After our last camping trip where we lost our tent to the elements we recently got a Cotopaxi Inti 2 and thought we'd give it a go somewhere a little closer to home. The campgrounds are nicely wooded and provide a ton of much-needed shade from the Florida sun. Check in was smooth and uneventful and we got to our site (#32) which did seem rather close to those around us, but we set up and then started making dinner. Exploring the campground, we realized it a little weirdly setup with all the sites arranged in a loop with the sites on either side of the road and the facilities (which are nice) in the center of the loop. There isn't a direct path and if you're on the outside of the loop you will have to walk through/by a site within the center ring and then through the "woods" to get to the bathhouse. Some sites have more of a path than others. There are a few accessible sites which have a paved pathway to the bathhouse, but you'd have to walk directly through someone else's campsite to get to them...a little weird. After eating we started to make a fire and thought the group (very near) next to us was a getting a little loud and it definitely made it seem less secluded, when of course we get a Florida downpour (starting to think we can't go camping without it raining) which of course wasn't predicted and we all had to rush to our tents. Stayed huddled in there (and this time thankfully the rain stayed outside our tent) it got much quieter and darker and eventually, we slept through the night to awaken to it still raining... At this point, we were simply glad to be dry and packed up and left in the drizzle. We were on site 32 which was probably one of the furthest from the facilities and you had to walk through a thick path past the clothesline to the back of the bathhouse to get there. If you prefer a more direct line I'd call before booking online and ask about the best locations to get back and forth to the facility. But we were glad it wasn't our site that people were walking through...

My friends and I have camped Wekiva a few times now, mostly because it's in our backyard. Being located in central Florida I think it goes without saying that tent camping here in the middle of summer comes with its own challenges, such as the excruciating heat. But other than stating the obvious let's cut to the chase. Pros: Kayaking, Natural Springs and community swimming hole, BBQ locations, separate camp grounds for tent versus RV, short distance to Wekiva Island. The natural springs of central Florida keep a cool 72 degrees year round making swimming something you can always do. The head spring of Wekiva is a fairly large swimming hole which like most springs remains crystal clear water, great for snorkeling. The downfall however is this area gets insanely crowded during the summer months. Here you are able to rent kayaks, canoes and rafts for fair prices. Usually around $35 per kayak for 4-6 hours. Once you launch you have two main options of which direction to go. One being a more scenic route where you will more than likely see a large number of birds, turtles and the crowd favorite...alligators galore. There are no rangers on the water with you, so you are responsible for your own safety around the gators. The other direction leads you to Wekiva Island, the party place! Wekiva Island is also known as the redneck riviera. Here you'll find a couple of bars, volleyball, corn hole, a food truck and many more activities. (You can also drive straight to the island which also offers kayaking rentals). Over all, the springs and the river make for an adventurous fun day. Cons: The camp sites themselves are quite close in proximity to one another not leaving much privacy. You are contained to remain within the dirt boundaries opposed to setting up camp on softer ground. You are limited to only 2 tents and two cars on the site itself. Additional parking is close by. The real con was the camp ground attendants. My friends and I are in our mid thirties and not loud and obnoxious residents. You will be annoyed by several rangers on golf carts constantly hovering and interrupting you as well as your good old camp ground host who may or may not live on one of the grounds? He wasn't friendly and made us uncomfortable.

All in all to sum it up, if you are looking to spend some relaxing time on the water and see some unique Floridian wildlife you'll have a great time!