Camping at Sebastian Inlet State Park: Sites, Rates, Reservations & What to Expect

The campground loop sits on the Indian River Lagoon side of A1A — about a five-minute walk from the north jetty.

Camping at Sebastian Inlet State Park is one of the few places in Florida where you can walk from your picnic table to a jetty full of snook fishermen in under five minutes, then cross the road and be in the Indian River Lagoon. The campground is small — 51 sites — which is exactly why it books out so far ahead.

We live 20 minutes north in Grant-Valkaria, and half our guests either camped here before they discovered us, or plan a night or two in the park as part of a longer trip. Here's the practical version: what kinds of camping exist, what it costs, how the reservation system actually works, how to get there, and what a night in the park is really like.

Quick facts

Types of camping in the park

RV camping (the majority of sites)

Every one of the 51 sites has water and 30/50-amp electric, a fire ring with a grill grate, and a picnic table. Sites are laid out in a compact loop on the lagoon side of A1A, shaded in places by cabbage palms and sea grapes, exposed in others — which matters more than you'd think in summer.

• · Maximum RV length is 40 feet. Bigger rigs simply don't fit the loop.
• · There is a dump station in the park; there are no individual sewer hookups.
• · Backing in is tight on a handful of sites. If you're over 30 feet, ask the ranger which loop sites are pull-through-friendly when you book.

Tent camping

Tents use the same 51 sites — there is no separate tent-only area, and no primitive walk-in camping. The upside: your tent site includes water and electricity, and you skip the $7 utility fee. The downside: you're sharing a loop with generators-off-but-still-humming RV air conditioners, and the ground is sandy, so bring long sand stakes rather than the short steel pegs in the box.

Group and youth camping

The park does not run a large dedicated group campground. Scout troops and similar organized youth groups should call the park office directly (772-589-9659) about booking adjacent sites as a block — it's handled case by case, not through the online system.

Boat-in and cabins

There are no cabins and no boat-in camping at Sebastian Inlet. If you're arriving by water, you tie up at the Bayside Marina on the lagoon side and camp in the regular loop.

Accessibility

The park lists accessible campsites, accessible restrooms, accessible fishing piers and boat/kayak launches, and beach wheelchairs available free of charge (including a floating chair on request). Restroom buildings have hot showers. There's a Wi-Fi hotspot near the marina; cell service in the loop is decent on all major carriers.

What it costs, realistically

For a family of four in an RV, two nights:

Add $4 + tax per boat launch if you're trailering a boat. A tent camper skips the $14 utility fee.

How to actually get a reservation

This is where most people fail. The campground releases sites on an 11-month rolling window, and prime dates disappear the morning they open.

1. Create your account at floridastateparks.org/reserve *before* the day you need to book. Don't lose your window filling out a profile. 2. Be logged in at 8:00 a.m. Eastern, exactly 11 months before your arrival date. 3. Have two or three acceptable site numbers written down. Searching site-by-site during the rush costs you the booking. 4. Prefer Sunday–Thursday arrivals. Weekends in the winter dry season (December–April) are the hardest inventory in the park. 5. Cancellations are common inside 7 days. If you missed the window, check the site daily at around 8 a.m. — that's when overnight cancellations clear. 6. Phone reservations: 800-326-3521 (TDD 888-433-0287), same 11-month rule.

Heads up for 2026: construction on the Sebastian Inlet bridge along A1A is scheduled to begin in May 2026. Expect traffic delays, noise, possible entrance changes and — in the worst case — reshuffled camping reservations. Check the park's alerts page before you finalize plans.

Access routes: how to get to the campground

From I-95 northbound or southbound, the two clean options are:

• · Via Melbourne / Melbourne Beach: I-95 exit 180 (Eau Gallie) or exit 176 (US-192) east to A1A, then south on A1A about 15–20 miles. Long, beautiful, barrier-island drive.
• · Via Sebastian (south approach): I-95 exit 156 (Fellsmere/Sebastian) east on CR-512, then north on US-1 and east over the CR-510 Wabasso bridge to A1A, then north on A1A about 7 miles. This is usually the faster approach from Orlando or Vero.

