Looking for an adventure where you can explore Dunnellon and then fall asleep in your tent? With The Dyrt, it's easy to find Dunnellon campgrounds for you and your tent. Whether you're looking for a quiet, dispersed site or an established camgpround with amenities, The Dyrt makes it easy to find the perfect place to pitch your tent.
A free reservation is required and must be displayed.
Idlewild was founded in 1992 by William T Davis as a fish camp for those who knew how many bass are swimming and living in the spring-fed waters of Lake Panasoffkee. It’s built on 3 acres with 10 cabins, 10 RV pads. While small, it is not short on amenities. Positioned as a boutique lodge, large groups may find it ideal to host private events. Families will find the amenities to be entertaining while also serving as a unique, but truly “Floridian,” nature experience. Located on the western perimeter of Lake Panasoffkee, Idlewild sits across a 9,911 acre state park preserving Lake Panasoffkee's vast floodplain forest, natural springs, pine flat-woods, freshwater marshes and oak scrub forest.
Recognizing the beauty Lake Panasoffkee has to offer, the current owners revitalized Idlewild in 2022 welcoming residents and tourists alike to enjoy the natural beauty and fishing opportunities Lake Pan has to offer. In addition to cabin renovations and pavered RV sites, Idlewild now features additional premium amenities including pontoon boat rentals, kayaks, bait & tackle, a concrete boat launch, boat slips, vending, recreational area, laundry machines, an on-site café, pool-side cabanas, and the most spectacular views of Lake Pan while sitting around the gas-fired fire pit. For those seeking a bit more adventure, Idlewild is host to Swamp Fever Airboat Adventures. Swamp Fever guests can sign up for the interactive alligator experience and ride an airboat deep into the shallow waters of the Lake Panasoffkee enchanted forest where snakes, turtles, cranes, and alligators are aplenty.
$74 - $255 / night
$18 / night
Overnight primitive camping is permitted only within the Primitive Camp Zones (PCZ’s) designated by yellow-banded trees. PCZ West is located on the west end of the trails and 1/2 mile north of the Tucker Hill Trailhead. PCZ East is located north of Croom Road (Forest Road 6) between Forest Road 9 and Nobleton Croom Road approximately 6 miles east from Tucker Hill. Nearby campgrounds with bathhouses are located at Hog Island Recreation Area and Silver Lake Recreation Area
This 1,137-acre site is located at the north end of Lake Yale. The major feature is a 600-acre shallow marsh. Approximately 61% of the property is comprised of forested and herbaceous wetlands (692.2 acres) with the remaining 39% consisting of uplands (444.5 acres). The upland community types found on the Preserve include unimproved pasture, shrub/brushland, mesic hammocks, xeric hammocks and pine flatwoods. Wildlife include sandhill cranes, gopher tortoises, pocket gophers, ring-neck ducks, foxes and scrub jays.
Hiking, biking or horseback riding on the Sawgrass Island Preserve allows the visitor an opportunity to experience a natural area far away from the urbanized environment. There are two primitive camping sites located on the Hammock Trial. They consist of a fire ring, picnic table and a post to hang your lantern. There is no water source, so water must be carried in. Camping is available by permit only.
Lake area campground with 29 campsites along the eastern shore of Lake Delancy in the Big Scrub.
Ranger
Fantastic campground and recreation area. Over 150 campsites, one area full hookups with all amenities and other area for tent camping. Sites have lots of space and majority have shade trees with moss flowing in the breeze. All sites have picnic table, lantern pole, grill, and fire ring. We have 2 golden retrievers and had plenty of space to spare. Beautiful stars out at night. Bathhouses are large, clean, hot showers. Trailer sites were full and only a few tent campers this time of year. Tent sites are complete with Bear boxes at each site. Camp hosts and management were very friendly and helpful.
Saw manatees kayaking in the spring and river on premises. Spring area has a boardwalk around it. People swam with them too. Saw bald eagle catching fish, lots of birds, some fish, etc. Has a small boat launch and marina. Can tent kayaks. Great place for bikes. A few hiking trails were well maintained.
Convenient location to lots of springs to visit and things to do. Visited Silver Springs, Blue Springs, Juniper Spring to name a few. All within 1 hr drive.
Not sure how summer time is, but this late February time was Awesome. 40-50 at night and 60s in the day! This is a must stay place.
