Best RV Parks & Resorts near Palmetto, FL

This is a beautiful thousand trail rv resort Campground. Plenty of shaded trees and hiking.

The RV park is in a great location, however it’s amenities fall short of what I’d consider a RV Resort. The pool is small but the beach is close, lacks activities but located in an area with lots going on. I’d avoid this park during the rainy season.

The park is clean, it’s the midsized Thousand Trails Park in Florida. Peace River is really pretty, very green and has a wooded section, a tropical section, and a flood section. We have seen Class As sink, so if you have a heavy diesel pusher, make sure you find a spot safe for your RV. Make sure you have a Clam or some kind of outdoor shade with a big screen because there are a lot of mosquitos in the evenings. There are Alligators along the River banks and in the woods.

The park is really quiet and the town nearby is very small. They do have groceries and fuel. There are not many attractions within an hour to go to. There are some local museums and shops.

Cell reception: minimal, it is put in the country for Florida, And the neighboring town is small. So there is signal but bandwidth is low because of so many RVers not counting towards the population of the area.

Ammenities: Laundry Pool Sewer pump out (one free per stay) Shower House A River Mini Golf (Needing updating) Camp Store Dump Station

This is a Thousand Trails property and there were some permanent spots, but this park does not have the typical built ins. There are several walking paths. 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.

Although we enjoyed our time here there were some serious concerns with flooding. Many large rigs were parked in the flood plane which encompasses a large section of the park.

There are some sewer available sites but there is a strange lottery system. Every day about 1pm you go sign up for the lottery system to shuffle your RV to a sewer site if you’re lucky enough to get it. They failed to tell us you have to show up daily. It was pretty frustrating. They offer (1) free pump out. Many will stay at this park for 3 weeks. If you have your own laundry machines - you won’t be able to use them. The laundry available on the property was pricey.

All in all we did enjoy our time here but we arrived prepared and it’s more camping than an RV Resort.

There is absolutely no communication from the office...saw him cleaning the outside of the campground, while the site I was in had an old taco and peach that were there the whole time we were there. The site next to ours smelt like a sewer...this is a long term rv park...NO camping

Allow me to begin by saying I have never been to a large RV campground… ever! This place is so huge that you won’t be surprised if you get lost in this place at least a couple of times before you find your slotted RV destination for the night. Also, I was amazed by how close to the concrete jungle you are at this place, but once you turn on the winding little lane that will bring you to this megalopolis RV circus – fitting given your proximity to all of themed amusement parks! – after crossing through the entry gates, you immediately lose sight of all the traffic, noise and business as you are swallowed up by the lush verdant trees of pines, palms and Ancient oaks. 

As for the campground itself, you’ll enter off the very busy 192 and head south on Scott Boulevard, where you’ll pass 3 intersecting lanes before arriving to Sherwood Forest RV Resort. There will be plenty of signage, so you shouldn’t get lost arriving here – it's another story once inside this massive compound. To navigate yourself to the proper location you have been assigned of the 514 potential overnight possibilities that exist, you’ll first want to stop off at the administration building, where they should give you a map – and if they don’t, be sure to ask for you, because you’re going to need it! Basically, this entire place is back-to-back RV’s parked at a diagonal with very little to no privacy whatsoever and given that Sherwood Forest is so heavily populated, you are going to encounter both a decent amount of traffic (the golf cart kind) and noise. And while I would normally encourage folks to get as close to the pool area as possible, I found this main congregating place to be quite jam packed and noisy. 