Ranger stations: the North Ranger Station operates 24 hours a day. As of November 12, 2025 the South Ranger Station runs 8 a.m. to sunset, with after-hours access limited to registered campers and annual-pass holders with an after-hours permit. If you're rolling in at 10 p.m., call for the gate combination first.

By boat: the park's Bayside Marina and boat ramps sit on the lagoon side; the main ramp facility on the south side has four ramps and is open 24 hours. From our dock in Grant-Valkaria it's 6.5 miles / about 25 minutes down the Intracoastal to the inlet, or 5.4 miles to the sandbar.

Nearest supplies: Publix and Winn-Dixie in Micco (about 20 minutes northwest), the park's own bait-and-tackle shop for ice, line and live shrimp, and Wabasso/Sebastian for anything bigger.

What to expect: a night in the campground

Evening. The wind almost always comes up off the Atlantic in the late afternoon and drops around sunset. Bring a lantern — the loop is deliberately dark. From about an hour before dark until well after, the north jetty fills with anglers, and you can hear the surf from most sites.

Night. Two things surprise first-timers: the traffic noise from A1A (constant but not loud; a fan or white noise fixes it), and raccoons. The park's raccoons are professional. Everything edible goes in the vehicle or a hard cooler with clips, not in a tent vestibule.

Sunrise. This is the reason to camp here. You walk 4 minutes to the beach or the jetty and watch the sun come out of the Atlantic. Dolphins work the inlet on the outgoing tide almost daily.

Wildlife. Over 180 bird species pass through, manatees inhabit the lagoon roughly March through October, and the beaches here host the largest sea turtle nesting assemblage in the United States. June–July there are ranger-led loggerhead nesting walks (reservations required through Friends of Sebastian Inlet).

Bugs. Mosquitoes and no-see-ums are a real factor from June through September, worst at dusk and in still air. Picaridin or DEET, plus a screen room if you have one.

Heat and storms. Summer means high 80s–low 90s with daily afternoon thunderstorms. Winter (December–March) is the best camping weather in the state: 70s by day, 50s at night, almost no bugs — which is exactly why it's booked.

Best times to camp here

What to do from your campsite

• · Fish the north jetty at dawn for snook, redfish and Spanish mackerel — see our complete Sebastian Inlet fishing guide for tackle, licenses and rules, and the best fishing spots at Sebastian Inlet for exactly where to stand.
• · Surf First Peak / Monster Hole — the best-known surf break on Florida's east coast.
• · Swim the tidal cove on the south side: hard bottom, gentle slope, the safest water in the park for small kids.
• · Walk the mile-long Hammock Trail under palm/oak canopy along the mangrove fringe.
• · Two museums: the Sebastian Fishing Museum (daily 10–4) and the McLarty Treasure Museum (Wed–Sun 10–4), built on the 1715 Spanish plate fleet survivors' camp.
• · Paddle the lagoon from the Coconut Point non-motorized launch — flat water, manatees, no boat wake.

Full park breakdown here: Sebastian Inlet State Park guide · On the water from our dock · Live inlet cam · best beaches nearby · Grant-Valkaria area guide · Grant Seafood Festival

Can't get a campsite? The 20-minute alternative

Being honest about our own bias: if the campground is full — and in season it usually is — Sunrise on the River is 20 minutes north in Grant-Valkaria. Private dock on the Indian River, kayaks included, dog friendly, sleeps 8, room to park a mid-size RV, and 6.5 miles by boat to the same inlet you were going to camp next to. A lot of our winter guests do exactly this: base here, day-trip the park.

More from the river: Sebastian Inlet State Park guide · wintering in Grant-Valkaria (snowbird guide) · weddings and events venues nearby