Last Updated on August 4, 2020 by Christina
RVers love Florida’s campgrounds and it’s no secret why. Blessed with an abundance of natural resources, stunning scenery and recreation activities for people of all ages, Florida is known for its southern hospitality.
Add in ideal weather and the Sunshine State never misses an opportunity to live up to its reputation as the place to go to make magical family memories. In this post, we’ve rounded up some of the best sites for RVing in Florida. So gather up the family and get ready to explore our picks for the top 8 campgrounds in Florida!
Important note: Due to Covid-19, many campgrounds and attractions have temporarily closed or limited capacity to allow for social distancing. Please contact each campground or park directly for latest information and updates.
Why camp in Florida? What does Florida camping offer for RVers?
Hosting millions of visitors each year, Florida campgrounds know how to take care of their guests. Many are conveniently located near popular tourist destinations. They also include a wide variety of their own amenities so you can relax, keep the kids entertained and explore the state’s vast natural resources. Florida campers love:
- Access to white sand beaches to swim, fish, watch dolphins, kayak, canoe, search for seashells or look for birds
- Spectacular wildlife viewing where alligators, turtles, iguanas, armadillos and pelicans are among the unique array of 700 vertebrates, more than 30,000 invertebrates, nearly 200 freshwater fish and more than 1,000 marine fish that call Florida home
- Diverse habitats to explore from the cypress swamps, Everglades and coral reefs to untouched wetlands, coastal forests and beach dunes
- Visiting some of the world’s most popular family destinations, including Walt Disney World Resort, Everglades National Park, Key West, Universal Orlando Resort, Kennedy Space Center, Cape Coral and Daytona Beach
- Opportunities to relax among the palm trees, warm sunshine, and white-sand beaches
Top 8 Florida Campgrounds for RVers
Whether you’re a first-time or frequent visitor, you’ll fall in love with Florida campgrounds. The state is dotted with federal- and state-owned properties as well those operated by private businesses and local campground hosts. All are guaranteed to provide once-in-a-lifetime experiences.
Here are few of our favorite Florida campgrounds to get your vacation planning started.
Best Florida campground for beach lovers: Turtle Beach Campground | Sarasota
Let’s start our tour of the best Florida campgrounds with one that’s right on the water! Turtle Beach Campground is one of only a handful of Florida’s campgrounds with direct beach access. It’s located on the Siesta Key in the Gulf of Mexico. Turtle Beach is more low key and less crowded than other area beaches, making it the perfect place to stake your spot for fun in the sun.
The trees that line Turtle Beach Campground provide a gorgeous greeting as you approach the beach. You’ll enjoy dipping your toes in the dark, coarse sand for long walks as well as kayaking, swimming, fishing, boating and looking for seashells. There are both boat and kayak launches. You could spend the whole day here sun bathing, snorkeling, throwing a game of horseshoes, playing in the water, hanging out at the playground and participating in a game of volleyball. You can even grill lunch and eat at the picnic shelter.
You also might be lucky enough to spot sea turtles during your visit. Turtle Beach is home to loggerhead and green turtle nests. Turtle season runs from May through October.
Florida campers and beach goers enjoy the peace and quiet of Turtle Beach Campground without being too far away from Siesta Village, a bustling town that offers restaurants, recreation rentals and sightseeing opportunities. To experience the white, soft sand Florida beaches are known for, visit nearby Siesta Beach. It was previously rated the No. 1 Beach in the USA from TripAdvisor and also rated No. 1 by Dr. Beach. Both the beach and town can be easily reached courtesy of a free open-air trolley.
There are 39 RV and tent sites equipped with full hookups (20/30/50 amp electrical service, water, sewer and free WiFi) and state-of-the-art utility pedestals. Restrooms, hot showers and coin-operated washers and dryers are also available.
Best Florida RV resort for Disney fans: Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground | Orlando
Next on our list is one of Florida’s most popular RV campgrounds. Fairy tales come true at Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground. Your family will love all the special touches and amenities offered at this resort located within the Disney compound.
This RV campground is a restful retreat after a day full of adventure in the Disney parks or nearby tourist attractions including the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex.
You won’t find a lot of concrete here as the stately trees, woodland trails and sounds of nature welcome you home. Unwind in your picturesque RV campsite by putting your feet up. The abundant wildlife will provide your entertainment for the evening. You’ll likely spy deer, rabbits, ducks and even armadillos among the lush scenery.
If the kids are full of energy, take them to cool off at the Meadow Swimmin’ Pool, which features a corkscrew waterslide, fort-themed water play area and toddler-friendly slides. Parents can keep watch from the whirlpool spa.