LegendSalt Springs Recreation Area is part of the Ocala National Forest. It’s the oldest national forest east of the Mississippi River and protects the world’s largest sand pine scrub forest. The Salt Springs gets its name from the magnesium, sodium and potassium levels in the water, giving it a slight salinity. We made our reservations online at www.recreation.gov you can also call 877-444-6777 the local office is(352) 685-2048. We’re a married couple in our forties traveling with two dogs and a cat in our 37 foot motorhome. We stayed at Salt Springs campground for about a week in February. It was$34 for full hookups or$23 for tent camping. American Land& Leisure does a great job managing this recreation and camping area, the staff are professional and friendly. It’s a very safe and well lit campground. Activities include spring swimming, basketball courts, horseshoe pit, fishing, snorkeling, hiking, boating and kayaking. Canoe rentals are available. Nearby in the town of Salt Springs you will find a grocery store, gas station, restaurants, post office and laundromat. Don’t expect big box stores to shop in, this is a very small town and a place to get away from the world. We stayed in a full hookup site and had lots of space to ourselves, at least 25 yards to our neighbor on either side and about 40 yards to the next loop behind us. It was a flat site and very easy to level our motorhome. Sites are fully equipped with fire ring, grill, lantern post and picnic table. The tent sites include a bear locker. We loved the recycling opportunities at each trash container. They recycle plastic, glass and aluminum. The bathhouses are a gem, extremely clean and well taken care of. For campers in tents they offer a kitchen sink area to clean your dishes. Overall we loved our stay here, we went swimming multiple times with our snorkel gear and drove down to Silver Springs on two separate days(one for the glass bottomed boats and a second day to go kayaking).
Scout
I called and was told they don’t allow any tent camping. Just an FYI. Was advised only the state parks in the area allow tent camping.
Guide
The park was beautiful with tons of mossy oaks, we camped in a tent, but the bathrooms were close, there was an outlet and a water faucet near to wash our dishes. I didn't see any manatees but the spring was beautiful and cold. Pretty hiking trails and a boat launch, the raccoons loved my husband's boat.
Scout
To much for just tent camping
Scout
We decided last minute to do some camping and they were very nice in the office. There are showers, bathrooms, tent camping, rv camping, canoe launching, and even a pool. Also if you keep going down the main road you will find a little beach and park. The only thing I could suggest is that they do not place the tent campers right in the middle of the rv's. It was hard to get used to our tent camping and hearing the a/c's and tv playing Every Body Loves Raymond.
Guide
This is a beautiful campground with proximity to the Florida Scenic Trail. Ideal for tent camping, as the forest service roads were a little rough for our RV. Campground is along a beautiful and unique wet prairie. No cell service, no electric or water hookups. Worth a stay in a tent! Recommend using entrance off route 19 via forest service road 86.
Traveler
The people are friendly and the fishing is great. Tent sites are primitive but there is a bath house.
LegendClose to a nice spring (not the most beautiful of the area). Tent site are fine. Very friendly staff.
Scout
The photo associated with this description is a picture of the cedar key tourist area- not Shell Mound Campground. However, situated approximately 4 miles away, Shell Mound is an incredible camp site for tent camping, RV camping, kayak camping. It’s a county run park and only 10$ night for tent camping or pickup truck camping. It has a clean bath for men and for women and hot showers for both. Boat ramp only usable at high tide- otherwise need your airboat to slide up in low tide. Short hiking trails just to the south through the salt marshes and amazing archaeological mounds and history in walking distance. This is the best of Florida. At night, grab dinner and drinks in cedar key and come back to your camp site next your fire. Sleep good listening to crickets, owls, and other critters. Wake up to the glorious sun rising over the salt marshes! Use this site as a home base to explore the Lower Suwannee wilderness areas owned by the federal and state governments!
Scout
Can flood but there is dry ground to camp on. Sulfur water in the outdoor showers, great tent sites right off river.
Guide
Nice spots for tent camping. Got surprisingly cold when I visited. Would’ve been 5 stars if it weren’t for obnoxiously loud and rude neighbors that were yelling/screaming until midnight. If you camp here, expect to hear lots of partying.
GuideState park off the beaten path. Rv sites can be tight, lots of tent sites. Springs area is small but cave divers are always there. Make sure you check for ticks.
ScoutThe kids had a blast swimming in the spring and kayaking in the lake. Tent campsites weren’t spread out and zero privacy
Scout
RV sites but they allow tent camping so you have electric and water hookups, showers, toilets, dog friendly, many hiking trails, and a 30-minute drive to the Crystal springs, dames caves, and manatee snorkeling!
Everyone there was super friendly. If you like off-roading, then you'll love their trails.
Guide
Quiet, lots of wildlife (wild horses, bison, alligators, deer, birds, turtles); plenty of hiking and biking trails with beautiful sunsets on the lake. Restroom facilities are showing some age but clean. Walk-in tent sites are pretty close to the Restrooms.
ScoutNice little country park. Cash Only. Primitive tent sites, Electric & Electric & Water Sites.
$10, $20 & $25. Accommodates 30 Amp hook ups only. Limited to 7 day stay.
Boat ramp, fish cleaning station, playground, restroom & showers. city of Cedar Key approx 15 minute drive.
GuideNice area and staff. Site 142 is big and slightly more separated than the rest of the tent sites. Also closest to the kayak launch. The other sites holy crap no privacy or separation between most of them. Wouldn't want to camp here when they are busy.
