Best RV Parks & Resorts near Osceola National Forest

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!

Kind of an odd set up.. seems like someone had a large piece of land in a residential area and decided to just allow a bunch of RVs and rent campers to stay there. Per reviews on Hipcamp we expected a small quiet open piece of land, but when we arrived it was more of a cramped and crowded RV park, with RVs parked and crammed in every available space.

It was fine for an overnight, but it seemed like an interesting community to join if you wanted to stay long term.

Apparently the cost for an RV site with hookups is $30/night but on hipcamp there was an option for dry camping for $10 and we selected that and had no issues. We were guided to an open area that seemed to be more of a driveway but it was probably fine since we were leaving in the morning.

Good place if you need a place to stay close to town.

Should you find yourself anywhere near the home of The Gators here in landlocked Gainesville, then the location of Santa Fe Palms RV Resort itself will be one of its greatest assets. Located NW of town, you will find yourself just far enough away from the noise, traffic and otherwise mayhem that surrounds the college town atmosphere of UF. That said, you’ll also be close enough that just a short 10 minute drive will place you within proximity to just about anything you might want or need, from restaurants and bars, to city parks, retail store fronts as well as big box retailers and shopping malls … as well as of course, the University of Florida itself.

As for this RV resort in particular, I always have to question places that use the term 'resort' in the first place – but here at Santa Fe, they really do live up to the word ‘resort.’ Apart from discovering a seemingly newly-built and certainly very well-maintained outdoor encampment perfect for your RV or 5th Wheel parking pleasure, you'll also enjoy all of the various amenities that indeed makes this roadside campground really feel like an RV resort community in full swing. In all there’s some 115, mostly diagonal, slots to chose from that offer 30 amp, 50 amp back-in or 50 amp pull-through sites, charging $65, $75 and $85 respectively, which IMHO is (especially for the area you currently find yourself in) slightly more expensive than expected.

With higher prices, expectations rise, but I found Santa Fe Palms delivers, offering not only a premium experience, but one packed with tons of amenities, including: high-speed fiber optic WiFi, beautiful lanai patio complete with several tables, chairs and sun umbrellas that sit alongside a very generous heated in-ground swimming pool, fitness room, pickleball court as well as a laundr-O-mat and restroom / shower facilities. All sites have full hook-ups featuring electric with various amp options, water and sewage, while there’s a good amount of sites that have pull-through options where the others will have back-in. The paved roads that run throughout this place are grade A perfect and perhaps the best feature of the entire place is the top-notch gate access and security surrounding the entire perimeter. There’s even a spacious doggie park in the NW corner of Santa Fe to take your pooch for a stroll. Lastly, the main building where you would also check-in at features work stations as well as a small shop where you can buy sundries and snacks.

Insider’s tips? Here’s a few: (1) Unless your idea of a great hike is walking around in circles within the perimeter of Santa Fe Palms RV Resort, I would highly suggest a trek to nearby Buck Bay Flatwood Preserve, which is just due northeast of this spot where you’ll walk / drive due east to the Circle K and then take the country road due north about a ¼ mile before you reach this spot; (2) If you are coming with either a canoe or kayak, the best place to drop anchor is Newmans Lake, which you will be able to access at a number of places, although I strongly recommend Palm Pointe Park, but if too busy, just due south is Earl P Powers Park, where both of these locations have excellent boat launches; (3) When you grow weary of trying to conjure up that next meal from the depths of your onboard mini-fridge fridge or roto-molded, bear-proof Cordova cooler and want to check out some of the local fare, there’s a handful of no-frills options, but hey, life is short, so I’ll let your GPS help you find those spots and instead, I’ll recommend 'don’t miss options' like Satchell’s for the best pizza in town with an Instagram-worthy backdrop; and (4) Should you want to hit the links, nearby Santa Fe Palms RV Resort is Ironwood Golf Club, which is decent, not amazing, but gets the job done.

Happy Camping!

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!

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!

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.