Families will also enjoy the unique recreation activities available on site, including archery, tennis, basketball, sand volleyball, horseback riding and canoeing. Rental equipment, including bicycles, boats and watercraft are also available.
Even your pet can come along with your Florida camping crew, thanks to the campground’s pet-friendly policies and awesome amenities like the off-leash Waggin’ Trails Dog Park and numerous on-leash trails. While you’re having fun at the Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Disney’s Animal Kingdom and Disney’s Hollywood Studios, your pet will love hanging out at Best Friends Pet Care, an on-site day and overnight kennel.
The most magical campground in Florida offers plenty of amenities and conveniences for RVers
It may be a small world, but this campground’s sites are perfect for large families and big RVs. There are a variety of campsites offered, with the biggest able to accommodate 45-foot+ RVs and as many as 10 campers. These come with everything you need to make your RV the happiest place on earth with water, cable television and electrical hook-ups, a picnic table, charcoal grill and landscaping that maximizes privacy. Most also include a sewer hook-up.
Other camping sites are perfectly sized for pop-up campers, camper van-type vehicles and smaller RVs. All sites have ample space, with plenty of room to extend RV slides and awnings. There are 799 campsites and 15 comfort stations equipped with private showers, restrooms, laundry and ice machines.
Disney also worked in thoughtful conveniences for RVers, like an overflow parking lot. This is great if you arrive before check-in time or if you checked out and still want to visit a park for the day. There’s a hitch and unhitch area where you can take care of your dinghy. An on-site trading post provides groceries and RV supplies. Getting around the Disney properties is also a breeze, even if you didn’t bring a car with you. Transportation via boats and shuttle buses is provided throughout the day.
Best Florida campground for nature viewing: Myakka River State Park | Sarasota
For those who enjoy catching a glimpse of wildlife in their natural habitat, spotting a new bird species they haven’t seen before and observing the trees and plants all around them, Myakka River State Park is nature’s playground. With more than 37,000 acres, this Florida state park is home to many different species that can be viewed on the water or via the Myakka Trail, which includes a 38.9-mile hiking loop trail maintained by the Florida Trail Association.
At the heart of this ecosystem jackpot is the Myakka River. According to Florida Department of Environmental Protection, the river was the first state-designated wild and scenic river and it has largely remained unchanged over the years. Flowing through 58 square miles of unspoiled territory, palm and oak trees gracefully bend over the water, providing shade for boaters and housing for birds, insects and wild animals. Boating, fishing, canoeing and kayaking are popular activities on the water while hiking, cycling, horseback riding and birdwatching are embraced on the trails. If you don’t have a boat, guided flat-bottomed boat tours are offered daily around Upper Myakka Lake.
A highlight of your visit will be the Myakka Canopy Walkway, an outdoor viewing area that offers the opportunity to observe life in the treetops of an oak/palm hammock. Completed in 2000, the walkway is the first public treetop trail in North America. Suspended 25 feet above the ground and extending 100 feet through the hammock canopy, it is the ideal location to see its canopy inhabitants like eagles, hawks and vultures up close. A 74-foot tower presents a spectacular view of tree tops, wetlands and the prairie/hammock topography.
Choose from three campgrounds at Myakka River State Park
There are 77 RV campsites that have driveways ranging from 15-35 feet in the park’s three campgrounds: Old Prairie, Palmetto Ridge and Big Flats. Each site is equipped with 50 amp electrical service, water, a fire ring and picnic table. While all campsites welcome dogs and are located within 40 yards of restroom facilities with hot showers, each of the campgrounds offer different amenities:
- Palmetto Ridge is located near the S.R. 72 park entrance. It has sewer hook ups, laundry facilities and gravel-based campsites as well as four paved sites adjoining the restrooms that meet ADA standards. There is nearby access to the Myakka River, campfire circle, playground and gift shop.
- Old Prairie Campground is located near the S.R. 72 park entrance. It has laundry facilities and a dump station located nearby. Its sites are dirt-based without vegetation buffers with nearby access to the Myakka River, campfire circle, playground and gift shop.
- Big Flats, located near Upper Myakka Lake, has campsites that are dirt-based without vegetation buffers. It features the Myakka Outpost, a fishing deck and WiFi.
Whichever site you pick, you could easily spend a week at this campground and never experience the same day twice. Nature is constantly in a state of flux and that is never more evident as you explore Myakka River State Park’s wildflower-filled prairies, pristine wetlands and stunning pinelands.
