Best Cabin Camping near Merritt Island, FL

Why contemplate leaving the creature comforts of home when you can just haul everything that you love most to a place that provides all of the concrete paved, easy-to-access amenities that you likely have at home in the first place? If you find yourself in this dilemma, no worries, Orlando/ Kissimmee KOA has all of your manufactured outdoor camping needs covered … and what’s perhaps most interesting is that you won’t even have to drive out of the concrete jungle to encounter this experience, in fact, it’s right off a major 4-lane highway (HWY 192).

So, if you are dreaming of escaping your domesticated life for the thrills of an outdoor camping adventure that will have you appreciating the best of what nature has to offer, then just be forewarned, this is not that place. But if you are simply looking for a change of scenery and want to be near all of the action and attractions here in Central Florida’s ‘Magic City’ and want a different experience than paying overpriced rates at Tiki-hut themed entertainment hotels and relish the idea of dusting off your RV or unpacking your tent in a pseudo nature environment complete with all the astro turf your dog can poop on within a confined, fenced-in setting, then this KOA (and let’s be frank, ANY KOA) has you covered.

As far as amenities go, it’s a KOA, so there’s going to be more amenities here than you can shake a stick at. These include: heated in-ground medium-sized pool complete with tiled patio, lounge chaise chairs, tables with umbrellas and regular chairs, water-rinsing station, as well as a jacuzzi / spa, propane refilling station, bike rentals, 134’ max length slots, WiFi, pavilion, Kamp K9, firewood for sale, 24 hour laundr-O-mat, picnic tables, community fire pits, on-site market, recreation office, life-size Jenga, designated trash areas, fitness center, playground, dog wash, public bus service, basketball court, EV chargers, jump pad, taxi service back-in and pull-through perfectly paved, level concrete RV sites with full hook-ups (30 / 50 amp electric, water and sewage). There’s even RV sites that are dubbed ‘Deluxe,’ which are larger and come with a paved connected patio.

No RV? And REALLY don’t want to have an experience that is different than living at home? Even here at this KOA, that’s not a problem, where the proprietors will easily rent you a deluxe cabin, if there is one available. These 1BR or 2BR A/C cooled Deluxe Cabins sleep 4, 6 or 8 people and come with bunk bed set, futon / sofa sleeper and a queen-sized bed along with a private bath and shower, TV with cable offering over 20 channels, some with EV chargers, patio w/ charcoal or gas BBQ grill and fire pit, front porch with patio furniture and chairs, refrigerator, fresh linens, paw pen for the pups and a partial or full kitchen. They even have rustic cabins that are cheaper and don’t come with all the thrills for those that want some degree of ‘roughing’ it, so this means no kitchen and no bathroom or showers, although there is full bed, bunk bed, TV, mini-refrigerator, A/C patio furniture, brick fire pit with cooking grate.

Insider’s tips? Here’s a few: (1) To continue with the simple, easy-to-access, manufactured experience theme here, for those that grow tired of trying to conjure up that next meal for the kiddos, who are grumbling about making every meal, head on over to any one of these nearby drive-thru windows or curb-side meal offerings: McDonald’s, Panda Express, Applebee’s, Steak ‘n Shake and Wendy’s; (2) If you want to heighten that suburban culinary experience you all have been craving though, I really do rate the silverware-free dining experience that is Medieval Times Dinner & Tournament, which is literally just down the road and is actually a lot of fun for the kiddos and adults alike; (3) Should you find yourself in need of anything that you either forgot or may have run out of, then fear not, there’s a Sam’s Club that is in walking distance from this KOA and further south that definitely requires a drive, there’s a Walmart Supercenter; (4) I’ve noticed that this place has SIGNIFICANT discounts if you simply plan in advance – so for example, during the months of March OR April (it’s January now), they’re offering a whopping 25% discount; and (5) If you are looking for a slice of nature’s paradise, then I highly recommend driving a bit north to Wekiwa Springs, where you’ll be able to enjoy one of the most amazing springs in all of Florida where the water is 72 degrees year round.

Happy Camping!

You know you’ve really discovered the secret to living here in NE Florida when you come across one of these traditional fish camps that offer up direct access to the water as well as waterfront amenities like SUPs, canoes and kayaks in addition to plenty of places to easily cast a line. Look no further than Oak Hill Fish Camp & RV Resort, which is located directly on the Intracoastal waterway right near Mosquito Lagoon. One bit of advice? Bring your mosquito repellant! 

