Best Tent Camping near Micanopy, FL

Tent camping near Micanopy, Florida provides access to several primitive and established campgrounds within the region's forests and conservation areas. Lake Delancy East NF Campground in Ocala National Forest offers tent-specific sites with vault toilets and fire rings, located approximately 25 miles east of Micanopy. Wildflower Ranch provides walk-in tent sites with basic amenities including drinking water and picnic tables. Potts Preserve - River Primitive Campground offers free tent camping with riverside locations about 40 miles southwest of Micanopy, while Flying Eagle Preserve provides primitive tent camping in a natural setting.

Most tent campgrounds in the area feature basic amenities suited for self-sufficient campers. Lake Delancy East has vault bathrooms and hand pump wells but no running water, requiring campers to bring their own drinking water or purification systems. Fire rings with grill grates are common at established sites, allowing for cooking over open flames. The region experiences hot, humid summers and mild winters, making fall through spring the most comfortable seasons for tent camping. Wildlife is abundant, with campers reporting sightings of deer, wild turkey, and occasionally black bears, necessitating proper food storage. Many primitive tent sites require reservations through state forest or water management district systems.

Backcountry tent camping experiences in the area offer solitude and natural immersion. According to reviews, Potts Preserve provides "free, primitive, private, secluded" tent camping with river access, though recent changes require campers to park in designated areas and walk to riverside sites. At Jennings State Forest, campers noted the "plenty of brush between you and the next camper" and described sites with "picnic table, fire pit with grill and designated tent spot." Lake Delancy East campers appreciate the proximity to the Florida Trail, with one visitor reporting "great shade trees and tent spots" and noting the campground's primitive nature "without a lot of crowds." Most walk-in tent sites require carrying all supplies, but reward with greater privacy and natural settings.

Best Tent Sites Near Micanopy, Florida (32)

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Tent Camping Reviews near Micanopy, FL

1000 Reviews of 32 Micanopy Campgrounds


  • L
    Feb. 28, 2020

    Salt Springs Recreation Area

    Great campground in Ocala National Forest

    Fantastic campground and recreation area. Over 150 campsites, one area full hookups with all amenities and other area for tent camping. Sites have lots of space and majority have shade trees with moss flowing in the breeze. All sites have picnic table, lantern pole, grill, and fire ring. We have 2 golden retrievers and had plenty of space to spare. Beautiful stars out at night. Bathhouses are large, clean, hot showers. Trailer sites were full and only a few tent campers this time of year. Tent sites are complete with Bear boxes at each site. Camp hosts and management were very friendly and helpful.
    Saw manatees kayaking in the spring and river on premises. Spring area has a boardwalk around it. People swam with them too. Saw bald eagle catching fish, lots of birds, some fish, etc. Has a small boat launch and marina. Can tent kayaks. Great place for bikes. A few hiking trails were well maintained.
    Convenient location to lots of springs to visit and things to do. Visited Silver Springs, Blue Springs, Juniper Spring to name a few. All within 1 hr drive.
    Not sure how summer time is, but this late February time was Awesome. 40-50 at night and 60s in the day! This is a must stay place.

  • Jenn B.
    Sep. 24, 2019

    Bayard Conservation Area

    Ranger Review: Pureland 30L Guard Backpack at Bayard Conservation Area

    **Campground Review: **

    Bayard Conservation Area is located in Green Cove Springs Florida and is maintained by the St. Johns River Water Management District. It is a track of land that has many hiking trails that traverse through shaded pine forests, hammocks, marsh, and river areas. 

    We have day hiked here many times, but this trip we were going to do some primitive camping at one of the campsites. There are several areas to park and then hike in. The campsites are a few miles from the parking area. They include a fire ring and a picnic table. The campsites have several different settings, but we chose the river view. On our way to our campsite we were able to spot many animals including: deer, otter, turkey, and wild pigs. 

