Koreshan Historic State Park

I was planning on having my wedding here. I have had my spots reserved for 9 months. They called me TODAY, LESS THAN TWO MONTHS FROM MY WEDDING To tell me they double booked me with a 3rd party service that rents out the sites at a higher rate for glamping and are telling ME that I HAVE TO GIVE UP MY SITES. They have offered no help other than"move sites, get a refund, or re-reserve through that third party site at a more expensive rate."

Evidently the sites I reserved are no longer owned by the state, they're owned by the third party site through a contract. they're made into glamping sites and you cannot rent the site through anyone but the glamping company. They removed what was once a beautiful campsite from the general public and turn it into a"galmp site". How many other sites are going to be bought out like this? All the prime sites that were tent only in North loop are now EXCLUSIVELY glamping sites. If you like doing your own camping, you no longer have that option on the best spots in the park no matter how early you book.

I and my entire wedding party are beyond disappointed in how this has been handled. We are being turned away from over half of our reservations. This is so unprofessional and honestly should be illegal. They waited 9 months to notify me of THEIR MISTAKES and now, less than two months from my wedding, I have to scramble to notify my guests of the changes. I may even have to cancel my wedding because the sites seem to have already been rented through the 3rd party site and I don't want some random people in the CENTER OF MY WEDDING AND ALL ITS PHOTOS. And to top it off, they don't seem at all apologetic about ruining my wedding.

Koreshan is one of about 57 State parks in Fl you can camp. Ammenities are decent, showers, bathrooms, Rv-tent camping spots with elec and water, firepit and picnic table. Dump station. Kids playground. Fishing spots. Canoe and kyak rentals. And tgere is also the Historic site to tour.

Only stayed one night. Overall it was good. The trails were nice to hike. But the campground was a little crowded and busy.

We took our 2 and 1yo boys tent camping. The sites were clean and large enough to fit our lodge style tent, boat and van. My only complaint was that I wished the campsite was a little further in away from the road…but, I don’t think any pull in spots are really going to offer that. The bathrooms were clean. We did battle with a very large raccoon on various occasions that tried to get into our trash and campfire nachos. 😅 The boat ramp was very basic, but did the job just fine. The Estero River was very cool and was an easy shot getting to the sandbars of Lovers Key State Park. The grounds of the park were also very pretty and the historic sites were interesting.

While this state park is one of the prettiest I've seen in Florida, it's the historic details, unusual plants on the trails, and restored town that make it truly fascinating.

We stayed here for a week over Christmas at one of the water and electric sites. The sites are all back-in and have a little privacy with trees and shrubs separating them. The turns are a bit tight around the campground and getting into our site took some maneuvering for our 35' rig, but it wasn't too bad. The dump station is a little inconvenient because you have to go around the loop again instead of it being on the way out. The sites are all sand and our rig sunk a couple inches so leveling was an issue. They have some trails in the campground and access to stores is convenient cause it's right off 41 and very close to 75. We would stay here again if in the area.

Site 3. Nicely treed with shade. Beautiful breeze and gorgeous days here. The Historic site is so interesting. Great staff to explain the history about the site. Loved walking around it. Trails were great, and biking. Site however, is very difficult to back in to. Extremely narrow with trees on both sides that are in need of major trimming. Scratched our rig on both sides! Our fire pit is UNDER our rv! Lots to see and do here.

If you’re looking for an affordable weekend campsite with everything you need to enjoy the outdoors and more. Everything about the stay was amazing. However, the only downside was the privacy between campsites was little to none on one side. Camping for some is about leaving neighbors at home and being in the great outdoors to enjoy nature. The campsite next to us was looking right into our site the whole Time. Other than that, the staff was helpful and insightful. Not to mention polite and professional. If I could I would give this site a 4.5

Hands down BEST place to camp in SW FL.

It’s a hidden gem. The campsites are extremely private. Everything is so clean. The grounds are packed with tropical plants and there is a trail that follows the river. On this trail you get to put your toes in the sand while walking through a majestic bamboo Forrest.

Nice playground there as well if you have children.

Great time relaxing and loved kayaking that river

We normally love camping in state parks but this is one that we will not be back to. Our site was extremely unlevel and a mixture of sand, big gravel and tree roots. We were barely able to navigate around the pine tree that was in the site. Bath houses were OK. The historic area of the park was interesting and the best part of our stay.

