Best RV Parks & Resorts near Crystal River, FL

This is a 55+ resort for either the early or soon-to-be-retired community who happen to be toting around in an RV. Red Oaks, which is owned by the large RV conglomerate Sun Outdoors, is pet-friendly and offers up 200+ pull-through and back-in RV slots with FHUs offering 30 / 50 amp electric and well-apportioned grassy or, for slightly more $’s, concrete or paved asphalt pads for regular-sized and XL RVs alike. Most sites come with the prerequisite picnic table and cable as well as offering enough space for slide outs with some of the spots offering more shade than most. Net-net, if you are looking for a mini-RV village to live in with a tight-knit community of retirees looking to kick back, enjoy the simple life and grab some Florida sunshine while doing it, you’ve just hit the RV park lottery!

With a population that actually rivals that of nearby Bushnell itself, Red Oaks RV Resort is organized pretty much like a little town in its own right with a grid-like paved street complex where the primary residential set-up is an oversized RV – but trust me, this place isn’t like many are simply housing long-term residents, although this location will definitely conjure up some residential vibes. What I like most about Red Oaks RV Resort is its central location to a ton of natural spaces to stretch your legs or get some oaring in like Flying Eagle Wildlife Management Area to the north, Weeki Wachee Springs State Park to the west, Lake Apopka to the east as well as artificial playgrounds like Disney World, Legoland and Universal Studies in Orlando to the south.

From an amenities standpoint, this place packs a decent punch offering the following: incredibly clean and well-maintained restroom and shower facilities, WiFi / Cable TV, Mail Center, laundr-O-mat, on-site storage, doggie park, clubhouse, covered pavilions with picnic tables and benches, swimming pool w/ deck patio and lounge chairs, jacuzzi, fitness center, shuffleboard, horseshoes, hiking trails & biking paths, game room, pickleball, volleyball, billiards, fishing, library, car wash, dumpster and dump station, on-site catering, scattered community halls and open air pavilion with picnic tables and seating, comfort station, woodshop as well as planned activities like (you guessed it) Bingo, live music, karaoke nights, line and square dancing, ice cream socials, water aerobics and quilting contests (yes, this review actually mentions 'quilting contests').

Insider’s tips? Here’s a few: (1) IMHO the best sites at this place are either the ones on the eastern perimeter as they place you as far away from the roaring traffic shooting up and down I75, plus this area is heavy-laden with good ground cover and a decent thick treeline granting both shade and a healthy bit of privacy, versus many of the other spots here; (2) In the event that you wanna get off the reservation here and try some local fare there’s Big Bass Grill Lakefront Restaurant & Marina, Beef ‘O’ Brady’s, Wood Shed, Coney Island, Odd Cuples (misspelt on purpose) Café and a smattering of fast food joints closer to I75; and (3) If you are looking to catch up on some local history, head on over to Dade Battlefield Historic State Park.

Happy Camping!

General: 59-site campground in two loops plus 10 cabins. 

Site Quality: These sites were HUGE. Many were pull-throughs. Our site (51) could easily fit four of our vans! All sites were gravel and level and had water, electric, and (I believe but we didn’t use) sewer hookups, a bbq grill, a fire ring, and a large picnic table. Each loop has a handicap-accessible site near the restrooms. In addition to the size of the sites, there was reasonable separation/privacy between them. Although I did not see the inside of them, the cabins looked beautiful – they were large with huge screened-in porches. One of the cabins was handicap accessible. 

Bathhouse: Was very clean. In addition to the men’s and women’s bathrooms, there were two family restrooms, complete with showers, and the showers had plenty of hot water.  

Activities/Amenities: There is no swimming or fishing here but you can rent kayaks. Note: the launch area is not within walking distance of the campground. We chose to do an organized tour with Get Up and Go Kayaking with glass bottom kayaks. The launch site for this tour is a quick drive from the campground. There are also several hiking trails that were well marked. There is a museum geared toward school groups that is open to the public only on the weekends (we were there during the week). Although the gate agent said there was no recycling, we saw a recycling bin near the restrooms/dumpster. It was not indicated what materials were accepted so I assumed it was single stream. Other amenities include a dishwashing sink, vending machine, a small lending library, and a washer/dryer.

This state park was a pleasant surprise and we wish we could have stayed longer!

This was our last stop on our way north to Alabama. The road to the campground is hard packed gravel but we traveled slowly and had no issues. We had a reservation and went directly to our site. Each site has a spacious level concrete pad and plenty of shade trees. Clean and well maintained campground, including the restroom/shower with very hot water. Very quiet, but cold weather could have been a factor. Firewood available for a donation is a plus. Primarily used the campground as a staging area to visit other points of interest in the local area, such as Three Sisters Springs and Copp Winery/Brewery, so we did not use the trail system, but there is easy access to the trail. Plenty of places to shop and eat nearby. Cell service with ATT was adequate. We would stay here again.

River Junction, Withlacoochee SF, Webster, FL. 1/2025:

(72 yr olds in 27’ trailer.) NO PETS. Overall Rating: 4 for site privacy and river access. Bathrooms are not clean during our stay which is following a full weekend. Price 2024: $10 for seniors Security: Gate w code Usage during visit: Light during the week. Full over the weekend Visual Privacy Between Adjacent Sites: thick shrubs Site Spacing: Good Pad surface: Sand Reservations: Yes Campground Noise: Quiet Outside Road Noise: none Through Traffic in campground: None Electric Hookup: no Sewer Hookup: no Dump Station: yes Potable Water Available: At site Generators: I did not see any restrictions posted.
Bathroom: Flush toilets. Not very clean upon arriving just following a full weekend. . Showers: yes. Not very clean. Pull Throughs: I didn’t notice any restrictions posted Cell Service (Verizon): Setting: Oak Forest with low growing shrubbery Recent Weather: Polar vortex is bringing the temps down to highs in the 50s and lows in the 30s. Solar: Some sites better than others. Insects: None. Host: Yes Rig Size: Backing can be tight Sites: Some sites back up to river with view and access from picnic area .

We love small RV parks with easy living and charm. Cedars Lake is such a park in Old Homosassa Florida. Sites are situated around a small pond, under large oak canopies. The full-time and part-time folks are friendly. The management couple, who live onsite, are welcoming and very helpful. And Ernie, the Blue Heron, is entertaining. Essentials include laundry, wifi, picnic tables, pool, rec room, etc. Close to lots of things to do, like state parks, walking trails, museums, manatee watching, fishing. There must be 30+ local restaurants nearby. The Museum Cafe (authentic Cuban sandwiches) is our favorite. We've stayed in all types of RV parks from WA to FL and this is the sweetest. Initially we reserved it for a week and, once here, stayed three weeks because it was a charming home away from home.