Searching for the perfect place to pitch your tent near Ocala? Find the best information on tent camping near Ocala, including sites, reviews, and tips for getting the most out of your camping experience. Would you prefer a quiet dispersed site or an established camgpround with amenities? Either way, The Dyrt makes it easy to find the perfect place to pitch your tent.
$10 - $15 / night
Lake area campground with 29 campsites along the eastern shore of Lake Delancy in the Big Scrub.
Idlewild was founded in 1992 by William T Davis as a fish camp for those who knew how many bass are swimming and living in the spring-fed waters of Lake Panasoffkee. It’s built on 3 acres with 10 cabins, 10 RV pads. While small, it is not short on amenities. Positioned as a boutique lodge, large groups may find it ideal to host private events. Families will find the amenities to be entertaining while also serving as a unique, but truly “Floridian,” nature experience. Located on the western perimeter of Lake Panasoffkee, Idlewild sits across a 9,911 acre state park preserving Lake Panasoffkee's vast floodplain forest, natural springs, pine flat-woods, freshwater marshes and oak scrub forest.
Recognizing the beauty Lake Panasoffkee has to offer, the current owners revitalized Idlewild in 2022 welcoming residents and tourists alike to enjoy the natural beauty and fishing opportunities Lake Pan has to offer. In addition to cabin renovations and pavered RV sites, Idlewild now features additional premium amenities including pontoon boat rentals, kayaks, bait & tackle, a concrete boat launch, boat slips, vending, recreational area, laundry machines, an on-site café, pool-side cabanas, and the most spectacular views of Lake Pan while sitting around the gas-fired fire pit. For those seeking a bit more adventure, Idlewild is host to Swamp Fever Airboat Adventures. Swamp Fever guests can sign up for the interactive alligator experience and ride an airboat deep into the shallow waters of the Lake Panasoffkee enchanted forest where snakes, turtles, cranes, and alligators are aplenty.
$74 - $230 / 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.
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.
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.
This location is unstaffed. To speak with our main office for general information, please call: (352) 669-3522.
$280 / night
This 1,137-acre site is located at the north end of Lake Yale. The major feature is a 600-acre shallow marsh. Approximately 61% of the property is comprised of forested and herbaceous wetlands (692.2 acres) with the remaining 39% consisting of uplands (444.5 acres). The upland community types found on the Preserve include unimproved pasture, shrub/brushland, mesic hammocks, xeric hammocks and pine flatwoods. Wildlife include sandhill cranes, gopher tortoises, pocket gophers, ring-neck ducks, foxes and scrub jays.
Hiking, biking or horseback riding on the Sawgrass Island Preserve allows the visitor an opportunity to experience a natural area far away from the urbanized environment. There are two primitive camping sites located on the Hammock Trial. They consist of a fire ring, picnic table and a post to hang your lantern. There is no water source, so water must be carried in. Camping is available by permit only.
Shanty Pond is a campground in the heart of a longleaf pine eco system, located south of Salt Springs off SR 19. A favorite of equestrians and hunters, it is seasonally open from October 15 through April 15.
Set along the shores of Farles Lake, this recreation area is a launch point for outdoor adventures, including boating, birding, and fishing along the lake and prairie system.
It’s a clean park with easy access to boat rentals (kayaks, canoes) and a boat launch if you have your own. Publix and Walmart are ~10 minutes away if you need anything. I came in September after a heavy rain and it was pretty buggy. Bring mosquito repellent. There are a number of long term campers with poorly kept RVs, but everyone is friendly.
Quiet and friendly place. Better for campers.
My wife and I decided last year to full time RV. We were already living in Ocala and we wanted to remain in the area. We discovered Silver Springs RV and are so glad we did. Everyone here, especially the staff, was so welcoming and friendly. SSRV is definitely going to be home for a long time.
This campground is really dark, quiet and pretty. The bathhouse was always clean. You can smell the well water in the bathhouse. Brings me back to my childhood memories. We rode our bikes to the observation tower, but we were not lucky enough to see any bison or wild horses. Still nice to see the open prairie. We had a big rainstorm and the back of our site did become a lake, but it was gone overnight. The bugs lit us up all hours, so make sure you different bug sprays.
One thing’s for certain, this camping outpost located just outside the itty bitty village of Georgetown couldn’t be any closer to the mighty St. Johns River, which if you don’t know, is one of the largest and most prolific fishing rivers in all of Florida. Should you find yourself in north-central Florida and / or near Lake George and looking for a spot to call ‘home for the night’ (or many as it might be) then you’ll definitely want to plan a stay here at Rivers Edge RV Park, which is a little know campground jewel in the rough, but be sure to reach out well in advance, as with only 50 or so slots, this place books up quick.
