Best Glamping near Okeechobee, FL

I lucked into this hidden gem of a campground on my way north from Fort Lauderdale.

The staff at the gate was super friendly and I was pleasantly surprised by the availability of sites because I rolled in on the Friday at the start of a holiday weekend.

There is a fishing pier, bike path along the river, boat launch area, communal restrooms, laundry room (although washing machine was out of order), and outdoor dish pit.

I really enjoyed an evening stroll around the ponds where they have "glamping" tents set up.

This campground is built on the site of an innovative stormwater catchment and treatment area, so it had some interesting info to learn about efforts to clean and control stormwater flow in the region.

All in all, can't be upset about a campground with plenty of space and rainbow skies at sunset!

The Florida Trail is a foot trail that carries hikers and backpackers from Big Cypress to Gulf Shores near Pensacola Florida. It is built and maintained by volunteers in 19 chapters across the state and supported by public and private partners throughout the state. Kissimmee Prairie Preserve SP hosts the trail for over twenty miles in Okeechobee County, Fl. The Tropical Trekkers Chapter of the Florida Trail Association maintains close to 80 miles of the trail in Okeechobee County including the portion of the trail that transverses KPPSP. Once a year (usually in November) the park becomes our host as 50 or more FTA members gather for an annual work week to get our section of the trail in shape for the winter Florida hiking season. We reserve six to ten campsites for the week and the park provides additional overflow sites as needed. Not all our volunteers are there for the entire week nor do they all camp at the park but those that do are treated to great facilities (clean bath house and campsites), friendly park staff who share their knowledge of the park and the prairie and frequently provide tours of the park in their awesome swamp buggies, great views of Florida's darkest skies, prairie vistas and the wildlife (typically deer, racoons and wild turkeys) who frequent the campground. I hope the park staff knows how much the FTA and all our volunteers appreciate the work they do to preserve the prairie and promote the Florida Trail and the hiking public. Thank you!!!

KPPSP is a small park about 40 miles north of Okeechobee, FL. It is located along the Kissimmee River and is home to several endangered species including the Grasshopper Sparrow. The camp ground is small but includes areas dedicated to horses and astronomers as well as us regular folks. The astronomers enjoy some of the darkest skies on the east coast and the events surrounding a full moon (providing we have clear skies) are awesome. The park also hosts a long section of the Florida National Scenic Trail, a top notch backpacking venue. Check out www.floridatrail.org for more information. The park also offers swamp buggy rides with knowledgeable rangers accompanying to introduce campers to the prairie habitat and it's inhabitants. Spend a week or two here to enjoy a part of Florida you never knew existed!

My husband and I hiked eight days on the Florida trail halfway through we camped at this wonderful site. It was a sight for sore eyes and sore feet. The stars were so close at night I felt I could just reach out and touch them.

I visited here when I was a little girl. Now that I live in Florida again I would love to go back. The entire area of Sebastian Inlet is very pretty.

One of our favorite state parks in Florida. Quiet and remote. Be sure to fuel up and have plenty of groceries. Astronomers love this park. In fact, they have a designated campground just for them. Be sure to ONLY use flashlights with red lense so that you do not disrupt the star gazers.

if you want a rustic, relaxing place to get away and just enjoy the Florida Coast this is a good place. nothing fancy. clean facilities. we relaxed while our son enjoyed fishing.

Different from other areas of Florida the Prairie area is open and vast. I found it quiet, and enjoyable place to be alone with my thoughts and hiking. I was met with groups of wild turkeys and other animals and enjoyed peaceful wondering. Great set up for this tent camper and would love to go back again.

This review relates to River Ranch RV Resort, which is next to the Westgate property. I would personally not stay at the Westgate RV since it is basically just an open field with RV spots. 

River Ranch RV next door is a beautiful place with fantastic spots. We stayed in spot 323 which had its own swing and fireplace. Our 37 ft rig fit perfectly and five year old loved riding bike around the park. Everyone was super friendly and I recommend renting a golf cart, though expensive at $60 a day, 

Be aware of telephone phone reception. At our spot we could not get any reception with ATT. After buying a Verizon hotspot down the road in Lake Wales, we were able to WFH.a

Would highly recommend this spot in Central Florida.

Ranked as an International Dark Sky campsite, this is one of the few in Florida that have this recognition. We came during a cloudy weekend but it broke one night for us to catch a glimpse of the Milky Way-beautiful. The campground itself is well maintained and peaceful. There are three sections for campers here: a family campground, an astronomy pad, and an equestrian site. We stayed in the equestrian area (you don’t need to have a horse to do so). Site 24 is right next to a new shower and bathroom house they added not too long ago. The facility is clean, and has four bathroom/hot shower combo stalls. There are more in the family campsite area. Hiking trails run through the area. The campground is far removed from civilization, so make sure you come prepared. The campground office sells ice, but that’s about it. Firewood is also available. Staff is very helpful and friendly, and they run tours on swamp buggy style OHVs out of the area as well.

If you love camping, wildlife, and stargazing but still want the convenience of amenities (i.e electricity, running water, bathroom, shower) then this is the place for you.

