Not on the beach. Clearwater's code bans camping on the sand (Sec. 22.38) and sleeping in any vehicle on public property (Sec. 21.10), and the city says no beach lot fits an RV. The closest all-ages park with posted rates is Clearwater RV Resort on Gulf to Bay Boulevard, about 15 minutes from Pier 60 ($75 a night through October 31). For tents, Fort De Soto's 236-site campground charges $45.77 to $53.68 a night.
Key takeaways
- There's no RV park or campground on Clearwater Beach. The nearest RV parks are on the mainland, 15 to 30 minutes from Pier 60 with no traffic.
- Sun Retreats Dunedin, Caladesi RV Park and Bay Aire sit on Alt. 19 by Jolley Trolley Coastal route stops. That's a ride of roughly 40 minutes or more to the beach, with no transfer.
- Bay Aire and Yankee Traveler are 55+. A winter month costs $1,250 to $1,500 at Bay Aire (electric included) and $1,275 plus electric at Yankee Traveler.
- Fort De Soto books up to six months ahead (seven for Pinellas residents) and caps stays at 14 nights in any 30 days.
- You can camp legally by boat on the north end of Anclote Key and in Shell Key Preserve ($6 a day permit). Caladesi Island's marina has been day-use only since September 29, 2026.
Can you camp or sleep in an RV on Clearwater Beach?
No. Three sections of Clearwater's Code of Ordinances rule it out:
- Sec. 22.38 (Camping) bars tents, shelters and camping vehicles such as "a house trailer, camp trailer, camp wagon or the like" from any public beach or park property for camping. The only exception is an area set aside by special event permit.
- Sec. 21.10 (Lodging in vehicles) makes it unlawful to lodge in or about any car, truck, trailer or RV on a public street, park, right-of-way, parking lot or other public property in the city. Its single exception covers designated city lots around the Harborview Center downtown, and only with express permission.
- Sec. 21.21 bans "lodging out-of-doors" on public property. The definition includes laying down a sleeping bag or bedding to sleep.
The city's beach parking page says it plainly: "there are no RV parks or lots that can accommodate RVs on Clearwater Beach." Our Clearwater Beach rules guide covers tents and canopies for day visitors, and the free and overnight parking guide covers leaving a car overnight.
Which RV parks and campgrounds are closest to Clearwater Beach?
The first table ranks nine parks by drive time to Pier 60 and names the nearest trolley or bus stop. The second lists rates and rules from each park's own website as of October 2026, with the season each rate covers. Where a park says so, rates are for two people. Tax and extra-person fees come on top.
Distance and transit, closest first (by drive time)
| Park (address) | What you can stay in | Drive to Pier 60 (free-flow estimate) | Nearest trolley or bus stop |
|---|---|---|---|
| Clearwater RV Resort, 2946 Gulf to Bay Blvd., Clearwater | RV sites; park models (long term) | 7.6 mi, about 15 min | Gulf to Bay Blvd. at Bayview Ave., at the entrance. Route 70 runs to the Park Street Terminal downtown, where you can catch the Suncoast Beach Trolley or the Coastal route to the beach. |
| Yankee Traveler RV Resort (55+), 8500 Ulmerton Rd., Largo | RV sites; no tents | 9.6 mi, about 19 min | Ulmerton Rd. at Tall Pines Dr., at the entrance (Routes 59 and 300). Route 59 reaches Indian Rocks Beach, where the Suncoast Beach Trolley runs north. |
| Sun Retreats Dunedin (formerly Dunedin RV Resort), 2920 Alt. 19 N., Dunedin | RV sites; park models (long term) | 9.8 mi, about 20 min | Alt. 19, about 0.15 mi away. Jolley Trolley Coastal route, one seat to the beach. |
| Caladesi RV Park, 205 Dempsey Rd., Palm Harbor | RV sites | 10.5 mi, about 20 min | Alt. 19 at Tampa Rd., next to the park. Coastal route, one seat. |
