Booking Hontoon Island camping online is fairly straightforward once you know where to look and how far ahead you can reserve. With only a limited number of tent sites and cabins available, understanding the reservation window, accommodation choices, and ferry access can help you secure the stay you want.

Use the Florida State Parks Reservation System

Start by visiting the official Florida State Parks reservation website and searching for Hontoon Island State Park. The park currently offers 12 primitive tent sites, six rustic cabins, and overnight boat slips, all in an island setting accessible only by private boat or park ferry.

Choose your arrival and departure dates, then review the accommodation options showing as available. Hontoon Island camping can fill up because the campground is small, so booking early gives you a better chance of finding suitable dates.

Florida residents can currently reserve campsites and cabins up to 11 months before their arrival date, while non-Florida residents can book up to 10 months ahead. New inventory becomes available each day at 8 a.m. Eastern Time, and canceled reservations are returned to availability throughout the day.

Florida residents who want to use the earlier booking window need to add a valid Florida driver's license or state ID number to their reservation profile. The information is verified and must be confirmed annually.

Choose a Tent Site or Rustic Cabin

Before completing your booking, decide which type of Hontoon Island camping experience suits you best. Primitive tent sites currently cost $25 per night plus tax. Each site has a picnic table, ground grill, and access to potable water, but there is no electricity and generators are not allowed.

Restrooms with hot and cold showers and flush toilets are located nearby. This gives tent campers some useful comforts while keeping the experience simple and close to nature.

If you would rather sleep indoors, Hontoon Island has six rustic one-room cabins. Current rates are $70 per night for cabins accommodating up to four people and $85 per night for cabins accommodating up to six, before applicable taxes and fees.

Cabins include bunk beds, linens, a ceiling fan, overhead lighting, one electrical outlet, and a screened porch. They do not have private bathrooms, kitchens, heating, or air conditioning, and cabin bookings require a minimum stay of two nights.

Complete the Booking and Review the Fees

Once you find suitable dates, follow the reservation system prompts to enter your guest details and complete payment. Florida State Parks reservations are made on a pay-in-advance basis, so payment is required when you finalize the booking.

Current statewide rules include a nonrefundable $6.70 reservation fee per reservation, although primitive sites are exempt from that reservation charge. Cabins and other qualifying overnight units are also generally subject to a nightly utility fee, while tent camping is not.

Review the final cost carefully before confirming because fees and policies can change. Hontoon Island's official page also allows reservations by phone at 866-455-2925 if you have trouble completing the booking online.

If your preferred dates are unavailable, keep checking. Cancellations are released back into the reservation system, so a campsite or cabin can become available after initially showing as fully booked.

Reservations can also be changed or canceled online under Florida State Parks' current policies. Changes generally need to be made before arrival and may involve a fee, so double-check your dates before completing the transaction.

Plan Your Ferry Arrival After Booking

Securing your reservation is only part of planning Hontoon Island camping. Unlike a conventional campground, you cannot drive directly to your campsite or cabin because Hontoon Island State Park is accessible only by boat or passenger ferry.

Mainland parking is located at 2309 River Ridge Road in DeLand, next to the dock for the park ferry. Current ferry service to the island begins at 8 a.m. and runs until two hours before sundown, while the last ferry leaves the island one hour before sundown.

The camping area sits about 0.3 miles from the ferry dock, concession, and ranger station. Campers staying in the cabins can unload their belongings after crossing and use park transportation to reach the cabin area.

Arriving earlier in the day gives you more time to move your equipment, settle in, and avoid rushing to catch one of the final ferry trips.

Making Hontoon Island camping reservations online is simple when you plan ahead: search the official reservation system, choose between a primitive campsite and cabin, book within your reservation window, review the costs, and prepare for ferry access.

Reserve early when possible, check current park and ferry information before traveling, and then focus on planning the best part of the trip—hiking, paddling, fishing, or simply slowing down beside the St. Johns River. Explore more Adventures Unbound destinations and start planning your Hontoon Island escape.