Best Florida RV resort to relax in style: Destin RV Beach Resort| Miramar Beach
Next up is a Florida RV campground where you can relax in high style. If you prefer glamping to “roughing it” and want to be surrounded with all the comforts home, Destin RV Beach Resort is the place for you. Everything you could want to ease your mind and unwind your muscles is located on site or very close nearby. Enjoy a round of golf, lounge by the heated pool, listen to the waves on the gulf beach and indulge in some retail therapy.
The one thing you must do while in town is take advantage of the deep sea fishing. Destin is known as the “World’s Luckiest Fishing Village” and for good reason. Experience the thrill of reeling in tuna, shark, trout or snapper. Other attractions close by are Big Kahuna’s Water Park, Miramar Beach and the Destin Harbor.
When you’re ready to kick back at your RV, you’ll appreciate the impeccable tropical landscape as well as the patio with a table, light and benches. Each of the 36 sites has a cement pad and space large enough to accommodate double slideouts. Other amenities include gated security with cameras, free cable TV and WiFi, plus dining options within walking distance.
Additionally, common spaces feature an entertainment area, shower rooms, gathering spaces and laundry facilities.
Best Florida campground to stargaze: Kissimmee Prairie Preserve State Park | Okeechobee
It can be challenging to find a spot in Florida to stargaze without light pollution, but Kissimmee Prairie Preserve State Park holds that honor.
The park, designated as the state’s first Dark Sky Park by the International Dark Sky Association in 2016, makes the most of its location with astronomy viewing pads. Reserve one for optimal observation of the stars, moon, planets and other celestial bodies. Many report being able to see the Milky Way without a telescope. You might even be able to catch a glimpse of the International Space Station making its orbit around Earth.
Only red spectrum light can be used at the astronomy viewing pads and campfires are prohibited in order to limit disruptions to the darkness. You also must arrive before sunset to avoid disturbing fellow stargazers.
Camping under the stars at this pristine Florida campground
The view is also fantastic from the park’s 35 campsites at the Kilpatrick Hammock Campground. Water and electricity are provided at all sites along with an accessible restroom with showers and laundry. A water-filling and dump station is centrally located. Pets are allowed. The maximum RV length is 65 feet. Equestrian camping is also available.
During the day, explore Kissimmee Prairie Preserve State Park’s 54,000 acres of prairie by taking advantage of the 100 miles of trails/service roads available for bicycling, hiking and horseback riding. To view remote areas of the park, ranger-led prairie buggy tours are also available seasonally on the weekends for an extra fee.
This Florida campground is home to several species of threatened or endangered birds that birdwatchers can try to spot. Other exciting finds include the Florida grasshopper sparrow, burrowing owls, crested caracaras and wood storks. There also has been a pair of elusive white-tailed kites frequenting a few oak snags just west of the Prairie Loop Trail.
Best campground in Florida to explore rare natural wonders: Topsail Hill Preserve State Park | Santa Rosa Beach
If you like to experience natural wonders that can’t be seen almost anywhere else, then hop in your RV and head to Topsail Hill Preserve State Park. This lush park has white quartz sand dunes that create an unexpected sight: Freshwater dune lakes.
These lakes are found in only a handful of places in the world. They are special because they contain freshwater even though they are situated a few feet from the Gulf of Mexico’s saltwater. Separated by just a natural berm of sand, heavy rain can cause an overflow of freshwater to pour directly into the gulf or saltwater to splash into back into the freshwater dune lake.
Florida campers should bring a field guide to help identify some of the many saltwater and freshwater species that live in this unique coastal ecosystem. In addition to many species you might recognize, the dunes are the home to the rare Choctawhatchee beach mouse. In the summer, adult loggerhead turtles and green sea turtles build nests on the beach.
Nature lovers will most enjoy this Florida campground. Larger RVs are welcome at the Gregory E Moore RV Resort, which boasts 156 RV sites with water, 30 or 50 amp electric, digital cable, sewer, swimming pool, laundry facilities and shuffleboard courts. Maximum RV length is 45 feet.
After settling in, enjoy a hike to view a rich variety of birds, reptiles and mammals. Topsail Hill Preserve is part of the Great Florida Birding and Wildlife Trail. There are more than 15 miles of marked hiking trails within the park and many of them have unique features, like remnants of the turpentining industry in the late 1800s and early 1900s along the Turpentine Trail or leftover pieces of the JB-2 rocket development program during World War II on the Morris Lake Trail.
Campers are also able to bike, walk or take a tram ride to the beach, which features 3.2 miles of white quartz sand along the emerald waters of the Gulf of Mexico.