| Vacation Village RV Resort, 6900 Ulmerton Rd., Largo | RV sites | 11.6 mi, about 20 min | Ulmerton Rd. at Rodgers Ave., at the entrance (Routes 59 and 300). Same Route 59 transfer as Yankee Traveler. |
| Bay Aire RV Park (55+), 2242 Alt. 19, Palm Harbor | RV sites (170); no tents | 12.0 mi, about 23 min | Alt. 19, at the entrance. Coastal route, one seat. |
| St. Petersburg/Madeira Beach KOA, 5400 95th St. N., St. Petersburg | RV, tent sites, cabins | 17.4 mi, about 27 min | Route 18 stop about 0.4 mi away, to the Park Street Terminal. The Suncoast Beach Trolley on Gulf Blvd. is about 2 mi away. |
| Clearwater/Lake Tarpon KOA, 37061 U.S. 19 N., Palm Harbor | RV, tent sites, cabins | 16.0 mi, about 30 min | Route 19 on U.S. 19, at the entrance. No beach trolley nearby; the closest Coastal route stop is about 1.6 mi away on Alt. 19. |
| Fort De Soto Campground, 3500 Pinellas Bayway S., Tierra Verde | Tent and RV sites | 30.1 mi, about 47 min (longer in real traffic) | None. The nearest stop is about 5 mi away. |
These are router estimates with no traffic, not timed drives. Add time for the Memorial Causeway on a beach weekend.
Rates and rules (as of October 2026)
| Park | Night / week / month | Age rule | Max rig | Pets | Booking window | Rate source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clearwater RV Resort | May 1 to Oct. 31, 2026: $75 / $375 / $875 a month plus electric. Winter 2026-27 rates not posted; last winter's were $105 / $620 / $1,480 a month plus electric. | All ages | Not stated | Policy not stated; the park lists a dog park | Not published; 25% deposit | Park rates page |
| Yankee Traveler RV Resort | Through Oct. 31, 2026: $52 / $310 / $930 a month plus electric. Nov. 1, 2026 to April 30, 2027: $71 / $425 / $1,275 a month plus electric. The pet row costs more. | 55+ | Length not stated. RVs must be under 15 years old; no pop-ups, truck campers, buses or tents. | One dog of 15 lb or less, pet row only, Nov. to April | For January to March dates: 6-month stays from April 1, 4-month from May 1, 3-month from June 1, others from July 1 | Rate schedule effective May 1, 2026 |
| Sun Retreats Dunedin | Not published; online quote only | All ages | 45 ft | Yes | Not published | Operator's resort page |
| Caladesi RV Park | The posted rate sheet is from May 2022 to May 2023, so call 727-784-3622 | No age limit stated (advertises as kid friendly) | Varies by site; management assigns one that fits | Dogs yes, cats no | Not published | Park site (outdated sheet) |
| Vacation Village RV Resort | Not published; online quote only | No age limit stated | Not stated | Yes, no vicious breeds | Not published | Operator's resort page |
| Bay Aire RV Park | Electric included. May to Oct.: $65 / $375 / $785. Nov. to Dec.: $110 / $585 / $1,250. Jan. to April: $145 / $695 / $1,500. | 55+, gated | 42 ft | Up to 2 dogs; some breeds restricted | Not published | May 2026 to May 2027 rate sheet |
| St. Petersburg/Madeira Beach KOA | Nightly not published. Summer 2026 monthly rate started at $1,199 plus electric; no winter monthly rate posted. | No age limit stated | 60 ft | Dog park on site | Not published | KOA campground pages |
| Clearwater/Lake Tarpon KOA | RV sites from $69 a night. Monthly (April to Dec. only): $750 or $850 plus metered electric. | No age limit stated | 65 ft | Yes, with dog park | Not published; $250 deposit for monthly | KOA campground pages |
| Fort De Soto Campground | $45.77 to $53.68 a night with tax. No weekly or monthly rates. | Public; one camper must be 18+ | Sites 1 to 85: trailers under 16 ft. Sites 86 to 236: all units. | Sites 86 to 164 only | 6 months ahead (7 for Pinellas residents) | Pinellas County camping page |
"Not stated" means the park's website doesn't say, not that there's no limit. If your rig is long or your dog is big, ask before you book. Before a beach day with your dog, check where dogs are allowed on the beach.
