Clearwater Lake Campground

Fantastic hosts, camp grounds are impeccable, bath houses cleaned and surrounded by nature, what a wonderful place to be.

Clearwater Lake, Ocala NF: This is a beautiful campground with clean facilities and great staff (Scale 1- bad, 5-Very good

(71 yr olds in 17’ trailer. ) To Do: Bird wWatching , Hiking, Enjoy the nice beach.

Overall Rating: 4.5 Price 2023: $ 23 (including taxes) w interagency pass Security: Locked gate after 4PM. Code is provided. Usage during visit: 40% during the week. Almost full over the weekend. Site Privacy: Some sites do not offer any visual privacy from adjacent sites.
Site Spacing: Most sites have good spacing.
Pad surface: Blacktop Reservations: Required. Campground Noise: Quiet. Road Noise: Not loud from campsite Through Traffic in campground: There is a day use area in Loop A. However, it was only minimally used during our stay. Electric Hookup: no Sewer Hookup: no Dump Station: yes Potable Water Available: Scattered faucets. There is a fill up spigot just past the check in booth. Generators: Allowed Bathroom: Amazingly clean. Nearby Juniper Springs along with the Everglades NP campgrounds should come here for training!
Showers: Nice with doors. Pull Throughs: No Cell Service (AT&T): 1 to 2 bars. Setting: Long Pine and Oak Forest with under brush Recent Weather: Cooler than usual for this time of year. Solar: Not good enough to reach 100%, but enough to cut down on generator usage. Host: Yes Rig Size: Maybe 40’ max Sites: Loop A: More secluded sites:7,9,,12 Sites w nice views of the lake from site: 8, 13*, 15*,16,18, 19 (nice view of the lake but faces parking area), 22 (our site, nice view of the end of the lake, which is not as pretty as the other areas of the lake. However, the site sits off by itself.) Loop B: a bit more secluded sites.: 25,26 28, 38, Lakeview sites: 34*,36*

• =my personal favorites.

This campground is AMAZING, well kept , above and beyond kindness , super friendly , welcoming, personable, knowledgeable, hard working , generous people that care for this campground. It’s a beautiful, clean , well maintained camper & lake . I really can’t say enough about the place . It’s by far one of my favorite places I have been to . I hate to even let out this secret gem by posting this review . But, peace & safety with a beautiful spring fed lake & surrounded by kind folks (rare these days ) is what your looking for . This is it !

Lot 1 on loop A backs up to the bathroom/shower house. Hop,skip,and a jump to the beach front. Picnic tables on the sand. Ice on hand and staff on site. Parking next to site. Only draw back for me is no electric hook ups. Other than that I love it and will definitely be back.

Beautiful Campground with a very curious soft shell turtle that came to check us out every time we went swimming in the lake. My husband and I named him Donatello. The staff were all very nice and the bathrooms were well maintained. Hot showers with good water pressure. The lake was so beautiful and crystal clear. It was also nice and warm, a nice change from the cold springs. Plenty of wildlife and some of the most amazing views at sunset and sunrise. We will bring the kids with us next time for sure. The only thing I didn’t like was our campsite seemed to be right in the middle of where all the rainwater runs through, so next time we will pick a campsite up a little further in elevation and a little more privacy.

If you want to camp and relax this is the place. You can hike, swim, snorkel, canoe, kayak, and paddle board. They have have trail that goes around the lake. A couple of the camp sites have access to the trail and some even have areas to launch your water vessel. The bathrooms were nice and clean well managed. I will be coming to this location again for sure.

Very friendly staff, clean and we had a great time

The only bad part about our stay was when we had to pack up and leave. I could seriously camp here for weeks on end. It really is that great of a place. Simple and clean with just the right amount of amenities to make your stay comfortable without feeling too “commercial.”

Also the lake is seriously the most clear water I’ve ever seen. Pun intended but also real talk.

Cant wait to go back!

I have been a camper here since I was 10 years old.  The upgrades have been great.  My kids & grandkids camp there often.  It's a beautiful campground in the Ocala National forest.

Wonderful little campground by a beautiful lake. Restrooms and showers were great along with the dishwashing station. It is an active area for bears so make sure not to leave any food out at night. The campground does have a bear proof box to store some stuff in at night but make sure to put food in containers and in your car if you can. Spent two nights here in a tent and had some great hiking.

Clearwater Lake is one of our most favorite quiet nature getaways that we have visited.

Let’s keep this our secret. Let’s start by saying I love this facility! The staff was awesome, the grounds are very well taken care of, restrooms are clean and most of the camp sites and secluded from other guests. I only live a little ways from here so we try to make it over all the time. I like the fact that they have first come first sites available almost always. Very quite and piece full. No power or water at any of the sites, drink able water is not far from any site

Spacious sites but no foliage or cover between you and the next guy, which wasn't great given how busy the site was. Lake is dope and facilities are well maintained. Caught a nice sized shoal bass at sunset from the shore. Dishwashing room is a nice touch.

