Best RV Parks & Resorts near Orange Park, FL

By no means is Oak Hill RV Park a campground destination, but if you’re hauling your mobile living room behind you and simply need a place to park for the night, then there could be worse places on the map to discover. Located just due south of the Georgia– Florida stateline, Oak Hill is situated midway between Boulogne (which, curiously, does not translate to Bologna in ANY language) and Andrews on Route 1 just a stone’s throw from a nice four line highway (read: you’ll be lulled to sleep each night by the swooshing of passing traffic). 

As for the barren lot itself, while flat, it is also quite unimaginative with a singular pebble-strewn entranceway and ample barren non-marked lanes that are perfect for RV’s of all size. You’ll discover that the basic RV hook-ups (water, electric, waste), but that’s about where the amenities run out. OK, there is satellite TV, but that likely will cost you a bit extra. There’s even a country store on the premises, in the event that you need anything (although I would caution – they have but just the basics). The only other merit to this place is that there really are some gorgeous ancient Oaks completely drenched in Spanish moss, but that wears thin after about 10 minutes. 

Insider’s tips? Apart from arriving late and departing early, if you are stuck in this spot for a bit of time, I’d recommend a quick jaunt to nearby Hampton Lake for some (just OK) fresh water fishing. If you’ve got more time though, I would highly recommend getting on St. Mary’s River (a great access point, BTW, is St. Mary’s River Fishcamp (yes, spelled in 1 word) & Campground, which I have also reviewed) for some fairly decent fishing. 

Happy Camping!

This RV park is in a great location near the outlet malls. All sites were pull through gravel full hook ups. For as crowded as the place was it was very quiet. There is a dog park and a basketball court.

Once you get over that this is not a resort and just a place to sleep for the night, it's great.  There's just enough space to use your campsite and to chill once your day of work or adventure is done.  Lots of locals using this park for full time but just remember: RV Parking, not RV Park.

Easy on-off to the highway, easy access to Jacksonville though on the west side of the city and a bit from the beaches.

I don't know if I would use if for a tourist spot but, for an overnight or a long term, affordable stay, this is 100% a good spot.

Be advised that this park is on Mayport Naval Station, so you will need proper military ID to access the base.

We are tent campers, and stayed in the tent area Fri-Mon over Labor Day.

The tent area is just that, and area. No designated spots, no fire rings, and no picnic tables. There was one table in the middle of the area and one water spigot for all to use. The area is shaded nicely and there is usually a breeze blowing in. When the breeze stopped, it was quite warm, even at night.

The park is mainly long term rv’ers with huge campers. The rv spots have little to no shade.

The staff was friendly, and called us while we were driving down, to get our ETA.

The grounds were well kept, even though Saturday and Sunday mornings, they were mowing at 8am.

The only dumpster we saw was about 1/4 mile from the tent sites. There is a big dog park across the street from the the rv park, and a nice beach about 1/2 mile away.

There is a PX about 1/2 mile away, the main exchange and commissary are off base a few miles from the main gate.

The bathrooms were clean, and had plenty of hot water. The park also has a laundry room next to the bathrooms.

Overall a very nice park, and we will definitely go back. We will be more prepared next time, knowing there are no fire pits or picnic tables in the tent area. Can’t beat the price of $10/night for that view.

Best RV Park in Jax area

Alright, it’s KOA, so if a fabricated outdoor ‘camping moment’ is what you are after and don’t mind the concocted grounds you are on and want an easy-breezy no frills outing underneath the stars you will encounter, then the KOA pitstop located in Starke (NE of Gainesville) has you covered. You’ll find this commercially-produced camping outpost right off the worn pavement of highway 301, which runs right through north central Florida is easy to find, conveniently sandwiched between the Murray Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram dealership to the south and the Tractor Supply Co due north (but don’t worry, there’s also an IHOP right across the street, completing this concrete jungle campground adventure). 

