Central Florida's Hardee County region surrounding Ona features several established campgrounds with diverse accommodation options. Peace River RV and Camping Resort in Wauchula offers tent, RV, cabin, and glamping options with full hookups and river access. Hardee Lakes Park in Bowling Green provides tent, RV, and cabin camping around reclaimed phosphate mine lakes. Peace River Campground in Arcadia supports tent camping, RVs, glamping, and yurts with riverside sites. The area's campgrounds typically feature water access, with Peace River Banks Backcountry offering primitive boat-in camping for those seeking a more remote experience.
Camping in this region operates year-round, though summer brings hot, humid conditions and frequent afternoon thunderstorms. Many campgrounds maintain full operations during winter months when temperatures are mild and rainfall is minimal. Reservations are strongly recommended, especially for developed sites with hookups during the winter season when snowbirds migrate to Florida. Most established campgrounds provide water and electric hookups, with several offering full sewer connections for extended stays. Flooding can affect riverside camping areas during heavy rain periods. One visitor noted, "The park is quiet at night even though it's close to Highway 27. Our AT&T hotspot was strong as well as our T-Mobile telephone."
Waterfront access represents a significant draw for campers in the Ona area, with several campgrounds situated along Peace River and various lakes. Campers frequently mention wildlife viewing opportunities, particularly alligators, wading birds, and turtles. Hardee Lakes Park receives consistently positive reviews for its secluded setting and well-maintained facilities. As one camper described it: "This is reclaimed land from an old phosphate mine. The mine was closed 20 years ago and the land was reclaimed and turned into a beautified park and campground. The trees have had time to mature." Pioneer Park and Peace River campgrounds offer convenient access to local attractions while maintaining a natural setting. Most developed campgrounds in the region provide showers, restrooms, and picnic facilities, though amenities vary significantly between primitive and fully-developed sites.
"A nice campground in south-central Florida. Campsites are close together but enough room to park trailer and tow vehicle. Most sites have some shade trees. Beware of low grassy areas after a rain."
"Camping next to the river with our adult kids and the grandkids, good bicycle paths walking trails, canoeing fishing and actually quite in the evenings on the eastern side of the grounds, everything is"
$25 - $28 / night
"There are four lakes, campsites are located on one of the bigger lakes. Like all parks some site are better than others, none are bad. We had the end site on the lake that was very private."
"I was excited to discover all these primitive wites with water are right on the lake."
$16 - $80 / night
"This campground was easy to get to and has lots to do near by. There is the town of Arcadia nearby with local history and restaurants if you feel like a hot meal on a rainy night."
"ThisThis is a great Campground just outside of Arcadia Florida. It has ATV trails and fossilized shark tooth hunting. it has a Wilderness Area as well as developed the campground area."
$18 - $22 / night
"There is a picnic table and fire ring at each site and there is a toilet nearby. For showers you have to drive to the regular campground and use theirs. You can purchase firewood in the park as well."
"There are many short loop trails that take you through many ecosystems, giant trees at sizes few have seen before, lots of wildlife to."
$15 - $23 / night
"I was staying across the Street at 1000 trails, and I thought I would come over here and look at the old locomotive and the log cabin, etc."
"This location is at one of the most unpredictable water level spots along the Peace River - this is not the wide deep Peace River you will find further south, but it is a very popular location for the"
"So close to the river!"
"So much to do so many beautiful well-kept trails the fossil finding is everywhere not just on the river bed which really surprised me I found some very nice pieces right around my camper."
$22 / night
"Was bordered by the camp road and the bike/walking path so often noisy with no sense of privacy. Bad mosquitoes, but to be expected."
"If you’re looking for a place to camp on the west coast of Florida that is quiet and has campsites that give you privacy, Lake Manatee State Park is a great choice."
$26 / night
"Hidden cabins, hiking, off-road biking, boating, wildlife...so much beauty and activities to enjoy in this park! The cabins are off the main path, tucked away and private."
"One of the largest state parks in Florida. This great Park has full and partial hook ups for all styles of camping to include hammock camping."
"Very close to Walmart! I even had a package delivered here!"
$22 / night
"Widely known in Florida for the mountain bike trails. Not much else to do in the area, but very nice space to chill out. The night sky is far enough away that you can really take in the stars."