Method: On October 5, 2026, we read each park's own rates, rules and FAQ pages and recorded only what each states. We geocoded each address with the U.S. Census Geocoder (Fort De Soto's campground and Sun Retreats Dunedin used map coordinates from OpenStreetMap and the operator's page) and asked the public FOSSGIS Valhalla router (OpenStreetMap data, no live traffic) for the drive to Pier 60. Nearest stops come from PSTA's GTFS schedule feed for November 30, 2025 to June 6, 2026, the latest copy we could download, checked against PSTA's current route page. Limits: drive times are estimates, bus routes change between schedule periods, and parks reprice often.
How do you book Fort De Soto's campground?
Fort De Soto is the only family campground on Pinellas County's camping page and the only public campground in this guide you can drive into. Its 236 sites sit inside the park at 3500 Pinellas Bayway S. in Tierra Verde. Every site has water and electric hookups (30- to 50-amp service), a picnic table and a charcoal grill. There are showers, coin laundry, dump stations and a camp store.
- Where to book: explore.pinellas.gov, or call 727-582-2100 (option 2, weekdays 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.).
- When: up to six months before arrival, or seven for Pinellas County residents, who must show a Florida ID and a current utility bill at check-in.
- How long: no more than 14 nights in any 30-day period.
- Which site: sites 1 to 85 are for tents, vans, pop-ups and trailers shorter than 16 feet. Sites 86 to 236 take any unit. Pets are allowed only on sites 86 to 164.
- Rules: six people per site, check-in after 1 p.m., checkout at 11 a.m., gate locked 9 p.m. to 5:30 a.m. Cancel three or more days out and you pay $10. Inside two days you lose a night.
As of early October 2026, the county's know-before-you-go page lists road and trail repaving in the park through early 2027, plus boat ramp dock work, but no campground closure. Getting to Clearwater Beach from here is a long drive over the tolled Pinellas Bayway, so treat it as a day out. Our guide to Pinellas Bayway tolls lists what you'll pay. Our Fort De Soto guide covers the drive and the park's own beaches.
With a six-month window, January dates open in July. For a waterfront site in peak season, set a reminder for the day yours opens. Each person can make one reservation per day.
Which parks are 55+ or built for monthly snowbird stays?
Here's what a winter costs on the published rate sheets. For the weather side, see what a Clearwater winter is like.
- Bay Aire RV Park (55+, Palm Harbor): $1,100 a month if you stay the full six months, November 1 to April 30. That's $6,600 for the season, electric included. The four-month rate is $1,300 a month. Leave early and you owe the difference from the standard rate, and November to April deposits aren't refundable.
- Yankee Traveler RV Resort (55+, Largo): six months costs $6,375 plus electric for November 2026 to April 2027. A one-month deposit holds stays of two months or more and comes back in full if you cancel 60 or more days out.
- Clearwater RV Resort (all ages): last winter's sheet offered prepaid three-month ($3,750) and four-month ($4,600) specials plus electric. The 2026-27 sheet wasn't posted in early October, so ask.
- Clearwater/Lake Tarpon KOA and Fort De Soto: no winter-long stays. The KOA takes monthly guests only from April through December, and Fort De Soto caps stays at 14 nights in 30 days.
Both 55+ parks have fine print. Yankee Traveler takes self-contained RVs under 15 years old and allows one small dog, only on its pet row, only in winter. Bay Aire bars tents, generators and golf carts. If you're weighing a condo instead, our snowbird guide to Clearwater Beach covers monthly rentals and costs, and our guide to condo rentals versus hotels compares costs and rental rules.
Can you camp on an island near Clearwater?
Yes, in two places. Both need your own boat.
