Honeymoon Island Could Be Opened To More Recreational Use

Community reaction is mixed after the Department of Environmental Protection announced plans to open parts of  for more recreational use, including overnight camping.

Honeymoon Island is one of 56 affected state parks, according to an article in the St. Petersburg Times. Private contractors would submit their proposals in a bid for the planned camping areas and the state would receive a percentage of the revenue.

State documents (attached) detail the land-use plans for a 17.5-acre family camping area on Honeymoon Island’s southern beach parking lot. It would affect about 11.2 combined acres of coastal area and nearby vegetation near the nature center and trail “in the footprint of the existing picnic area.” The plans say the camping area would be separate from the beach use areas. It states:

“The proposed family camping area will consist of up to 45 campsites that are designed to accommodate recreational vehicles, pop-up campers and tents. The camping area will include paved or stabilized roads, stabilized camping pads, bathhouses, picnic tables and grills, connections for water and electrical service, wastewater disposal and other amenities such as playgrounds and interpretive facilities.”

The plan also includes areas for residences and volunteer camping, bathhouses, picnic area, a small expansion to the parking area for access to Caladesi Island and extended bike and nature trails.

Some welcome the news.

"I know that in South Carolina, camping at state parks is a lot of good clean fun," reader Sean Moran commented on Dunedin Patch's Facebook page. "Hopefully it can be that way here, too."

Others disagree.

"I believe the island to be to small for RVs," reader Linda Sanders commented on Dunedin Patch's Facebook page, "and the trafffic is already a nightmare."

The plan reports that Honeymoon sees 6,862 daily visitors and roughly 1.1 million annually.

A public workshop for this land-use amendment is scheduled for 7 p.m. July 5 at the .

The Department of Environmental Protection will present its proposed land-use amendment for Honeymoon Island State Park and hear public comment. 

*The location for the public hearing was changed from the original.

[Last updated: June 28, 2011, 2:32 p.m.]