Panhandle beaches RV friendly?

[slackercruster]

Just got back from Florida dive trip. Enjoyed it for the most part, but had trailer trouble coming back with a wheel bearing blowing out. Keep your bearings greased - they are the life blood of a trailer beside the tires.

Am planning another trip to the panhandle beaches in the future. One thing I did not like about Florida and the southern beaches was their lack of beach parking with a trailer, esp around Fort Myers area. I am originally from the west coast (Santa Monica) and there is always some place to park by the road and walk down to the beach if you look around some and drive down the coast. And they also have giant parking lots that will accommodate trailer if you have to pay. Are the beaches in Florida panhandle the same as the beaches in southern Florida with no beach side parking for trailers for the most part and very regulated congested parking for cars for the most part? Or are the panhandle beaches more like the beaches of California's PCH with less regulated road side parking.

Thanks

 

[Matteo]

most roads in FL that run along the coast are fully developed and don't have much in the way of good parking options, especially if you've got an RV with you....if you're going to the panhandle, you might want to try St. Andrews State Park in Panama City Beach....they have great camping sites, boating facilities, and beach access....keep up with the tides and you can have some fairly decent shore diving there....there are some local panhandle folks on this forum that will probably chime in with some other suggestions, as well

 

[mike_s]

are you looking for a space to park for the day or a space to park?

In my opinion, the FL panhandle is pretty crowded and the beach access and parking is typically full and hard to find a car parking spot, much less one for an RV or camper/trailer. Beachfront property is just expensive to use as parking space and is limited.

In Panama City, I'd look at the above posters suggestion of St Andres State Park and in Destin at Henderson State Park. Pensacola has Santa Rosa State Park but they have parks closded due to storm damange so call ahead first. Yes you have to pay in all of the spaces, but they also have their benefits.

 

[slackercruster]

I was looking for easy to park in spaces with my RV for day trips to the beach. Such as I was used to in L.A. I could drive up the Pacific Coast Highway a bit and pull over next to the beach sand access, walk down to the beach and park for free along the road. (Not in all areas of PCH by any means.)

I guess each local has their own attributes. I was thinking back to LA beaches and how the development is far away on the other side of the Pacific Coast Highway in many areas and there is a lot of sand and road before you get development. Whereas Florida seems very different with their beach development and proximity to the water, as far as I saw in S. Fla.

Will check out your suggestions. Thanks for the help.