Best Tent Camping near Lithia, FL

So I will say this site has super clean bathrooms, nice tent campsites and freshly paved roads. The tent sites have hookups and very close to the bathrooms. The only downfall is there isn't a ton to do here so don't expect anything spectacular.

We 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.

Colt Creek State Park is one of the newest parks in the Florida State Park System. Their RV/Tent Campground just recently opened in early 2018. RV spots are spacious. There is not a lot of privacy between spots but cover will grow in in time. Most sites are in full sun most of the day. Tent camping areas are on grass not gravel. very nice dump and wash area at gate to campground. They also offer equestrian, group, and primitive camping at this location. The equestrian camp is well used and quite large with standard amenities for horses and campers. There are 2 primitive sites along a 10 mile loop trail. Group site does not have a pavilion but does have port o lets ( no water or electric). There are 4 lakes ( no swimming) on the property kayak/canoe rentals, nice fishing ares and a dock. Lots of wildlife. Great for biking as well.

Lots of tent camping and bike trails.

Visited back in 2011 & 2014. We tent camped on both occasions. Took the boat tour & saw more alligators than we could count. Lots of armadillos around the campsites at night/in the evenings. Being from further North, armadillo are a pretty exciting animal to spot. The park has lots to do, & they've actually got 3 separate campgrounds. I can't recall which we stayed in, but they were decent for all your tent camping needs (can't attest to RV camping though).

The park is really lovely and being that your in FL your still close to beautiful beaches too.

Nice place, relatively quiet. Little light pollution. Sites are very spacious. Close and clean facilities. Saw a good bit of wildlife: deer and wild boar. Hiking and biking trials. I regular tent sites (which are also hammock friendly). Also have cabins for rent. Prices are on the lower end, $17 a night for tent sites. Only reason for the 4 start is the reservation system has to be done through the county park and rec sites.

We booked our tent camping trip for Valentine's Day and choose a spot with amenities so we were in with the RV's - and there was not much privacy there - sites have some trees but are fairly close and not much between them. Tent camping area was not much different but do not let this deter you from staying at this AMAZING park! This is a very busy state park because it has so much to offer! The CCC Museum cannot be missed. there is so much history there, you will be glad you took the time to check it out - great for all ages. There are many short loop trails that take you through many ecosystems, giant trees at sizes few have seen before, lots of wildlife to. These short trails are great for families and are all accessible from the roadside. You can drive right up to each one. There are longer trails that can also be explored. This part of Florida is also one of the darkest in the state, perfect for budding astronomers! Don't forget to check out the night sky, especially in the clearer cooler months of the year.

Tent camped at a site in loop one. Weather was nice, though we were warned it can get a bit muddy when it rains. Crowds were a bit higher on the trails during Saturday afternoon but Sunday morning was much more quiet and we saw lots of wildlife.

I typically avoid tent camping here in the summer months– early summer the trails are heavy with mosquitoes and summer rains bring a large amount of flooding. Though in the fall winter and spring this park is AMAZING. We were very lucky on this trip to have snagged spot at the high part of the riverside loop. Sites 20 and 21 typically stay dry enough for tents. Sites along the river side of loops are prone to flooding some holding as much as 4-6 inches of water.

 This trip was a short overnight to get rid of some pent up cabin fever. We loaded up a tent and the bikes, praying for dry weather. The mosquitoes were not bad, almost none, the the river was near flood stage and inches from overflowing its bank near the campground. 

The 2.5 mile loop from main entrance is perfect for biking, be careful near the pool area that is VERY crowded in the summer as many locals visit and it will reach capacity early in the day. You can rent bikes and canoes at the concession area near the stand if you did not bring your own. The grounds are beautifully kept, campground hosts are helpful, bathrooms clean and playground areas are plentiful. There are very nice pavilions and one air conditioned building available for rent for special events. If you are visiting in the summer call to make sure the site you booked is dry. 

We did see where one person got his travel trailer stuck on the mud trying to get into his site. There are very few tent campers in the summer so be prepared if you are tent camping to hear neighbors a/c running all night. 

I get products to test from time to time- today I am testing the INNO INH540 Bike Rack On first impression upon receiving– this is a heavy duty rack! Shipping weight is nearly 50lbs. and came fully assembled. This bike rack will fit both 1.25 and 2 inch receivers. We first tried to mount on my Jeep Liberty but we need to get a receiver extension as our spare tire prevented installation. So we mounted on our Dodge 1500 truck. I had to have my husband help me slip it into the receiver(was a bit awkward for me to do on my own).

 I was very pleased to find the unit came with a hitch lock that was keyed the same as the cable lock for the bikes. Rack came with 2 keys so we each have a key on our ring and can access without looking for it. 