This camping depot is too well organized for my taste and has over 100 slots perfect for the RV and trailer parking crowd, 5 spots for tent campers (unfortunately, nearest the highway – so bring your earplugs!) along with 2 cabins and 2 studio lodges. The standard RV slots are on Elm, Oak, Pine, Maple and Hickory, while the more premium sites are located on Walnut, Chestnut, Magnolia and Spruce. Big Birch lane separates coach class camping from first class – but hey, we’re all out in nature, so is there really a divide? 

Amenities? And while this KOA is older and battle-worn more than most of the other properties I have driven by, this also has a ton of amenities, including: a heated pool, complete with lounge chairs and sun umbrellas, community fire pit, game room, dog parks(one for bigger breed and one for small pups), horse shoe pit, shuffleboard, playground and swings, sandbox, propane filling station, picnic tables, bocce ball, designated trash and recycling bins, nature trails, WiFi, Cable / TV as well as full RV hook-ups including water, sewage and electric (30 / 50 amp). For anyone that is in need of anything they may have forgotten or run out of (like all KOA’s) there’s a mini-mart on-premise that has ice, wood, sodas and just about anything else you could think of (and for anything they don’t have, there’s a Walmart and Ace Hardware so close you could just walk to either). And don’t worry if by chance you forgot your RV, trailer or tent – if you are in need of somewhere to call home for the night, this KOA has you covered as they rent a few studio lodges and rustic cabins. 

Insider’s Tips? Here’s a few: (1) If you are on the look-out for a REAL camping experience and don’t want to settle for this KOA manufactured experience … then don’t. There are options! Within a 30 minute drive of here, I would recommend Mike Roess Gold Head Brand State Park, which is simply FANTASTIC and provides more than 5 different campgrounds from primitive to RV-heavy and everything in-between; (2) When you get tired of foraging for the next meal from your onboard RV cooler, then head into the town of Starke for some local grub, wherein I highly recommend anything from the ‘Swamp Things’ portion of the menu at Cedar River Seafood, where afterwards you can finish the meal off with a scoop of the cold stuff at nearby Strickland’s; and (3) If you are looking to experience some of the best nature in the area, be sure to check out either Camp Chowenwaw Park and Black Creek Park and Trail, both conveniently located just due northeast of KOA Starke/ NE Gainesville. 

Happy Camping!

This is the third time this year I’ve been to this campground. I came here in February this year, then brought the family in July and now I’m here solo in December. Campground is great for a few reasons, one of which is that you feel like you’re camping in the woods vice pulling into an RV parking lot. You get full hook ups, a picnic table and a fire ring for an unbelievable price. It has great access to a very long strip of beach, which is awesome news if you’re a surfer or just a beach lover. They have miles of off-road biking trails, which seems to be a big draw for a lot of folks that come here. It can get a little noisy at night even after the 10 PM quiet hours. The camping store is good and overall i would highly recommend this campground.

If you find yourself in north central Florida and looking for a place to ‘drop anchor’ for the night, then you should give Gainesville RV Park some consideration. While not actually located in Gainesville (it’s about 30 minutes northeast from the home of 'The Swamp' - a.k.a. University of Florida), which depending upon your particular situation, is either a benefit (because this will surely be a cheaper option than what you will find in Gainesville proper) or downside, as there really isn’t too much out this way apart from the light hum of cars coursing along the fairly slow-moving traffic that can be found along Highway 301.

As for this RV parking lot itself, Gainesville RV Park gets HIGH points for offering up a highly secured RV camping outpost – upon arrival, you will be greeted by a well-fortified sliding gate that only guests will be able to access with a respective key code (provided upon check-in). To the side of this entrance is the main office (here is also where the bathhouses are located, which I found to be somewhat odd and inconvenient, especially if you are located at the furthest extremities of the campground) where you’ll check-in and be given your particular slot # and a map for your stay. Upon entry, you’ll head straight forward with one circular loop (intersected with 3 single lanes) of the campground to the left and beyond this, beyond the small pond, is a second loop (also dissected by 3 single lanes) in the far west and returning back towards the entrance you’ll discover a massive standing open-air lodge (a.k.a. Rec Hall) with dozens of picnic tables, air hockey and community BBQ grills. Here near the lodge there are about 4-5 individual tent camping spaces(located just due north of the Rec Hall), with nothing more than water spigots and electrical outlets, but honestly, this whole campground is really geared towards those that are pitching a mobile RV camping outpost. 

