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You can even bring your furry friend along for a small deposit. This dome house rental is for those looking for something truly unique. You’ll have complete privacy here with plenty of places to relax, including a hammock for two, a hot tub, and a private outdoor shower on the 10-acre property. There are tons of modern perks included too, such as fast Wi-Fi, a TV with Netflix/Hulu, and cold AC and heat. It’s a perfect spot for glamping in Florida where you’ll be immersed in nature, featuring a private fire pit and grill and loads of fun outdoor and indoor games. Luxury glamping at its finest, this Clermont campsite boasts a 200-square-foot bell tent inside Lake Louisa State Park.
Snorkeling is popular at this park, but there are many other options from cycling to fishing and picnicking. As with most of the parks on this list, it’s wise to reserve a spot well in advance. This park in Orange City is a popular spot to see manatees (mid-November through March) and other wildlife for both natives and tourists. Admission is $6 per vehicle, and a campsite will cost you $24.00 per night, plus tax. Florida State Parks also add a $6.70 reservation fee, so add this to the price for each park if you plan to reserve a spot for in advance . As with many KOA campgrounds, this Naples/Marco Island KOA Holiday includes RV sites, tent sites, and cabins.
This park south of Melbourne marks the spot of a Spanish fleet’s wreck in 1715. The ark also contains a treasure museum and a fishing museum, so there’s always something to do. This park in Thonotosassa is absolutely gorgeous and historic, having opened in 1938.
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Suwannee River Cabin Sanctuary
There are also Bayside Drive-In sites, a horse camp with two campsites, and group camping here. All facilities have chemical toilets, cold showers, and safe drinking water. With iconic lighthouses, rugged cliffs and a mysterious vibe, Acadia National Park is a wonderful place to pitch a tent.
Once you’ve secured your permit, be sure to check Campendium to get up-to-date knowledge on what kind of amenities you’ll find at the campsites. Most free camping options will be “off the grid,” with limited services. Situated at the privately-owned park, that offers a campground of 200 acres between dense forest, springs, and river.
Davenport Landing In Ocala National Forest, Central Florida
But if free camping is more your style, and you don’t mind venturing a bit off the beaten path, you’ll see a side of this wild state that few explore. As all the campsites in the campground are primitive, every campsite is supplied with water, and few have amenities like a picnic table and fire ring. All of the ranch’s glamping stays offer the rugged feel of camping, while also being fully furnished, air-conditioned, and stocked with luxury linens. Plus, the nightly campfire will be lit for you by the staff, so no pyrotechnic experience required. Here at one of Florida’s oldest and largest parks, you can expect lots of palm trees, live oaks, and wildlife from ospreys to alligators. There are also plenty of trails to explore and places to paddle a canoe or kayak.
There are a few springs that you can stop at on the way down the river with crystal clear, cool water to explore. The Santa Fe River runs alongside the campground where you can tube, kayak, canoe, or paddleboard downriver . For those that wish to catch a glimpse of the caverns without going through them can enjoy an audio-visual tour in the parks theater. For those that want to stay a little closer to the surface, snorkels can be rented at the park’s concession stand. Check out this article “Top 5 Family friendly hotels in Florida“, if you want to know more about these hotels. If you’re looking for a unique place to stay, check out the top Airbnb rentals in the area.
Some parks have you park outside the campground and walk in with your gear, which makes for less noise in the camping area. There are 128 campsites at the Raintree RV Resort, all of which are only suitable for RVs, 5th wheels, and travel trailers. During your stay, you’ll easily be able to stay entertained, thanks to the campground’s two club houses, sparkling pool, bubbling hot tub, and sport courts. Raintree RV Resort is the only family-run spot on this list of the best campgrounds in Southwest Florida. This means that while staying at this lovely campground, you’ll enjoy that extra touch of cozy comfort.
Home to more than 900 campgrounds and over 100,000 campsites, Florida offers an array of campgrounds and sites for every taste. Certain attractions may be temporarily closed or require advance reservations. Crater Lake has been inspiring artists, photographers, and sightseers for hundreds of years. It’s known as the deepest lake in the U.S. and one of the most pristine on the planet.
