This guide to the 43 best beach and coastal campgrounds from Maryland to the Texas-Mexico border is for the dedicated beach camper as well as the family who loves to vacation at the seashore, whether traveling with tent, car, or recreational vehicle. The destination possibilities are vast—from the dunes and isolation of Padre Island, to the tropical and historical Keys, to the historic sites around St. Augustine, to the lighthouses of the Outer Banks—and a significant stretch of this land is county, state, or national park property accessible to the public.

            Johnny Molloy has organized comprehensive, visually descriptive information about each campground in a format that’s both easy to read and follow. Devoted to beach campgrounds in Texas, Mississippi, Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia, and Maryland, he vividly describes each site and its amenities, as well as opportunities to explore nearby.

            A “Key Information” section provides explicit directions to each campground and such pertinent data as websites, phone numbers, fees, campsite and reservation availability, regulations, and more. A section called “Human and Natural History” describes the area’s unusual flora or fauna and the effects of human interaction with the environment. The book’s “What to Do” and “What’s Nearby” sections provide details about every kind of oceanside adventure, including beach walks, historic tours and homes, biking trails, scenic drives, the best swimming, ocean harvesting, snorkeling, canoeing, diving, and pleasure boating, shopping, and mainstream tourist attractions.