Amenities: pull-through or back-in RV sites with full hook-ups(30/ 50 electrical, water and sewage), picnic tables, independent party space for private events, fire ring w/ fold-over grill, standing BBQ grill, trash & recycling bins, remote dump station, propane refueling station, catch & release fishing pond, pet park, shaded community grill area, washing sink, scattered water spigots, basic WiFi (which is slow, but you can upgrade to premium for a small surcharge), satellite access, coin-operated laundry facility, shower / restrooms and flat earth pads to park your RV on. You’ll want to note that Gainesville RV Park is working on installing a swimming pool, but no construction on this was seen during our visit. Prices per night for RV parking slots – of which there are 154 to choose from (not including the tent spots) – range from $55 to $65. 

Insider’s tips? Here’s a few:(1) If exotic animal sightings are in your ‘game plans’ during your outing (and why wouldn’t it be after all the drama Netflix has dished out about this seedy industry here in northern Florida?!), then give thought to heading about 15 minutes northwest to Carson Springs Wildlife Conservation Sanctuary, where you can meet up with jaguars, cheetahs, lions, tigers, pumas, lynx, caracal (yeah, look that one up!) and even a leopard (rarest of all the big cats) along with the more sedate rhinos, hyenas, kune pigs, bat-eared fox and lemurs; (2) Traveling with kayak or canoe and looking for a nice aquatic launching pad? While you won’t be able to do anything at the small pond at Gainesville RV Park, just due south you can access Lake Alto Park, which has some decent oaring potential, but if you are looking for something larger, keep on heading southwest to Lake Sante Fe, where the fishing is quite good; (3) If you’ve never done off-roading or tried your hand at rally racing, then head on over to Florida International Rally & Motorsport Park where you can race your own cars or better, rent one of theirs!; (4) Want to check out a natural spring (or don’t even know what one is?!), then head on over to nearby High Springs where you can snorkel in 72 degree waters … year-round; (5) The best sites at Gainesville RV Park include: PO4 – 16 (basically all the pond front sites) as well as W1– W18, which is kind of surprising as they are the cheaper slots, but back up to the treeline and are furthest away from any roads / noise; and (6) If you’re looking for some decent dine-in or carryout after giving up on what to prepare for you next meal, restaurant offerings out in these parts will be scarce with either unexciting options (think Subway, Wendy’s) or small-town bespoke haunts like Waves Crab House or Randy’s Rib Shack. You should check out Classic Café, which is just OK and located right in front and to the right of Gainesville RV Park. 

Happy Camping!

Wow! What a discovery it was to stumble across Kathryn Abbey Hanna Park! That was (and still remains) my immediate reaction after having ventured to this slice of paradise just due north of Jacksonville, which, for endless bonus points, is strategically located running adjacent to the Atlantic Ocean – all without the far more crowded beachheads you’ll discover south of here in spots like Neptune, Atlantic and JAX beach. In all there’s about 1.5 miles of white beach coastal oasis awaiting sea and sun worshippers. 

For the small $5 price tag to enter this park, you’ll have endless distractions to keep you and the kids occupied for a good long while. From kayaking, fishing and canoeing in the self-contained lake (and no worries if you didn’t bring your own kayak and canoes– they have a rental shop here that will take care of you) to swimming and surfing in the ocean, this is a water-fueled adventure that will keep you coming back again and again. There’s even a splash park for the kiddos. 