"For Florida this is a great campsite especially for me because it's so close overall a great place for any activity"
GuideGorgeous grounds, well maintained facilities, great campsites with tiki huts, two bars, two huge pools, and lots of activities for all ages! We spent 4 days here and wished we had less things planned so that we could better take advantage of all they offered. We will be back!
GuideLarge dispersed camping area with good views of the airshow, included access to the ground display area, and great facilities considering how large the event is. I will certainly be back with the family.
ScoutThis campground converted to a resort but still have plenty of camper amenities.
ScoutVery disappointing experience. We reserved a 50-amp full-service site, but upon arrival were given only a 30-amp spot with no services. Because of this, we had no choice but to leave. Despite the issue clearly being on their end, they refused to refund the unused days. Craig repeatedly postponed the refund, always pushing it to“next week,” and after a month of waiting, we gave up. On top of that, the place was not well maintained and the overall service was poor. I would not recommend staying here.
ScoutGreat camp hosts. Off the beaten path but not too far.
Close enough to Fort Myer. We drove down to Pine Island and at the host recommended Blue Dog. We also spent an afternoon at the Edison Ford Estate and took in a show at the college. All within reasonable drive time.
Road was a little rough getting in but we have driven down far worse.
Enjoyed our short stay and we would go back.
ScoutWe were looking forward to staying here, but when we arrived the gate was locked and we did not have the code. We called the phone number at the gate, but nobody answered so we were left scrambling for somewhere else to stay at 9pm.
I'm sure it is a lovely park, but I didn't see anything on their website or here about the gate being locked.
ScoutI'd like to give you the positives. Crisp, clean, manicured, food and bar pretty good, well-appointed amenities. We had a pretty good week, having found a quiet pool area. Saw a bald eagle and a swallow-tail kite. I’d like to tell you about that, but that’s not the review.
Here’s the review: if you book here, you will be checking into a bizarre combination of tropical paradise, tailgate party, spring break, and a middle school playground. On St. Patrick's Day, we had been doing some sightseeing. We came back to our site, and the folks who had arrived behind us fired up their music. I don't have a problem with music or other noise prior to"quiet time," so long as it's not over the top. This was way over the top. Kim was on the phone with the nursing home about her 91-year old mother and she couldn't hear the other end of the call.
We called Security and asked for help, they came around and talked to the offenders. Whereupon the offenders started yelling around"who complained about our music?" And, they sent their preteen daughters on their bicycles going around and asking"did you complain?” Let's just say it was downhill from there. They jacked the volume even more, and started taunting us. Kim lost her temper and started yelling at them to quiet down. They responded by threatening her. She told me to call security, but since they hadn’t helped, and the on-duty rent-a-cop had no interest in helping, I called 911(which the campground rules said to do in an emergency). Apparently, that was a mistake. The rent-a-cop was pissed off that we called 911 when he was supposed to already be on top of it(which he wasn't). So there was a conclave of police cars, and the night manager, and the three large guys from the offending site, etc.
Bottom line: management demanded that WE leave, in half an hour, or be arrested. It’s 10:30 pm, and I told the rent-a-cop that I was in no shape to drive. “Figure it out,” he said, and walked away. So two 70-year olds had 30 minutes to get everything packed up and drive to some alternative place.
While we were striking the site, the kids at the offending site were chanting"we won, we won." And they started playing"Hit the Road You Jack" quite loud. And the adults were yelling"we're Republicans. We can do whatever we want." They noted our Maine license plates and told us to"go back to Canada where you belong."
We ended up in a wicked expensive hotel in the next town over, paying spring break prices($340 a night!!). And we lost the cost of two nights at the campground.
So if you’re a party animal, this may be your kind of place. Just don’t complain about anything, or you will be asked to leave.
It’s interesting to note which rules are enforced and which aren’t. For instance, there’s a poolside bar, and lots of signs between the bar and the pool saying“no food or drink beyond this point.” Not only was there lots of food and drink around the pool, there were wait staff taking orders and delivering it.
In retrospect, the fact that they have a rent-a-cop cruising the premises every night should have been a red flag. I’ve never seen that before, but apparently they expect rowdiness. They just don’t want to deal with the negative repercussions.
ScoutCheck in is at 2 PM onwards, check out by 2 pm Sunday. Lively rivers and trails to explore for kids.
ScoutOur campsite is nice. It's quiet here during the week. The bathrooms need cleaning. They are kept neat just not cleaned.