Anclote Key Preserve State Park. Florida State Parks allows primitive camping on the very north end of Anclote Key, about three miles off Tarpon Springs. There's a compostable toilet and no water, so bring everything. The park lists no fee. Day-trip ferries won't drop off overnight campers, and dogs are allowed only on North Anclote Bar. Three Rooker Island belongs to the same preserve, but the park lists camping only on Anclote Key; our Three Rooker Island guide covers day trips. Call the park at 727-241-6106 before you go. In early October 2026 its amenities page still carried an October 2024 notice that the dock, boardwalk and lighthouse were closed for storm recovery.
Shell Key Preserve. Pinellas County allows primitive camping in the southern Public Use Area of Shell Key, near Fort De Soto. You need a permit ($6 a day, up to six people), a registered vessel, photo ID and a portable toilet you carry out. Pets and alcohol are banned, and so are campfires from May 1 to September 30 ($118 fine). Overnight parking is allowed only at the Fort De Soto boat ramp, which charges its own fee. As of early October 2026 the county says most of that ramp's floating docks are out of service and ramps are closing in phases for dock replacement, so check the county's know-before-you-go page before you launch.
Caladesi Island State Park is off the list for now. Its overnight option is sleeping aboard your boat in the marina, and a park notice effective September 29, 2026, says the docks are day-use only and "overnight marina accommodations are not available." Our Caladesi Island guide covers day visits.
Where do you park an RV for a day at Clearwater Beach?
Leave it at the park. The city's parking page says no lots on the beach can take RVs, and it doesn't list height clearances for the island's garages. The big garages (the Hyatt garage at 301 S. Gulfview Blvd., Surf Style at 311 S. Gulfview, Opal Sol at 400 Coronado Dr. and the North Beach Parking Plaza at 490 Poinsettia Ave.) are privately run, so whether an RV fits is the operator's call.
The code adds three more reasons:
- Sec. 30.054 bars parking a motor home, travel trailer, camping trailer or boat trailer on any public street right-of-way next to residentially zoned property, apart from loading, unloading or cleaning finished within six hours.
- Sec. 30.096(3) caps any stay in a city lot or garage at 72 hours unless you arrange it in advance with the city's parking division. Our guide to parking fines and towing covers what happens if you break the rules.
- Sec. 21.10 applies the moment anyone sleeps in the rig.
The city also bans all public parking north of the Acacia roundabout. If you tow a car, unhook at the park and drive that. Our Clearwater Beach parking guide lists the lots, garages and current rates for a normal car.
How do you get from an RV park to the beach without driving the rig?
Pick a park on a trolley line and the RV can stay hooked up all week. As of October 2026, PSTA charges $2.25 a ride, capped at $5 a day and $85 a calendar month if you tap the same card or phone or use Flamingo Fares. Cash riders pay every time.
- Sun Retreats Dunedin, Caladesi RV Park and Bay Aire: all three are on Alt. 19, where the Jolley Trolley Coastal route stops. PSTA's timetable shows 36 minutes from Bayshore Boulevard at Causeway Boulevard to the Clearwater Beach Transit Center and 42 minutes back north; Caladesi and Bay Aire are a few stops farther up Alt. 19. The trolley runs hourly and stops earlier Sunday to Thursday. Our Clearwater Beach without a car guide has the full schedule.
- Clearwater RV Resort: Route 70 from the entrance to the Park Street Terminal downtown, then the Suncoast Beach Trolley or the Coastal route across the causeway.
- Yankee Traveler and Vacation Village: Route 59 on Ulmerton Road runs to Indian Rocks Beach, where you can catch the Suncoast Beach Trolley north along Gulf Boulevard to Clearwater Beach.
- Both KOAs and Fort De Soto: you'll want a car.
The bus route numbers come from PSTA's spring 2026 schedule feed, so check PSTA's trip planner before you rely on them.
