Can You Help Me Find Tent Camping Around Escambia County?
Updated: 3 days ago
Yes — Blackwater Joe's Canoes has riverside tent camping at 12375 Shammah Road in Holt, Florida, about an hour east of Pensacola and an easy drive from anywhere in Escambia County. We keep unlimited tent sites along the Blackwater River, starting at around $10 per person per night, so you can sleep beside the water and be in a canoe the next morning without moving your car.
The short version
We offer tent camping on the Blackwater River at 12375 Shammah Road, Holt, FL 32564, roughly an hour from most of Escambia County.
Tent sites are unlimited, so you are not competing for one of a handful of numbered pads.
Tent camping starts at around $10 per person per night — check current rates when you book.
Two rules we hold to: no generators, and no cutting trees.
Canoe, kayak and tube rentals launch from the same property, with the shuttle upstream included and a 5 p.m. take-out.
Call 850-803-2267 to book, especially for spring and fall weekends.
🏕️ Ready to pitch a tent beside the water? Take a look at our camping trips on the Blackwater River, then call us to check your dates.
What our tent sites are actually like
Our tent camping is simple. Sites sit under pines and hardwoods on sandy ground that drains fast after a summer shower and takes a stake well. You are a short walk from the water, so what you fall asleep to is the river moving over sand. Because the sites are unlimited rather than a fixed set of numbered pads, groups can spread out and still camp together. This is a working outfitter's riverbank, not a resort; if you want to know exactly what is on site, call us and we will tell you straight. Our rundown of places to camp along the Blackwater River covers the wider area.
The rules we hold to, and what to pack because of them
Two rules matter here. No generators — the point of this stretch of river is that it is quiet, and one motor at dusk undoes that for everybody. And no cutting trees, so bring firewood with you rather than planning to gather it. Beyond that, pack as for any simple riverside site: plenty of drinking water, a battery lantern or headlamp, a tarp, bug spray in the warm months, and bags to carry out what you carry in. We have also written about primitive camping nearby, if you like it stripped back further.
Pairing a tent night with a trip down the river
Most people who tent camp with us came for the river, and that part is easy: you do not have to drive anywhere for it. Canoes start at around $30 per person, kayaks around $40 and tubes around $20 — check current rates when you book. Every rental includes the boat, paddles, life jackets and our shuttle upstream, so you put in above us and float back down to camp. Trips run from about an hour to most of a day, and everyone needs to be off the water by our 5 p.m. take-out. Our canoe, kayak and tube trips page lays out what each boat suits.
The forest and river around your tent
Your tent sits on the edge of something much bigger. The Blackwater runs through Blackwater River State Forest, and the surrounding Blackwater Wildlife Management Area covers more than 200,000 acres of longleaf pine and wiregrass, with Atlantic white cedar standing along the river itself. That is why the nights are properly dark and the mornings are loud with birds. It also means there are hunting seasons worth knowing about if you are planning a fall trip — the FWC's Blackwater WMA page carries the season brochure and the rules on dogs.
The best times of year to tent camp here
Spring and fall are our best tent camping weather: warm days, cool nights, and a river that is pleasant rather than punishing. Summer is hot and busy, which is when the water is most welcome — expect afternoon thunderstorms and float in the morning. Weekends fill first in every season. There is more in our notes on tent camping in Escambia County.
Getting here from Pensacola and north Escambia County
We are in Holt, just east of the Okaloosa County line, and the drive from Escambia County is easy. From Pensacola, head east on I-10 and come off at the Holt exit — figure on roughly an hour, door to riverbank. From Cantonment and Molino, drop down to I-10 and run east; it works out about the same. From Century and the north end of the county, come south first and then east, and give yourself a little longer. Put 12375 Shammah Road, Holt, FL 32564 into your map app.
If a tent is not right for everyone in your group
Not everyone wants to sleep on the ground. We have six RV sites with hookups — four 30-amp and two 50-amp — and because there are only six, they go early. We also have three cabins by the river for anyone who wants a roof and a bed. Mixed groups do this all the time: one family in a cabin, the teenagers in tents.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you help me find tent camping around Escambia County?
Yes. Blackwater Joe's Canoes offers riverside tent camping at 12375 Shammah Road in Holt, Florida, about an hour east of Pensacola and within easy reach of all of Escambia County. Tent sites are unlimited and start at around $10 per person per night, and canoe, kayak and tube rentals launch from the same riverbank. Call 850-803-2267 to check dates and current rates.
How much does tent camping cost at Blackwater Joe's?
Tent camping starts at around $10 per person per night at Blackwater Joe's in Holt, Florida. Rates can change, so check the current price when you book on 850-803-2267. Canoe, kayak and tube rentals are priced separately.
Do I need to book a tent site in advance?
Tent sites at Blackwater Joe's are unlimited, so we can almost always fit one more tent on the riverbank. Calling ahead on 850-803-2267 is still the smart move for spring, summer and fall weekends, because it lets us line up a boat and shuttle time as well as a place to camp.
Are generators allowed at the tent sites?
No. We ask campers not to run generators at Blackwater Joe's, and not to cut any trees — those two rules keep the riverbank quiet and intact for everyone. If you want a fire, bring your own wood rather than gathering it, and call us before you travel in case dry-spell restrictions are in place.
What should I bring for a night of tent camping on the Blackwater River?
Bring plenty of drinking water, a tent and stakes that hold in sandy ground, a battery lantern or headlamp, a tarp for sudden Northwest Florida rain, bug spray in the warm months, firewood if you want a fire, and bags for packing your trash out. A dry bag for phones and keys is worth packing, and a proper sleeping bag matters between November and February.
Can I tent camp and rent a canoe or kayak on the same trip?
Yes. Tent camping and river rentals happen on the same property at Blackwater Joe's, 12375 Shammah Road in Holt, Florida. Canoes start at around $30 per person, kayaks around $40 and tubes around $20, with paddles, life jackets and the shuttle upstream included, and everyone off the water by the 5 p.m. take-out.
👉 Ready to get a tent site on the river? Look over our camping trips on the Blackwater River, then call us at 850-803-2267 and we will sort out your dates and a boat for the morning.
850-803-2267
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