Apart from the very close proximity to St. Johns River – so close that Rivers Edge RV Park actually offers up boat launch and slips exclusively for its guests, so if you have a boat, whether with motor or not (like those of us towing canoes and kayaks), be sure to call ahead and enquire about available boat slips – this is one very pristine, well-kept and easily organized campground. There’s a decent amount of top-grade amenities including spartan-clean restrooms, shower & laundry facilities with brand new washers & dryers, propane refueling station, a pup playground, trash stations and waterfront nature walk path.
What I appreciated most was that Rivers Edge RV Park offers up a distinct tent area, which places mi tent-pitchin’ bredren in our own canvassed-erected environ that is actually the closest camping option to the St. Johns River here. As for the RV or 5th Wheel crowd, the standard hook-ups are offered here including 30 / 50 amp electric, water and sewage back-in and pull-through sites with concrete patios. Complimentary WiFi is offered everywhere and actually isn’t too bad (although our ability to stream was slow). Most sites offer up picnic tables and fire-rings and there are community offerings like a riverside pavilion (also with another set of restrooms and showers), lawn games, horseshoes, pickleball court and enough space for a good game of jarts or frisbee.
As for the campground itself, you’ll access Rivers Edge RV Park simply by following Road 309 and just as this small country road bends making way for Drayton Island, you’ll want to turn in heading westerly, wherein you’ll be greeted by the main office where you’ll check in at the office immediately on the right. The layout for the campground is a simple loop, about the size of a junior football field with sites #1-28 on the right and the other sites through #54 on the interior of the loop. Should you not have a tent or an RV, no worries, the very good folks at Rivers Edge even have a handful of cabins that they’ll rent you. Overall, I found the pricing to be VERY affordable here – no matter what type of camping you might be interested in.
Insider’s tips? Here’s a few: (1) Rivers Edge RV Park offers up firewood for sale for a decent price, which I always like to flag, because if you don’t need to find additional space to haul firewood with you, it frees up space for other things, right?; (2) If you’ve got kids and need a much bigger space to let them run around, nearby this campground is a very nice kid’s playground as well as a soccer field; (3) For anyone wanting a bit of an off-the-grid adventure, just south of Rivers Edge is the Drayton Island Ferry (just take your second right after the US post office), where you can cross the channel over to Drayton Island for some decent off-the-trail biking & biking as well as zip-lining, which you can access on the far western side of the island at Grands Island Resort, which is a very cool camping outpost in its own right; and (4) Should you grow weary of trying to conjure up that next meal from the depths of your roto-molded Cordova cooler or mini-onboard fridge, you’ll only find meager options near you that include Mel’s River Pub Italian Grille & Liquor Store that offers up a very diverse menu featuring pasta, sandwiches and pizzas, The Oaks Golf Club Café serving up glorified bar fare such as burgers, po-boys, wings, fried baskets, tacos & quesadillas and southern comfort food or Renegades on the River, which is actually another campground, but offers up a super-cool restaurant featuring pizzas, wings, peel & eat shrimp and fried foodstuffs like pickles and gator bites as well as a Tiki Hut pouring some mighty strong Daquiris and Mai Tais.
Happy Camping!
Maybe it was that the light was falling at just the right time as I moseyed into Rodman Campground a good hour or so before dusk became official here just due south of Palatka, the Sunshine State’s ‘Unofficial Farmer’s Market’ and a pretty decent stretch from the endless miles of pristine white sand beaches on the Atlantic Coast or the overwhelming non-stop entertainment options of a city built on 'Mouse Magic.’ Whatever it was, there’s something that struck us as incredibly special about this particular campground outpost. I think what we left with was a surreal understanding that no matter what you come packing with, you’re gonna have just one helluva amazing camping experience here at Rodman Campground.
This place is perfect for both the RV tribe as well as mi tent-pitching community. And I don’t often get to say that. As for the campground itself, while there’s 64 sites to choose from in all, there’s basically 3 distinct areas that you should be aware of. The first area is what I would call the VIP RV Lots, given its proximity to the Rodman Reservoir, while I’m not an RV enthusiast, but this spot feels like you’ve hit ‘the jackpot’ as it’s a single lane with 6 or so sites on either side and provides you with direct and easy access to a very well-maintained restroom and shower facility. The second area is exclusively carved out for my tribe – those that are packing their experience with them and like to unroll their version of protection from the elements while staring straight up at the blessed star-crossed sky while completely surrounded by the thick of nature and tall needle-like trees. And while Rodman Campground calls this the ‘primitive campground,’ I’ll affectionately refer to it as ‘Pitch-A-Tent Heaven.’ Admittedly, I’ve never set up camp so close to RVs that still made me feel like one with nature. The third and final campground option here at Rodman is what I will characterize as ‘RV Pavement Parking Lot Hell,’ where if you have an RV (and can’t get into the VIP RV spot, then, well, you’ll be parking yourself here, but hopefully the freshly poured flat concrete will turn out to be a blessing in disguise.