    The area is kept clean and is quiet with the exception of a bit of noise pollution from the surrounding area. However, this does not distract from the experience. We enjoyed our overnight backcountry trip and highly recommend Bayard.

    ----------------

    **Product Review: **

    As a Dyrt Ranger I receive products from time-to-time and this time I am testing out the Pureland 30L Guard Backpack sold by Outdoor Element

    There are so many things to love about this backpack. The extensive cording and hooks on the outside made attaching extra items a breeze. I was able to store my trekking poles and Jetboil on the back with no problem. The hip pockets were an added plus and fit my cellphone inside of it easily. The room inside of the backpack was able to hold everything I needed for an overnight trip– including my bulky sleeping bag. The only two things that took away from the backpack was the inside zipper and the water pouch. The zipper on the inside of the bag came off the track with only a light pull while the bag was empty. It did not have the integrity that the zippers on the outside had. My 3.0L reservoir would not fit all the way in the provided pouch and hung out the top a bit. After the whole trip, I sincerely love this pack and will be using it for all of my hiking and primitive camping needs!!

  • Napunani
    Jun. 10, 2023

    Salt Springs Recreation Area

    Immaculate Wind Tunnel (see video)

    PROS

    A camp host came to our site immediately after we unhitched to advise that our one tow vehicle tire on the grass will get us a $250 fine from US Forest Service officer. Funny, we never ever saw a USFS officer patrolling the campground. 

    Entrance gates closed at 8pm requiring code to enter 

    Immaculately maintained park. A small army of maintenance staff always working. Even one night at 930pm in the bathroom. 

    Saved $156 with America the Beautiful pass 

    Site 32 shady 

    Asphalt parking pad surrounded with sandy gravel 

    Moveable metal picnic table 

    Pedestal BBQ grill 

    High sided metal fire ring with 2 unremovable cooking grates 

    One hook lantern pole 

    Campfire wood for sale at registration office 

    No street lights in campground so good dark sky viewing if neighbors have their rig lights off which most nights they were lit up which also lit up surrounding campsites 

    Able to get T-MOBILE signal on our T-MOBILE WIFI device 

    Many squirrels ate from our hand 

    CONS 

    In 8 days never saw a USFD vehicle drive thru the campground

    $8 fee to make on-line reservations 

    Site 32 not level 

    Absolutely no privacy from any other site 

    In 20 degree exterior temperatures, both campground bathhouses had windows open, whole house fans operating in full capacity and ceiling fans operating on high. Obvious park maintenance does NOT want anyone taking a shower when interior bathhouse temperatures were in the 30s and the bathhouse was a freezing wind tunnel! It was even difficult using the toilet. 

    Loud and rowdy campers all weekend long—day and night. Quiet hours not enforced

    Highway 19 traffic noise 

    USFD clearing project on east side of campground. Heavy equipment noise for 9 straight hours day after day!!! 

    No notice water outage for 2 hours 

    No park WiFi 

    No T-MOBILE cell service 

    No public phone for emergency calls

  • Todd M.
    Feb. 10, 2021

    Potts Preserve

    Great place to boondock!

    Great place to boondock! Spent 3 nights here by the pavilion. There are about 5 spots in the “primitive” camping area. Plenty of privacy and a kayak launch area. Spots have fire rings and a couple have picnic tables. Porta potty is clean. The back-country area was recently gated so RVs can no longer camp there. It’s now designated as tent-camping only. It’s a huge open space with entrances to walking trails and beautiful views of the river. The back-country area has an outhouse. It’s easy to get to and very quiet other than other campers and periodic airboats that zoom by.

  • Stuart K.The Dyrt PRO User
    Jun. 21, 2025

    Ocklawaha Canoe Outpost & Resort

    Intimate Backwater Canoe Outpost w/ Trifecta of Camping Options

    Located at the southern tip of Rodman Reservoir, which is one of the major water tributaries that you can float around the NE perimeter of the Ocala National Forest, you’ll discover that this backwater camping outpost sits on 7+ acres of heavily forested woods and offers up 3 distinct types of camping opportunities: RV / 5th Wheeler, primitive tent-camping and cabin rentals. While apparently long a bastion of this particular area, dating back to the mid-80’s, Ocklawaha Canoe Outpost has been under new management for the past few years. Unlike many of the CG's in the area, this river-front, nature-embracing outpost is smaller than most with only 22 sites available.

