Camping Near Sebastian — Sebastian, Florida

Public camping near Sebastian is spread across four sites run by two agencies. Florida State Parks operates the campground at Sebastian Inlet State Park on the barrier island and the hike-in and equestrian sites of St. Sebastian River Preserve State Park west of the city. Indian River County operates Donald MacDonald Park and Campground on the Saint Sebastian River at 12315 Roseland Road, Sebastian, and primitive camping at Middleton's Fish Camp Park on Blue Cypress Lake in the western part of the county.

The four Sebastian-area sites cover a wide range of styles. At one end, Sebastian Inlet State Park offers 51 campsites with water and electrical hook-ups a short walk from the Atlantic beach. At the other, St. Sebastian River Preserve State Park has six hike-in tent sites where campers pack in all food, water and firewood. Donald MacDonald Park sits between them, with 26 primitive campsites beside the river. For Sebastian, a city of 25,759 residents according to the U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023, two of the four sites are county parks inside Indian River County, and the preserve campsites are split between Indian River and Brevard counties.

The hook-up campground near Sebastian is at Sebastian Inlet State Park, 9700 South Highway A1A in Melbourne Beach. On its experiences and amenities page, Florida State Parks describes the tent and RV campground as a mere stone's throw from the inlet and a short stroll from the beach. All 51 campsites have water and electrical hook-ups, a fire ring with grill and a picnic table, and accessible sites are available. The Sebastian Inlet campground also has accessible restrooms, a dump station, a Wi-Fi hotspot near the marina and laundry facilities for registered campers. The maximum RV length is 40 feet.

Reservations for Sebastian Inlet State Park go through the Florida State Parks reservations website or the call center at 800-326-3521. Well-behaved pets are allowed in the campground but are prohibited on the beach under the park's pet policy. The park lists an $8 per vehicle fee and is open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Since November 12, 2025, the South Ranger Station at Sebastian Inlet has kept standard park hours of 8 a.m. to sunset, with after-hours access there for registered campers or visitors with an annual visitor entrance pass and an after-hours permit, while the North Ranger Station continues to operate 24 hours a day.

Sebastian Inlet State Park also has a rougher option. Florida State Parks lists primitive camping at the Campbell Pocket Marina, where most sites are walk-in or carry-in, although a couple can accommodate a vehicle drive up and drop off. Non-motorized boats can be launched at Campbell Pocket Marina, and pets are permitted at the primitive sites in accordance with the park's pet policy.

Indian River County's Donald MacDonald Park and Campground, at 12315 Roseland Road, Sebastian, is the county campground on the Saint Sebastian River in northern Indian River County. The 37.19 acre park has 26 primitive campsites, including one group or double site, and every site has a fire pit and picnic table. The county fee list gives primitive sites 1 to 26 at $25 a night and electric sites 27 to 30 at $35 a night, while the park description on the same county page refers to 5 sites with electricity, so the two parts of the page differ on the exact count of powered sites.

Stay rules at Donald MacDonald are set by Indian River County. There is a two-week maximum limit on visits with a one week break between visits, and guest visits may not exceed 6 total weeks per year. Check-in is after 2 p.m. and check-out by noon, quiet hours run from 10 p.m. to 7 a.m., and campsites are limited to 2 vehicles and 2 tents. Pets are allowed on a 6 foot leash, generators are not permitted, and only small hospitality fires in the fire pits are allowed. The county notes that RVs over 30 feet are best suited for the Indian River County Fairgrounds Campground, while the Sebastian Inlet State Park campground lists a 40 foot maximum.

The Roseland Road campground ties into the Saint Sebastian River paddling route. Indian River County describes a three to four hour paddle from the Sebastian Canoe Launch, on the South Prong of the Saint Sebastian River at 9800 Canoe Launch Cove, north toward Donald MacDonald Park, Dale Wimbrow Park or the Indian River Lagoon. Dale Wimbrow Park, also on Roseland Road at 11805 Roseland Road, has a boat launch, pavilions and a fenced playground, but it is a day-use park.

St. Sebastian River Preserve State Park, with its address at 1000 Buffer Preserve Drive, Fellsmere, offers hike-in camping west of Sebastian. Florida State Parks lists primitive tent camping at six campsites, all hike-in only. Two are on the north side of the preserve in Brevard County off County Road 507, and four are on the south side in Indian River County off County Road 512. According to the hours and fees page, there are currently no entrance fees for the St. Sebastian River Preserve, and it is open 8 a.m. to sunset, 365 days a year.

Camping in the St. Sebastian River Preserve takes planning. Per the preserve camping rules, reservations are required and are made by phone with the park, payable by cash or check, and campers must provide vehicle tag numbers for each vehicle staying overnight. The County Road 512 and County Road 507 entrance gates are locked at sunset, and a camper's combination is available. Firewood collection is prohibited, so campers pack in all food, water and firewood and pack out all trash. Hammock camping is allowed. Five of the six sites can take groups of up to 20 people, at $5 per person, per night.

The St. Sebastian River Preserve also serves horse campers. Florida State Parks lists Storytelling Camp, also called Horsemen's Headquarters, in Brevard County with five paddocks and a picnic pavilion; Ranch Camp in Indian River County with four paddocks; and Eagle Camp in Indian River County, a ride-in-only site requiring a 5-mile ride each way from the parking area. Riders must carry proof of a negative Coggins test at all times.

Further west, Middleton's Fish Camp Park, a 23 acre Indian River County park at 7400 Blue Cypress Lake Road, lists primitive camping along with two boat ramps, a floating dock and restrooms with showers. The county describes Blue Cypress Lake as the largest lake in Indian River County and the origin of the St. Johns River. Rules at Middleton's Fish Camp prohibit pets, alcohol and fires.

Most other public parks around Sebastian do not allow overnight stays. Indian River County pages for Dale Wimbrow Park, Wabasso Causeway Park and the Sebastian Canoe Launch each list No camping under County Ordinance 205.03.16 and No overnight parking under County Ordinance 205.03.19. Wabasso Causeway Park, a 13.4 acre county park on County Road 510, offers shoreline for fishing and canoe launching from 7 a.m. to sunset, but not camping.

Camping at Sebastian Inlet is also shaped by the inlet itself. The Sebastian Inlet District, created in 1919 by special act of the Florida State Legislature, notes that park access, fishing piers and catwalks, boat launches and campground reservations are directed by the Florida Park Service. The District's inlet history records that the Florida Department of Transportation will begin replacing the Sebastian Inlet bridge in 2026, and Florida State Parks warned that bridge construction scheduled from May 2026 could change the campground entrance and that impacts may lead to cancelation of camping reservations.