There’s access to trails for hiking, biking and horse riding. The tract is located across the highway from a grocery store and gas station. Scout the road before taking your larger rig down the bumpy entrance. Bob Rountree is a beach bum, angler and camper who has explored Florida for decades. No adventure is complete without a scenic paddle trail or unpaved road to nowhere. Bob co-founded FloridaRambler.com with fellow journalist Bonnie Gross 12 years ago.
Water View Cabin On Grandaddy Oak Covered Farm, Ocala
The W.P. Franklin Campground is one of the best campgrounds in Southwest Florida, because almost every single campsite is on the water! This campground actually takes up an entire island in the Caloosahatchee River, and, because of this set up, 27 of the 30 campsites are waterfront sites. After you get settled at your campsite of choice, you can take your time enjoying the many amenities of this Southwest Florida campground. You can take a dip in the pool, test your shuffleboard skills, relax in the hot tub, or play with your furry companion at the Kamp K9 dog park.
The campground offers 460 open-air and shady sites for RVs with electrical, water, and waste hookups, along with restrooms with hot showers, toilets, and washing facilities. Long Key State Park is a 965-acre park in Monroe County that is located on the island that was once the site of Henry Flagler’s Long Key Fishing Camp in the Middle Keys. The 60 ocean-front campsites have individual electricity and water hookups, picnic tables and ground grills, and breathtaking views of the Florida Keys. Activities around the island include swimming, kayaking, snorkeling, picnicking, birdwatching, fishing, and hiking the mile-long Golden Orb Trail. Located near Destin in northwestern Florida, Henderson Beach State Park is a state park on the Emerald Coast Parkway with more than a mile of scenic shoreline, emerald green waters, and white sandy beaches. Camping at Henderson Beach State Park offers 60 campsites surrounded by the park’s secondary dune system, which include water and electric hookups and a central dump station.
This is boondocking in Florida at its finest, with waterfront spots and plenty of trees for cooling off in the shade. Other Gulf of Mexico spots includes Pope Still Hunt Camp and Dead River Landing Recreation Area. What northern Florida lacks in the glitz and glamour of the south, it more than makes up for in natural, rugged beauty. 17 Mile Hunt Camp, located just outside of the Big Gum Swamp Wilderness, is set in a secluded and peaceful forest.
W P Franklin Campground
Tent camping is the epitome of “roughing it” and leaving technology behind to live in the wild, if even just for a weekend. The most scenic campgrounds in the United States cater to tent camping with services towards adventurous travelers who crave a more rugged experience. For example, you might appreciate level campsites that don’t flood, a picnic table, a fire ring, a bathhouse with clean showers, and perhaps a big sink with warm water to wash your dishes. These are the most epic places to go tent camping in the U.S. – This RV campground may seem like an odd choice for tent camping, but the tent sites on an “island” at the marina are actually quite cool, comfortable and on the water where the bayside sunsets are amazing.
It features many beaches and parks, such as the Key Tree Cactus Preserve. The park also offers many accessibility amenities, such as beach wheelchairs, a ramp to the boardwalk through the mangroves, and accessible showers. As touched upon at the beginning, the Tentsile Stealth allows for you to “pitch up” anywhere with trees. The ground in Florida is notorious for being not only uneven, but sandy too. Finding a convenient place to set up camp that isn’t at a dedicated campsite can be tricky.
Best Free Camping Spots In Florida
If you choose a campsite in a breezy spot, like near a lake or coastal area, the wind may keep camping bearable in the off-season. This St. Augustine Airbnb retreat offers a perfect glamping getaway. Described as “luxury camping with retro style”, this camper has all the comfort creatures you’d want for a nature-focused getaway. Tucked away in one of Florida’s beautiful pine forests, it’s just one mile from the attractions in historic St. Augustine.
Wekiwa Springs State Park
When free-camping, you need to provide your power, water, food, and entertainment. Your camping reservation includes access to the Fort, along with a forty-five-minute tour. The tour takes you around the Fort, preserved in all its glory. You’ll see soldiers’ barrack, officers quarters, and several of the original cannons. Some of these cannons weighed up to twenty-five tons and could fire a 400-pound projectile up to three miles.
Davenport Landing is located in the Ocala National Forest in Salt Springs. The road leading in has a tendency to have deep ruts, especially after rain. Hampton Tract Green Swamp Wilderness Preserve is located in Lakeland. A free camping reservation must be made at watermatters.org before arriving. When you’re boondocking, the rule of thumb is to bring 5 gallons of water per person per day.