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Best Dog-Friendly Camping near Port Charlotte, FL

617 Reviews

Myakka River Motorcoach Resort sites include private dog parks with a unique cats-only policy for second pets. Many Port Charlotte area campgrounds feature fenced canine exercise areas and specific dog-friendly amenities. Oscar Scherer State Park has designated pet sites away from the creek, while Peace River Campground welcomes pets with standard leash requirements. Pets staying at Encore Harbor Lakes enjoy access to designated potty stations equipped with waste bags. Campground data and reviews near Port Charlotte, Florida is regularly updated on The Dyrt. Several RV resorts like Horseshoe Cove provide fully fenced dog parks with separate areas for small and large breeds, alongside pet-friendly cabin options at Camp Venice Retreat and Oscar Scherer.

Dog walking paths circle the perimeter at Creekside RV Resort, offering morning exercise routes that avoid wildlife encounters. Visitors camping with pets should be aware of alligator presence at Myakka River State Park, where pets must remain leashed and supervised at all times. Multiple reviews mention excellent maintenance of dog areas at Horseshoe Cove RV Resort, with one noting that dogs can easily get daily exercise despite Florida's heat thanks to shaded runs. Canoe Outpost Little Manatee River provides a well-maintained dog park and pet-friendly trails. Pet owners should pack extra water for dogs during summer months when temperatures regularly exceed 90°F, especially when using the connecting Legacy Trail at Oscar Scherer for longer walks. Wildlife safety briefings are provided at most campgrounds regarding proper pet management near water bodies.

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Best Dog-Friendly Sites Near Port Charlotte, Florida (117)

    1. Palmetto Ridge Campground — Myakka River State Park

    38 Reviews
    Osprey, FL
    21 miles
    Website
    +1 (941) 361-6511

    $26 / night

    "So heads up with your pets please."

    "Pet friendly. The outpost is literally like 3 miles into the park down from the entrance & Palmetto loop. The store was nice & there was a food truck. It was a little spendy but good food."

    2. Oscar Scherer State Park Campground

    39 Reviews
    Osprey, FL
    25 miles
    Website
    +1 (941) 483-5956

    $26 / night

    "Great Florida State park. We stayed in site #22. Sites have water and electric and are dirt. Most sites are on the smaller side being shallow and narrow. Our site was great."

    "Lost of sites back up to a small river but those sites right on the river are not kid or pet friendly so be careful when you make reservations.   There are a lot of trails throughout the park."

    3. Encore Harbor Lakes

    4 Reviews
    El Jobean, FL
    6 miles
    Website
    +1 (888) 707-1477

    "We came back to Florida to retrive our car after a 3 month stay in New England. This campground was right down the road from where we needed to conduct our business."

    "Had to have a RV park nearby and called, and booked a site within 10 minutes. Very pleased with the accommodations. Pool was great, neighbors were friendly and very helpful."

    4. Peace River Campground

    25 Reviews
    Arcadia, FL
    22 miles
    Website

    $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."

    5. Creekside RV Resort

    4 Reviews
    Punta Gorda, FL
    10 miles
    Website
    +1 (941) 833-3334

    "Lots of grass and trees all around.  Big sites with plenty of room between other campers.  Wide, paver parking with full hook ups.  Big and clean showers and restrooms.  Nice pool and hot tub.  "

    "Very nice bathhouses with large, walk in showers. The clubhouse was closed due to COVID but the pool and hot tub were open and very nice. Good space between sites."

    6. Myakka River Motorcoach Resort

    2 Reviews
    El Jobean, FL
    6 miles
    Website
    +1 (941) 740-2599

    "Great Wi-Fi, individual cat 5 cable to each site.  Boardwalk along the river, fishing pier, kayak launch.  They have 5 pickleball courts.  Large heated resort pool with attached lap pool."

    7. Camp Venice Retreat

    8 Reviews
    Venice, FL
    15 miles
    Website
    +1 (941) 488-0850

    "The staff is awesome, everyone was super friendly, they had clean facilities, the nature trail was awesome to take our dog on walks down."

    "Easy access to Vince and the great Legacy Bike trail. Beaches and parking are free."

