Our Second Camping Trip to Long Point Campground

A review of our second camping trip to Long Point in Melbourne Beach, Florida.

Back in March (2023) we camped at Long Point Campground in Melbourne, Florida, which is on the east coast. I have a link to that review at the bottom of this page. The whole campground is an island with many sites that back up to the water. On our first visit, we had a small, uneven campsite, but nice water access. I was eager to see how our second trip would go.

This time, in May, we had a great view, but no easy water access directly from our site because of coquina rocks. When booking a site online it’s impossible to tell whether you will have access to the water or not. I thought we would. Don’t assume that every site on the water gives you water access!

Our stay of two days began with wonderful peace and quiet.

Coquina rocks block water access
No easy water access

Fortunately, our site – #67 – was the last in the row of rentable sites (at the time). Every campsite beyond us, down to the end of the island, was closed (photo below) due to erosion from a storm it seemed. That meant we could use the beach access next door (site #68) for putting in the kayak. (The campers in that little tent at the end of the island were working on their boat motor which they ran off and on all morning the next day.)

No campers to the south of us
Empty sites to the south

To the north, our closest camping neighbor was many sites away. We had arrived right after the Memorial Day weekend and the place was nearly empty!

empty campsites
Closest neighbors to the north

Our first afternoon was hot and sunny. The water was calm and perfect for kayaking. The wind picked up the following day, but I went out for a while and kayaked around the southern end of the campground.

Campsites along the water
Site #68 had a beach but the site was closed to campers so we used it to access the water

For about 24 hours we had our area completely to ourselves. It was peaceful and wonderful. I launched my kayak from site #68 with a nice sandy beach. I even did a little swimming in the shallow water. It worked out perfectly.

Water is the Reason to Camp Here

If you get a water access site (and in my opinion it’s the only reason to camp here), it’s a great area to do some kayaking, or paddle boarding, if the wind holds off. This campground also has a boat ramp and a place to keep the trailer.

kayaking
Kayaking near the fishing dock and bridge to Scout Island
camping next to the water in Florida
Water view from inside the camper

Then, Everything Went Downhill

From complete peace and quiet for 24 hours to a family invasion next door. Campers came and took both sites along the water next to us.

Of course it’s a campground, and we simply lucked out by having so much space to ourselves, but the campers who set up next door were rudely loud, with no consideration for the fact that they had neighbors. They spoke loudly to each other, the kids yelled and then more people came to visit them! It was party time. The woman was up at 7AM talking loudly on her phone – on speaker!

All this has made me wonder if I am cut out to be a camper. I couldn’t wait to leave.

We had one good day and quiet night, but once the peace was gone, nothing was fun. If we hadn’t been leaving the following morning, I’d have asked for another site.

My Thoughts on Long Point

After staying at Long Point Campground two different times (see review #1 here), I’ve come to realize that the sites are pretty well crammed together. Because campers can place their trailers, and tents, in any position on their site, you could be directly facing other campers. And if they are loud and obnoxious all day long, there is no buffer.

Some spots are larger – longer, but many are quite small. Not every site along the water has water access. Some have nice little beaches, and some have only a small access through the bushes. Some sites have no water access, or it is shared with the camper next door.

Scout Island has a nice beach with shallow clear water. This island is accessible by a bridge at the campground. I have no idea if the island is ever closed for scouts to actually camp there. When I walked over to Scout Island this time, I had the place to myself (due to a low volume of campers), but last time there were many people walking their dogs and letting them swim.

Scout Island beach
The beach area on Scout Island

In comparison to the waterfront campground near us, this one is half the cost, so I still think it’s a good value if you like a water view. Having access from a site is the best. You are also very close to the beach at Sebastian Inlet. My son rode his electric bike there – all sidewalks on the main road. For more thoughts from campers who stayed at Long Point, read the reviews at RV Life Campground Reviews.

Some negatives for me: The trash truck came by at 7:30 in the morning (on a Thursday and ?) to empty all the dumpsters in the campground. It is loud if your site is near a dumpster (we were). There were a lot of loud crows. I suspect people feed them so they have learned to be annoying. Right across the road from our site was a lamppost with a light that was on all night (not good for night sky viewing if you like that sort of thing). Getting there (from the north, and probably from the south) means driving in traffic, which is typical for Florida especially near the coast.

camper at night

I’m not sure we would ever go back here to camp again. I live in Florida and there are many other campgrounds to try.

The Campsites: Here’s a Map

My thoughts on some of the sites. If you only want a great water view, the site we had, and the three next to it were perfect (65-67). Site #65 was also on the rocks, but had a little area to access the water. We watched those campers put a kayak in. Also, if you don’t care about being in the water, or need a big site, sites 114 and 115 at the southern end are large. All the sites beyond us on the water, which were closed, did have nice little beaches with water access, but they were fairly small. They were closed for a reason, and who knows what will happen. More rocks could be added, but I hope they can keep the water accessible.

Most campsites have water and electric only, but a few in the center of the island have full hookups. There are two dump station areas for the rest of us.

  • map of Long Point campground in Melbourne Florida
  • Campsite 67
  • No campers to the south of us
  • Closed campsite to the south
  • camping on the water

More stories on the blog…

Camping at O’Leno State Park

Camping at the O’Leno State Park in High Springs, Florida. A wonderful place to enjoy time in nature with walking and biking trails, and the Santa Fe River.

We took a quick two day camping trip to O’Leno state park the end of October to enjoy some Florida nature. This place has plenty of it.

The drive for us took nearly three hours. This part of Florida has hills, unlike the area where I live and I enjoyed the ride. The park is located in the northern part of Florida in High Springs – close to Ichetucknee (good to know). Rain came shortly after we had backed the RV into the site, but didn’t last long and we were out and about on our bikes.

