Fort Clinch: History, Heat, and the Art of State Park Camping
Updated: Sep 10
June 15 – 19, 2025
📍Location: Fernandina Beach, Florida 🏕️Campground: Fort Clinch State Park
If our first stop at the KOA was a lesson in convenience, our next destination was a lesson in the American camping hierarchy.
In the US, campgrounds exist on a spectrum. On one end, you have private chains (like KOA) which are reliable and packed with amenities. On the other, you have Public Parks—National, State, and County. These are the crown jewels of RV travel: significantly cheaper, located in stunning natural environments, but often offering fewer amenities (usually just water and electricity).
We set our sights on the public parks to keep our budget in check and our nature intake high. But there was a catch: it was summer in Florida. Americans love their campers, and the state parks are booked solid months in advance. Securing a spot requires patience, constant website monitoring, and a bit of luck. Fortunately, we had all three. We snagged two nights at Fort Clinch State Park, and fate smiled on us enough to extend it for two more.
The journey to the Georgia border was long, but Minnie and Fercho handled it well—mostly. Fercho, our truck, decided to keep us humble; the massive Android screen died, leaving us to navigate via phone like the old days. We also had to pull into a Camping World to wait out a torrential Florida thunderstorm, a reminder of how quickly the skies here can turn.
But as the clouds cleared, the landscape shifted. We crossed a chain of small islands connected by bridges, leaving the busy tourist towns behind for Amelia Island. This wasn't the Florida of neon lights; this was wild, peaceful, and historic.
Fort Clinch is exactly what it sounds like—a 19th-century fortress that saw active duty during the Civil War. We rolled into the park at 6:30 p.m., just as the golden hour was hitting the trees. Parking a 28-foot trailer in a natural setting is an art form we are still mastering; it took a full caravan U-turn to angle Minnie into her spot, but by 7:10 p.m., we were home.
The contrast with the private campground was striking. Here, you are truly in the heart of nature. We fell asleep to a symphony of crickets and frogs. Our neighbors weren't just other campers; they were squirrels, colorful birds, and Mister Armadillo. He startled us the first night, rustling through the brush, but by the second evening, we were waiting for him to make his daily rounds.
The ocean here is just as wild. In a span of two hours, we watched dolphins playing in the surf, followed shortly by a shark cruising just meters away—a sobering reminder that the sea belongs to them, not us.
We are still learning the rhythm of trailer life. Our first night, we made the rookie mistake of cooking on the gas stove inside. Within minutes, Minnie turned into a sauna. We quickly realized why every campsite has a fire ring and grill. From then on, we moved the kitchen outside, even managing to slow-cook a pot of chili over the open fire.
Between avoiding the biting Florida flies and making another tactical run to Walmart to upgrade our kitchen setup, we are settling in. It’s quieter here. It’s slower. And it’s exactly what we were looking for.
Tactics from the Road: Know Your Campgrounds ➡️Private/Chain (e.g., KOA): More expensive, full amenities (pool, laundry, full hookups), consistent standards. Good for quick stops. ➡️Public (State/National Parks): Budget-friendly, larger sites, immersive nature. Usually "Partial Hookups" (Water/Electric only). ➡️Dispersed Camping: Free, located on public land (BLM), zero amenities. For the truly self-sufficient. 💡Pro Tip: State parks book fast. If you see a cancellation, grab it immediately!
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