Amenities: Clubhouse / lounge, mini-golf, basketball, dog park, RV storage, restroom / shower facilities, horseshoe pit, WiFi (at a cost away from the main building), shuffleboard, darts, fitness center, in-ground heated swimming pool, nearby Tiki bar, LP gas refill station, laundr-O-mat, ballroom, mail room, library, banquet hall, catch-and-release lake fishing, marketplace store, playground, game room, billiards, whirlpool / spa / hot tub, picnic tables, pavilion areas, fire pits, BBQ grill, designated trash receptacles, trash compactor, cable TV / satellite and back-in / pull-through sites with full hook-ups (30/ 50 amp electric, water and sewage). In addition to all of the amenities, there’s also a ton of activities, including live music concerts, potluck dinners, BBQ cookouts, dance lessons, ice cream socials, craft-making classes, outdoor chess, mini-golf tournaments, church services, aerobic dancing, exercise classes, line dancing (yeehaw!), board game nights, Bingo, card playing as well as formal holiday dinners around Thanksgiving and Christmas. 

Insider’s tips? Here’s a few: (1) The best sites, in general, are all of the ones that are completely on the perimeter of Sherwood Forest RV Resort, specifically sites #1– 137 (you will note that there are a handful of cottages and cabins for rent in these slots as well); (2) When you get done staring down the inside of your cooler or mini-fridge and are looking for a place to sit down and eat for a change, then there are no shortage of food joints to have a look at, including: Krispy Kreme (my personal favorite), Cracker Barrel (my personal least favorite restaurant in the universe), Longhorn Steakhouse, Ichiban Buffet, Martin’s BBQ, Olive Garden and 192 Crab & Lobster Juicy Seafood & Bar;(3) If by chance you have forgotten anything, avoid paying double or triple the price at the on-site market by going to either Walmart or Publix, which are both about a mile and half away; and (4) If you would actually like to enjoy a bit of the outdoors while staying at this RV amusement park, go for a day trip to Lake Tohopekaliga, which has some pretty amazing bass fishing as well as a few choice places to drop your boat into, like Twin Oaks or Cherokee Point Conservation Areas (and if you don’t have your own kayak, canoe or boat, contact Wild Willys Airboat Tours and they’ll show you around). 

Happy Camping!

Ok. I will try to sum this place up in as short of a review as I can. If I could give this place no stars I would.

Pros:

I don’t really have any Pros.

Cons:

• Not all hookups are full. Must enter lottery to get full hookup site. Wasted 3 hours pulling into one spot. Have to sign up, enter lottery, look at spot, go back hope your name is called, if it is move again.

• Laundry is broke! Numerous people who have been here for longer then a month have said they have been broke since November.

• Swimming pool is like taking a warm bath with 60 other people.

• They charge $5.00 per item to receive mail. Yes you read that right. If it’s an regular envelope it’s $5. Medication. Yep $5. Got three post cards from aunt Mable. $15.

• Staff are the most ignorant I have come across on a 7 month road trip around the country. Ask a simple question about laundry room and the employee coped a huge attitude. The two maintenance men were awesome. But front office staff are HORRIBLE.

*** IMO thousand trails maybe good for some people however they are the biggest waste of money I have seen.

This is my first time camping in my RV anywhere. I should have suspected that an RV resort in FL in the winter would be full of retirees, but I didn't expect the number of mobile homes permanently here. At my site, when looking outside, I had a great view of the lake, am surrounded by mobile homes, and can see only one RV. Great laundry facilities and front office staff are wonderful. Flexible pricing with many discounts. Club house and swimming pool is like being in a retirement resort. There are some nice sites, and all are full hookups, but in my case, I have a small lot with a mobile home, literally about 8 feet along side of me. They have a dog park, and it is shady, which is needed in the FL heat, but not very kept up and clean. Location is nice because you are right off I-75 and can be anywhere in the Greater Tampa Bay area with easy access. However, the noise of the interstate is non-stop, and traffic in this area is really congested.

This park has beautiful views and nice large spaces. First come, first serve on spots leaves little to be desired when you plan far enough out. Pickle ball and pool were very active. Bathrooms were not placed in a very convenient spot, poorly maintained and they were small in comparison to the size of the park. Being a Thousand Trails facility it was very disappointing.

A small but great RV resort with beach access. Well kept, clean and with access to the beach just a few yards from any site.

It’s one of our favorite places to stay and we will be back many more times.

