Best Cabin Camping near Bowling Green, FL

I’m staying in the Palmetto Ridge loop which is the only paved loop & I think the only one w/sewer. The Big Flats & Old Prairie loops are gravel road, tight, no privacy & very small sites like for popups, vans or small campers. The Palmetto Ridge pull thrus are gigantic. I would say the vegetation gives semi privacy but they aren’t on top of each other so it’s not like you’re looking right at your neighbor. There is a picnic table & a fire ring. Gravel sites but pretty level. My site was 50 amp. Not sure how many are. Bath house & laundry facility appears clean. Pet friendly. The outpost is literally like 3 miles into the park down from the entrance & Palmetto loop. The store was nice & there was a food truck. It was a little spendy but good food. The river was low so the kayak rental & boat tours were shut down. Tons of great hiking & even some elevated bridges for site seeing. Tons of gators, birds, deer etc. There is also a scenic drive in the park, a “fisherman’s loop” & a few picnic areas. There are cabins to rent but I didn’t see them. Also never saw a playground if you have kids. Very dark & quiet at night.

OK, let’s just cut to the chase here. You are likely considering Sun Outdoors Orlando Champions Gate due to its proximity to the ‘Most Magical Place on Earth’ or one of the other themed amusement parks here in the Orlando area. And maybe you’ve got an RV and shrugged your shoulders and said ‘why not?’ And to this I say, if proximity and accessibility are key criteria for you on this particular trip and locking down a spot to park your RV for a few days while you (and likely the kids) are wanting to enjoy all of the entertainment and endless lines of all-you-can-eat buffets, then Sun Outdoors will certainly be a very good option for you.

What I like most about Sun Outdoors Orlando is that this spot is recently completely refurbished, so everywhere you go, while the place itself looks like it has recently been cleared of all vegetation (definitely a negative in my mind - as it looks as though every single piece of nature, be it grass, bushes or trees, has been surgically removed leaving a very barren, sterile environ), all of the buildings, sites and amenities look fairly brand spanking new, especially the club house and adjoining in-ground heated pool, which is definitely the best aspect of this particular paved campground. Here they have plenty of level, asphalt-paved or grassy RV pads, spots for tent camping as well as even cottages and cabins that they’ll rent to you in case you’ve not come prepared with any overnight preparations of your own.  

Amenities: large heated in-ground swimming pool with patio and deck chairs, umbrellas and chaise loungers, pristine bathroom & showers, shuffleboard court, game room, horseshoe pit, WiFi, pet-friendly, coin-operated laundr-O-mat, dog park, bingo hall, basketball, volleyball, stand-up BBQ grills, religious services, Adirondack chair encircled fire pits, cornhole as well as back-in and pull-through RV slots with concrete patios, picnic table and all the traditional hook-ups (20 / 30 / 50 amp electric, water and sewage).

Insider’s tips: (1) When we visited, there was a solid amount of road construction going on right in front of Sun Outdoors Orlando, so unless that has changed (call ahead if this is of concern), then I would highly suggest booking a spot furthest away the front of the campground, which sits right in front of the roadway where the work is being done; (2) If you grow weary of opening up your on-board fridge or half-empty roto-molded Cordova cooler and want to check out a nearby restaurant, I recommend nearby Miller’s Ale House, Marco’s Pizza, Mondo di Gelato or Reunion Gyro; (3) While this campground will tell you on-line and on-site that you can tent camp here, even if you could, I don’t know that you would want to, unless your idea of a good tent camping experience is being sandwiched between 2 oversized RV’s and pitching your tent on asphalt; (4) Some of these sites for large RV’s and even 5th wheels appear to be a bit too small (several were either parked beyond the asphalt limits on the grass, or the width was too large and overhung the concrete pad itself, creating unstable situation for some RV’s) ;(5) If you actually care to grab a slice of nature while you are here at Sun Outdoors Orlando, then go for a day trip to Lake Tohopekaliga, which has some pretty amazing bass fishing as well as a few choice places to drop your boat into, like Twin Oaks or Cherokee Point Conservation Areas (and if you don’t have your own kayak, canoe or boat, contact Wild Willys Airboat Tours and they’ll show you around); and (6) There’s a Publix, CVS and Aldi so close to this campground that you can walk there, in case you run out of anything.

Happy Camping!

So I grew up camping a lot and like to be more primitive/ private. The campsites are close together, with little privacy. It’s also located right off the highway, so you get all the noise. All day and all night.

Now, for canoe and kayak trips, I guess it’s a good spot. There’s a lot of folk that come just for that. The staff is very friendly. They drive around maybe once a couple of hours. They are pet friendly. A long as your pup isn’t running around the whole property. I’m pretty sure every site has water and electricity.

• firer ring -picnic table
• BBQ pit

If you love camping, wildlife, and stargazing but still want the convenience of amenities (i.e electricity, running water, bathroom, shower) then this is the place for you.

Kissimmee Prairie Preserve State Park is part of IDA International Dark-Sky Places. The park has little light pollution and also a stargazing pad where you can also camp on.

The campgrounds aren't large but the campsites are good for tents and RVs. The one site we stayed at had water and electric hook-ups and a firepit. We were close to very clean restroom area that also had showers, washer and dryer. They do have primitive campsites for the more rustic individuals. The campgrounds are about 45 minutes from town, but the ranger station sells ice for $2.50 and firewood purchase is by honor system. We also saw other campers with their dogs so pet-friendly as well.

Lots of hiking trails and so much wildlife. We saw deer grazing near our campsite!

Make sure to bring lots of mosquito repellent, especially in the summer months. Otherwise you'll get bit...a lot! But it is Florida after all.

The group camping site at Hillsborough River State Park is perfect for all scouting adventures. The group site can hold multiple troops at a time and is away from the regular tent and rv camping sites It typically is booked up on weekends 3-4 months in advance but during the weekdays is seldom used. Church groups and other not for profit organizations can book this space if the scouts have not - but they are given first opportunity according to park staff that I worked with.

There is plenty of wildlife in this part of the park, group camp is a short walk from rapids Trail and gift shop, canoe rentals and other concessions. Fishing along the river is hit or miss - and there are alligators so refrain from fishing with chicken or liver. There is a large fine for harassing a gator (or feeding them) and this is strictly monitored. If you get a gator on your fishing line you should call a ranger  - do not just cut your line.

Bathrooms at the group site are something to be desired. They are are small, even tiny...and as old as the park. Just forget about the group camp shower... There are nicer facilities a short 10 min walk down the road near gift shop where you will also find a play ground.

Winter months are best- that is when mosquitoes are not too bad. June and July are nearly impossible to find relief from these insects.

I personally camped in a hammock and had a baby raccoon playing with my lines at night. YOU HAVE TO SECURE YOUR FOOD!

There are lots of picnic tables to have for seating and nice fire pits.

Our visit was relaxing and enjoyable. We visited in July and the shade from all the trees around our site helped keep the heat tolerable. The camp site’s aren’t dispersed and a little close together but we didn’t have any immediate neighbors around us so it was perfect. We stayed on site 008 and it was spacious enough for our large cabin tent, picnic table, additional table, dog pool, chairs, etc. Our site is conveniently close to the bathrooms. I liked that there is only one main dumpster and it’s kept a distance from the camp sites. I think this helped keep any raccoons that may have been around away from the campers. AMAZING star gazing location.