Searching for the perfect place to pitch your tent near Lake Helen? Find the best information on tent camping near Lake Helen, including sites, reviews, and tips for getting the most out of your camping experience. Each tent site offers quick access to one or more of Lake Helen, Florida's most popular destinations.
The East Camp Zone is located within Little Big Econ State Forest (Seminole County), about 40 miles east of Orlando, FL. The East Camp Zone is only accessible by boat and consists of six suggested camp zones. There is no water, electric or amenities... Recreational activities featured here are: boating, fishing, bird watching, wildlife viewing, wildflower viewing and nature study. The Little Big Econ State Forest offers two camp areas for primitive camping. The West Camp Area is located near the Barr Street hiking trailhead and can be accessed only from the hiking trail and by canoe or kayak from the Econlockhatchee River Paddling Trail. The East Camp Area can be accessed only by canoe and kayak at this time. Overnight camping is allowed by obtaining a State Forest Use Permit available at the Little Big Econ State Forest office. For more information and to get a State Forest Use Permit, please contact the forest at (407) 971-3500 or email the Little Big Econ State Forest.
King's Landing is located directly on the pristine waters of Rocks Springs Run, one of three main tributaries that feeds the Wekiva River Basin, a designated National Wild and Scenic River. Offering a variety of activities for everyone to enjoy, from self-guided rentals, adventure tours and even nightly escapes that will have you gazing under the stars. There's no better way to immerse yourself in true Florida nature, wildlife around every paddle and emerald waters below.
The Eagle Boy Scout Retreat Campground is just steps away from King's Landing and has provided a quality camping experience for members of the Boy Scouts of America and campers across the country. We believe that scouting is adventure, family and leadership, helping one grow to their very best future self.
CAMPSITE DETAILS
DYRT PRO MEMBERS 10% DISCOUNT
$30 / night
Lake Dorr Cabin is set along the south shore of beautiful Lake Dorr, ideal for a family getaway. The cabin is open year-round and creates a great setting for plenty of outdoor water fun. The rental includes a private boat ramp, canoes and a fishing dock. It's located just over an hour from popular amusement parks and other exciting attractions in Orlando. The cabin entrance and bathroom is accessible. A flat section on the property fits two tents if guests wish to camp outside.
Boating, skiing, jet skiing, fishing and swimming are among the most popular activities for guests. The abundance of largemouth bass, crappie and pan fish entice anglers. A private boat ramp, fishing dock, picnic table, grill and three canoes with life vests are provided.
The cabin rests on the south shores of the lake, with shady Palmetto palms and other tropical vegetation. Views of Lake Dorr, which spans 1,760 acres, are impressive from the cabin grounds. Ocala National Forest boasts more than 600 lakes, rivers and springs, including three first-magnitude springs.
This location is unstaffed. To speak with our main office for general information, please call: (352) 669-3522.
Altoona lies directly south of Lake Dorr, with gas stations and conveniece stores. Umatilla is a little farther south, offering grocery stores and pharmacies. The cabin is about 50 miles from Daytona Beach to the east and the city of Orlando to the south. Both trips take just over an hour and offer many opportunities for entertainment.
$280 / night
This primitive camping area above 52 Landing provides three tent sites and easy access to Alexander Run.
Scout
Horrible for tent camping. Didn't own an RV. I'm just traveling through, and I went off of what information was listed. This place is pathetic. Not as advertised. Trash is not taken out regularly. One table on the ground, and it's not a picnic camping table. Tent campers have no showers or restroom. Freeway is very close and noisy. Campground is not really for campers. I'd stay away. This place is appearing fraudulent. Owner does not run this property accordingly. Seems like just a place to store RVs. Not for camping in tents or RVs. Stay away. There's much better camping across the state, regulated and maintained.
Guide
Very convenient campground to go for a hike along the florida trail and cool off in the gorgeous blue spring waters. It does get crowded so plan accordingly.
Legend
Can’t beat the convenience & amenities of the Disney parks are on your itinerary. Super cost effective and direct access to magic kingdom and easy access to all the others. Sites were big, clear and clean. Amenities were wonderful. I’d stay here even if we didn’t do a Disney park. There are so many sites and yes there are people around but there’s serious vegetation between all the sites that you have plenty of privacy. Constant ground crews, sanitation work and transportation options. Pools, restaurants, shops and fun activities going on all the time. We loved it.
Traveler
clean, naturally and quiet
no wlan and good mobil connection
restrooms and laundry are o.k.
rangers are super and nice
playground and a small beach to put your feet into water.
Traveler
Friendly staff and well maintained Park and facilities with great fishing and an amazing view of Lake George.