Regardless of the camping neighborhood that you end up arriving at, Rodman Campground will impress upon you what an amazing place it is, first and foremost, by offering up what is, no doubt, some of the best FL SP staff you will ever encounter – they are friendly, helpful and incredibly proud of this patch of land that they call home. Secondly, the Rodman Reservoir offers nothing short of AMAZING kayak and canoe adventures. The amenities are pretty top notch: back-in and pull-through RV sites with full-hook-ups (30 / 50 amp electric, water and sewage), scattered picnic tables, fire rings and BBQ grills, paved bicycle paths (and miles of additional pavement via Rodman Dam Road, boating within the 9K acre Rodman Preserve, designated dump stations, five reservable pavilions and an excellent boat ramp, freshwater fishing (license required), 5.1 miles of trail hiking (actually part of the Florida National Scenic Trail that runs adjacent to Rodman Campground, picnicking at waterfront pavilions (need to be reserved). If you’re a wild nature enthusiast, you’re in luck, because here at Rodman Campground, you’ll easily be able to spot: bald eagle, foxes, wild turkey, white-tailed deer, hawks and owls, osprey and the American alligator.
Insider’s tips? Here’s a few: (1) If I was an RV’er (and let’s be clear, I’m not) and I was looking to book a spot here at Rodman Campground, I would absolutely be looking at the VIP RV Lots wherein I would chose any of the spots that are backed up against the wilderness (that would be on the west), which offer a greater degree of connectivity with nature (and thus additional privacy) where, in particular, I would book one of these amazing sites: #2, #5, #9, #10 and #12. While the other sites in this spot aren’t bad, they just don’t offer the amount of privacy that these other 5 sites do; (2) For mi tent-pitching bredren, while almost all of these camp sites offer you a pristine au naturale experience (apart from the few sites that are front-facing (#14-17; #38) you’ll want to prioritize any other site (#18-37) as best you can; (3) If you come bringing your boat, please be aware that there’s submerged logs and other underwater obstructions to be aware of, so motor with caution!; (4) When you get tired of staring down the bottom of your Cordova roto-molded cooler or the emptiness of your on-board fridge, and want to try out some of the local fare, then look no further than Hog Wild Country Café back in Interlachen (no, we’re not in Switzerland, but if you head back NW, you’ll find this spot on County Road 310) where all the traditional BBQ plates are being served (smoked brisket, smoked turkey, smoked pork, OK, smoked EVERYTHING) along with killer southern sides like mac-n-cheese, potato salad, slaw and, my favorite, Vidalia onion rings!; and (5) If you come hauling watercraft, you’ll have no shortage of great launches here at Rodman Campground, but if you are looking to dip your canoe or kayak in some different places, I would highly recommend Marjorie Harris Carr (just follow the Kenwood Boat Ram Road till it reaches a parking circle, from which you’ll easily see the boat launch) or over across the reservoir as well as just heading a bit further west to Rodman Recreation Area where you can drop in there or over at the Rodman Dam Kayak Launch, which has tons of tributaries to navigate.
Happy Camping!
Had no problems, calm and cool surroundings.
Quiet, lots of wildlife (wild horses, bison, alligators, deer, birds, turtles); plenty of hiking and biking trails with beautiful sunsets on the lake. Restroom facilities are showing some age but clean. Walk-in tent sites are pretty close to the Restrooms.
This campground is the perfect size. Our site had shade about 95% of the day! We had the perfect size of an area behind our RV. Loved hearing all of the birds chirping. You can hear traffic since it’s right off of the highway. There are plenty of trees around. The bathroom was very clean. It’s nice and dark at night!! We did the hike to see the historical part of the Island. That was neat to read about. We also took the biking trail to say we went above i75 on the bridge. That was a round trip of 15.5 miles, if anyone is interested. It’s a really nice campground, especially if like doing trails and biking.
You have to get called back, not working with international numbers. Form on website won’t solve the captcha.
Sometimes automating everything is stupid.
