Seashells by Millhill

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!

Camping Review of Long Point Campground in Melbourne

Camping in Florida right on the salt water river in Melbourne. Long Point offers water access sites and we stayed for two nights in March.

In March 2023 my sons and I went camping at Long Point campground in Melbourne, Florida. When I first saw the images of this campground I was very excited to go there. Many of the campsites are set around the edge of the island and have water access. The cost of a stay is also reasonable, so I went online and found a spot for us. This was our third camping trip with the 28 foot long Imagine.

Our Site #14

We chose site #14 because of the beautiful view, and it certainly was a beautiful view in person. However, the site itself was a bit difficult for maneuvering our 28 ft. trailer. The ground slanted downward toward the water and we had to lower the front of the camper all the way down to level it. Also, that open water access was set between two campsites, so the little beach area was shared with site #13. You can’t tell any of that from the online picture when making the reservation.

Long Point Campground Site number 14 — Site #14

Long Point campground site #14 — Site #14

If we’d had a smaller camper like the ones beside us, this site would have been plenty big. As you can see in the photos below they just drove in and parked.

Never Get Tired of Finding The Living Horse Conch

Today we went out on the boat. It’s been a while since we’ve gone out because the weather has cooled off. We weren’t out for long, and stopped at some favorite beaches because the tide was out.

There wasn’t much to see, and then … there it was! A living horse conch. The bright orange snail was hanging out of the shell and I could see the operculum – the hard part that covers the opening when the conch goes back into it’s shell.

Click on the photos and they will enlarge.

Low tide is the best time to search for interesting sea life, but on Three Sisters there wasn’t much. Also the ground was very muddy and slippery. Water temp is only 67 degrees now (January) so we don’t swim this time of year. It was sunny and warm because there wasn’t much of a breeze.

It’s not the first time I’ve come across a living horse conch out on these muddy flats. I never get tired of seeing them and admiring their beauty. This one was only around 10 inches long. They can grow to be twice this size!

The snail did not move at all as I approached, and I hoped it wasn’t dead. After I took a few photos, I gently lifted the back end and sure enough it began to move, so I left it alone.

The shell of the conch was encrusted with barnacles and other things. When the tide comes back in, he will be just underwater, I suspect. This little island is off the beaten path, but there were markings of boats pulling up.