    8. Cayo Costa State Park Campground

    21 Reviews
    Boca Grande, FL
    23 miles
    Website
    +1 (941) 964-0375

    $22 / night

    "Best beach oriented camping in Florida.  The shelling is amazing and you truly feel like you have traveled back in time.  We have camped there in a tent site three times in the last year.  "

    "Cayo Costa is absolutely the best place for getting away from everything civilized!."

    9. Flying A Campground — Myakka State Forest

    4 Reviews
    El Jobean, FL
    10 miles
    Website
    +1 (941) 398-3410

    $9 / night

    "Parking is away from campsites."

    "All sites have a fire ring and picnic table

    There are vault toilets available in the loop and there is a potable water spigot at the nearby ranger station (firewood also available there)."

    10. Encore Ramblers Rest

    6 Reviews
    Venice, FL
    13 miles
    Website
    +1 (888) 707-1477

    "First of all the location, if you like to kayak, this is the place for you. Right on the river. Very nice."

    "Many times we had 2” plus of standing water outside of our RV (we were on “Raccoon Road”). Also, the electrical and water connections needed maintenance while we were there. They were very worn out."

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Recent Dog-Friendly Camping Photos near Port Charlotte, FL

58 Photos of 117 Port Charlotte Campgrounds

Dog-Friendly Camping Reviews near Port Charlotte, FL

617 Reviews of 117 Port Charlotte Campgrounds

  • Jan S.
    Jun. 8, 2022

    Bradenton / Hunsader Farms KOA

    KOA Campground with working vegetable farm and petting zoo

    Stayed here for a week in May - quiet, pretty campground with friendly staff, a petting zoo and vegetable farm on property. We enjoyed the produce market, but you could also go in the fields and pick your own. Camper sites had enough room between them, the electric/water sites had good tree cover for shade. There were cabins, a silo, and covered wagons you could also stay in. There's a big dog park, but not much shade there. There's a winery just 1 mile away. The Sarasota beaches and mangrove kayaking are an easy 45 minute drive away. The only thing I wished they had was a pool... Overall, we had a nice time here.

  • Rick M.
    Jun. 13, 2024

    Myakka River Motorcoach Resort

    Close to the beach, beautiful resort, wenlove the privacy

    This is a beautiful Class A only resort.  100 sites on the Myakka River with Amazon 

     sunsets.  Sites are typically 70’ x 50’ . Large roads easy access.  

    Extremely active community in season, a peaceful retreat in the off season.  

    Sites are individually owned, some with Casitas, some with outdoor kitchens etc.  Great Wi-Fi, individual cat 5 cable to each site.  Boardwalk along the river, fishing pier, kayak launch.  They have 5 pickleball courts.  Large heated resort pool with attached lap pool. Two large dog parks.  

    Water aerobics in season.  Small gym.  Yoga, on spite massages and facials in season.  Extremely active social calendar,  open to everyone.   Beautifully  remodeled clubhouse, with a large subset deck overlooking the river.   Close to everything, multiple beaches 20 minutes away,  great shopping and restaurants are close by.  Extremely friendly owners, they treat renters like members of their family.  We travel in a Newmar Ventana.

  • Danna D.
    Nov. 5, 2020

    Encore Terra Ceia

    Great Place - Friendly Staff & Neighbors

    Nice place to stay in Palmetto. I just moved into my RV and this was my very first camping stop so I had TONS of questions and needed quite a bit of help. The staff were super friendly and the neighbors were extremely helpful in showing me how to get everything set up. They have a nice pool and laundry facilities - would recommend coming with a separate vehicle as there's not much within walking distance, but it's only a short drive to Tampa, St. Pete, and the Sarasota/Bradenton area. They also have a nice size, fenced-in dog park with a dog walking path, so bring your furry friends!

  • Alyssa D.The Dyrt PRO User
    Sep. 19, 2020

    Encore Terra Ceia

    In Palmetto, easy access to Tampa, Sarasota, Gulf Beaches

    In Palmetto, easy access to Tampa, Sarasota, Gulf Beaches, and many other areas of Florida in a few hours driving distance.

    Pet-friendly.

  • T
    Aug. 5, 2022

    Groves RV Resort, A Sun RV Resort

    Nice quiet park

    Nice place for a short term stay. Extra charges for WiFi took away 1 star for me. Dog friendly and small dog park available to let your fur baby run free.

  • V
    Mar. 8, 2020

    Encore Fort Myers Beach

    Cozy campground!

