Jonathan Dickinson campground

Jonathan Dickinson State Park has two campgrounds. Pine Grove, near the entrance on US 1, is the bigger one, ninety sites under the pines with water and electricity, paved pads, picnic tables, fire rings and two bathhouses with hot showers. The River campground is smaller, quieter and further in, a short walk from the Loxahatchee, the canoe rental and the tour boat. Both take tents and rigs, and both are dark enough at night to see the Milky Way, which is rare this close to the Florida coast.

Sites are booked through the Florida State Parks reservation system up to eleven months ahead, and winter weekends go the morning they open. Summer is easy to book and hard to sleep through without a fan; spring and autumn are the sweet spots. Cabins by the river are the option for people who want the park without the tent.

The gate closes at sunset and campers are given a code, so a late arrival is fine. Firewood is sold at the ranger station and the store by the river. Quiet hours start at ten and are kept.

Good to know

• Book through the state parks reservation system; winter weekends go eleven months out.
• Pine Grove is close to the gate and the road; River is quieter and nearer the water.
• The gate closes at sunset; campers get a code.
• Mosquitoes are serious from June to October; bring a screen room.
• The park fee is included in the camping rate.