We stayed at Koreshan in site 38 for one night. It is definitely not as nice as other FL state parks we’ve been spoiled by... Sites are ok, a little smaller than we’ve had at other campgrounds and there’s some vegetation between sites. The trails aren’t very exciting at the park, although we did walk through the settlement later in the day (when no one else was around) and we got to see a gopher tortoise nesting. Our neighbors were the loudest we’d had at any park (watching an action movie outside), but the campground was quiet after quiet hours. Again - we have been spoiled by other FL state park campgrounds. Ok place to stay, but if you have a choice for another state park, I’d probably recommend staying elsewhere.

Kind and helpful staff! We got a late check-in and no issues. Spot was clean, quiet, with lush vegetation on all sides! There are Historic buildings with interesting background and guided tours. Nature trails, kayaking, etc. Will be back here.

Amazing place. Clean Bathrooms. Big spots and the staff is very friendly. You can do kayaking, biking and hiking with kids. Very recommended

Close to home. Going kayaking.

While staying at another place I wanted to visit or check out this park.. Ranger Mike was friendly and helpful 5 stars to him. The sites were extremely private however more attention could be spending on thinning down some of the growth. The gravel pads need to be refreshed along with a few of the picnic tables. I would rate the sites 2.5 - 3.0, need lots of bug spray. The walking trails ate great 5 here. The bathroom I checked out 2. Boat Launch a mainly because it is to far away from the campsites. Plenty do do between visiting the historical buildings, walking trails, and kayak/canoe. I would fo back to kayak and camp at least one as they do offer 50amp in the rv lots. This park could be so much more if the state would spend a few more dollars on out natural resources.

Another perfect stay. Great trails & private sites. Love being able to have our dogs with us.

  We recently stayed at Koreshan Historic State Park because our son and his family moved to the Ostero area and this is very convenient to their house. We had heard of the park and took the chance to drive trough before staying there. The campground is pretty small with a total of 54 sites and only 42 open to RVs with the rest reserved for tent campers. There is one bath house for the entire campground. It is located closer to the front of the camping loop so campers in the sites towards the back will have longer to go. The sites are equipped with electric and water. The sites are narrow and quite close to each other. There is some under story in between but they are so close that it makes little difference. They are sandy sites which I imagine can get quite soft in the dry season. We stayed in July and the rain tends to keep things fairly easy to drive on but it sticks to everything. Be sure to bring leveling blocks for your RV. The sites are very uneven. The park is close to Tamiami Trail so you do hear some traffic noise at night. We stayed in site 28 which is near the back corner of the loop and the traffic noise was minimal. There is a path that runs behind the sites that leads to the bathroom facilities but the trail from our site to that path was overgrown and unusable. This was not the case on all the sites.

    The rest of the park is very nice with a newer picnic pavilion and nature trail along the Ostero River. There are canoes and kayaks to rent with a well maintained boat ramp. The nature trail runs from the picnic area through a large stand of bamboo to the historic site from which that park gets it's name. The Koreshan settlement was founded in the very early 1900s by a religious sect from the Chicago area. Many of the original buildings are still in the park and there are daily tours of the buildings and lots of information about the people who settled here.

   As I mentioned, this park is close to Tamiami Trail at the end of Corkscrew Rd.. You are minutes from grocery stores, hardware stores, restaurants and all kinds of retail shops. The Coconut Point Mall is right down the road. There is a movie theater, restaurants and the typical collection of upscale retailers you would find in a mall. The park's entrance is across an intersection from a good size strip mall with a Publix.

  Overall, we liked this park and found it a very convenient place to stay and hang out with our family. Not exactly "getting away from it all" but that's not why we came.

We first came to Koreshan ( core-resh-in) as a place to get near Naples to visit relatives. The campground is mainly two circles, one inside the other. Sites are small but manageable and have relatively good screening between sights. There’s kayaking on the river and a little bit of hiking. The main attraction is the historic Koreshan commune. It’s a short hike along the river. There’s lots of wildlife snakes, gopher tortoises, etc to see and some very cool giant bamboo from the original gardens. If it’s windy stop and listen to the bamboo! The historic buildings and information is very interesting, very odd beliefs and well kept.
There are frequent gatherings at the historic site such as vintage camper trailers when we were there.
Bathhouse is in serious need of renovating, but is kept clean. It’s located in the center of everything and sometimes quite a walk depending on your site. The campground stays pretty busy all year.

We found the perfect campsite. Private, quiet. The campground, trails, and historic site are dog friendly, which is perfect for us. The bath house is clean. Campground is well kept. Love the farmers market every Sunday at the settlement.