Rates and rules come from each park's own website, Pinellas County's camping and park rules pages, and Florida State Parks' Anclote Key and Caladesi Island pages, read October 5, 2026. Code sections come from Clearwater's Code of Ordinances on Municode (codified through January 15, 2026). We didn't stay at, call or tour any park. We're an independent guide, and no park, campground or agency named here pays us.
Frequently asked questions
Can you camp on Clearwater Beach?
No. Clearwater code Sec. 22.38 bans tents, shelters and camping vehicles on any public beach for camping, unless a special event permit sets an area aside. Sec. 21.21 also bans sleeping out on public property.
Can I sleep in my RV or van at a beach parking lot?
No. Sec. 21.10 makes it unlawful to lodge in any car, truck, trailer or RV on public streets, parks, rights-of-way or parking lots anywhere in Clearwater. The city also says no beach lot can take an RV.
What's the closest RV park to Clearwater Beach?
Clearwater RV Resort at 2946 Gulf to Bay Blvd., at 7.6 miles and about 15 minutes to Pier 60 by our no-traffic router estimate. For a one-seat trolley ride, Sun Retreats Dunedin, Caladesi RV Park and Bay Aire (55+) sit on the Jolley Trolley Coastal route about 10 to 12 road miles north.
Is there a campground for tents near Clearwater Beach?
Fort De Soto Park's campground in Tierra Verde takes tents, about 30 road miles south. Both KOAs (Palm Harbor and St. Petersburg) also have tent sites. Bay Aire and Yankee Traveler don't allow tents.
Are there 55+ RV parks near Clearwater?
Yes. Bay Aire RV Park in Palm Harbor and Yankee Traveler RV Resort in Largo are both 55+. Bay Aire charges $1,500 a month from January to April, electric included. Yankee Traveler charges $1,275 a month plus electric from November 2026 to April 2027.
Can you camp on Caladesi Island?
Not right now. Caladesi's overnight option is sleeping aboard your boat in its marina, and a notice effective September 29, 2026 says the docks are day-use only. Anclote Key's north end and Shell Key Preserve allow primitive camping if you arrive by private boat.
Sources
- City of Clearwater Code of Ordinances, Secs. 21.10, 21.21, 22.38, 30.054 and 30.096, via Municode (codified through Ord. 9859-26, January 15, 2026). library.municode.com
- City of Clearwater, List of Beach Parking Lots & Garages (RV statement, garage operators, Acacia roundabout rule). myclearwater.com
- Pinellas County, Camping Information (Fort De Soto rates, reservations, rules; Shell Key permits). pinellas.gov
- Pinellas County, Fort De Soto Park and Park Rules pages. pinellas.gov
- Pinellas County, County Parks Know Before You Go (Fort De Soto paving and boat ramp notices). pinellas.gov
- Pinellas County campground reservation system. explore.pinellas.gov
- Florida State Parks, Anclote Key Preserve State Park, park and experiences pages. floridastateparks.org
- Florida State Parks, Caladesi Island State Park (Know Before You Go notice effective September 29, 2026). floridastateparks.org
- Clearwater/Lake Tarpon KOA, campground and extended stay pages. koa.com
- St. Petersburg/Madeira Beach KOA, campground and extended stay pages. koa.com
- Sun Retreats Dunedin, resort page and FAQ. sunoutdoors.com
- Vacation Village RV Resort, resort page and policies. rvonthego.com
- Bay Aire RV Park, home, Map & Rates (May 2026 to May 2027) and Rules & Regulations. bayairervpark.com
- Yankee Traveler RV Resort, Rates & Guidelines (effective May 1, 2026). yankeetraveler.net
- Clearwater RV Resort, Rates, About and Contact pages. clearwaterrvresort.com
- Caladesi RV Park, home, FAQ and Rules/Policies pages. caladesirvparkpalmharbor.com
- PSTA, Fares and Jolley Trolley Coastal Route pages; PSTA GTFS feed (November 30, 2025 to June 6, 2026). psta.net
- Drive distances and times: FOSSGIS Valhalla router on OpenStreetMap data, with addresses geocoded by the U.S. Census Geocoder, October 2026. Estimates only.
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