We recently stayed at Camping on the Gulf Holiday Travel Park in Destin, Florida. The people that assisted us at the check-in process were very friendly and the process was fast. We were escorted by beach patrol, as there called, to our designated spot. Throughout the property there is a 4 1/2 MPH speed limit. I thought that was great, because the amount of kids that I saw I’m glad there thinking of the little guys.
Upon arriving at our spot we were guided and positioned at our spot. They have a large family bath house that was always well maintained. The dumpster area was always cleaned and being cleaned especially in the morning. There is always a beach patrol golf carts roaming around and there if you need some help.
There is a large recreation room that had two pool tables, sofas and a large TV. Outside the rec room there was a basketball hoop and swing set for the smaller kids. There is some type of activity to do everyday, you just have to look at the billboards they have hanging around.
As for the beach it was very clean. I recommend if you want a nice spot at water’s edge to get there early and set-up your stuff. Nobody bothers your stuff as people would leave to go back to there motorhomes or campers, leave there stuff and come back a few hours later.
There is a very large outlet mall about 1/4 mile up the road. Walmart is located 6 miles and there is a large outdoor mall approximately 4 miles from the campground.
Overall our experience at Camping on the Gulf was great. We had a fantastic time and will be returning next year for a full week.
I seen a guy wearing a blue Hawaiian shirt filling a water bottle with a garden hose putting it in the lobby for us to drink. Beach patrol drives around doing anything. The place is way over prices and yes it is not on the GPS for a reason.
It’s all about location. There are very few campgrounds where you can park right on the beach and this is one of them. As a result, it can charge premium rates (we paid $81 a night in the off-season). But you have to be prepared to put up with some challenges. The free WiFi does not reach the last three rows along the beach and the row along the beach does not have dumps and they won’t allow anyone with a pet. When it comes to rules and regulations, this campground has them all beat. Their 51-page promotional/welcome brochure has no fewer than 6 pages of rules and regulations. Unfortunately, the brochure doesn’t help you find the place. There is no map, no directions and no co-ordinates . The only address is not recognized by Streets and Trips, Garmin or TomTom. The speed limit in the park is 4.5 miles and hour and they have a speed camera that takes a picture of your car if you go any faster. We had reserved our beach site for a week but they didn’t process it properly and after two days we were told we would either have to move or leave. And, if we decided to move, we would lose the weekly discount. The clerk blamed us for the error because we didn’t double check to make sure the reservation had been entered properly. I thought maybe the clerk would call the manager to try to resolve the conflict but it was easier for her to blame us and bid us farewell. Both our neighbours told us that there has been a recent change in management and they are hearing a lot of complaints. We left and will never return.
This is our second stay at Camping on the Gulf but won’t be our last. In reading some of the reviews I was shocked. This is one of the nicest parks I have ever stayed in and we were treated extremely well upon arrival, no confusion, no isolation, and no misrepresentation. The person who complained about the rules, they are in place to insure everyone has a safe vacation. As for no dogs on the beach front lots, it’s a Florida law, not theirs. I love animals but don’t travel with them and there are people who shouldn’t either. Those who don’t clean up after them or the ones who take off for hours, lock them in an RV and let everyone else deal with the barking and crying. For all the disappointed folks who felt they were decieved, go to the website, research the property like most people and you will know exactly what you are getting. We are all entitled to our oppinions however it’s a dis-service to someone looking for a lovely vacation on the beach in their motorhome when you leave a negative review because YOU didn’t understand the rules. The website is very comprehensive and covers all the information.
Location was good. The beach is beautiful but our service was not that great. We had reservations and they were very unorganized, they had put someone else in our spot so we had to go to a different spot even though we had reserved that spot. Then they didn’t even check us in. We had to go and get a car pass from the front. Depends on your lot and how big of a trailer you have. Our spot was skinny and we have a big trailer so when we step out you twist your ankle off the cement then into sand, where some spots had more cement but the spot was shorter. There was no grill so you better have your own. The pool is nice. You can bring your own golf cart but no riding after dark. Grassy areas by trailer. Other than that we enjoyed it. probably won’t go back though.
I just can’t understand why anyone wouldn’t rate this as the best RV park in the U.S. Unless you don’t like beaches. If you don’t, stay away. But, if you like very well maintained campgrounds on a beautiful, white sand beach with crystal clear, emerald toned water. Yes, the sites are tight on the beach and elsewhere. But, it’s located one one of the top 10 beaches in the nation, folks. Better yet, it’s away from all the really horrible, Destin traffic. I know of no place better.
I have stayed here before, this place was great! Soooo relaxing. 🙂
We love Camping On The Gulf. It’s clean and well maintained, with a friendly helpful staff. We always book in advance for a beachfront site. You can’t beat waking up in the morning to the sound of the waves lapping up on the beach! And the sand is talcum powder soft. And the sunrises and sunsets are priceless! Just for the location, it’ll always be one of our favorite places to camp.
I also stayed here with my family and had a fantastic time. Destin is a great place and absolutely beautiful. This is a great place for kids to run around and I definitely agree that you don’t have to worry about anyone bothering your stuff at all.
Had Great fun at this campround.
We had a wedding to attend in mid March and about 6 months ahead booked four nights for $107 per night, paying in advance for 1 night. About four days before our scheduled arrival date we called and booked an additional night so we could arrive early to help make arrangements for the wedding. We were told they were terribly busy but found a space for us.
We arrived on the scheduled day and were guided to our space which was the first disappointment. It was unpaved and not level and there were an estimated 80% of the lots in that area vacant(awfully busy?). However, it was going to work for us and we carried on with our tasks. The assigned spot had a slight view of the water between three or more rows of RVs tightly back in their spaces. The beach sand was about 300 feet away.
There are several other deceptions and disappointments present in the CG presentations. The location of the facility is actually 10 miles east of Destin and really quite isolated. There is not much within walking distance so you will need other transportation. It’s address is not in most map and GPS data bases for obvious reasons. Second as stated above, the high priced daily sites are unimproved. The rest of the park, mainly occupied by long term people is real nice. And last while clearly stated in their presentation, they do not allow any refunds of any kind. We asked for a refund for Sunday which was the fifth day of our stay and since our original reservation was for four days, we though is was reasonable to get a refund. There were plenty of sites so we were not occupying the last empty space.
My suggestion is to understand what you are buying. It IS one of the few remaining parks where you are near the beach. Only about 10 units get to park right on the beach. And only pay for the nights you are sure you are going to want to stay. It is an excellent spot for a long term stay.