Traveler
Wonderful staff and well maintained Park, sites and facilities. Great fishing and kayaking in the lagoon with a view of Cape Canaveral.
Legend
Here at Sand Pine Campground inside of Blue Springs State Park, you’ll find that while this is a fairly large campground, the substantial amount of vegetation, along with the flow of how the campground is organized, the individual campsites give off a vibe of privacy, intimacy and solitude. Upon entry to this SP, you’ll meet likely some of the friendliest park rangers of any FL state park (although, honestly, the very GREAT rangers @ Rodman Campground ultimately win the battle!), who will provide you with all of the great information you need to have a great experience here.
As for the pet-friendly campground specifically, each of the 51 sites has its own picnic table, water and electric as well as fire ring, while the ground itself is laden with powdery grey sand (so leave your boots or flip flops at the door of your tent or RV). The individual slots are somewhat tight and narrow to navigate, but most RVs should be OK to back into these sites. What you will appreciate the most about Sand Pine is that just about every site offers a substantial amount of privacy with solid, thick Floridian jungle putting decent distance between you and your neighbors. The only downside is that it is a solid hike from this campground to the spring itself, which will require you to drive there or take a decent bike ride.
The amenities are pretty amazing with the two bathroom and laundry room facilities appearing to be nearly brand new and there are designated dump stations scattered throughout making disposal of trash and recyclables EZ. The restroom facilities had vending machines as well. As for the sand pine scrub nature you are surrounded by, but the real gem here of course is the fresh crystal spring that is teaming with manatees, which are best to view and swim alongside between the winter months of November and February. For my float-seeking friends, there’s a solid kayak / canoe launch and if you don’t want to get some oaring in, you can partake in a guided river boat cruise.
If you’re looking to get away from it all and enjoy some privacy, then this is a great little campground for you to consider. And if you miss anything from the non-natural world, have no fears, a short drive into town to grab a pizza or load up on groceries is easy enough to manage. What I love most about camping here at Blue Springs SP is that during heavier tourist season, a reservation will guarantee you access to the spring, which sometimes gets full and therefore requires the rangers to stop traffic flow into the park, so if you've got a place guaranteed for the night, then, well, you need not worry about the morning rush when most will just worry about getting in the park.
Insider’s tips? Here’s a few: (1) If you find yourself out-of-luck in finding an available campground site to reserve, try your luck at booking one of the 6 often overlooked cabins, which BTW, come with their own set of parking spaces; (2) When you grow weary of digging through your onboard mini-fridge or roto-molded Cordova cooler, then check out some of the local fare where nearby in town, there’s a sweet little Argentinian joint called Rincon del Sabor, classic pie palace called Blue Springs Pizza and another ethereal dive called Taste of Soul – neither of which you’ll wanna write home about, but will definitely give you a break from ‘frank & beans’ for the night. And if neither of those places do the trick for you, there is also a few other restaurants you might wanna check out like Gram’s Kitchen for low country breakfast cooked up all day, Mi Tierra Authentic Mexican as well as Fire on the Bayou for some nice, spicy Cajun; (3) Should you need to stock up on any supplies, nearby Blue Springs SP has a 'grade A' Publix as well as a Walmart nearby, so you should have no problems being stocked up while staying here; and (4) When the kiddos get restless and the pristine nature that you find yourself surrounded by isn’t enough of a distraction, then head due east to Family Fun Town, which is a family-friendly amusement center with batting cages, mini-golf, arcade games and go cart racing. Yahoo!
Happy Camping!
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.
Scout
I asked my parents to book this RV site because it has a pool and WiFi. First things first, you have to pay for WiFi. I spent $15 on WiFi for ONE DAY for 7 people because if you make only one account it allows only 3 devices to sign it with it. Doesn’t mention anything about that on their website or on here. The plants here and the views are really pretty. The pool was okay, and the one day and night we stayed there we met some friendly people who were staying there as well. The next morning, (40 minutes before checkout time) they were already calling my mom and asking us when we were leaving. Are you serious? Put an earlier check-out time on your business if you want people to leave earlier. It sucks because I recommended this site to my parents, and they treated my mom very crummy. We won’t be back here again.
Scout
I love this site and have camped there twice (most recently Feb 2024). We packed light but not that light because we like to be comfortable; it took my BF and me about 3 trips each to get everything we needed to the site, including firewood, our 4 person tent, air mattress, camp stove, cooler, etc. The walk from where you can park to the actual site is also not that long (about a quarter mile away), but it can be prone to flooding, so I would wear waterproof hiking boots and have some gaters handy when you arrive in case you have to walk through some muddy spots or puddles as we did on this last trip.