Sites are a bit tight if you have a larger rig but they are big enough. My family and I enjoy this campground. Rent a canoe from the ranger station to go down the estero river and see manatees and dolphins or take a stroll in the historic living area. There are plenty of gopher tortoises and armadillos around to see and every trip we have taken here we have seen at least 1 giant Easter diamond back rattlesnake!

The campground located inside the historical state park has a total of 54 sites, 39 are RV or tent, 3 only RV, and 12 Tent only. There is a bath house on the inside loop of the sites, it has hot showers and flush toilets. Each site has electrical hookup, with picnic tables, fire pit, and utility pole. Each site has good foliage and privacy from other sites. The park has water fountains and water faucets for portable water. Each site has a gravel drive and sandy/grassy area for tents, no tent pads. It is also pet friendly. Two sites I have stayed at are 020 and 009, both are large sites with lots of privacy from neighbors. From October-April it is fairly busy, and availability is scarce, so planning a head is usually necessary to get the site you want. It is $26 a night with a $6.70 nonrefundable reservation fee, reservation is on the park website.

This state park is part of a Historical Settlement of a religious group that built this particular settlement in 1893, there are lots of buildings still preserved and available for you to walk through. A couple short and nice trails, some along the Estero river. Kayaking and fishing are also permitted.

We love to hike the trails and the kids really like the playground at this campground. The historic area is really neat too and they have a farmers market on Sundays.

We loved this place. All the sites were heavily separated by shrubs and palm trees, lots of privacy. There's a large bathhouse in the center of the loops with laundry facilities, a rarity for a state park. Lots of sand on the roadways and in sites - could be problematic for a big rig in wet weather but we didn't have any issues. Affordable rates, great location, clean showers- it's all you can ask for.

We camp Koreshan because it is literally less than 10 minutes from our house. We can set up camp and stay throughput the week even if the kids have school. It’s hard to book a weekend at any Florida campground in season so plan ahead if you want a Florida State park. This campground has short trails to hike through beautiful bamboo forests. A ramp for putting in your kayaks or SUPs as well as kayak rental. Locations to fish the river. You are a 20 minute drive to the beach from here. Very centrally located to shopping and farmers markets. Koreshan has a farmers market there at the park I believe on Sundays. The campsites have a fire pit and wood is sold at the entrance. It is a historic site of the early settlers of the area from the late 1800’s so there are historical buildings on site to tour. It is a pet friendly campground. The only reason I give this campground 4* rather than 5 is because of the road noise from Hwy 41 that it is off. It’s quite peaceful until you get a motorcycle racing up and down the highway at 2am. They do have specific sites if you wish to camp in hammocks. If you google the campground you should be able to find out which sites those are.

An oasis in the middle of suburbia. Nicely wooded sites if close together. Interesting history, nice kayaking from the park. Enjoyed our stay very much.

Koreshan, as its referred to by locals…is a little gem neatly tucked away between U.S. 41, Corkscrew Rd. and the Estero River. The last decade or so has seen building and development at a ridiculous rate. Yet, when you pull into Koreshan Historic State Park…time slows down.

For its location, the park system was able to masterfully squeeze quite 60 sites in. There is plenty of scrub between you and your neighbor…you may hear them, but you won't see them. There is a centrally located showerhouse/bathroom that is more than adequate and well-maintained.

The park is only 135 acres, and a large percentage is taken by the small historic city built there at the turn of the 1900's. The buildings are pretty interesting, as is the beliefs these unusual folks held. History is, well…history…sometimes fact is stranger than fiction.

The trails are long, but interesting…especially through the various exotic and oriental vegetation.

Its the closest campground for me…so its a regular go-to when the itch comes. The big draw…the Estero River. Though built up on the north side with a trailer park…parts of the Estero feel remote and jungle-like. There are gators that populate the river…but if you don't mess with them…they won't mess with you. The river empties into the back bay…a short distance to the Gulf of Mexico through New Pass, Big Hickory Pall or Big Carlos Pass…all of which are stunning. Another historic site is close to the mouth of the Estero…Indian Mound Key. Check your tide charts, as the Estero is a tidal river…and fighting the current both directions doesn't make for a fun day. Kayaks don't really feel the effects, but canoes sure do. You can drop your boat in at the park, or rent one. Fishing is fantastic…and the aquatic wildlife is amazing! Manatee make their rounds (especially in cooler months).

If you forget supplies…don't sweat it…there is more shopping within a mile or two that would spin your head.

The only real negative for tent campers…other than the heat (which I love), is the traffic noise from U.S. 41. Its not obnoxious, but you do hear it.

Its a great stopping point in SW Florida!