Campground is basic, very few sewer spots but there is a dump station. Big rig friendly, several pull thru spots, easy paved entry, gravel sites, I think all are 50/30. Plenty of space between sites. Clean bathroom, washer/dryer, soda machine. Very dark at night which I love. No lights except the bath house. Dog poo bag stations. Very friendly staff (Melinda & John, camp hosts were amazing) 1 mile from amazing kayaking. Great, woodsy hiking trails. Maybe 3 miles to Publix/Wawa.
Great state park well off the main road. Quiet and wooded with limestone pads.
Beautiful place, nothing to complain about
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.
Loved this campground. We had sites 22 & 24. Site 22 has lots of sun; site 24 was full shade all day. I thought site 20 was the best. All campsites are very roomy. Bring your paddleboard or kayak. We drove to Silver Springs park and put in. Lazy river ride for 2 miles where we got out at the River trail. If you do this, bring your kayak wheels as it is a 1 mile walk back to the campground (or 1/2 mile to the River Trail trailhead). Then went to pick up truck where we started. Highly recommend this campground. There are also lots of trails to hike, but it was so hot when we were there we did not do any but the river trail.
Like the opening for 'Waterboy' (starring Adam Sandler), when you first rock up to Twin Lakes Fish Camp, somehow you feel as though you are visiting family in the very deep south with the likes of Bobby Bocher (pronounced BOO-Shay) greeting you upon arrival with a dilapidated golf cart eager to show you around this fairly minuscule one lane, dead-end campground that is more swamp outpost than pine forested campground. While definitely geared more towards the slightly semi-permanent resident than the overnight camping crowd, you’ll find a mixture of heavily seasoned RV trailers that don’t look as though they’ve moved anywhere in the past several years(or decades) along with a small handful of cabin rentals. Sure, there are a few spots here and there that you might park a 5th wheeler, RV or even see a pitched tent, but those spots are far and few between, if available at all.
As you make your way down this single lane refuge, on the right, you’ll notice fairly tightly packed together RVs or 5th wheelers lining the tree-ensconced periphery, where on the left you’ll spot sites that have a bit more space to them and with less crowded confines. Also on the left, you’ll easily notice a decent inlet that is perfect should you be towing any form of small watercraft with you, be that a kayak, canoe or even small engine boat. As you make your way down this single lane, pass the river inlet boat parking structure on your left, you’ll spot the 4-5 cabins that are for rent before making your way to the very end of the lane, which you’ll discover the manager’s office on the right. It’s here where you’ll check in. Just beyond this spot is where the waterline begins, albeit for the first 20 or 30 yards, completely encased by Spanish moss of every variety hanging from ancient Oaks, Palmettos and the odd Pine. For dramatic effect, there’s even a partially sunken house boat (or two) in the rather shallow waters just off this small inlet, where you can easily walk on and cast a line or two from.
With regards to amenities, apart from the swamp-like, down-home feel to this place, you’ll encounter fully-furnished cabins equipped with Direct TV, a small general store (that was closed when we visited), a tackle shop, WiFi (albeit incredibly weak), a recreation room (that didn’t have much but incredibly well-worn paperback books and a single fold-up table accompanied by the prerequisite ashtray), TV, scattered fire pits, covered picnic pavilion, small laundry room (that was closed while we were there), horseshoe pit, restrooms (that were anything but clean), full hook-ups with 30 / 50 amp electric, water and sewage as well as a designated dump station and a fish cleaning station alongside that fishing boat parking structure.
If you can get past the overall dilapidated condition of this place that transports you to a swamp-like wonderland, the upside is that Twin Lakes Fish Camp places you smack dab right in the heart of some pretty amazing fishing country. With Twin Lakes situated between Lochloosa and Orange Lakes, it’s the mouth of the famous Cross Creek that will return you right back here to Twin Lakes Fish Camp. Nearby, there’s the very quaint town of Micanopy, where you can load up on sundries and groceries as well as, if need be, travel further afield to either Gainesville to the north or Ocala to the south for many more dining and entertainment options.
Insider’s tips? Here’s a few: (1) Rather than stay here, what I would HIGHLY recommend, whether you have an RV or are looking to pitch your tent, is to instead, seek another location for your camping adventures. If it were me, I would double-back to Paynes Prairie SP and book a spot there and simply come here to Twin Lakes Fish Camp to disembark on a fishing odyssey. Remember, it’s always important to note and differentiate a place that might be nice to visit versus a site that you want to call home for the night!; (2) Should you want to rent a 'jon boat', kayak, canoe or sumptknocker, you can easily do that here for $35/ day (and something tells me, you could probably talk the owner down a bit); (3) This place is fairly economical at $35 per night / $175 per week / $375 per month, but I would definitely recommend you look at the photos I’ve posted as well as do a bit of research on-line before booking anything here; (4) When you grow weary of cooking up ‘franks& beans’ for your next meal, and want to check out some local fare, just down the road is a very nice, quaint and actually somewhat upscale joint called The Yearling that serves up low-country delights like fried green tomatoes, fried gator bites and conch fritters in addition to main entrees like blackened red fish or shrimp & grits; and (5) While you won’t find any decent hiking in or around Twin Lakes Fish Camp, if you double-back to Paynes Prairie SP, you’ll find a ton of really great paths to both hike & bike.
