The days of heading down to Canaveral National Seashore in Florida and walking up to obtain a backcountry camping reservation are gone. Beginning this Friday backcountry camping reservations for one of the 14 island campsites at the national seashore must be made online.
Seashore officials say the decision to go with recreation.gov for the reservations stems from visitors wanting a "user friendly, more efficient way" to obtain a reservation.
Additionally, seashore officials have decided to bring an end to backcountry beach camping at Canaveral, saying "the safety of the visitor and the protection of the resource were both factors in this decision."
Comments
I think ithese changes are for the worse: More mechanization and less of the real old Florida. Having immediate access for backcountry camping is absurd. This type of camping is about getting away from electronics and phones. Now it is plan ahead and try to get online, try to get the site to work correctly and try to get a reservation. Oh, and try to get it to accept our ACCESS Pass. Then having to have a credit card.
It is especially bad given that some walks are NOW REQUIRING a Backcountry Permit. So I go down to the Seashore to gegt away from it all and guess what, Park is packed. So I want to go?
Now, we ae not allowed to camp on the Beach?? And "officials decided" to end it for the "safety of the visitor..."? What is less safe about camping on the backcountry beach than on one of the backcountry island sites?
Sorry, but I am very disappointed in these revisions to Beach Access.
Florida carves up all it's land, especially beach front property so of course people are going to crowd into the remaining spaces in national parks. The old florida died about 10 million people ago.
This Really Stinks and its spelled m-a-n-a-g-e-m-e-n-t!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!