    Situated just west of the tiny hamlet of Eureka in Fort McCoy, you will first spot the area designated for RVs, 5th Wheelers and trailers a moment or two before arriving to Ocklawaha Canoe Outpost as this spot sits alongside the roadway with 2-3 gravel pathway access points before actually making your arrival to the main office and beyond it, the main parking area. In all, there’s some 11 slots available with FHUs offering 30 / 50 amp electric, water and sewage connections along with a picnic table and fire ring at each site. Being next to a main artery of Rodman Reservoir, one always needs to be aware of elevation, in case of flooding, so what we noticed immediately, even before arriving to the Ocklawaha main office is that both the RV-designated area as well as the main office sit on more elevated land, which is a bonus in case of flooding. Unlike the cabin and primitive tent camping areas, the RV-designated area does not possess much of any shade. At $40 / night (and $45 / night including bath house) and $240 / week ($270 / week including bath house), we found the pricing here to be just about right.

    For those of you thinking about renting one of the 6 log cabins that exist here, what I liked most about this particular set-up is that all of these units are located in close proximity to one another – we’ll call this the cottage enclave – which combined, share the community amenities specific to this community. Bear in mind, these cabins are not pet-friendly, so leave your 4-legged friends at home, or look to one of the other 2 modes of camping here. You have your choice between a one- or two-room cabin, both of which offer heat, A/C, furnished with bedding, towels, dishes, pots, pans, microwave, mini-fridge, small cook top and coffee pot. Each cabin also comes with a porch offering semi-privacy to take your morning coffee as well as brand-new Weber charcoal grill that sits in front of each cabin along with an in-ground fire pit. At $134 / night for the single that sleeps 5 (with 7 being the max) and$154 / night for the double-cabin that also sleeps 5 (with 6 being the max), considering the location of where you are at, combined with the amenities provided and the relative quality of the cabins, I found the pricing to be fairly economical. The prices decrease substantially to $109 and $129/ night respectively if one books multiple nights, which makes this a no-brainer for even a short stay.

    With mi tent-pitchin’ bredren in mind, you’ll appreciate that of the 3 available types of camping here, the area reserved for setting up your own non-mobile, semi-permanent nylon camping haven will place you closest to the river, where within 50-60 yards you’ll easily be able to access the Rodman Reservoir from a decent-sized tributary. While obviously that’s a huge plus, you also want to be careful about knowing when it’s going to rain and for how long as this also would be the area that gets the most flooding if there was any. Another bonus is that the tent-sites ARE pet-friendly, so you can smile as those cabin campers stroll past your sites (while your mutt barks at them). As for the grounds themselves, there’s 2 different areas that the pathway to the river’s edge dissects in half with 4-5 sites being available on the one side and only 1-2 sites being available on the other, which will provide you with just slightly more privacy. There’s not a whole lot to these sites, where you’ll simply have a picnic table and fire ring, but you’ll be surrounded by a great tree line and solid brush, albeit you won’t have sheltered views between sites. You’ll also want to take note that, again, the pathway to the river runs through the primitive tent camping area, so while not heavily trafficked, you will certainly experience pedestrians and fellow campers coming and going. Cost per night for tent camping is an acceptable $25/ night (up to 4 people, and $5/ pp after that), which again, scouting the area and staying in a few other places, seems about right.

    Additional community amenities not already mentioned include: community bathhouses with impeccably clean restrooms and well-maintained showers, ping pong, recreation room with board games, corn hole, canoe & kayak rentals w/ shuttle service, horseshoe pit, kid’s playground and a small pond that is stocked for simple, yet enjoyable ‘catch & release’ as well as firewood available for sale @ $5/ bundle.

