Best RV Parks & Resorts near Estero, FL

Our stay here was a bit weird. Since it was March in Florida (and nearly impossible to find available campsites unless you reserved 11 months in advance), we called ahead to see if there was room. When Carl learned we only had a 17-foot camper van, he agreed to “fit us in”. Yes, there was a slot that we backed into and we had room to erect our screen room on the concrete pad next to our van but there was absolutely NO privacy between sites. Many of the people here were long-term residents and not generally vacationing campers. Although information says the rates range from $30-$60 per night, we paid $50, cash only. There were no restrooms on-site, but we were able to use the clean restrooms at the county park across the street (but had to make a mad dash across the busy road to get there). It suited our needs for two nights to enjoy small and quirky Matlacha, including walking distance to kayaking opportunities, but we wouldn’t choose to stay here again.

Fish Eating Creek Outpost : Trails and canoe/kayak shuttle provided Water is a bit low right now. There is a 2 mile trail beginning in the campground. There is also a 6.7 mile trail within a short drive from the campground. I have included a map for this trail in photos.

(70 yr olds in 17’ trailer. Our rating of a campground is influenced by the following: The general ambiance- sort of wilderness feel the campground gives us. A selection of campsites which offer some visual privacy. Cleanliness of whatever type of the campsite and whatever facilities are offered is important and usually noted in my review.

Overall Rating: 3 Price 2023: $ 38 Usage during visit: Light Site Privacy: Open between sites Site Spacing: Fairly good Site surface: Most are paved . Some are soil/grass. Reservations: Accepted Campground Noise: Quiet during my visit Road Noise: Not noticeable Through Traffic in campground: No Electric Hookup: Yes Sewer Hookup: Some Dump Station: Yes Potable Water Available: At site Generators: At some sites allowed Bathroom: Flush Toilets Showers: Yes. Double Curtains Pull Throughs: Most if not all are back ins Cell Service (AT&T): 3 bars Setting: Open park like under large, scattered mossy trees . Recent Weather: to 50s for lows and to 80s for highs. Solar: In many sites should be good solar. The sites in P Loop probably will bony have adequate solar. Host: Yes. Staff friendly.
Rig size: Large rigs Sites: Perimeter sites are nicest in my opinion. Sites under the mossy trees are going to offer some shade.

P1-6 are my favorite sites here. They offer RVs more of a camping kind of atmosphere as they are a little more secluded. Not all have electric/sewer, so better check. They are under trees with moss hanging from them. Not all sites in P1-6 will accommodate a tall rig!

Ortona South Campground, ACE campground in Moore Haven, FL. We absolutely love staying here. There are no trails nearby (The unofficial trail near site 21 is closed off due to construction up river.)but a nice walk on the access road out to the highway is a 4 mile round trip from the back of the campground. Lots of dump truck traffic on this road from the nearby gravel yard. (Scale 1- bad, 5-Very good

(71yr olds in a 17’ trailer. Our rating of a campground is influenced by the following: The general ambiance- sort of wilderness feel the campground gives us. Also, a selection of campsites which offer some visual privacy and/or scenic view is valuable. Cleanliness of the facilities that are offered is important and usually noted in my review. ))

Overall Rating: 4 for the spectacular views in most sites.
Price 2023: $ 15 w interagency pass Usage during visit: Full Site Privacy: Open. In our corner site , #21, we were able to swing our 17’ trailer around to offer much more privacy with the water view. This could be done with a small van as well or an RV pulling in nose first. # 20 is the most private site. Site Views: Some sites have very nice water views, others nice open grassland views. Noted below. Site Spacing: Good
Site surface: Concrete Reservations: Yes. Sites in this campground is in high demand.
Campground Noise: Quiet. Road Noise: None Through Traffic in campground: None Electric Hookup: Yes Sewer Hookup: No Dump Station: Yes Potable Water Available: At sites Bathroom: One in each loop. Flush toilets. Old. Reasonably clean. Showers: Two showers in each bathroom with curtains which share a dressing area.
Pull Throughs: Some - in the first of two loops. Pull throughs all are in the first loop and include a double site.
Cell Service (AT&T): 3 to 4 bars Setting: Campground runs along a the Caloosahatchee River. Open grass land with scattered palm trees on the other side. The campground road runs between the campground and grass land in the first loop only. Recent Weather: 80’s for 5 of our days. Then it cooled off with some rain. Bugs: Mosquitoes are around in the evening, especially . Solar: Would be available in all sites. Host: Sites are near the entrance Rig size: Large rigs are fine in most if not all sites.

Sites: First Loop, just after the entry station (31-50): SITES ALONG CALOOSAHATCHEE RIVER but view is limited : 32-39. 23 ,24 have a nice view up a waterway. Largest site occupying largest area is on the corner (no real view): 31. Fishing dock, access is between site, 32 and 33, and across from site 51. 44 and 43 are pull throughs, and do not offer as much as other sites regarding location/view. Same with the double back in sites,45 and 46.

SECOND LOOP, furthest from entry station: (1 - 30): #29 has a palm barrier giving picnic side nicer privacy. Sites 21 - 30 are right along the river, all with nice water views. #24- 30 , are the best water view sites. 21,22 and 23 water views up the river are a bit limited due to vegetation on the riverbank up the river. All these sites view the river down to the dam. Sites on the river side have more space between sites than the grassland side, 1-20. Maybe that is so sites on the grassland side can still see the river in between the more spacious sites on the river side. Across from #2,3,4 sites is the access to the dam crossing which accesses the fishing dock on the other side. The corner site, #20, offers the absolute most privacy of any site with a grassland view. (I liked the grassland view sites, but I prefer the water views.)

