Americans are fascinated with North American predator species, whether it’s grizzly bears, mountain lions and rattlesnakes out West, or alligators across the Southeast.
Alligators are particularly captivating because of their size and frightening dinosaur-like appearance, with male adults growing up to 11 feet or more in length and weighing nearly 1,000 pounds. They typically inhabit freshwater swamps, bayous and marshes. While they inhabit the entire Southeast from Texas to the Carolinas, the greatest numbers of alligators can be found in Louisiana and Florida.
While people often take airboat tours to see alligators in the wild, alligators can also be seen from trails and roadways in national parks and wildlife preserves throughout the Southeast, which also has a large number of aquariums and other facilities where alligators can be viewed in captivity. Here’s a sampling of popular alligator viewing locations across the Southeast with nearby campgrounds that can be used as base camps along the way.
Florida
Alligators can be seen in many areas of Florida. Following are recommendations on great places to see alligators in each region of the state.
Northwest Florida
Gator Beach in Destin
Nearby campgrounds include Camping on the Gulf in Miramar Beach and Destin West RV Resort in Fort Walton Beach.
Edward Ball Wakulla State Park
Nearby campgrounds include Carabelle Beach RV Resort in Carabelle and Tallahassee RV Park in Tallahassee.
South Carolina
Hilton Head Island: This island has numerous locations to see alligators. Several companies, including H20 Sports, also offer boat tours to see alligators and other wildlife.
Nearby campgrounds include Hilton Head Island Motorcoach Resort on Hilton Head Islandand Hilton Head National RV Resort in Bluffton.