    Insider’s tips? Here’s a few: (1) This CG is right on the Ocklawaha River populated with dense wetlands, marsh and semi-tropical forests sprouting sable palms, swamp maples, the odd pencil-thin towering pines and submerged cypress, so the owners are very smart to have organized a few different river experiences that you should definitely take advantage of with 2 different outfitters being Gores Landing and Rays Wayside, both of which offer up canoe ($52 / $85), solo ($42 / $75) and tandem ($62 / $95) kayak rentals as well as transport ($25 / $60) with respective pricing and seasonal availability. There’s even overnight river trips that Ockalawaha will help you set up, where pricing depends upon the specific drop point and number of nights you might be interested in. Please note that all of the above runs everyday except Tuesdays; (2) While you of course can get on a kayak, canoe or boat to catch some fish, if you don’t want to, you can simply cross the road from Ockalawaha CG and access the Wildlife & Fishing Area that has its own set of public docks and piers that you can cast a reel from – and in fact, these spots are very well-maintained and offer up some magnificent views of the head of the 100-mile Ocklawaha River as she flows southernly from Rodman Reservoir; (3) If you want to indulge in one of Florida’s greatest treasures, you’ll need to visit a natural spring and the good news is that there’s several of the state’s best springs surrounding you here, including: Salt Springs, Homosassa Springs, Deleon Springs, Silver Glen Springs, Alexander Springs, Juniper Springs, Silver Springs and Rainbow Springs; (4) If you’ve got fishing on your mind while in these parts, expect to be hauling in crappie, sunfish, small- and largemouth bass, catfish and bream; and (5) The owners Lance & Theresa are absolutely wonderful people that will do whatever it takes to ensure your stay is flawless!

    Happy Camping!

  • Reeca P.
    Jun. 27, 2022

    Juniper Springs Rec Area - Tropical Camp Area

    Tent camping with small TT

    First camping trip at this location was a blast! We had an 8 person tent, a 10x10 canopy and a 15 foot travel trailer. Site included a picnic table, fire ring, grill, and bear box. Shower houses were clean, and close to most camp sites. Highly recommend yhis campground.The swimming area was so much fun too!

  • Aubrey O.
    Apr. 24, 2022

    Buck Lake Group Campground

    Primitive Lakeside Camping

    Perfect for group of friends, club, or scouting type outing. Super private with your very own lake! Picnic tables, grills, and fire rings.... Two dirt/gravel boat ramps... Vault toilets, and steel trash bins.

    *my verizon service worked well here

  • Brenda S.
    Jun. 18, 2018

    Hart Springs Park

    Perfect "Spring" Weather

    Ranger Review: Wild Zora Bars and Paleo Meals to Go at Hart Springs, Fl

    Not far from the city of Gainesville sits the town of Bell, Fl home of many small springs. The spring we visited was Hart Springs. Hart Springs was just the right temperature on a hot summer day and a perfect location to enjoy Wild Zora Bars.

    Camp Ground Review:

    The Hart Spring has one of the largest swimming area with year-round 72-degree Fahrenheit water temperatures. The spring has an over bridge and concrete steps that lead down into the springs. Plenty of shade and Pavilions with grills close to the springs, playground, bathrooms and camp store. This park also has a splash pad, volleyball and basketball court. Beautiful ½ a mile-long boardwalk along the springs and the Suwannee River. Rentals of canoes and Kayaks available and cave diving is allowed for certified cave divers. The campground is located about 1 mile away from the spring accessible by a paved walking, bicycle or golf cart trail which is shaded by cypress, oak and pine trees. Campground has 71 sites (one loop), full hookups, and bathhouse with hot shower, washer and dryer. Each site has a picnic table and fire ring (no grill). Our site was #8 this site was deep, shaded and close to the bathrooms. Nice pool with bathrooms and a big pavilion with picnic tables and two grills for cooking at the pool. No alcohol. No pets (except at the RV campground) Reservations thru Reserve America website.