Best Florida RV campground for a wild adventure: West Palm Beach/Lion Country Safari KOA | Loxahatchee
Have you ever imagined waking up in your RV to the sound of a lion roaring? Chances are it probably never crossed your mind until you heard about West Palm Beach/Lion Country Safari KOA. Located next to Lion Country Safari, a 320 acre drive-through wild animal preserve and theme park, hearing the lions and other animals is an ordinary occurrence. It’s a unique opportunity to experience what it would be like to camp in an African safari and live among the wild animals.
Experience the jungle but camp in the comfort of your RV
This Florida campground features generous sized sites, with a maximum pull thru for RVs at 40 feet. Some sites are back in; others are pull thru. All sites are equipped with concrete pads, full hookup, patio and picnic table. Campers will need to bring their own charcoal or propane grill to cook on.
When you’re not enjoying the safari theme park or shopping, beaches and fine dining in nearby Palm Beach, take some time to relax at the campground. There’s a resort-size pool, basketball court, shuffleboard court, volleyball court and playground. An on-site dog park allows your pets to burn off some energy while playing off-leash.
And if you want to try something new, check out the large petanque court. Petanque is a game that falls into the category of boules sports, along with bocce and lawn bowls. In each of these sports, players toss their balls towards a target ball.
Additionally, you’ll find plenty of attractions located nearby including the Jupiter Inlet Lighthouse, Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge and Henry Morrison Flagler Museum, making this a fantastic destination spot for couples and families with kids of all ages.
Best Florida campground to unplug and get away from it all: Flamingo Campground | Homestead
Last on our list of best Florida campgrounds is a remote paradise where you can unplug and get away. As you enter Everglades National Park, you’ll travel along the main road, State Highway 9336. Along that scenic drive, you’ll journey about 45 minutes before you run out of road and straight into Flamingo Campground. This Florida campground has a unique vibe. Unlike most of the other picks on our list, there isn’t lush vegetation or tall, green trees to provide shade. Instead, you’ll be greeted with a wide open field marked with RV spaces and a few mature trees scattered about.
The good thing is you probably won’t miss the trees because what you receive in return are cool, refreshing breezes directly from Florida Bay and the sounds of nature all around.
Well off the beaten path in the southernmost part of the Everglades, Flamingo Campground provides access to hiking trails, saltwater fishing and opportunities for birdwatching. You likely won’t get any cellphone service, but catching a glimpse of crocodiles and manatees is an unforgettable experience.
Campers have access to showers, dump stations, picnic tables and grills. Located just steps away are the Everglades Boat Tours and Flamingo Beach while down the road is the Flamingo Marina.
For more information on the best campgrounds in Florida
- Turtle Beach Campground is one of a handful of campgrounds in Florida with direct beach access. It is located at 8862 Midnight Pass Road in Sarasota. For more information, call (941) 861-2267.
- Your family will love all the special touches and amenities offered at Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground. The resort is located at 4510 North Fort Wilderness Trail in Lake Buena Vista. For details, call (407) 824-2900.
- Myakka River State Park, located at 3208 State Rd 72 in Sarasota, is nature’s playground. With more than 37,000 acres, this Florida state park is home to many different species that can be viewed on the water or via the Myakka Trail. For more information, call (941) 361-6511.
- Located on Florida’s Emerald Coast, Destin RV Beach Resort is located in the heart of Destin area, known for its white sand beach and emerald green waters. The campground has many luxury amenities for those who prefer the comforts of home. The resort is located at 362 Miramar Beach Dr, Miramar Beach. For reservations, book online or call (850) 837-3529.
- Kissimmee Prairie Preserve State Park is part of the Everglades headwaters and protects the largest remaining segment of Florida dry prairie. It is located at 33104 NW 192nd Ave. in Okeechobee. For more information, call (863) 462-5360.
- Enjoy old-growth pine forests, sandy scrubland, dunes, wetlands and rare freshwater dune lakes at Topsail Hill Preserve State Park, 7525 W. County Highway 30A in Santa Rosa Beach. For more information, call (850) 267-8330.
- Get a real safari experience by camping at West Palm Beach/Lion Country Safari KOA. The campground is located at 2000 Lion Country Safari Road in Loxahatchee, FL. You can make reservations online or call (561) 793-9797 for more information.
- Get closer to nature and the water at Flamingo Campground, 1 Flamingo Lodge Highway in Homestead. For more information and reservations, call (305) 242-7700.
We hope you enjoyed this list of our favorite RV campgrounds in Florida. If you’re looking for more destination inspiration, then be sure to read our list of best Michigan campgrounds.