Best Tent Camping near Okeechobee, FL

Lots of tent camping and bike trails.

We booked our tent camping trip for Valentine's Day and choose a spot with amenities so we were in with the RV's - and there was not much privacy there - sites have some trees but are fairly close and not much between them. Tent camping area was not much different but do not let this deter you from staying at this AMAZING park! This is a very busy state park because it has so much to offer! The CCC Museum cannot be missed. there is so much history there, you will be glad you took the time to check it out - great for all ages. There are many short loop trails that take you through many ecosystems, giant trees at sizes few have seen before, lots of wildlife to. These short trails are great for families and are all accessible from the roadside. You can drive right up to each one. There are longer trails that can also be explored. This part of Florida is also one of the darkest in the state, perfect for budding astronomers! Don't forget to check out the night sky, especially in the clearer cooler months of the year.

Old fishing camp being cleaned up by new management. Pontoon boats for rent, bait, tackle, and snacks in the office/store. Rv sites, permanent mobile home sites and I think tent camping. General manager Doc is so friendly. He love ensuring people are enjoying themselves.

It was our first trip in our new RV but have been tent camping there before. On this trip we were treated to a night time tram ride because the 26 species of fireflies were out for a 2 week period. The area is beautiful and shady, staff very friendly, lots of critters on the trails.

We tent camped here. Site small and sandy but location is the key to this KOA. Right next to Lion Country Safari. We are used to hearing birds and frogs when we camp, but here it is lions...and other noises I was not able to identify. Weather great to explore park in late Winter. Kids loved it and we will be back!

First of all, this was a great location to visit the lion country safari. We stayed in a tent site.

Pros: The facilities were well kept and nice enough for a campground. People were not too noisy. The lions were plenty noisy, and it was so cool to hear them in the morning!

Cons: There was no privacy whatsoever between sites and the sites were very close together. The lampposts were plentiful and bright which isn't so great when sleeping in a tent. Also, no fire rings.

Highlands Hammock is my go-to campground for trips with kids and/or new campers. We steer clear of the family camping area and stick to the wilderness (tent) area for more peace and quiet, but it does get busy there as well. Shade and privacy can be hard to come by unless you pick the right spot. The sites after the vault toilet and bend in the road (I believe sites 10 and up, as well as the 2 group sites) have better shade and privacy between, BUT they are closest to the main road outside the park so you can hear traffic and even see a house across the street. I personally stick to sites 1-5 as they have still have some shade and are farther from the road, with the compromise being they are quite close together (you'll probably be meeting the neighbors).

The tent sites are only okay, but the park itself picks up any slack remaining. It's huge, has great bike and walking trails (no dogs allowed on the boardwalk areas though), and lots of wildlife. If it gets too hot at the tent sites, we take chairs over to the shaded grassy clearing next to the pavilions and just hang out while any kids in the group enjoy the playground and camp store.

This park has everything for the family or first-time camper, while still satisfying the itch for experienced folks too!

4 miles down washboard sand/gravel road will beat your truck and trailer to death. And the sites are small!! 18’ trailer in site #6 and had to unhitch the tow vehicle as it was sticking in the road. Barely fit 22’ trailer and tow vehicle in site #1 without unhitching. That aside, it is a beautiful quiet spot that is excellent for star gazing. Bath house is clean and lots of hot water. If you are car camping or tent camping or have a camper van, this might be a good spot for you. It is a dark zone, so no lights after dark - use red lights.

I had tent site 14 which was spacious and secluded due to shrubbery. Road noise is prominent as it’s next to a main road. It’s a trek to the main area with facilities and camp store so you’ll want to drive there. There are compost toilets in the tent area. The park itself is beautiful, with many trails and a variety of foliage. The tram tour is a must as the guides are knowledgeable and it’s an interesting description of the park, with almost guaranteed gator sighting. The camp store has all basic supplies (ice, firewood, cold drinks, etc). Great kayaking nearby at Arbuckle Creek.

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.

Have stayed here twice, about 70 miles from my home. Always tented in riverland as sites close to ranger entrance are rv only. One warning if you reserve through toll free service there is a $6 charge and they put me in a terrible spot. Ranger claimed only a few others available, but it was July and almost empty. Finally got a good tent site, grass and adequate privacy. Restrooms super clean, quiet all day and night. Forgot my fan and almost eaten alive saved by Off. People in boat shop - store super friendly. Ice, wood, etc available. Took a 3 hour canoe trip , $25 well spent. Next day rented a bike. Good hiking trails too.

Nice easy hiking trails including some boardwalks. Excellent tram tour to see the wild parts of the park (accessible). Makes a good stop on a road trip or base camp for exploring the area. Check out the nature and history museums nearby (not sure if they're officially on site), they're small but worth the time. Lots of wildlife. Didn't seem too touristy or crowded (neither day use or camp sites). Tent campsites are in wooded areas and are mostly pretty shady. Nice and clean, well-maintained like most State Parks.

Stayed here during a very HOT weekend May/ June 2020. We stayed in the River Campground, lot 139. This site had a small amount of shade, so it offered some relief from the heat, but compared to other places I have camped this was very exposed. The bugs are pretty bad. Bring your OFF and screened shelters. No-see-ums were bad in the evening, and flies were plenty all day. Lots of ant issues too; we never had a problem with them anywhere else. Once you get past that, there is a ton of stuff to do. A paved and off road bike trail, boat ramps and kayaking, the Florida trail cuts through the park, so there is a lot of hiking. The shower and restroom facilities were kept very clean, and we were very happy with the cleanliness of the park. The off road bike trails are very fun, but just like the rest of the park, very exposed to the sun. This park would be best when the weather cools down in fall and late winter. If you’re a boater, you could get away with it year round, as long as you’re not tent camping.

Recently took a road trip from New England to Florida with my family and had the pleasure of staying here at the Jonathan Dickinson State Park.

This state park accommodates RVs, tent sites, and cabin rentals with two camping areas -- one (Pine Grove Campground) located close to the entrance, right off of US Hwy 1 and seems to be more geared towards RV sites and the other (River Campground) located about four miles into the park along the Loxahatchee River. We stayed in the River Campground.

Spacious sites offered: water, electricity, a picnic table, & a fire ring… and grounds include two well kept bathhouses with laundry facilities. Trees were sparse in some sections so be prepared to create shade. Our site was visited by a young raccoon who didn't seem fazed by us at all; just wanted what we were cooking.

We only stayed for one night, so we weren't able to take in all the park has to offer, but we did walk some of the nature trails along the river towards the newly built amphitheater and swimming area. Unfortunate for us, the swimming area was closed during our stay -- which would have made the stay twice as nice… but the views were still incredible!

If we ever find our way back to south Florida for camping, we'll definitely come back here.

This campground that sits just outside of the only drive through animal safari with over 1,000 different types of animals, is great for families to enjoy. This has all the amenities as a typical KOA campground except you get a bonus by hearing the Lions roar in the morning. The campground is gated during evening hours with the gate closing at 10:00 pm, so you will need to get a gate key card with a $20.00 deposit which will be refunded when you turn the key back at the end of your stay. The staff are very friendly and the campground is very clean. They also do a great job with abiding by the CDC guidelines for Covid-19. The Raccoons like to come out in the evening, so make sure you pick up you garbage at night. The rabbits were having fun playing in the primitive camping area every evening and early morning hours. They offer cabin and platform tent rentals for slightly more than a tent site. There are many seasonal campers from the North along with weekend campers trying to escape the everyday stress in their lives. We live 1 hour south of this campground but we will definitely be going back fir weekend trips.