Guide
We stayed here over the winter and we were pleasantly surprised! The spaces were relatively private, and the bathrooms were neat and tidy and there was water and trash on site. We tent camped and after enjoying the springs we went and had dinner 5 minutes away! This is a great spot because you feel secluded but you can run to a lot of nice restaurants and grab groceries nearby! We will be back. 
ScoutMy daughter and I tent camped on Mother's Day weekend. The grounds were booked but from our spot, we still had privacy and quiet. Spaces were level and came with a picnic table, fire pit, plenty of trees and wildlife! We hiked through about 8 miles of trails, walked the boardwalks through the Springs and enjoyed the beautiful springs themselves! Bathrooms were clean and the ones we were closest to weren't busy.
Guide
Ended up at this campground since we couldn’t find anything else open at the time. Sure glad we went. The campground is one loop in a field. With camping along the edge in the woods and also in the field with some trees. Lots of open tent camping also. The bathrooms are huge and modern and super nice.
The attraction here is the biking. It’s an international destination for mountain biking! While there are no mountains in Florida, there are many man made ramps and jumps and turns. It’s remarkable to see. There is also a wonderful cross Florida trail that is paved, is super smooth and it meanders through old plantations, woods, and horse farms. It’s gorgeous. It was a great place to visit.
Guide
This is a very nicely kept campground. Clean full hookups or tent camping area. Nice layout and spaced spots. Clean pool and bathrooms great long board walk that leads to the Swanee River. Pet friendly with pet walk area. Staff was very friendly and accommodating small lake with catch and release fish got a few nice size cat fish and had a get visit by a baby gator Off the beaten path I would highly recommend staying here
GuideThis is a very well kept campground unless you are looking at a hosts site. Host sites are very cluttered and messy. This really brings down the look of this campground. The spring area stays well kept and the boat ramp is convenient. There is a Marina but you have to leave the campground to get to it. Full hookups at every RV site and primitive tent camping has potable throughout. I paid $32 with my national parks access pass.
LegendExcept for the noise of the highway, you would never guess you were 10 minutes from a major metropolitan city. The campground is very private with lots of trees and palms separating sites, especially in the tent loops. The tent sites are walk in, with some closer than others. I took site #23 for the night, which was set back just enough to the private, but not so far as to really haul my gear. Each tent site has a numbered parking space as well. There seemed to be about 10-12 tent only sites and the remainder of the 50 sites had hook-ups for RVs. The bathhouse was clean and modern, and well taken care of.
A two mile hike will take you the visitors center, from which you can climb the observation tower to look over the prairie and have access to several trails. It was really wet when I was there which meant that several trails were partially closed. But I still managed to hike several miles over several trails. I never did see the Cracker Wild Spanish Horses or the bison, but did see lots of signs in the form of poop. I also didn’t see any gators, but did get to see lots of birds of various size and variety.
Ranger
The campground has cabins, RV hookups and tent sites. It's nothing to write home about. It was just convenient to be close to the springs since it's a decent drive from any other major city in Florida. The springs themselves are quite cold so in the end we didn't spend that much time swimming - we probably could have driven back home and not camped after all. The Devil's Den itself is very neat to see, definitely worth going to at least once to snorkel or scuba dive. But if you can drive back to wherever you're staying, I would! I only took pics of the spring and not of the campground unfortunately. Enjoy!
Ranger
If you’re tent camping in the tent-only walk-in sites, site 60 is definitely the most private (farthest from the lot but still a short walk in on a paved path). Bathrooms are two single stall/shower combos, but never too crowded. Campground is good for paddling, especially for renting from the concessions (they have single and tandem kayaks, SUP, and canoes). It’s a drive and a separate entrance to get to the head springs area of the park, though there is a small roped off swim area by the boat ramp. We went before tubing opens (April 1 each year), so the Rainbow was less crowded and stunningly clear and emerald.
Traveler
Great place to boondock! Spent 3 nights here by the pavilion. There are about 5 spots in the “primitive” camping area. Plenty of privacy and a kayak launch area. Spots have fire rings and a couple have picnic tables. Porta potty is clean. The back-country area was recently gated so RVs can no longer camp there. It’s now designated as tent-camping only. It’s a huge open space with entrances to walking trails and beautiful views of the river. The back-country area has an outhouse. It’s easy to get to and very quiet other than other campers and periodic airboats that zoom by.
Dunnellon, Florida, offers a variety of tent camping options that immerse you in nature while providing essential amenities for a comfortable stay.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular tent campsite near Dunnellon, FL?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Dunnellon, FL is Potts Preserve - River Primitive Campground (North Hooty Point Road) with a 4.3-star rating from 6 reviews.
What is the best site to find tent camping near Dunnellon, FL?
TheDyrt.com has all 18 tent camping locations near Dunnellon, FL, with real photos and reviews from campers.
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