Scout
Was there 5/20. Not much privacy, other campers close. The deer, yellow flies ate me alive, even with heavy duty bug spray. Not on the lake, so no breeze. Have to take a boat on Dead River to see the lake. Neighbors were loud and fighting well past midnight. The famous oak tree is up front by highway. Was a nightmare. Left early.
ScoutSo much to do you don't even need to go to the theme parks if you don't want to. A little pricey but worth it in my opinion https://youtu.be/3qPP3GaZ_UU
TravelerHad a 2 night tent camp stay here during January. Great option for family reunions, we had my girlfriend’s 30th here, and with our rented golf cart, had no problems escorting our guests to our campsite to enjoy a camp cookout with us at our campsite. Was definitely an authentic Disney experience, with a never ending list of activities with plenty to keep kids and kids at heart busy, which we didn’t partake in since we were enjoying our campsite.
RangerThis place is a very quiet location. The owner of the property is extremely friendly. You can hear wild turkeys in the morning. You're far enough away from the city to get an excellent view of the sky.
Traveler
This place was a good place for a beginner camper like me. It’s close to a Walmart, to get things I forgot. It has a few trail heads and lots of boat docks. I enjoyed fishing and wild cranes.
Scout
Have been camping there many times quiet and peaceful
Traveler
This is an excellent place to pitch a tent and spend time in nature without traveling far. Great hiking trails and the Pelicer Creek is available for fishing. Bring a kayak.
The camp sites are huge. The tent sites are elevated which should help keep the soil dryer in case of rain.
Keep in mind that there is no water available at the camping sites or the entire park for that matter. Potable or non potable so you have to bring in all drinking water and water for washing dishes if you plan on doing some cleanup. Also, there are bathrooms but they’re pretty far. The campsites do have nearby porta potties.
Traveler
Camp ground host was a pure dick over a matter that could have been handled differently.
GuideNice park and amenities. Maintained well enough. Spaces are closer together but the amount of trees and foliage make it seem more private. Don’t ask for an early check in. Even if your spot is empty. The staff was extremely rude and unfriendly. I understand policy is policy but being rude doesn’t help enforce the policy.
Scoutits nice to relax .. if you are a camper ... for first time it dont have nothing plan its not good...
Traveler
This park was really nice to camp at, you got hookups for water and electricity. Hot showers in the bathrooms, each bathroom has its own sink , mirror , toilet , and hot showers the water doesn’t go cold on you. Pretty quite in the distance you can hear the power plant but not as bad as I thought it would be it’s a muffled noise so if you got tv or ear plugs you are in real good shape lol ! For rent campers atleast!! Clean grounds, has a soda machine near the playground very nice to launch boats out as well , I also see on here it’s listed @$15 it’s not $15 thru the number it’s like $25 plus tax (: worth it for the hookups
ScoutI stayed at Raphael's campground for a few days during spring turkey season. I was very impressed with how clean the grounds were and was surprised to see that they had installed 30-amp hookups for electricity and water. I was tenting so didn't take advantage of those, but they are there. The location is pretty secluded and very quiet, aside from the local wildlife that are nearby (turkey gobbles and sandhill cranes squawking), but that is what camping is all about! The other folks there were super nice and very helpful. I was very grateful for Raphael's flexibility on check out time so I could get an extra morning of hunting in. Overall, I'd highly recommend camping here and I'll be back next spring.
GuideThe spring is walking distance from campground - we saw turtles, otters, and many fish while swimming in the spring. For the price, no electric or water hookups and the facilities were not well maintained. Sites are close together and campground can get noisy. Front desk staff are amazing, so friendly and knowledgeable. The springs are worth a visit, but campground is too expensive for what you get.
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.
Scout
Ice park
GuideVisited to see Manatees from the land. Cooler temps best for manatee numbers.
Campground sites feel secluded with vegetation but can be challenging for backing up into spots.
Had electric and water but trash is upon exit along with dump station
Nice paved road around campground and short trail to main park area. Canoe and kayak rentals available.
Legend
Jake from the Dyrt here! We're excited to have this campground on the Dyrt and ready for you to book, check them out and make sure to leave a review!
Camping near Lake Helen, Florida, offers a mix of natural beauty and fun activities for everyone. Whether you're looking for a family-friendly spot or a peaceful retreat, there are several campgrounds to choose from.
Camping around Lake Helen, Florida, has something for everyone, whether you're a family looking for fun or an RVer seeking adventure.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular tent campsite near Lake Helen, FL?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Lake Helen, FL is Hontoon Island State Park with a 4.4-star rating from 5 reviews.
What is the best site to find tent camping near Lake Helen, FL?
TheDyrt.com has all 41 tent camping locations near Lake Helen, FL, with real photos and reviews from campers.
