Where can I park my RV in Stuart?

You have two campgrounds: Phipps Park Campground (rated 4.5) at 2175 SW Locks Rd and St. Lucie South Campground (rated 4.8) at 2170 Canal St. Both are in Stuart and offer RV spots. Check with them directly for availability and hookups.

What are the best parks to visit with an RV in Stuart?

Top-rated parks include Sandsprit Park (4.7) and Twin Rivers Park (4.8), both on the water. Halpatiokee Regional Park (4.7) offers more space. For a quieter spot, try Seabranch Preserve State Park (4.4) or Kiplinger Nature Preserve (4.6).

Can I bring my dog to parks in Stuart?

Yes, there's a dedicated Poppleton Creek Dog Park at 47 51 SE Central Pkwy, rated 4.4. Other parks like Sandsprit and Shepard Park may allow leashed dogs, but check local rules first. Always clean up after your pet.

What is there to do near the campgrounds in Stuart?

You're close to the St. Lucie River and Indian River Lagoon. Visit Gilbert’s Bar House of Refuge (4.8) for history, or the Sailfish Splash Waterpark (4.4) for family fun. The Lyric Theatre downtown offers shows, and the Stuart Boat Show happens each January.

Is Stuart a good base for exploring other Florida towns?

Yes, but most are far. Okeechobee is 41 miles away, Sebastian 44 miles. Arcadia, Oviedo, Everglades City, and Altamonte Springs are 111-129 miles. For day trips, stick to nearby beaches or the preserves within Stuart itself.

What's the best time to visit Stuart with an RV?

Winter is popular for the Stuart Boat Show in January, but the town has a median age of 53.1, so it's quiet outside events. Spring and fall offer milder weather. Check campground reservations early, as seasonal spots fill fast.

Guides · Stuart, Florida

Stuart FL RV Camping: Best Parks & What to Know

Stuart is a town built on water, and the people who visit it tend to arrive by boat, by car, or by RV—and the infrastructure for the last of those is more varied than you might expect.

Stuart Florida Burn Brae House Ebyabe · CC BY-SA 3.0

What You Are Driving Into

The town was renamed for Homer Hine Stuart Jr. in 1895, incorporated in 1914, and chartered as a city in 1925 when it became the seat of the newly created Martin County. The Florida East Coast Railway arrived between 1892 and 1896 and made the town; the water did the rest. Today, the census counts 18,058 residents with a median age of 53.1 years. The median home value sits at $291,300, and the median gross rent is $1,540. Of the 10,360 housing units, 2,165 are vacant and 1,297 are held for seasonal or recreational use—so you will not be the only one passing through.

Where to Park the Rig

If you are bringing an RV, the two campgrounds in the supplied list are your starting point. Phipps Park Campground is at 2175 SW Locks Rd, rated 4.5 from 304 reviews. St. Lucie South Campground is at 2170 Canal St, rated 4.8 from 229 reviews. Both are within the town limits, and both put you close to the water without putting you in the middle of downtown traffic. Book ahead in season; January is not the time to wing it.

Parks Worth the Walk

You are not coming to Stuart to sit in a parking lot. The parks list is long, and the ratings are consistent. Sandsprit Park at 3443 SE St Lucie Blvd rates 4.7 from 2,129 reviews—the most-reviewed spot on the list and a reliable bet for a day near the water. Halpatiokee Regional Park at 8303 SW Lost River Rd matches that 4.7 from 1,610 reviews, with more acreage and a different feel, further from the coast.

For a shorter stop, Memorial Park at 300 SE Ocean Blvd rates 4.7 from 635 reviews and sits close to the historic downtown. Flagler Park at 201 SW Flagler Ave rates 4.7 from 438 reviews. Shepard Park at 600 SW Ocean Blvd rates 4.7 from 771 reviews. Kiwanis Youth Park at 1-99 SE 5th St rates 4.7 from 656 reviews. These are not destination parks; they are the kind of places you pull into for an hour, stretch your legs, and move on.