#1 has a building right behind it which detracts from, but does not eliminate the grassland view.

There are fishing docks on both sides of the Calossahatchee, but I have been told that the fishing on the other side of the river is better. The dam crossing to access the other side is open from 7:30AM untill 4:30PM.

All sites have a covered picnic table .

KOA Moore Haven : Not my cup of tea, however looked clean and maybe appealing if I had a large RV. I would first research what of interest the area offers.
(Scale 1- bad, 5-Very good

(70 yr olds in 17’ trailer.

Usage during visit: Not 1/4 full Site Privacy: Open Site Spacing: See pics Site surface: Varies Reservations: Yes Campground Noise: Pretty quiet upon my drive through. Road Noise: Closest sites to the highway are still pretty removed. Full Hookups : Yes Dump Station: Yes Bathroom: Yes Showers: Yes Cell Service (AT&T): 4 bars Setting: Open park like with some sites along large ponds Recent Weather: to 50s for lows and to 80s for highs. Solar: Great Rig size: Many large rigs present. Sites: The sites along the water are the most appealing to me. See pics.

Hunt Camp, Okaloacoochee SF: We stayed at the nearby Overflow CG. I expect this would have been the same quiet and peaceful experience, as noticed during our walks by Hunt Camp. (Scale 1- bad, 5-Very good

(70 yr olds in 17’ trailer. Our rating of a campground is influenced by the following: The general ambiance- sort of wilderness feel the campground gives us. A selection of campsites which offer some visual privacy and/or view from sites. Cleanliness of whatever facilities are offered is important and usually noted in my review.

Overall Rating: 4.5 for large sites. No natural barrier in between. Price 2023: $ 10 Security: None Usage during visit: 1/2 to full. Site Privacy: No Site Spacing: Large sites. Site surface: Gravel Reservations: Required. Campground Noise: Quiet.
Road Noise: Adjacent to the road, but there is not much traffic. Through Traffic in campground: No Electric Hookup: No Sewer Hookup: No Dump Station: No Potable Water Available: Non-potable water is available at the adjacent horse corals. Generators: Allowed Bathroom: Chemical toilets Showers: No Pull Throughs: No Cell Service (AT&T): 1 bar Setting: Adjacent to prairie with fairly dense low growing trees which obstructs view. Recent Weather: Sunny Solar: Great Host: No Rig Size: Any Sites: I like all of the sites. #3 is the best location in the loop.

Panther Pond: We really liked this quiet campground with very secluded sites. More sunshine and solar at Okaloacoochee Overflow and Hunt Camp. To Do: Nearby trails here to talk of grass to comfortably walk in. Either not much recent horse traffic or they just have not been mowed. Either is probably due to this year’s wet winter .

Make sure to make the 30 minute drive to the board walk on Sic Island Dr. Short walk to the short boardwalk. Outstanding way to leave with a taste of the slough.

Bicycles on Wildcow Rd

(Scale 1- bad, 5-Very good

(70 yr olds in 17’ trailer.)

Overall Rating: 4.5 for Great privacy. Price 2023: $ 10 for seniors Security: None Usage during visit: 1/4 full Site Privacy: most all sites – excellent, with shrubbery in between sites. Site Spacing: very nice Site surface: dirt Reservations: required Campground Noise: Quiet Road Noise: Maybe a little from Cow Path Rd. Very little travel. Through Traffic in campground: No Electric Hookup: no Sewer Hookup: no Dump Station: no none Potable Water Available: a couple miles away at Hunt camp there is a hand pump at the horse corals. Rangers say it is not portable.
Generators: allowed Bathroom: chemical toilets Showers: no Pull Throughs: None Cell Service (AT&T): one bar Setting: in a long pine forest, with lots of palm tree shrubbery Recent Weather: clear with highs in the upper 60s Solar: some sites. See below. Host: no Rig Size: 17 to 20 foot trailer will fit in some sites in my opinion. See below. Sites: Will easily fit a 17 foot trailer: 1,2,3*,5*,7,6,9*,11, *very nice solar at 2 PM, but not all day.

Overflow CG, Okaloacoochee FLSF: We had a peaceful experience staying here for 5 days.

To Do: Nearby trails here to talk of grass to comfortably walk in. Either not much recent horse traffic or they just have not been mowed. Either is probably due to this year’s wet winter . Make sure to make the 30 minute drive to the board walk on Sic Island Dr. Short walk to the short boardwalk. Outstanding way to leave with a taste of the slough.
(Scale 1- bad, 5-Very good.

Wildcow Rd beginning at the campground is a nice walk. Three walks with only 1 vehicle during our walk.

(70 yr olds in 17’ trailer. ) Overall Rating: 4.5 for mostly large sites, but no privacy in between. Price 2023: $ 11 about w taxes Security: None Usage during visit: 1/2 Site Privacy: Open Site Spacing: most of the 6 sites are large Site surface: Gravel Reservations: Required Campground Noise: Very quiet.
Road Noise: Wildcow, a backcountry road, runs along campground. Not busy during our visit, but can be more busy I hear. Could be a dust problem when there is less rain. Through Traffic in campground: Along Wildcow. Electric Hookup: No Sewer Hookup: No Dump Station: No Potable Water Available: Ram gets report as non-potable water at Hunt Camp, .25 miles. Generators: Allowed Bathroom: Chemical toilets.
Showers: No Pull Throughs: No Cell Service (AT&T): 1 to 2 bars. Setting: 3’ tall native grass in between sites. Recent Weather: Sunny, not too hot Solar: The best Host: No Rig Size: Any size. Sites: 1 is best. 6 is second, but closer to the road which was infrequently used during our stay. 3 and 4, unfortunately back up to each other.