We camped on the Magnolia Loop which is one of two camping loops in the park. The Dogwood Loop is near the entrance, but the Mag Loop is down near the Santa Fe River.

The Campsites

The photos here are typical of the sites to rent around the Mag(nolia) Loop. Site #6 had a trail that led down into the woods behind the fence. Another site had 2 picnic tables. These sites can easily hold a camper, vehicle (two are allowed) and tent or screen house.

Hookups are electric and water but no sewer. There is a place to empty sewer in the campground, which we did on our way out.

The loop road is very bumpy sand and each site is sand, but very level. I think large RVs would have some trouble with close trees along the roads and backing into the sites. We saw deer behind our camper in the morning. The woods are full of big old trees.

We camped during the week and left on a Friday. After the first night, both sites on either side of us were empty! Animals are allowed in this campground, and we did hear some dogs barking during the day.

The Santa Fe River

At the entrance of the O’Leno Campground follow the road back to the river area. A large parking area and picnic tables are provided along with a large roped off swimming area. The public can visit during the day.

One of the main draws to this place seems to be the suspension bridge over the river. It was closed at the time we visited, due to damage from a fallen tree (the website did announce this). This bridge is also part of the trail that leads to the River “sink” and usually makes a loop. With the bridge out, the loop can’t be completed but can still be walked.

Swimming

Part of the river is roped off for swimming. Due to the abundance of cypress trees, the water is very dark. I do not go in Florida fresh water, unless it’s a spring (Salt Springs camping). For this reason, and the fact that there are so many wonderful trails, I would not camp here during the hot months.

River swimming and suspension bridge
Swimming area in the river

Walking Trail to the River Sink

Another feature in this rural location is the Santa Fe River “sink” and “rise”. The sink is the area where the river water goes underground. The place it emerges again (the rise) is about three miles away.

I was looking forward to biking to see the river “rise” but the trails were too full of roots and soft sand to make biking manageable for me. As far as I know, you must walk or bike to see the rise.

From the trailhead by the swimming area, we followed the trail to the river sink (we biked part way, then had to walk). This is where the Santa Fe goes underground. An amazing 900 million gallons of water flow underground here each day! On the surface, nothing is moving and green stuff makes the water seem stagnant. There is an alligator warning sign. Gators can literally be anywhere but we didn’t see any.


We drove to the Limestone Trail and took a short walk up the left side of the trail to see the old quarry. It was a hole in the ground with some protruding rocks.

History

This place is a historical location of the old town of Leno – O’Leno is short for “Old Leno”. The campground / park has lots of information about the history with parts of the old grist mills (there were two) under a pavilion – photo below.

We missed out on visiting the little museum, but the town of Leno disappeared after the railroad was built and passed it by. The deserted town became a work camp during the Great Depression. The Civilian Conservation Corp built up the area in the 1930’s and 40’s into the campground and park it is today.

Remains of buildings and the dam can still be seen.

More Info

Here are some things I’d have liked to know before booking my stay.

Wood can be purchased for $7.00 – exact change! It says nothing about bringing in your own wood, so I’m not sure if that is allowed.

There are many trails throughout the area. Some are for walking and biking and some are walking only (also equestrian). A trail map is provided at check-in (like the one linked above). The map shows the location of the “sink” and “rise”. Eventually, I figured out what that meant!

See the park map here.

Bring bikes if you have them. The bike trails were too bumpy for me, but there are other places to ride. I rode along the main roadway and never saw a car! I’m sure there are busy times, but this was not one of them.

We took a drive to see the Dogwood Loop camping area and were glad we didn’t stay there. Those sites were on the inside of the loop, whereas campsites are on the outside at the Mag Loop. Some of the sites were pretty close and looked tough to maneuver because of trees. But, if you want to be away from everything (the playground, day visitors, and swimming) and you have a smallish camper or tent, Dogwood might be your thing.

The Mag Loop has a playground area and a bathroom in the center of the loop. Although we didn’t use the bathrooms, I went into the women’s side to get photos for campers who may need to use the facilities. The bathroom is located closer to the entrance / beginning of the loop, with the playground further toward the top of the loop.

Just for Fun… What’s For Dinner?

Camping food is kept simple. Grilled chicken with veggies in foil. With wine of course!

Have you ever camped at O’Leno? I’d love to hear your thoughts.


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First Camping Adventure at Salt Springs

First time camping in Florida and we went to Salt Springs in Ocala.

My son and I took delivery of our new travel trailer the beginning of June. A few days later I had Covid. And a week later he had Covid.

We’d just begun filling the camper with necessities (there are a lot) when we were taken out of commission by the illness.

New travel trailer
Picking up the camper

As you know, if you’ve already dealt with Covid, everything stops as you deal with the dreaded disease. I was so glad that I didn’t have a job to get to because I could not have gone. Most of the time I slept, or stayed on the couch. We ordered food to be delivered and never went out. We didn’t want to spread it, and we didn’t have the energy anyway.

After picking up the camper we had originally planned to camp nearby. We needed to see if there were things that needed to be fixed for the first check up visit.

Finally we went to Salt Springs in the Ocala National Forest and stayed one night.

The Campsite

This was our first time camping so we have nothing to compare it to. We were very happy with the site. It was easy to back in and there was an dump station next to each pad.

The fire pit ring was back behind the trailer under some oaks. As you can see in the photos, the next row of campers was not close.

We had campers on either side of us, but they were not super close either. One side had kids and the other side had a dog. But it was very quiet.

The Springs

The springs area is the highlight of this campground. Because it’s a spring and the water is continuously bubbling up from the ground, the water temperature is 72-74 degrees.

We camped for less than 24 hours, but our overall experience was quite good. The employees were friendly, the campground was quiet and well cared for, the Spring area was awesome, and we had fun!

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