    Nice clean TT Encore park. Clean laundry facilities, nice clean dog park with a bench, perfect for the smaller dogs. Super tight, awning to awning. That's the only reason I dropped a star. But it's easy to make friends here, that's for sure!

  • J
    Jan. 28, 2022

    Cayo Costa State Park Campground

    Beach camping paradise

    This place is special.  Best beach oriented camping in Florida.  The shelling is amazing and you truly feel like you have traveled back in time.  We have camped there in a tent site three times in the last year.  The campground closed for several months in summer 2021 to eradicated the rodents.  It worked!  We did not see or hear one rodent when we stayed for three nights in November 2021.  If campers / visitors will keep a clean camp site and not leave food and garbage out, the rodents should stay under control.

      No problem with bugs in the dry season, but you still need some bug spray at dawn and dusk.

  • h
    Dec. 14, 2022

    Little Charlie Creek RV Park

    Little Charlie Creek

    The campsite was nice. The dog park was nice. 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! Very close to Walmart! I even had a package delivered here!

Guide to Port Charlotte

Port Charlotte, Florida offers diverse camping options across Southwest Florida's flat terrain with an average elevation of 10 feet. The subtropical climate features warm winters with temperatures rarely below 50°F and hot, humid summers that typically include afternoon thunderstorms. Camping sites in this region range from riverside locations to barrier islands accessible only by boat.

What to do

Kayaking on rivers: Peace River Campground offers excellent paddling opportunities with access to fossil hunting in the river sediment. "You can spend the day paddeling down the river, fishing or sifting through the sediment looking for fossils from all different time periods," notes Kasey K.

Wildlife viewing: Myakka River State Park features diverse ecosystems where visitors can observe native Florida wildlife. "If you want to see Florida Wildlife this is the place to go! From birds to gators, wild hogs and lots of raccoons! wildlife is everywhere," reports Jeanene A.

Bicycling: The Legacy Trail connects to Oscar Scherer State Park, offering miles of paved cycling paths. "The park is also adjacent to the Legacy bike trail. A linear trail that runs from Sarasota to Venice, FL. So there's some long bike rides opportunities," explains David G.

Beach exploration: Cayo Costa State Park provides undeveloped beaches with excellent shelling opportunities. "The 9 miles of beach is great! Nice and shallow for a bit (on parts of the beach) but the shelling is awesome. Lots of different shells and sharks teeth from many varieties of sharks," shares Jeanene A.

What campers like

Waterfront camping spots: Many campgrounds feature sites along rivers or lakes. At Camp Venice Retreat, campers appreciate the water access: "You can launch you kayak or canoe right from your spot," explains Joshua B.

Privacy between sites: Flying A Campground in Myakka State Forest offers well-spaced sites. "The sites are spread apart enough that it doesn't feel like your neighbor is on top of you, which was a huge plus," notes Josh M.

Clean facilities: Cleanliness ranks high for campers at pet friendly camping near Port Charlotte, Florida. "Bathhouses are ok maybe a 7/10," mentions David G. about Oscar Scherer State Park, while another camper notes, "Bathrooms were very clean. Nice pool."

Natural Florida landscapes: Peace River Campground showcases authentic Florida environments. "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," writes Laura D.

What you should know

Primitive vs. developed options: Camping accommodations vary widely from basic tent sites to full RV hookups. At Cayo Costa State Park, "You are pretty much on your own out there after the last ferry leaves for the day," warns Jeanene A.

Bug protection required: No-see-ums and mosquitoes are common throughout the region. "Pack lots of bug spray for no-see-ums and mosquitos, Sunblock, Sunglasses and a hat - you will be glad you did as the reflection off the water can be brutal," advises a camper at Cayo Costa.

Weather considerations: Afternoon thunderstorms are common in summer months. "From June through October, it'll ordinarily rain for a short duration in the afternoon. Nothing to worry about and it cools things down," explains Dave V.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is the most popular dog-friendly campsite near Port Charlotte, FL?

According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular dog-friendly campground near Port Charlotte, FL is Palmetto Ridge Campground — Myakka River State Park with a 4.6-star rating from 38 reviews.

What is the best site to find dog-friendly camping near Port Charlotte, FL?

TheDyrt.com has all 117 dog-friendly camping locations near Port Charlotte, FL, with real photos and reviews from campers.

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