If you want the highest-rated spot on the list, Twin Rivers Park at 3505 SE Kubin Ave rates 4.8 from 531 reviews. Gilbert’s Bar House of Refuge at 301 SE MacArthur Blvd also rates 4.8, from 263 reviews, and it carries history with it—a house of refuge on the Atlantic side, which is exactly the kind of thing you do not find inland.

The Ones That Require a Little More Effort

Seabranch Preserve State Park at 6093 SE Dixie Hwy rates 4.4 from 358 reviews. Kiplinger Nature Preserve at 4146 S Kanner Hwy rates 4.6 from 271 reviews. Cove Road Park at 6225 Cove Rd rates 4.5 from 253 reviews. These are quieter, less polished, and better for anyone who wants to avoid the boat-show crowd.

If you have a dog, Poppleton Creek Dog Park at 47 51 SE Central Pkwy rates 4.4 from 311 reviews. If you have kids, Sailfish Splash Waterpark at 931 SE Ruhnke St rates 4.4 from 1,611 reviews—though check the season, because an outdoor waterpark in Stuart is not a year-round proposition.

The Water, the Slogan, and the Math

Stuart formally adopted the slogan Sailfish Capital of the World in 1957. The St. Lucie River meets the Indian River Lagoon here, and the Atlantic is a short drive east. The Lyric Theatre sits in the historic downtown, which is worth a walk even if you are not staying there.

The census numbers tell a story: 35.8 percent of residents hold a bachelor’s degree or higher, the unemployment rate is 5.1 percent, and the median household income is $64,409. That is not a wealthy enclave; it is a working coastal town with a strong seasonal pulse. The 1,297 units held for seasonal or recreational use are a reminder that a large share of the housing stock is built for people who do not live here year-round—and that includes RV owners.

The Bottom Line

Bring the RV. Park at Phipps Park Campground or St. Lucie South Campground, use the parks for the days, and keep the boat show in mind if you are here in January. The town is small enough to cover in a long weekend and connected enough to the water that you will not run out of places to look at it. Just do not expect to keep it a secret—Stuart has been on the map since 1895, and it is not getting off it now.

Common questions

Where can I park my RV in Stuart?: You have two campgrounds: Phipps Park Campground (rated 4.5) at 2175 SW Locks Rd and St. Lucie South Campground (rated 4.8) at 2170 Canal St. Both are in Stuart and offer RV spots. Check with them directly for availability and hookups.
What are the best parks to visit with an RV in Stuart?: Top-rated parks include Sandsprit Park (4.7) and Twin Rivers Park (4.8), both on the water. Halpatiokee Regional Park (4.7) offers more space. For a quieter spot, try Seabranch Preserve State Park (4.4) or Kiplinger Nature Preserve (4.6).
Can I bring my dog to parks in Stuart?: Yes, there's a dedicated Poppleton Creek Dog Park at 47 51 SE Central Pkwy, rated 4.4. Other parks like Sandsprit and Shepard Park may allow leashed dogs, but check local rules first. Always clean up after your pet.
What is there to do near the campgrounds in Stuart?: You're close to the St. Lucie River and Indian River Lagoon. Visit Gilbert’s Bar House of Refuge (4.8) for history, or the Sailfish Splash Waterpark (4.4) for family fun. The Lyric Theatre downtown offers shows, and the Stuart Boat Show happens each January.
Is Stuart a good base for exploring other Florida towns?: Yes, but most are far. Okeechobee is 41 miles away, Sebastian 44 miles. Arcadia, Oviedo, Everglades City, and Altamonte Springs are 111-129 miles. For day trips, stick to nearby beaches or the preserves within Stuart itself.
What's the best time to visit Stuart with an RV?: Winter is popular for the Stuart Boat Show in January, but the town has a median age of 53.1, so it's quiet outside events. Spring and fall offer milder weather. Check campground reservations early, as seasonal spots fill fast.

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