Don’t want to get wet? Not a problem, there’s a number of hiking trails as well as some hard packed earth paths and miles of paved roads that you can bike on. With 447 square acres of mature coastal hammocks, you’ll find yourself immersed in some of the best of what nature has in store for you here in the Sunshine State. Apart from quite possibly some of the most accommodating, pleasant and amiable staff and park rangers, you’ll also be impressed by the many camping options that abound – from primitive and tent to RV sites and even cozy cabins that you can rent by the night. 

And if you want to look further afield, there’s even more camping options at nearby Huguenot SP(see my other review for more details on that particular campground). One of the best parts about camping at KAH is the online map that shows you EXACTLY what you’ll be getting when you rent a spot (for more, check out this link: https://www.coj.net/departments/parks,-recreation-and-community-services/recreation-and-community-programming/kathryn-abbey-hanna-park.aspx). Whether with a Lake View (the most prized campsites), or burrowed near the forest’s edge, you’ll find that while there are an absolute TON of campsites to chose from, there is relative privacy to be had, if you are patient and flexible with your timing and location. The sites I recommend most are#210 and#211 as well as#175 and#161. 

You’ll discover that the campground offers a number of amenities including: laundry, recycling, bathrooms, showers, RV hook-ups (electric, water, waste), dump stations, playgrounds (conveniently located not next to the dump stations!), picnic shelters (reserve well ahead of time), boat ramps, amphitheaters, plenty of parking, resident police (huge points for this security feature as well as the key code security gate that guards the campground entrance) and there’s even a campground shop that you can buy ice, kindle and everything else you may have forgotten at home. Insider’s tip? If you are interested in camping here, my biggest recommendation would be to book early – especially for those shoulder season long holiday weekends (Memorial and Labor Day are especially jam packed). 

Happy Camping!

Northwest of Jacksonville, FL, not far from the Jacksonville Airport. Excellent cell service, both Sprint and Verizon - great for using a hotspot for internet/streaming. Park Wifi is too weak for streaming. Clean laundry room that uses quarters. Full hook ups with 50 amp service. Level sites on grass. Many residents and some snowbirds, plus short stayers and overnighters. We stayed a week unexpectedly after a city park reservation was found to be both unsuitable and undesirable. Gracious office staff and a quiet park. Go north on the highway it's on about 5 miles to a nice Winn-Dixie grocery store near Hilliard.

We paid for a monthly sport for 860 a month including electric and cable. By far the nicest rv resort we have been to, has a lake and swimming area with a water jungle gym. We loved the restaurant and I actually ended up working there for a bit. Front desk staff could have been nicer... A couple of them. Also we put our name on the list to be moved and we were there for a while on a spot near the free way that we didn’t like. We never got moved and other did so that was frustrating. Shaded spot was nice. We loved that they have trash pick up daily right at your spot. They have dog walking bag stations with trash cans. The bathrooms are outdated but the were clean most of the time. Laundry room was a little hot, and little pricy. The part that we didn’t like was the side of town The Flamingo Resort is on a dangerous city, the Walmart was not safe at night. So it’s good as long as you stay in the gated rv resort and then drive to the nicer parts of Jacksonville.

Arrived excited to stay in a "purple" (up to 35 feet) 50 amp rv site with full hookups for a week by the beach. Have read great reviews of this park. We made this reservation in December. We checked in and arrived at our site, #25, only to find a low front, high middle, low back end back in site, too narrow for slideouts and with great washed out tree roots extending towards the center of the high middle. We would have bottomed out badly to straddle the higher center after the rear wheels dropped down in the lower back end of the site. This also put the sewer uphill from our black tank. Our 33 foot class A was not going to work. I went to the office, only to be told they were full with no other sites available, oh, and no refund because we had checked in, and that is City of Jacksonville rules. Did I mention it was raining, cold, and about 2 hours until dark? We left, drove through the rain out of Jacksonville and found a nice private RV park with an available level site outside of Callahan, FL.

Only a few travelers sites, most are long term. It is quiet here, no cable, free WiFi. Convenient to everything and owners are very nice. Sites are just about level!