Basically all sites have trees for hammocks so bring yours along!

Perfect for who are looking for a not crowded campground. Manager and Host so gently and friendly. Absolutely I’ll back!

We stayed here after not being able to get into Alexander Springs due to the campground being at capacity. Clearwater campground was smaller and a lot calmer yet had access to an awesome little lake, bike/hiking path, and it was in proximity to the other parks in Ocala National Forest.

We went right after a controlled burn so the opposite side of the lake was burned bare and it was still absolutely beautiful. You can hike around the lake during the day and stay up listening for gators at night. The map online isn’t really accurate with regards to bathrooms so be prepared to walk if you book something in the middle.

This was my first time ever being on water this clear. If is deep in the middle of the spring fed lake but you can see perfectly to the bottom. Lots of fish to catch and eat in there too.the water gets warm easy but it's a walk in beach style so it's perfect for big and very small kids. No electric hook ups, no water hook ups. They do allow you to run your generators and most people are considerate and don't run them ALL NIGHT. They have two loops we use the back loop bc the first loop is also for day use and it's a lot of foot traffic and more vehicles in and out. They have hot showers but just a heavy spray and it does shut off so you have to keep pushing the button. But the design of the bath houses is also cool bc the high ceilings keep the restrooms cool even in100° days. There is no cell service. You are also in bear country here and it is mandatory to use the bear lockers for your food and put your shower stuff in there too. If it's not a bear, which we didn't encounter it will definitely be a raccoon.lots of wild life to see and billions of spiders to shine

Clearwater Lake Recreation is one of the few National Forest Service managed campgrounds located at the southern end of Ocala National Forest. Campsites are well-shaded, private and spaced apart. As with the majority of other campgrounds within the National Forest, electric and water are not provided at each site, however there are multiple water faucets located throughout the grounds as well as restrooms and shower facilities.

Clearwater lake lives up to it's name, with water conditions typically providing excellent visibility to the mostly sand-bottomed swimming area. The lake also provides excellent canoeing and fishing opportunities.

There is a short hiking trail that surrounds the lake, with additional access to the Florida Trail, which runs through the area. The Paisley Woods mountain bike trail also exists on site, which provides a 11 mile one-way path to popular Alexander Springs.

Being within the national forest, wildlife is plentiful and precautions must be taken against raccoons and black bears, which frequent the area. Lockable storage containers are provided at each campsite. In the spring months of March and April, fireflies are abundant, which is typically an uncommon sight in Florida.

Beat the heat at this beautiful swimming spot. Clear water and a nice beach make this a perfect spot. Lots of space between camping spots and nice bathroom/shower house.

Campground is quiet and sites are HUGE. We were able to find a very nice hammock friendly site near the water. Easy access to all the ONF has to offer. You can swim in the lake or fish if you have a boat or kayak. Staff were very accommodating and friendly people. Facilities were in nice shape for a campground of this type. Also, if you stay here you can still day use near by springs for free, like Alexander or Juniper.

This little campground is on the edge of the Ocala National Forest and is a hikers dream. MIles of trails through the woods and around the lake. Wildlife is abundant, especially bears, raccoon and deer. We saw wild turkeys in the woods too and did a lot of bird watching. The lake is pristine, and you can primitive camp right near. The restroom facilities are large and super clean. Good paved road in camp area and lots of picnic tables. There is a "beach" area too near camp area. We saw a few people on mountain bikes too exploring the many well marked trails. Just be very sure to pick up all food and trash and use the designated bear proof trash containers and store all edibles in your car. Campsites are first come/first serve, and get there before the gate locks at 8 PM!

Clearwater Lake Recreation Area was recommended to us as a backup option to nearby and popular Alexander Springs for our small group of scouts.

I'd like to start off by saying the rangers and campground hosts were some of the most helpful and attentive staff I've encountered in a park. They checked on us frequently and did everything possible to make sure we had an enjoyable stay.

The campground is situated along the east shoreline of Clearwater Lake. The sites are heavily shaded and large, with plenty of room and natural buffer between sites. The sites do not have electric or water, however there are shared water spigots situated within close distance to most of the campsites.

The restroom and shower facilities were nice and clean. The only minor issue we encountered was the fact that while the showers were heated, there only appeared to be one temperature setting available (quite warm!)

There are quite a few recreation options within the campground. The swimming area on Clearwater Lake is a gradually deepening sand bottom with very clear water. Canoeing and fishing is available on the lake, and I was able to see some nice schools of bass while snorkeling outside of the swimming area. There is a hiking trail that circles the lake, and the Paisley mountain bike trail head also begins at the campground entrance.

This camground is a great option if you are looking unplug and get away from the RVs, TVs, radios and other noisy activities that are common at most state parks.