Wife and husband duo, Dave & Chrissy, run this place and are just some of the most pleasant folks you’ll ever meet. Like me, they’ve come from the wintery north, so they sure enjoy the home and business they’ve founded next to Florida shores. One of the many things that they recommend is that if you are looking for somewhere to camp, there’s actually a handful of really great options that can be accessed by boat. For more on backcountry island camping, check this link out: www.nps.gov/cana/planyourvisit/permits.htm. 

Area fisherman have been flocking to these parts for over a hundred years in search of Redfish and Snook, where with the right bait, you’ll be sure to catch plenty. While this place rents waterfront cabins, complete with their own private piers, there is plenty of room for RV’s (no pull-throughs though), so you can either rent a cabin in addition to your RV or simply rent a plot of land to park your RV and take advantage of some of the best boat launch points on the eastern coast of FL. And if you’re a tent camper, sorry, this place doesn’t accommodate us. 

There’s tons of natural wildlife in addition to all the fish you’ll be catching, where we saw dolphins, manatees and all types of waterfoul. From an amenities standpoint, in addition to the piers, there are boat slips if you brought watercraft, outdoor fire pits and BBQ grilles, picnic tables and the place is pet friendly. Insider’s tip? If you plan your stay well, you can time it to see one of the many launches from Cape Canaveral– and if not, no worries, the sunsets you’ll encounter will be some of the most amazing you ever experience. Another tip is if you have time, make sure to make it down to Haulover Canal where kayaks and canoes can launch from to discover some of the most amazing birds, alligators and endemic wildlife to Mosquito Lagoon. 

Happy Camping!

This was the perfect location for our touristy vacation! The Orlando Kissimmee KOA Holiday is great park to visit when staying in the Orlando area. Most shopping and restaurants are within a 5-10 minute drive. And all the tourist attractions are within 30 minutes: 

• Walt Disney World 15 minutes
• Universal Studios 23 minutes
• SeaWorld 17 minutes
• Gatorland  minutes
• Midevil Times  minutes

We made our reservations on the app, you could also choose to book online at Koa.com or over the phone. It’s an easy process and you’ll have multiple site options to choose from. Sign up for the Value Kard rewards program if you think you’ll stay more than 3 nights a year, it’ll pay for itself. KOA will not assign a specific site until you arrive to checkin, however they will accept requests if you have an area in mind or friends you want to be close to. 

This park has 3 types of Motorhome/Camper sites; back-in, pull-through and deluxe patios. They are all full hook-ups(50Amp, water, sewer and cable). They also have deluxe cabins and tent sites available. We were extremely impressed of the amenities the tent sites had. Large tables, chairs around the fire pit and covered kitchen area with sinks and electrical outlets. These are located next to the shower and bath rooms, this makes it very convenient for those quick trips in the middle of the night. They’re also diagonal to the heated pool, sauna, workout room, bike rental area and laundry area. 

On the other side of the park is a great playground and jump pad. They even have a fenced in dog run and dog wash area. This is a beautiful KOA location and well maintained. We like that the campground is just lit enough at night to walk the dogs after sunset. The lamps look like little Mickey Mouse heads! The staff is friendly and helpful. The camp store is well stocked and kept clean. There is minimal noise from the major road nearby. 

If you can’t stay at Fort Wilderness on Disney property this is the next best location!!!

I have to admit, when I first discovered Mill Creek RV Resort on our smartphone’s GPS, I had nothing but low expectations and when navigating to get to this seemingly RV road stand, all of the traffic and commercial real estate surrounding this place was just begging me to turn around and hightail it out of here. That was, until we decided to check out this RV parking spot. And we were somewhat pleasantly surprised by what we found. While easily not a destination, if your aim is to simply find comfortable, affordable and safe accommodations to roll up your mobile living room for the night, then (especially for the price), you won’t be disappointed. 

To begin with, the community and neighbors you will meet are incredibly welcoming and the owners / management couldn’t be more hospitable. This place on the one hand has a small neighborhood feel (because it is partly carved out of a residential area) and on the other, feels like a semi-decent nature preserve where RV’s aren’t jam packed next to one another. Sure, it’s tight in a few places, but all-in-all, one feels safe and secure here and offered a number of pretty great and new amenities. And if you don’t have an RV, no worries, the good folks at Mill Creek RV Resort will rent you one of their newly built park models. 

Mill Creek RV Resort offers a number of amenities, including: complete RV hook-ups (20 / 30 / 50 electric amp, water and sewage lines) with pull-through and back-in flat concrete slab sites, picnic tables, heated in-ground pool complete with lounge chairs and umbrellas, recreation hall with ping pong tables, coin-operated laundry facilities, very clean restroom and shower facilities, kid’s playground w/ slide, doggie park (one for small and another for large), mail center, cable TV access, free WiFi access (near the office only though) as well as indoor and outdoor games (e.g. horse shoes, shuffle board, corn hole), propane refill station, LP gas, cable TV access and even sheds for extra storage. 

