Our spot at the Hideaway Retreat was perfect!

I've looked for a campground at the beach since we bought our pop up.  Most "beach campgrounds" are near the beach or in an unattractive parking lot style campground.  While these options may work for some campers, these places just aren't my style.  We recently discovered a place that could be the unicorn of beach campgrounds.  We loved it so much, and I cannot wait to book our next trip!  

Our campsite at the Hideaway was possibly the best site in the campground!

Hideaway Retreat Campground Review - Navarre, Florida

The Florida panhandle has lovely beaches with crystal clear water and soft white sand.  We have traveled to Seagrove Beach along 30A for years.  It is by far one of our favorites.  However, we finally made a change to a new spot, and I'm so glad we did.  Navarre Beach is an old Florida style town that should not be missed.  

The office at the Hideaway Retreat is in the middle of the campground surrounded by beautiful greenery.

The Hideaway Retreat Campground is tucked into a shady nook opening onto the sound side of the Gulf.  While it is bordered by busy Highway 98 at the entrance, it ceases to exist once you turn into the campground and arrive at your spot.  I read a couple of reviews for The Hideaway by chance a couple of years ago and put it on my radar.  It took some time to get there, but we did it this fall.  

Described as old school, boutique camping, I immediately fell in love as we drove up to the office for our check in.  Each spot is unique in shape and size where it melds into the space around.  There is plenty of shade from the old trees throughout the campground.  In the Florida summer heat, this is a welcome amenity in my book!

The mixture of grassy spots and trees throughout the campground are welcoming and homey.

Our campsite was right on the water with a large shady yard.

First, the campground staff is super helpful and organized.  We booked site 37, which is probably the best site in the campground.  It is a spacious motor home site and provides views of the water and easy access to the sandy beach below.  The only downside to this spot is that it is a motor home site.  If you are in a travel trailer, like us, the hook ups are on the wrong side.  This was still not a deal breaker for us.  We made it work.  And the staff called us a couple of days in advance to let us know about the hookup locations when they saw we were coming in with a travel trailer.  Obviously, they prepare for guests and want to make sure that they were comfortable.  We brought our sewer hose extender to use when we needed to dump our tanks.  We had plenty of length for the water.  And they had an extension cord for our electrical plug that we could use.  GREAT service.  Before we arrived, I felt good about this experience.  And the staff at the Hideaway delivered during our entire stay.

The spots throughout the campground are different sizes and fit different campers.

Site 45 next to us was also a waterfront site and well laid out.

Trees line the campground paths and each site throughout.

Due to all of the trees, the staff likes to know your anticipated arrival time and will help you get to your site by guiding you through the campground on a golf cart.  Given the amount of trees, this was welcome help.  And it also shows their attention to details.  The trees are NOT a problem.  I loved the area because of the trees, but with an RV you do have to be aware of height and turns.  It was no problem for us, and I loved it.

The narrow strip of beach at the campground was perfect for walking and playing.

What else did the campground have to offer?  There is a raised sandy area above the water if you would like to sit and enjoy the view or play in the sand.  There is plenty of room to set up beach chairs, toys, an umbrella and more.  The planned, sandy seating area is a perfect hang out spot, and lots of campers could be found there at all times during the day.

This is a perfect spot for camping with children.  The water is not rough on the sound side and is shallow.  So, children can play along the water with ease.  Lots of kids were fishing, playing on paddle boards, kayaks and more.  Adults were doing the same.  

There is a narrow strip of beach along the water if you wanted to set up there.  We chose not to do that because our site was literally right on the water.  We would go down to the water to play or wade and come back to our chairs on and off throughout the day.  Plus, you can also take your dogs down to the beach at this campground.  Several campers, including us, took our dogs down to the beach to walk along the sand.  

An evening meal at sunset with fish tacos was an excellent way to end the day.

I enjoyed the ability to cook meals outdoors with a view of the water.  Our son could play until meals were served, and we could enjoy the entire day right there on the water.  It was great!  The slow pace of each day during our stay was perfection.  

You are still close to the Gulf side of the beach.  We decided to take one afternoon and go over to Opal Beach.  It is located along the National Park system.  It was about a 20 minute drive from the campground.  You can pay your entrance fee ahead of time and show your pass to the park ranger when entering.  Opal Beach has that wonderful crystal blue water and is very clean.  There are restroom facilities and plenty of room to spread out.  The entrance fee was $25 for the day.  However if you are over the age of 62, you might want to explore the Senior Lifetime Pass for $80.  This provides both entrance and discounts at National Park locations and more around the county.  It is a great value.  If you do a lot of traveling, Senior Lifetime Passes provide you access to:

• National Park Service
• US Fish & Wildlife Service
• Bureau of Land Management
• Bureau of Reclamation
• US Forest Service
• US Army Corps of Engineers

Opal Beach is located within the National Park System and has pristine beaches to enjoy!

The jellyfish were a fun distraction to watch.

Our day at Opal Beach was exciting due to a large number of jelly fish in the water.  They were very large and fun to observe.  This is one of the most exciting parts of camping to our son.  He loves seeing all of the different creatures on our travels.  Our beach day in Navarre was no different.  I would encourage you to make a trip over the Opal beach.  There are also public beaches without the entrance fee at Opal Beach, but my husband and I love National Park locations and feel they are well worth it.

The historic red brick road in Milton is a fun place to explore.

The fried shrimp at Where Y'At Seafood was delicious and fresh!  This should be a stop on your trip.

While we were in Navarre, we took a little side trip up to Milton.  There is an old brick road that was built in the 1920s.  It was used at that time for cars.  It is now a pedestrian and bike path.  We enjoyed biking on the historic road one afternoon while there.  One the way home we stopped at Where Y'At Seafood.  This is a great down home seafood spot.  We enjoyed fried shrimp and po boys on our evening meal.  They have both indoor and outdoor seating.  It is low key and fresh.  They also have a fish market.  We drove up and grabbed some fish for tacos the next night.  

We loved every sunset at our campsite.  The views were stunning.

None of us were ready to leave on our last day, especially our littlest camper!

We soaked up every minute at the Hideaway Retreat.  This was just what our family needed to disconnect with the busy week routines and reconnect with each other. If you are looking for a new camping destination, put this one on your list!  It was an excellent experience all the way around.  You could pull into the campground and never leave or find little excursions and things to do it you choose.  Either way, Navarre and the Hideaway Retreat is an excellent beach vacation!

Until next time...happy camping!

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