Best Dog-Friendly Camping near Merritt Island, FL

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!

Arrived here for a three-night tent stay at spot 153. The campground is easily accessible from the highway, and a breeze to check in. Friendly staff. Dumpsters behind the main office. All roads are one-way counterclockwise. The bathroom and laundry room are about 100 meters from spot 153. Both are clean. There's a nice pavilion overlooking the water inside the eastern loop. There's a good size, fenced-in, leash-free dog park next to the water. The water views are beautiful at sunrise. There's a pier for fishing and just serene eastern observation toward Cape Canaveral. There's a kayak launch ramp as well.

Spot 153 was perfectly partially shaded, with a mix of sand and grass, and it was level. The only critters seen here are playful squirrels. RV spots can be quite close to each other, but not many of their inhabitants were seen outside during these chilly, mid-December days when the temperature dipped to 40F at night, and high 50's in the day. All spots have electric and picnic table. The water spigot at 153 was about two inches from the ground. Why?

The only downside of the campground is its proximity to railroad tracks and airport. The noise seemed to be constant on weekdays.

If you’re looking for a spot to park your 5th wheel or mobile RV campsite for the night and don’t mind being shoulder to shoulder with likeminded RV campers, then the flatly paved surfaces of Kissimmee RV Park, complete with 193 campsites, might just be for you. While just off the I-4 corridor taking you into Orlando (only 30 or so minutes due north of this location), pet-friendly Kissimmee RV Park offers close proximity to and affordable overnight accommodations near all of the amusement parks (just 6.5 miles away) the Magical City has to offer. 

As far as amenities go, there’s a handful: recreation hall, full-service kitchen, heated pool, shuffle board court, bingo, horseshoe pits, scattered BBQ grills, spartan restrooms and bath house (although in need of refurbishment), laundry-O-mat, ice machine, free WiFi (but only at rec hall and pool – many people complained that they couldn’t access WiFi while at their sites, but if you read the fine print, that’s not what this place promises), RV storage, dog parks & walking paths, a few scattered gazebos and a propane tank refilling station. Each site comes with its own flat concrete slab that you can call home for the night, accompanied by a lone picnic table and all the typical hook-ups you would expect (30 / 50 electric amp, water, sewage, etc.) along with designated dump sites and an electric charging station as well as small pond. 

Insider’s tips? Sure, here’s a few: (1) if you are tent camping, apparently Kissimmee RV Park has some sites, but as we were passing through with an RV, I didn’t bother to look, so check this out; (2) Tired of foraging through your cooler or on-board mini-fridge for your next meal? Then there’s no shortage of options being this close to Disney, so while there’s the chain restaurants nearby (Chili’s, Perkin’s, BJ’s, etc.), I recommend a few off-the-beaten places like Fat Boy’s BBQ, Savion’s Place or Capone’s Dinner & Show Theater;(3) Fan of comic books? My family and I stumbled across Coliseum of Comics Kissimmee and it was a nice diversion for a few hours; and (4) Want to go back in time for a nice meal and theater?! Then look no further than Medieval Times, which is literally just down the road! 

Happy Camping!

The campground was clean. Our site had pavers that were in disrepair and could be a tripping hazard. The sites were roomy for our 42’ 5th wheel. Pool area appeared to be well maintained as well as the laundry. The machines required a card instead of coins. At $1.75 it was reasonable compared to other places. The configuration of the park in relation to the full time residents was odd. The campers were placed randomly in between the full time residents. We had plenty of room but we were wedged in pretty tight with the full time residents. It was ok but just have never been situated like this. You had to purchase the Wi-Fi. Don’t bother. We paid $20 for the wk and had absolutely no internet. There was a number to call and we did call them. It was a huge deal and only got one device working. They did have a huge dog park but the path to walk your dog I would never use as it had a lot of debris.