Happy Camping!
Easy to find, close to I-75 Freeway. Older RV park with many permanent sites. Pull through, full hook ups with cable TV. Not too quiet but building on East side blocks much of the Freewaynoise. Large shade trees. Intermixed temp and permanent sites. Didn't see a store nor sites showers and restrooms. Pool is closed. Looks permanent.
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.
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.
There aren’t many bad sites. Great trails and walking. BRING BUG SPRAY. I wish I had time to stay longer to see everything the park had to offer. I will be back!
FHU, gravel site. The sites Very close together and guests pull in all around your site and park their boats, cars, trucks, golf carts. Luckily, we only stayed a weekend. Lots of full time residents. The dog park is big, Pool house, jacuzzi and pool are large and clean. There were activities planned for the kids which was fun! There are tennis courts, which we didn’t use. The playground has many different play areas and was tidy. There are lots of area attractions and a beach with a designated swimming area at the end of the road. If we had come off season, it would have been great. The swing and pond, behind our RV, was a nice touch for our puppy and granddaughter.
Nice and quiet campground. Also, a nice short trail.
Spacious, sites with all services, hot showers, us$63/night not many other options in the area
This is now my top 2 in parks for camping. The tent only spots are nice and secluded. You do have to walk maybe 100-200 ft from your car to the campsite. I was in site #24. Nice and open with a lot of trees for protection. Great fire pit. No power or water at this site… site #25 has those. The whole grounds were well kept and the trails were easy. At the observation tower you can see a lot of the prairie and if you’re lucky you can see wild horses.
This campground is nice the sites are nice sized and level. The campground is not located at the head springs where the glass bottom boats are and kayak rentals. This makes it even better. The campground is quiet. It's a 15 minute drive to the head springs.
We had our own Kayaks so we put in at the head springs and paddled down to the campground. It's a 2 to 2 1/2 hour trip or more because of all the beautiful landscape and the wildlife. At the campground exit to get out of the river you have to have wheels to transport the kayaks back to the parking lot. It's about a 1 mile hike pulling the kayak.
You can also do a longer trip an paddle further to Rays Wayside. It's less busy paddling that part of the river. You will need to leave a vehicle parked at Rays Wayside to get back to the headsprings. There is a company for $10 per person that will pick you up there and brings you back. Silver Springs charges $55 per person.
I was in site 53 and there are trails you can hike from behind many of the campsites. There is a cracker house village and a great museum with artifacts and giant skeletons of big creatures. Lots of fossils and arrowheads. The Museum is only open on weekends.
The bath houses are very clean and if cold out nice hot heaters. There is a washer and dryer at the bath houses too.
They sell firewood and ice at the campground. You use a QR code scanner to purchase it. The wood is nice and burns like wood should.
I went to Silver springs as a kid and always thought of it as a tourist trap. I never had a desire to camp there yet I will say I have changed my mind and have already booked for next year.
Florida residents have a one month booking advantage which started this past January. If your a Florida senior resident you get 1/2 off the price. The campsite hang tag gets you into the headspring for free.
The park is nice I will visit again.
After hours check in was EASY and we were able to call and speak with someone at 5:30pm. Friendly and kind hosts who care about their camp and their guests. The dog park was amazing! The cite was grass pull through but spacious! I loved the feel of this place.
Camp ground host was a pure dick over a matter that could have been handled differently.
Camping near Ocala, Florida, offers a mix of beautiful nature, fun activities, and a chance to unwind. Whether you're looking for a family-friendly spot or a peaceful retreat, there are plenty of campgrounds to choose from.
With these insights, you're all set for a great camping experience near Ocala!
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular tent campsite near Ocala, FL?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Ocala, FL is Potts Preserve - River Primitive Campground (North Hooty Point Road) with a 4.3-star rating from 6 reviews.
What is the best site to find tent camping near Ocala, FL?
TheDyrt.com has all 30 tent camping locations near Ocala, FL, with real photos and reviews from campers.
