The best STANDARD (TENT/RV) camping near
Parsons Reserve , FLORIDA

This was our second camping trip as a couple and the first in our travel trailer. I don’t have much to compare it to so take this with a grain of salt. Upon check in you have first come first serve. Since we were not camping with others and no pull throughs allowed we were able to secure C-56 which is the 4th to last spot before the water view spots. We were quite satisfied as our site backed up to a wooded area where and a quick walk to the walking trails and Peace River. We have a Thousand Trails 1 year pass with purchase of our trailers which saved us $67.00 per night. Many of the campers we spoke to were Thousand Trails members. We won’t be visiting campgrounds for the amenities as we use this time to get away and reduce weekly socializing so I cannot comment on condition of pickleball courts or pool.

I'm the owner, but we camped out for you so we can share with you what to expect.  Very primitive currently, but great for tent, or car camping, you can pull a small rv or camper trailer through but I wouldn't go too big.   We loved sitting around the campfire listening to the call of the owls, crickets and night sounds.  We've heard Bobwhites as well.  You wake up to the call of the Sandhill "Whooping" Cranes and they can be quite loud, but they are peaceful to watch as they walk through the site looking for food.  It's quite restful with a great view of the towering pines against a bright blue sky with puffy clouds. And loads of shaded areas to escape the Florida heat beneath the sprawling oaks.   There is an old abandoned house next to the site, I recommend steering clear of that, it appears to be about to fall.  There's 2 mini pigs in a cage next to the site as well, they bite, the owners encourage you not to feed them and to keep fingers out! 

Camping/compost toilet. NO shower right now.  About a mile to the east is the Withalacoochee River State Park for hiking, fishing, canoeing, and a tower you can climb for great views.  Dade City has some great shopping and local restaurants that will keep you fed if you need, or the owners are happy to prepare meals if you make arrangements with them.

We stayed at Colt Creek for one night at the beginning of February. We were lucky to have a very large site with good separation between neighbors - site 31. Note that you can see the entry road from the back, but this wasn’t a big deal for us since it was just an overnight stay. A lot of the other sites looked closer together with a little less privacy, but all of the sites looked well maintained. The tent sites were some of the best maintained sites I’ve ever seen. Our site was completely level. The trails looked nice, but we unfortunately didn’t have time to explore. One item of note - we had zero cell service (Verizon) which is normally a good thing on vacation, but a bad thing when working remotely. Would definitely stay here again when we’d have time to do trails and not worry about cell service.

Free. Fire pits, picnic tables, pit toilet and non-potable water. Nice shade. Not crowded at all during the week. Weekends can get pretty full. Manged by the south FL water district. Reserve on their website and if approved get an email with the gate code. Access road is hard packed sand, about a mile long. Filled with monster potholes. Drive slow all will be just fine.

The park was beautiful. The campsites were clean! Everything was so nice and conveniently located. The offered ice and firewood as well.

This stage park has lots to offer - great trails for hiking and biking, boat launches, fishing, or just relaxing. We stayed at site #43 which has water/elec. hookup, dump station near by. All of the sites seemed level, most are quite private with a fair amount of trees/foliage in between sites, have a sizable picnic table and nice fire ring with grate. We were here in February and we had no problems with bugs. The bath house was very clean and modern, with spacious shower stalls and plenty of hot water. Just up the road from Citrus Showcase if you are looking for oranges and other goodies. A great find - We would love to go back when we can stay longer!

We came in the beginning of February (8-11th) which seems to be a popular time due to the rarity of available spaces, but we were able to reserve online right after Christmas and got a block for three nights. Good time of year to come - not yet too humid, no bugs at all, warm days. We were pleasantly surprised at how quiet it was in our area. No parties going on or crazy loud families which seem to be our camping destiny of late (people don’t seem to know how to behave when they are camping). Seemed to be a more adult crowd, retirees, couples and friends who enjoy being outside. If you like to fish, kayak, or just hang out on the beach, this is a perfect place to relax. Our site was spacious, deep, and lots of privacy as there was a good amount of foliage between us and the neighbors. One warning, however, we noticed poison ivy in the wooded areas, just beware if you have kids or are susceptible yourself. Gave it four stars instead of five due to that and the outdated bathrooms. They suffice, but have a bad layout. The showers are okay, but there is no private changing area. You step out of the shower into a common changing area. Not much space to put your stuff in the shower. They are cleaned often, but there is no humidity control so it’s always damp and slippery in there. There are two washers and dryers at each bathroom location, $1.75 each and do a good job. If you need quarters, go to the camp store as there are no change machines near the laundry areas. Overall a nice place, easy to get to, not too far from other stuff, great beaches.

This is a beautiful park close to the Tampa area. The campsites are separated into 2 areas. Most are small and open. On our visit, there were NO friendly people here. Some good hikes in the park. There are a few places to launch kayaks and I went from campground up to rapids and back down. Good paddle, lots of birds. Roads are paved in park and its a big circle so great for bike riding. There are large day use areas and a beautiful huge pool. Concessions were closed not sure if seasonal or covid? There is a neat suspension bridge and class 2 rapids along hike. Also a CCC museum (closed). Don't arrive before check in time because you have to wait in day use area until "it's time" for you to check in. Great park but not a great vibe.

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.

Down for a week kinda last minute and he was able to give us a good spot. Decent size spot with stone drive and cement patio. Bathrooms and showers are kept clean. Nice laundry facilities with area to play cards if you wanted. Pool area is nice with shade spots. Friendly people all around campground Bike and walking path is close by Also has trolley that goes different places with a stop close by. Would definitely stay again