We stayed there during the Tampa Show. Last minute decision. Park has a lot of long term RV's and many of them older. Dog friendly and has a decent sized dog run. We had a pull thru spot that was plenty long enough to leave our dolly hooked up to our 33' class A, and still have plenty of room to park in front. Although it was very narrow and I was a little concerned about my leveling jacks sinking in when it rained due to it being all grass. Fortunately it didn't rain much. There were cable hook ups, but I couldn't get a signal. Not sure about wifi, because I just used my hot spot. Most, if not all, of the short term spaces had picknick tables. Overall just a fairly quiet place to park with hookups and not too far off the highway.

Best weekend ever for me. We were less than an hour away from home at Lazydays RV Resort and it felt like we were on the other side of the planet. Got to spend uninterrupted time with my bride and it was awesome. Cooking every meal outside, drunken golf cart cruises and a mediocre live band at the campground made it even better. Can’t wait until our next trip thanksgiving week up in the mountains.

Showers arent amazing but thats not why we are here is it? Lots of loud kids today. Ability to stay long term allows squatters. Most folks very nice and respectful.

We stayed here for a week and overall it’s a solid, no frills place to stay. Level & compact sites with concrete patio pads. Our site backed right up to the marsh, which had a lot of birds & wildlife. There’s a pool, laundry, fenced dog area, and WiFi (for an extra fee). Verizon cell service was solid & always had connection. Mostly long term residents here but they are really friendly & helpful.

Ramblers Rest - Venice, FL: Nice facility. Mostly full time or longer term seasonal rentals. More of a mobile home community where they squeeze RVs into the spaces between mobile homes. Clean and well kept, but not the typical campground we would choose. Very tight quarters. Fulls hook-ups which was nice.

We had a wedding to attend in Clearwater and this was the closest park. Mostly long term and residential campers. Very friendly and very helpful to us during our short stay. Kids loved the pool, but playground needs updating. It is a place to stay, but not a destination in itself.

We stayed at Sun N Fun for 3 weeks while visiting family in the Sarasota area. Despite Covid-19, there was still plenty to do. We enjoyed the pool (the slide was only open 1 day we were there) most days. The property was great for biking. Seemed the long term folks didn't mind us temporary people hanging around (which is not always the case). On hookup the post blew my surge protector. They sent over maintenance immediately who did a thorough check of the post and made sure it was safe to use. Cable in the park had lots of channels if you're looking for that. Wifi was spotty, but what do you expect?

Fiesta Grove is a smaller 55+ park. Pros: Laid back atmosphere Super friendly residents Plenty of activities Almost no traffic noise Alot of permanent or long term residents Clean and well kept Heated pool

Cons: Lacking some amenities - no exercise room or spa Terrible signal if you have T-Mobile - dropped calls, very little data. Not enough doggie stations

This was our second Thousand Trails stay. Unlike The Oaks at Point South you have to find your own spot. It's a little unnerving. Fortunately, we had a few to choose from as soon as we arrived. There are a few paved roads but others are not. It had just rained a lot due to Hurricane Eta and there are huge potholes. So go slow!!!! We chose D14, back in. All of their sites are back in and they stress that over and over. FHU, no shade at our site, picnic table, fire ring with flip grill, grass pad. Fire rings are close to your neighbors camper b/c of mowing. Just move it. No cable or WiFi. Great Verizon. Pool was suppose to be open but they had to redo the pool deck. It was open the last day we were there and it's very nice. There is road noise, with air on not a problem. The back part of part is closed b/c of drainage issues. The site next to us the electricy didn't work which was great for us. Extra room! The sites are very spacious. In the winter when it's crowded they have a system of getting sites. Our water hookup didn't have a handle. Notified the office and it was fixed. You don't see staff out much at all. In a week, I saw 2 employees drive by.

It was very clean, with a very nice staff. Quiet, even though it was close ro a highway. Wifi was good. Full hook ups, cable tv. Sites were a little small but that was our only complaint.