Florda State Parks mostly open for day use, camping 5/20

[agesilaus]

To protect public health and safety, Florida State Parks campgrounds remain CLOSED through May 20 and cabins remain CLOSED through May 31. DEP continues to re-open Florida State Parks for day use as part of Phase one to re-open Florida. As these parks are re-opening, DEP will be taking measures to ensure the protection of staff and the public. During this early phase of re-opening, visitors should expect limited hours, capacity and amenities. Portions of these parks and trails have been identified that can be reopened for day-use with limited risk to visitors and staff. To reduce risk, cash transactions are limited to exact change.

FSP

If you scroll down that page you will see a long list parks open for day use right now. I haven't counted them but it appears to be almost every park in the system. Camping may resume on the 20th and cabins on the 30th.

[jspringator]

We will be meandering down the east coast starting Sunday ending up in Jetty Park area for the launch scheduled on Wednesday. Probably hit Charleston and whatever historic sites are on the route.

Any problems using dump stations at Loves or Fly'n J truck stops? All I really need to travel is gas and a dump station every 2 or 3 days.

I'd like to try to get into Gamble Rogers for a couple of nights and maybe drive to Jetty Park for the day to watch the launch. Doesn't look like Jetty Park campground is open. I imagine if there is any kind of outbreak in Orlando it would impact Jetty Park as that is full of Orlando residents.

If anyone has a better place to watch the launch closer to Gamble I'd appreciate the feedback.

[agesilaus]

Guy Roan wrote:
Looks like a civil war is brewing between north Florida and South Florida.
Makes no difference to me, I'm in the Conch republic

Guy

Heh, well they are completely different after all. I grew up in Miami actually but it was a completely different place. I traveled all over the city, in perfect safety, with a buddy or two, on the bus system. Which was great in those days. And may still be.
Rode the bus to Miami Beach to go swimming, down to the Crandon Park Zoo, to the Museum down in south Miami. Explored the Viscaya many times. I spent a lot of time there. To the Monkey Jungle, rode the glass bottom boat, went to the Seaquarium and all sorts of other things.

I refuse to even try to drive there now, my attempt to show my wife some places took 5 hours and got nowhere. I skip Miami now and head straight down to the Keys.

[Guy_Roan]

Looks like a civil war is brewing between north Florida and South Florida.
Makes no difference to me, I'm in the Conch republic

Guy

[agesilaus]

Well that may be true, same thing happened to me with another state. But at least FL added two months to the annual passes to make up for the loss. I haven't heard of other states doing that.

[GTO66]

I lost two trips one in march, which I understand, however the one I lost this time was cancelled just two days prior when they extended the shut down five more days.Both had been reserved for eleven months. hope they enjoyed the interested free loans. The next ball to drop is when the crying starts about not having enough funding.....

[fla-gypsy]

agesilaus wrote:
We just came back from Manatee and it was bizarre. Picnic tables were open andin use but picnic tables under a roof were taped off. The swimming area for small kids was taped off. They had maybe a hundred blue 'x's' taped on the side walk spaces about 6 feet apart. That park has never had that many people in it and what do they expect, that people are going to line up to take a swim?? Not a ranger in sight either.

And the ranger at the gate denies knowing anything about reopening camping even tho they are taking reservations for the 25th on?

Despite the foolishness we had a great swim in the spring, we were just about the only two really swimming, tho there were a couple paddling around the edge. The water is very clear for the springs tho not crystal clear.

As for the delay it never made sense to close camping in the first place. And leave the hiking trails open so people can get exercise. Georgia did not. Close the rest rooms and visitor centers OK but camping is a low population activity. Florida has almost 100% elected state officers from one party, but one the commissionaire of Agriculture is from the opposite party and she is in control of the parks and I assume closed them. I think Governor DeSantis overrode her to reopen them.

Closing the parks and camping was a bad decision but the Governor got sucked up in the hype. Everything north of Orlando is very low risk. The Fed decision to close the Ocala National Forest was even dumber. It cost me one camping trip to the springs already.

[fla-gypsy]

JoeH wrote:

agesilaus wrote:
As for Miami to Palm Beach, we almost never have any reason to go down there in the first place. The place is infested with NYC residents which is why they were hit so bad.

Agree---

X3

[JupiterRT]

agesilaus wrote:
As for Miami to Palm Beach, we almost never have any reason to go down there in the first place. The place is infested with NYC residents which is why they were hit so bad.

That’s ok, we don’t want you down here anyway.

[agesilaus]

Camping is open starting the next couple of weeks at least you can make reservations. And the notice in the top of this thread says just that more vaguely.

[GTO66]

If the governor over rule her to open the parks he could do the same for camping.He did over rule the local government on certain things.Maybe they don't think campers vote. Camping was to open on the 16, however on the 14 someone made the call to delay again.

[JoeH]

agesilaus wrote:
As for Miami to Palm Beach, we almost never have any reason to go down there in the first place. The place is infested with NYC residents which is why they were hit so bad.

Agree---

[agesilaus]

As for Miami to Palm Beach, we almost never have any reason to go down there in the first place. The place is infested with NYC residents which is why they were hit so bad.

[agesilaus]

We just came back from Manatee and it was bizarre. Picnic tables were open andin use but picnic tables under a roof were taped off. The swimming area for small kids was taped off. They had maybe a hundred blue 'x's' taped on the side walk spaces about 6 feet apart. That park has never had that many people in it and what do they expect, that people are going to line up to take a swim?? Not a ranger in sight either.

And the ranger at the gate denies knowing anything about reopening camping even tho they are taking reservations for the 25th on?

Despite the foolishness we had a great swim in the spring, we were just about the only two really swimming, tho there were a couple paddling around the edge. The water is very clear for the springs tho not crystal clear.

As for the delay it never made sense to close camping in the first place. And leave the hiking trails open so people can get exercise. Georgia did not. Close the rest rooms and visitor centers OK but camping is a low population activity. Florida has almost 100% elected state officers from one party, but one the commissionaire of Agriculture is from the opposite party and she is in control of the parks and I assume closed them. I think Governor DeSantis overrode her to reopen them.

[wildtoad]

I just don’t understand the delay for camping unless they don’t have the staff. Sitting in a state park here in SC and bathrooms are opened and cleaned several times a day, campers are having a great time, very little interaction between campers and staff.