Kissimmee Prairie Preserve State Park is part of IDA International Dark-Sky Places. The park has little light pollution and also a stargazing pad where you can also camp on.

The campgrounds aren't large but the campsites are good for tents and RVs. The one site we stayed at had water and electric hook-ups and a firepit. We were close to very clean restroom area that also had showers, washer and dryer. They do have primitive campsites for the more rustic individuals. The campgrounds are about 45 minutes from town, but the ranger station sells ice for $2.50 and firewood purchase is by honor system. We also saw other campers with their dogs so pet-friendly as well.

Lots of hiking trails and so much wildlife. We saw deer grazing near our campsite!

Make sure to bring lots of mosquito repellent, especially in the summer months. Otherwise you'll get bit...a lot! But it is Florida after all.

Expect a long travel to this remote site.   It’s a couple miles of reasonably decent dirt roads to get there, after several miles of remote highways. The only designated dark sky site in Florida.   It does not disappoint for night sky viewing.   If you’re camping here, please be courteous and keep your outdoor lights to a minimum.  The night sky’s are just breathtaking.   Check www.spotthestation.nasa.gov to see if you’ll get a glimpse of the space station while your there.   Hiking/biking trails are plentiful.   Be aware that there’s a LOT of loose sand.   So even on a mountain bike you’ll have to walk now and then.   Great birding.  Crested cara cara are frequent as are flocks of turkey strolling through the campsites.   Be sure to head out the road you came in back to the first turn and take the trail to the left (as you’re leaving).   There’s a gator hole just 1/4 mile down the trail.  Nature trail is a nice hammock view.  No pets on that particular trail.   

There are 2 camp loops only the first camp loop has a bath house, which is very nice.   The equestrian camp has porta potties.  Many of those folks drive over to the bathhouse.  Even the bathhouse has outdoor red lights.

All around a great location to get away and explore. This is one of the most comfortable and well-kept campgrounds I've found in FL. The staff and volunteers were very attentive and accommodating. The other campers were friendly and enthusiastic. We tent camped in the Equestrian loop, and the sites were decently spaced with plenty of room for our two tents, two cars, and 8 campers to spread out without bothering the neighbors. There are no stores or restaurants nearby, so pack well. These sites have water, electric, grill, and a table. Firewood is available for $7 cash per bundle (honor system). The dumpster is by the firewood. You can buy ice from the rangers for $2.50 during business hours. Showers are hot. Bathrooms are spacious.

I should probably mention that I'm camping spoiled. I traveled for a year or so around the country tent camping, and lived in Colorado for 10 years camping at least once a month out west. I'm from Florida, and I really didn't think there was much worth seeing here, so I stopped looking. It turns out I was wrong.

The air was so clean that we felt like we were on oxygen! The night sky was absolutely breathtaking, but catching dawn and dusk over the landscape is really nice too. The trails were well maintained and clearly planned to create a unique experience, while being just challenging enough to feel like a real adventure.

The animals just weren't afraid of humans. Our 6 teenagers were so excited to stand face-to-face, only a few feet from gentle deer, bunnies, and turkeys. We even saw some lazy baby alligators sunning on the Military Trail.

The Prairie Loop Trail took much longer than we anticipated, and the wind pushing us back was insane, but it was gorgeous and we had a lot of fun. I'll just plan better for that next time. And, the whole family agrees there will be a next time, soon!

If you are looking for a place in FL where you really feel "out in it", away from absolutely everything, while still having what you need to be comfortable, this is it.

This is the largest KOA in the country...It's a Great campground for families, although I didn't go with one...There is an adult only pool, and a family pool. The Shanty, a bar is right by the adult pool, with entertainment in season and mostly on weekends. I've been there many times in the past, with my TT and my Coach...The sites are mostly large enough for Big rigs...There are upgrades to deluxe sites with brick patios, barbeques, fire pits and chairs. It's a very busy place on the holidays...If you want quiet those days, I don't suggest you go there...There is also a Golf Course, Golf Cart Rental, A nice updated store, A fenced in Dog park...

If you are wanting the outdoors style camping, not here. This is more of a resort then campground. Great staff, many amenities, and overall a good stay. Should have looked into it more as this is more of an RV park, and less of a true campgrounds.

I've been there several times with my friend bringing our horses along as well. Camp hosts were very nice and helpful, the paddocks for the horses were well laid out and spacious. Full hookups were available as well. The trails were well marked, and very easy to ride. At night, the entire sky was visible and a retired astronomer was there with his telescope and gave everyone a look while explaining what planets and constellations we were looking at. The restrooms and public facilities were well maintained and the park was quiet in the evening. I have enjoyed it each time we have gone and plan on returning soon.

This is a really neat and unexpected gem. This park and the nearby Lake Kissimmee State Park are worthy of a full few days to explore, but it is also a good stopover on the way south to avoid the tourist traps and theme parks. There are three options for staying here: basic RV-friendly camping, a horse camp, and a few backcountry backpacking sites. We just did the standard camping, which was very clean with large sites, though open without much privacy. Enjoy boardwalk trails or hire a swamp boat tour within the park, and surprisingly good stargazing (the local astronomy club has events periodically). Great natural beauty.