Searching for the best camping near Cortez, FL? Discover secluded campsites where you can reconnect with nature. Or maybe you like to bring your family and friends along. Either way, there are Cortez campgrounds just for you. You're sure to find the perfect campground for your Cortez camping trip.
$30 / night
"The campsites are nicely spaced out so you aren’t to close to other campers. The trails are amazing but be careful or you might get lost."
"It’s in an awesome location, too - we had other plans but made last-minute plans to stay here for a night and they were pretty empty on a Friday night."
"I stayed in the primitive grounds so it was about a 5 mile hike in with a pack. We set up camp and could not wait for the sun to go down for stargazing."
"Myakka River Stste Park is 10 miles outside of Sarasota Florida, but feels very far removed from the city."
$24 / night
"Stayed over mother's day weekend at Lithia Springs."
"Stayed over mother's day weekend at Lithia Springs."
$20 - $25 / night
$5 - $45 / night
"Primitive Camping for groups only unless booking private concierge camping service.
There are bathrooms but no showers, there is an outdoors kitchen and a screened pavilion."
"This location is utterly beautiful! So many different environments can be seen just walking the trials."
"The camp sites are hike in only. I LOVE this. Bring a manageable pack with everything you need. There is no water, power, or restrooms at the sites."
"I live in an adjacent neighborhood (2 years) and walk this park daily with my doggos. I’ve biked all the trails and been here from sunrise to sunset."
"This is a great park with trails, restrooms, boating, a fun playground, nice picnic areas, volleyball, BMX, and more."
"This centrally located primitive camping spot is centrally located near the Odessa area near Tampa."
"Lake Rodgers trail and campsites are beautiful and well kept up. The 3 trails( upper, mid, and lower) make it nice to walk thru different terrains."
LegendThis location is utterly beautiful! So many different environments can be seen just walking the trials. The 4 primitive campsites we found were along the river and we did not see bathrooms or picnic tables or fire rings. The trails are marked well but not often maintained - so you really get the feel that you are in the middle of nowhere. No traffic was heard at night and I would not camp out there alone on a weekend due to the "local party crowd". This is a hike in and hike out site. We only stayed 1 night. No amenities. Lots of birds and wildlife in the late day and early morning. Parking is a small fenced in area before turn in road - no security/lighting appx 1.5 miles from camping area that we found
I would have given this location a 5 except for the large amount of trash we found on trails (that we carried out) and the obvious disregard for rules of no swimming and no alcohol.
LegendNice but small primitive state forest campground. Only 10 sites and one is for the camp host. About half the sites are back-in and can hold small RVs. The rest are tent only although the parking space is large enough to put a van-sized RV in sideways.
All the sites are quite large and well separated from neighboring sites. With the right mix of campers, you could have a super peaceful night in the forest without having to bushwhack your way in. (Our night included a site with small kids the parents kept yelling at. Ugh.)
All sites have a fire ring and picnic table
There are vault toilets available in the loop and there is a potable water spigot at the nearby ranger station (firewood also available there).
Nearby hiking trails are rated easy and moderate and the trailhead is just a quarter mile down the road.
The campground is gated (you get the lock code when you reserve a site). Note that this campground requires reservations.
If you're self-contained and looking for a nice quiet spot to camp, this would be a good spot to choose.
Cell service on Verizon was ok with a jetpack, better with a MIMO antenna attached. (1 bar without /2-3 bars with but data speeds with MIMO were decent).
T-Mobile service was good but kept bouncing between 4G and 5G on phone, which made it a bit erratic. On jetpack that only does 4G, had a strong signal with good data rates.
ScoutThe camp sites are hike in only. I LOVE this. Bring a manageable pack with everything you need. There is no water, power, or restrooms at the sites. There is a restroom facility about a 1/2 mile down the trail. There was firewood for use when I went. Sites were equipped with hammock posts, picnic table, and a fire pit. There was also a trash can. I had a great time, the whole park to myself for the night. Strongly recommend if you enjoy primitive camping.
ScoutReservations months in advance required. Nice dog beach. No alcohol allowed so keep it inside along with music. No hookups.
LegendStayed two nights here. Arrived in the afternoon and found site number (38) easily. The tent sites on the outer side of the loops are bedded in sand, and the ones on the inner side are bedded in crushed shells and are nearer the restrooms and facilities. The back side of number 38 leads to a grassy area lined by trees on the far side that block the sunset. Recommend site 30 or below so that the back side of your site leads to the water and beautiful sunsets. Be prepared to deal with mosquitoes and raccoons. On the first night, a raccoon approached the table without regard and tried to open the portable trash can! They're active and large, and can be seen at night throughout the campground raiding the trash bins. Went on a bike ride the following day, and upon returning saw that a raccoon had opened the Coleman 52-gallon cooler, taken out the carton of eggs, cracked all six eggs, and eaten each egg yolk, leaving the whites and the shells strewn about the picnic table and ground nearby. Thankful that it had not touched the Ferrero Rocher chocolates. Resolved to put the cooler inside the car when absent henceforth. There is a campground store near the entrance with everything from ice to wood to tuna, milk, fishing supplies... it's a mini-market. There is a souvenir shop and food shop near the fort part. Didn't go to the fort or museum. Had a delicious fish and chips meal at the food shop. The bike paths are wide along the main vehicular roads. The highlight of the site is the North Beach. It's ample and clean. White sands. Shallow shores. Pleasant, perfect.
GuideThere aren't many free spots in this area of Florida. Of course, they provide nothing other than a spot to camp with fire ring and old table, and an outhouse. We are in a 24' class C and found a nice private area that was surprisingly level. Trailers are accommodated at the equestrian campground. I suggest you arrive before dark as the road is a bit rough and narrow, with no light.
GuideWe tent camped here for two nights. I really enjoyed our stay and the staff were very friendly and helpful.
We stayed one of the premium tent sites, but unfortunately there is a very bright street light on all night right next to premium camping. The primitive campsites with no hookups are in a much more secluded area and not affected by lighting at night.
Other than that, everything else was great.
Rangerclose to the breweries in art district of St Pete Florida, Fort Desoto Campground has everything you could want for a long weekend or quick getaway. There's a general store if you want to stock up on snacks, fishing tackle, pool floats, or ice cream, or just catch a little air conditioning and Wi-Fi. The General Store also has a nice balcony overlooking the water and some oyster beds.
The campsites are suitable for car camping, hammock camping, tent camping, or RVs. Be sure to bring your rain gear and rain flies, as Florida thunderstorms are brief but no joke. You can rent bicycles down closer to the actual Old Fort where there's also a huge fishing pier and plenty of old military installations to explore. However don't rely on using the bikes to get back to the campground as there's no drop-off on the other side.
It can be a bit of a long walk from the campground itself to the Old Fort, which shouldn't be a problem unless you didn't pack the right clothes or shoes. If, like me, you find yourself a little under-prepared, there is Lyft and Uber in the area and in a pinch you can use that to get back and forth between the campground and the fort.
Our neighbors at the next campsite over we're, unfortunately, a bit of a party crowd, which made for a loud night and very little sleep. That said the restrooms were nice and easy to reach and all of the amenities or what you would expect at a bigger busy or campground.
TravelerBEAUTIFUL shaded park. Hike in only to the primitive. Tents only.
Cortez, Florida, offers some fantastic options for tent camping, allowing outdoor enthusiasts to immerse themselves in nature while enjoying various amenities and activities.
Frequently Asked Questions
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According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Cortez, FL is Terry Tomalin Campground with a 4-star rating from 3 reviews.
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