenities

#3. Group Campsite

Here is a table to show details on group campsites at the Apostle island national lakeshore.

Specifications	Fire ring, nearby privy, picnic table, and bear-resistant food locker
Capacity	8-21 people
Rate	$30 per night
Amenities	Fire ring, nearby privy, picnic table and bear-resistant food locker

On their website, you can reserve 30 days before camping at the apostle island national lakeshore.

#5. Bahia Honda State Park Beach Campgrounds

Address: 36850 overseas highway, Big Pine Key, Florida, 33043, USA. 

You’ll need to pay a fee of $36 (+6.70 reservation fee) to spend a night at any of the campsites at Bahia Honda state park beach.

The amenities provided for camping at Bahia Honda State Park beach are electric and water hookups, a picnic table, and a barbecue grill.

You can make reservations for the Bahia Honda State Park beach campsite on their website.

#6. Cumberland Island National Seashore 

Address: Plum Orchard Dr, St Marys, GA 31558, USA. You’ll need to pay about $40 to spend a night at any campsite in Cumberland island national seashore.

The amenities provided for camping are showers, non-potable water, a fire ring, a picnic table, a flush toilet, a food storage locker, and grills.

You can reserve camping at Cumberland Island National Seashore on recreation.gov.

#7. Grand Isle State Park

Address: 108 Admiral Craik Dr, Grand Isle, Louisiana, 70358. The Grand Isle state park has 36 lean-to-sites and four cabin sites. 

You’ll need to pay up to $30-$35 to spend a night at any campsite in the Grand Isle state park. 

The amenities provided for camping are restrooms, hot showers, and RV sanitary stations.

#8. Long Key State Park, Florida

Address: 67400 Overseas Hwy, Layton, Florida 33001, USA.

The rate for spending a night at a Long Key State Park campsite is $22.5 per night. You can make camping reservations for Long Key State Park on the reservation website.

#9. Sonoma Coast State Park 

Address: 3095 CA-1, Bodega Bay, CA 94923, USA. The rate for staying at any campsite at Sonoma state park is $35 per night. The amenities are fire rings, picnic tables, and a pit toilet. 

#10. Horseneck Beach State Reservation 

Address: 5 John Reed Rd, Westport, MA 02790, USA. You’ll need to pay $22 to stay at any campsite on the Horseneck Beach State Reservation. 

However, if you don’t reside in Massachusetts, you’ll have to pay 435.

The amenities provided for camping at Horseneck Beach State reservation are a flush toilet, hot showers, picnic table, and fire ring.