The bars are adjustable and the rotating upper and lower cradles are well designed. The support bars also fold down when not in use. Another nice feature is locking pivot at base that will allow you to tilt the rack out of the way of tailgate to enable access without removing the entire rack. 

The rack will hold 4 bikes up to 35 lbs each or a total of 140 lbs. We have mountain bikes with less space on crossbars of frame so was a bit tight to get loaded. Loading was much easier once we did it a couple times and got used to where we needed to place the cradles. Street bikes load with no issues,(we borrowed the neighbors bikes to test and to show off our new INNO bike rack– they were jealous)! 

Order yours today from https://www.innoracks.com/ You will not be disappointed!

It was our first trip in our new RV but have been tent camping there before. On this trip we were treated to a night time tram ride because the 26 species of fireflies were out for a 2 week period. The area is beautiful and shady, staff very friendly, lots of critters on the trails.

The bathrooms were very nice, and showers heated up well. The location is great for the beach, but I would not recommend tent camping near the road as we were woken up several times overnight by what sounded like cars racing on the road nearby. We'll likely stay again, but only on sites closer to the beachside.

What a lovely campground!

Everything is quiet and even though the sites are close to each other, there's lots of privacy (at least among the tent sites).

There appears to be a lot of people actives on water and on foot.

Staff has been very friendly.

Really beautiful area. Sites w/grills that can fit 2 cars. Foliage between sites so they are visually private but can get loud depending on your neighbors. Plenty of space for hammocks.

Camp store on site has firewood, bug spray, sunscreen, all the basics.

We tent camped in July and it was truly the hottest I've ever been. Character building.

Such a great place for families to camp!! The campground is nice and has bathrooms and showers, plus being able to go to the springs is so much fun and beautiful!! Saw deer at night in our campsite #3 we had a double tent site .. beautiful weather.. Springs of course were cold

Very friendly, helpful staff. This place was always clean and well maintained. Tent camped here for 11 days. Water access to the gulf for fishing crabbing claming kayaking etc. The pinellas county trail runs along side KOA and they rent bikes and fun little tricycles to ride the trail or use in campground. Itwas great. Plenty of trees to add shade. Nice clean pool and rec center. They even had a movie night at the pool. Cant wait to go back in my RV. Loved it here

Highlands Hammock is my go-to campground for trips with kids and/or new campers. We steer clear of the family camping area and stick to the wilderness (tent) area for more peace and quiet, but it does get busy there as well. Shade and privacy can be hard to come by unless you pick the right spot. The sites after the vault toilet and bend in the road (I believe sites 10 and up, as well as the 2 group sites) have better shade and privacy between, BUT they are closest to the main road outside the park so you can hear traffic and even see a house across the street. I personally stick to sites 1-5 as they have still have some shade and are farther from the road, with the compromise being they are quite close together (you'll probably be meeting the neighbors).

The tent sites are only okay, but the park itself picks up any slack remaining. It's huge, has great bike and walking trails (no dogs allowed on the boardwalk areas though), and lots of wildlife. If it gets too hot at the tent sites, we take chairs over to the shaded grassy clearing next to the pavilions and just hang out while any kids in the group enjoy the playground and camp store.

This park has everything for the family or first-time camper, while still satisfying the itch for experienced folks too!

I had tent site 14 which was spacious and secluded due to shrubbery. Road noise is prominent as it’s next to a main road. It’s a trek to the main area with facilities and camp store so you’ll want to drive there. There are compost toilets in the tent area. The park itself is beautiful, with many trails and a variety of foliage. The tram tour is a must as the guides are knowledgeable and it’s an interesting description of the park, with almost guaranteed gator sighting. The camp store has all basic supplies (ice, firewood, cold drinks, etc). Great kayaking nearby at Arbuckle Creek.

Nice easy hiking trails including some boardwalks. Excellent tram tour to see the wild parts of the park (accessible). Makes a good stop on a road trip or base camp for exploring the area. Check out the nature and history museums nearby (not sure if they're officially on site), they're small but worth the time. Lots of wildlife. Didn't seem too touristy or crowded (neither day use or camp sites). Tent campsites are in wooded areas and are mostly pretty shady. Nice and clean, well-maintained like most State Parks.

Colt Creek State Park is one of the newer parks in the Florida State Park System. We had the opportunity to camp at one of the handicap accessible sites recently and found it to be very convenient. Path and pad on site were roomy and fire pit was higher than usual for safety. These tent sites had water and electric as well. There are 2 of these sites available and both are easily accessed from handicap parking close by. Because this is a new er park the trees have not grown in well enough yet to provide adequate shade so be prepared for that. There is a lovely fishing doc with easy access and bathrooms are just wonderful. There is a paved trail as well as wide dirt trails to explore. This is a great place to visit. Camp hosts were wonderful as well.