    Product Review:

    As a ranger for The Dyrt, I get to test various products. At Hart Springs I tested two products from Wild Zora: Wild Zora Bars and Wild Zora Paleo Meals to Go.

    What I thought about Wild Zora Bars and Paleo Meals to Go:

    1. Convenience- when spending the day at the springs, pool or on a hike it is nice to have a healthy snack with balanced nutrition without having to compromise on flavor.
    2. Very tender and easy to eat- Having children it is often difficult to find jerky or nutrition bars that are soft enough to chew, these bars are tender and eaten without difficulty. This is also beneficial for my older father who finds it difficult to chew most Jerky.
    3. Good balance of nutrition- it is nice to have a snack for both myself and my children that contains some vegetables. Unfortunately, we do not always get enough.
    4. The Paleo meals are easy to transport, requiring no refrigeration and very simple preparation. When you are ready to eat you simply add water, stir and allow the food to cook. Prep for camping and hiking can be very time consuming. Having meals that are ready to go when you are is not only a time saver but, in some cases, can make the difference between a hot meal and a cold sandwich.
    5. The texture of the Paleo Meals to Go was a bit softer than I would have anticipated, possibly I let it sit to long when preparing, but the flavor was very good, and the meal was filling.

    I would recommend Wild Zora bars to anyone that is looking for a snack for camping, hiking, or just an all-around healthy snack. I would recommend to anyone who likes camping, especially where space is limited, to try the Paleo Meals to go.

  • Jessica S.
    Jul. 6, 2018

    Silver Springs State Park Campground

    A real old Florida feel

    We stayed here in the winter and the weather was very pleasant. The sites are all RV friendly with hookups but there are some sites that are designated as tent sites with a softer spot to stake in. Each site also comes with a standard fire ring and picnic table. The sites are large and spacious with shady trees surrounding each site. It is very quiet and peaceful. Note that pets are allowed in the campground area but not in any other areas.

    The bathrooms and showers are close by and are very well kept and clean. It was never crowded. There are also laundry machines and vending machines there as well.

    Near the campsites there are cabins for rent and a small museum. There is also a playground for children. Our favorite feature was that we were able to visit Silver Springs park free of charge if you brought your parking permit from the campsite. There are quite a few hiking trails near and one of them takes you directly to the park. Once in the park, you are able to rent kayaks or take the boat tour. The spring water is so clear you can see all of the fish swimming below!

    Silver Springs is definitely a great place to visit for a relaxing Florida getaway.


Guide to Micanopy

Tent camping near Micanopy, Florida, offers a unique blend of natural beauty and outdoor adventure, perfect for those looking to escape into the wilderness.

Explore Local Attractions

  • Experience the serene environment at Wildflower Ranch, where you can enjoy tent camping with amenities like drinking water and picnic tables.
  • Visit the scenic Lake Delancy East NF Campground, located near Salt Springs, offering easy access to hiking trails and a peaceful atmosphere.
  • Discover the beauty of Etoniah Creek State Forest, where you can camp at Etoniah Creek State Forest and explore miles of hiking trails surrounded by diverse wildlife.

Activities for Outdoor Enthusiasts

  • Enjoy fishing and hiking at Bowman's Landing, which provides a beautiful setting along the Santa Fe River.
  • Experience primitive camping at Shanty Pond Campground, where you can immerse yourself in nature and enjoy the tranquility of the forest.
  • Take advantage of the hiking and equestrian trails at Etoniah Creek State Forest, perfect for both horse riders and hikers looking for adventure.

Tent Camping Prices

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is the most popular tent campsite near Micanopy, FL?

According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Micanopy, FL is Lake Delancy East NF Campground with a 4-star rating from 3 reviews.

What is the best site to find tent camping near Micanopy, FL?

TheDyrt.com has all 32 tent camping locations near Micanopy, FL, with real photos and reviews from campers.