We had a site(194) on the lake, very clean and spacious with a deck on the lake. Across the way, at night, the shore and lake fountains were lit with beautiful lights. Bathrooms were very clean, but not numerous. They had Bingo on our first night of arrival. Unfortunately, during our three day stay, we had a Nor'easter. It rained and blew hard during the entire trip, except when we packed up to leave. It was not the fault of the Campground, just our dumb luck. We camped at Flamingo Lake RV Resort in a Travel Trailer.

This is a state-of-the-art RV destination, easily accessed by exiting I-95 and driving westward for less than a minute. Located just due north of Jacksonville, you'll be able to easily spot Pecan Park just as you exit all of the busy traffic(as you head northerly) and city mayhem to Florida's largest city. What this RV parking lot lacks in terms of personality, sense of community and absence of unmanicured natural surroundings makes up for in terms of ease of accessibility from the country's busiest east coast highways and brand spanking newness. While not a destination IMHO, this gigantic concrete paved, diagonally slanted RV parking lot might be a good place to layover as you are traveling to your ultimate destination. 

The office, grounds, recreation area(s), laundry room, restrooms / shower facilities and adjoining pool are all fairly brand new and very well kept. The pet-friendly RV park itself is incredibly organized in single-lined fashioned with 1-way directions keeping the flow orderly. There’s decent space between slots for both parking and makeshift outdoor living with plenty of room to roll-out the shade from your RV home from the perfectly poured and 100% level concrete pad you will be parked on. While there’s not a lot of attractions around the park, its proximity to I-95 makes this very attractive for a single night layover. And if you've got your fishing pole and looking for a little distraction, there is a nearby lake, albeit small, for some interesting catch & release fishing. Other amenities include: picnic tables, stone-encased fire rings, full hook-ups (20 / 30 / 50 amp electric, water and sewage), back-in and pull-through slots to chose from, WiFi, LP gas, horseshoe pit and on-site storage. 

Insider's tips? Here's a few: (1) As this is not a destination location, I would recommend you get in late and leave early in order to make the most of your time enjoying the location you are really traveling towards; (2) If you are planning on staying here at Pecan Park for any length of time and want to explore some of the great natural surroundings around Jacksonville, I highly recommend checking out the following (all of which are less than 20 minutes from this RV parking lot): Amelia Island SP, Big Talbot Island SP, Pumpkin Hill Creek Preserve SP, Little Talbot Island SP; (3) Should you want to explore some great local Florida beaches, head on over to Atlantic Beach which is the northernmost beach in Jacksonville otherwise, you can hit up Huguenot Memorial Park, which has some pretty cool beach access due north of Atlantic Beach over near Mayport where you can see his might Naval installation; (4) Should you need to load up on supplies or groceries while at Pecan Park, if you head due east on Pecan Park Road and south on Main Street, you'll find a Publix in the Duval Station Center; and (5) While you are sitting next to I95, there's actually not much there apart from Love's Travel Stop, but if you head south and get off on the very next exit, you'll hit the comfort food jackpot that includes: Chili's, Chick-Fil-A, Cracker Barrel, Salsas, Olive Garden, BJ's, Mellow Mushroom, Carraba's, Starbucks, Moe's Southwestern, Longhorn, Ruby Tuesday, 5 Guys (and the list goes on). 

Happy Camping!

If you are looking to stay at a beachside RV resort with a large pool look no further! There are two pools: a large pool for everyone and a smaller adult only pool with hot tub. The location is perfect with several restaurants and a grocery store close by. Review the map before selecting your site as some are tight but many are pull thru making it easier. The roads are dirt and hold water after a rain but nothing major. Site #81 is a pull-thru/back-out site that is close to the beach walkway. This site has a covered patio with a picnic table. Our 26' travel trailer fit plus a vehicle with no problem. We will definitely be back!

Low key and quiet, a lot of long term residents, very affordable with nightly, weekly and monthly rates, but not a tourist destination, safe tho