Floridians will soon have edge on out-of-towners in booking state park camping sites

Whether it’s spending a night or two near the stalactites and stalagmites at Florida Caverns or mere steps away from an aquatic adventure at Bahia Honda, residents of the Sunshine State will have a competitive edge over out-of-towners when it comes to snagging a state park camping reservation.

Starting Jan. 1, residents can book a campsite at any of Florida’s 57 state parks that allow camping up to 11 months ahead of time, whereas nonresidents can do so up to 10 months in advance.

Floridians will have to show proof of residency in the form of a valid Florida driver license or state ID card when making the reservation more than 10 months in advance.

More: Can GL Homes bring an ATV park to Loxahatchee? A commissioner wants to make it happen

This is only a slight departure from current operations. Right now, anyone can call or go online to make a Florida state park camping reservation up to 11 months in advance.

But the move should benefit residents, as 61% of reservations made in recent years were made by Floridians.

This change costs the Florida Department of Environmental Protection a one-time fee of $238,000 to alter the reservation software that would allow residency certification, which the department would absorb, according to a state Senate analysis of the bill that would eventually become law.

Photos: Actors re-create 1870s cow camp in of central Florida

How to find a campsite in Florida and what to know about making a reservation at a state park

You can experience sleeping among nature at nearly one-third of Florida’s 175 state parks. But camping isn’t limited to just pitching a tent.

There’s RV camping, which you can do at 52 state parks; you can go primitive camping at 28 state parks; and why not try “glamping,” or glamorous camping, at eight state parks (but it’s booked through third-party vendors)? Equestrian camping, boat camping or booking a cabin also are available.

Thirty-seven out of Florida’s 67 counties have at least one state park that allows camping. Marion County has the most with six parks, followed by four in Monroe County and three in both Alachua and Hillsborough counties.

Camping fees range from $1 to $60, depending on the site and type of camping, which doesn't include the $6.70 reservation fee for all sites except primitive sites. Renting a cabin will cost more.

The state park with the most campground reservations in the past year was Anastasia State Park in St. Augustine with 16,046 reservations, according to DEP. Falling Waters State Park in Chipley had the fewest reservations with 727.

Reservations can be made online at reserve.floridastateparks.org or by calling 800-326-3521 (TDD 888-433-0287) between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. Florida residents who are 65 or older, are disabled or operate a licensed family foster home can get a 50% discount on the base camping fee.

More: Bucket list: 55 fun must-try things to do in Palm Beach County

Same-day reservations can be made up until 1 p.m.

New dates are available each day at 8 a.m., according to the Florida State Parks website, and new camping sites become available throughout the day if there is a cancellation.

Canceling a reservation will result in a $17.75 fee per reservation, and doing so on the day of arrival will also cost the first night’s use fee. If a reservation is canceled within 24 hours of booking, cancellation and reservation fees will be waived.

The longest you can stay under one reservation is 14 nights. If the campsite is particularly popular at that time, you have to leave the park for at least three nights. But if there is more availability, a park manager has the discretion to extend a camper’s stay for another two weeks, but the maximum continuous stay at one park is 28 days.

Campers can reserve up to 56 days at one park in a six-month period, from October through March or April through September.

Hannah Morse covers consumer issues for The Palm Beach Post. Drop a line at hmorse@pbpost.com, call 561-820-4833 or follow her on Twitter @mannahhorse.

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Camping near me: Florida residents can book sites early ahead tourists