Camping near Ona, Florida spans Hardee County and offers varied experiences from primitive riverside sites to full-hookup RV resorts. The area sits at relatively low elevation with numerous water bodies including the Peace River watershed and reclaimed phosphate mine lakes that now support wildlife. Campers find different terrain depending on location, with some areas featuring sandy soils and others having oak hammocks that provide shade during Florida's hot months.
Fossil hunting along Peace River: Peace River Campground provides access to popular fossil hunting spots where visitors can search for prehistoric artifacts. One camper reported, "I found a ton of shark teeth," while others make it a family activity with sifting equipment available at camp stores.
Wildlife viewing at lakes: Hardee Lakes Park features multiple lakes connected by trails. A visitor noted, "Trail system is great from dirt paths to boardwalks to cut straight through the woods," making it ideal for spotting local birds, deer, and aquatic wildlife.
Historical exploration: Pioneer Park in Zolfo Springs offers access to the Cracker Trail Museum and Wildlife Refuge. As one reviewer explains, "There are many buildings that can be rented for special events. For Pioneer Park building rentals, please call 863-473-5076. The phone number for the Museum is 863-473-5076."
Peaceful atmosphere: Thousand Trails Peace River earns praise for its natural setting. A camper described it as "Very Clean, Quiet and Very Helpful and Friendly Staff," highlighting the tranquility despite being relatively close to Highway 17.
Water activities: Peace River Campground offers multiple water-based recreation options. "Plenty of places to find a spot on the river to camp in the wilderness. Bring your rafts and canoes to float down the river or just hang out on the beach in your lawn chair and watch the fun!" one visitor shared.
Mature landscape: Reclaimed land at Hardee Lakes Park impresses visitors with its established ecosystem. A camper observed, "Lots of very nice trails around the lakes and surrounding woods. The trail's are wide and hard backed. We were able to ride our electric scoters on them easily."
Site assignment systems: Some campgrounds use lottery systems for premium spots. At Peace River RV and Camping Resort, a camper explained, "They do a lottery no matter what time you arrive, first it was at noon, then moved to 1, then to 2. So everyone that arrived after you has the same chance to get a coveted full hook up site."
Water quality varies: Brownville Park and other locations may have sulfur-rich water. "The water is ripe with sulfur so it smells like eggs but no biggie," noted one visitor who otherwise enjoyed the camping experience.
Wildlife precautions: Alligators are common throughout the area, particularly in spring and summer. A camper at Peace River Campground warned, "If you haven't done your research the Peace River is full of alligators in the spring/summer time. They didn't bother us but they also didn't seem too afraid of us either."
Recreational options: Highlands Hammock State Park Campground offers organized activities for families. "They also have lots of ranger-led activities like soup night, covered dish dinners, camper coffee, etc etc," one visitor mentioned.
Swimming considerations: Lake Manatee State Park offers swimming but requires vigilance. A visitor noted, "The pool was nice but had ALOT of frogs that didn't make it... I was told there was a turtle found once so look before you enter, they do clean it very often though!"
Educational opportunities: Peace River region has rich fossil hunting opportunities for children. A camper described, "The highlight of this park was collecting shark and sting ray teeth along the river. You can get wire mesh baskets in the office to aid in your search."
Flooding awareness: Peace River Banks Backcountry and riverside sites require monitoring water levels. "The Peace River runs north to south. Excellent backcountry camping between Zolpho Springs and Gardner. More camping down to Arcadia," explains one reviewer who recommends checking conditions before arrival.
Site selection strategy: For larger RVs at Peace River RV Resort, site choice matters. "We have seen Class As sink, so if you have a heavy diesel pusher, make sure you find a spot safe for your RV," advised one experienced camper, emphasizing the importance of checking ground conditions.
Voltage fluctuations: Some campgrounds experience electrical issues during peak usage. One camper at Peace River noted, "Watch the electricity during high usage the voltage drop, ours droped to 108v for a couple hours, i choose to run the gen during that time other then that no problems at all great faculty."
Frequently Asked Questions
What camping is available near Ona, FL?
According to TheDyrt.com, Ona, FL offers a wide range of camping options, with 227 campgrounds and RV parks near Ona, FL and 2 free dispersed camping spots.
Which is the most popular campground near Ona, FL?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular campground near Ona, FL is Thousand Trails Peace River with a 4.1-star rating from 24 reviews.
Where can I find free dispersed camping near Ona, FL?
According to TheDyrt.com, there are 2 free dispersed camping spots near Ona, FL.
Keep Exploring