Insider’s tips? Here’s a handful: (1) This location puts you within short driving distance to Walt Disney World, Universal, Seaworld and a bunch of other family-friendly entertainment options; (2) When you get tired of paying for overpriced amusement park food or can’t muster enough strength to plan your next meal from the confines of what might be available in your RV fridge, then venture out to one of these nearby eateries: Coqui Snacks, Sol de Borinquen Bakery Restaurant & Deli or Dolce Bakery and Café; and (3) If you brought a kayak or canoe, I highly recommend launching in nearby Kissimmee Lakefront Park, where if you go to the far eastern side, you can cast a line and catch some pretty good fish. 

Happy Camping!

If your idea of heaven is closely packed RV trailers lined up side-by-side with not a whole lot of space to stretch out and relax, then Mosquito Lagoon RV Park has you covered. While from my POV, that’s the downside, the huge upside is that this destination places you in the front row of oceanside vistas and supremely easy access to the Atlantic Ocean. Located in Oak Hill on the Space Coast, this seaside campground is easily accessed from I95 and is easily one of the best fishing meccas in the whole of the Sunshine state where you’ll catch the famed Oak Hill Reds in addition to gag grouper, snook, mangrove snapper and spotted sea trout, to name but a few.


While Mosquito Lagoon RV has about 30 RV sites (3 of which are pull through), you’ll discover all the usual amenities from 30 / 50 amp service in addition to water and sewage hook-ups, picnic tables, fire pits (by request), fairly clean and well-organized bathrooms, laundr-O-mat and fairly decent WiFi. They also rent a few cabins here, on-premise ice machines and have a pretty nice Tiki Hut& Bar (albeit makeshift, due to rebuilding from a recent hurricane), where they have no problem if you BYOB. Unfortunately, there’s no tent camping here, but for a $35 fee, they’ll let you park your car here and then boat to one of the many neighboring islands where you can engage in some pretty epic primitive camping options. 

Insider tips? Here’s a few. First, this place has a handful of kayaks that they’ll rent to you for FREE! That’s pretty amazing, but you’ll want to call ahead and reserve one well ahead of arriving. Second, unlike many other campgrounds in the area, this place has their own boat launch and slips, making it quite ideal if you have your own watercraft. Also, if you time it right, as you are on the Space Coast, you can see a rocket or satellite launching into the pristine star-speckled nighttime sky. Lastly, if you want a break from cooking, I highly recommending heading a bit up the road from Mosquito Lagoon RV Park to Goodrich Seafood, where they have all the seafood you could expect grilled, fried or sautéed along with evening specials, live music and a pretty amazing bar. Ask for Oliver who likes to pour them strong! 

Happy Camping!

If you prize convenience and EZ access on/off the I95 corridor as you’re heading up or down Northern Florida nearby the Canaveral National Seashore, then this is definitely a consideration for the 18 wheeled mobile living room crowd. It’s literally less than a 1 minute drive once you get off the interstate to this little RV parking lot. Plus, there’s a fairly oversized BP gas station right there for fueling and stocking up. As for the RV oasis itself, there’s a simple, oval-shaped loop that is cut down the middle with a third lane (wherein you’ll find the community pool, which I have to admit, is in pretty good shape). At the end of the main drive, you’ll come across the main office where you check in. Kathy, who was there when we stopped by, was pretty friendly and very accommodating. 

As for the sites, it’s pretty standard fare with all the electric (20/30/50), water and sewage hook-ups you would expect with the majority of sites being pull-through. There’s a full-service bath house with pretty decent and clean facilities, laundry room, basketball court, tether ball, children’s playground, recreational hall, shuffleboard, doggie park and even a 3 acre lake. Here they rent paddle boats and bicycles (check at the main office). Despite being next to one of the busiest interstate highways in the country, the place is completely surrounded by greenery, so some (trust me, not all - by a long shot) of the noise pollution spilling over from the highway is absorbed by all the lush vegetation. 

About a 25-30 minute drive from Crystal Lake RV Park, you’ll easily reach Cape Canaveral, but you’d be very well served to explore so many other amazing sights and natural attractions, such as Mosquito Lagoon (yep! Bring the bug spray!), Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge, Indian River and Enchanted Forest. Insider’s Tip? Head on over to Black Point Wildlife Drive, where you can (yes) drive around, but you can also park your car (or RV) and go for a solid hike to see some pretty amazing water inlets and abundant wildlife. There’s also Playa Linda Beach which is not heavily populated like you’ll find up north with Daytona beach, and the swells are nice and mild. 

Happy Camping!