Best Glamping near Sarasota, FL

Recent Glamping Reviews near Sarasota, Florida

272 Reviews of 12 Sarasota Campgrounds

• 

  Perry J.

  Legend

  

  Aug. 12, 2019

  Fort De Soto Campground

  Simply a great campground!

  Fort De Soto Park is amazing. It offers something for everyone whether you are there camping or simply for the day. The beaches are amazing with TONS and TONS of parking. Great cycling, paddling, walking, exploring, fishing, kiting, or anything you want to do. It can get busy in season but the area is designed to accommodate the crowds except for the one lane road to and from so plan your visit according to your threshold for traffic and crowds. 

  I'm a Florida local from Sarasota and have visited many times but never to camp. We came with a small travel trailer and were lucky enough to get a site right on the water as many are which by itself is rare. Great weekend and honestly one of the nicest parks I have ever been to. 

  Its great that possibly the most valuable real estate in all of Florida's Gulf Coast was reserved for a county park in lieu of private condos and resorts. The park has a no alcohol policy which honestly is fine. Being such an urban destination I could imagine things getting way out of hand there to the detriment of more chill folks without the ban. Even though I like a cocktail as much as the next guy, i'll take the pleasant environment over the beer any day. 

  Thanks Pinellas Parks for such a great place for locals and guests to visit.

• B

  Britt H.

  Scout

  

  Apr. 4, 2017

  Fort De Soto Campground

  Sun and fun

  This is an awesome florida camp spot. Well cared for sites, clean bath houses. If there is a campsite that embodies "glamping" this might be it. Tons to do, from fishing and kayaking to miles of bike paths. And of course one of the most highly rated beaches in the country. Definitely worth a stay.

• B

  Brad P.

  Guide

  

  Feb. 7, 2025

  Peace River Oaks

  Fantastic

  This place is brand new and very clean. The owners/operators are extremely friendly and helpful. The have glamping tents that are very cool. This isn’t the ordinary crunched in resort camping. All of the sites are spacious with large cement pads. The overall feel is laid back and quiet. There are many activities and games if you choose to participate.

• J

  Jim

  Traveler

  

  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.

• 

  Perry J.

  Legend

  

  Aug. 12, 2019

  Palmetto Ridge Campground — Myakka River State Park

  A True Jurassic Park Not To Miss!

  Myakka River State Park is a not to miss Florida State Park. Don't let the proximity to Sarasota Fool You! It is very close to Sarasota which makes it a good stop if you are visiting the area or an outstanding stop if you are from out of town as you can enjoy a little bit of Surf and Turf. 

  As a Sarasota local who loves the outdoors, I've visited most of Florida's State Parks and this is one of my favorites for sure. We tend to neglect what we can do and see everyday and this is no exception. I'm always amazed. 

  This time we camped out for the weekend even though we live about 10 miles away and we have never felt so far from home while being so close. Probably my first"staycation". 

  You can paddle, hike, ride or just chill in this really large state park. Super clean and well run. All the staff are really nice and you can tell they enjoy being there. 

  This park is the real deal and you will feel you are in another world. Get out and explore! 

  Sidebar: A lot of people ask me why I share my favorite"secret" places with total strangers and the answer is that the very best places everywhere are under tremendous pressure from growth, development and environmental pressure. Once you see a place like this you will forever be changed and hopefully become an advocate for preserving them wherever you may be.

• 

  Linda M.

  Traveler

  

  Jun. 10, 2018

  Palmetto Ridge Campground — Myakka River State Park

  Fun Place

  This is one of our fave places in FL because there is hiking, biking, birding, kayaking, much more. Sarasota has a lot to see and do, also!

• 

  Rachel G.

  Legend

  

  May. 5, 2019

  Palmetto Ridge Campground — Myakka River State Park

  So much to do

  This was a great state park. Sites are close together and not much barriers between. Bathrooms were clean, good hot shower. Plenty of wildlife to see. Alligators, birds, wild hogs, deer, and more. If you are a bird lover this is a place you should stop. Hiking, fishing, kayaking, plenty to keep you busy. They have an observation tower and suspension bridge. Park is not far from beaches or city of Sarasota. We stayed 5 days could of stayed longer. Park is busy on weekends, not so bad during week. Park staff were very friendly and helpful.

• 

  Jeanene A.

  Legend

  

  Jun. 9, 2017

  Cayo Costa State Park Campground

  Best Island Camping in Florida

  Want to avoid the crowds and have a heavenly beach camping experience? Cayo Costa is absolutely the best place for getting away from everything civilized!. They offer primitive camping only, bring your tent and good stakes as the wind is steady there) or rent a cabin (there are 12 of them - no a/c - no sleeps 6 - single stacked wooden bunks - no padding) and reachable only by ferry (must reserve ahead) or private boat. There are showers and restrooms but no sinks for washing dishes and you are asked to take everything you bring on the island off with you.

  Can you say dark... make sure you bring flashlights and headlamps because this place is DARK at night!

  No phone signals and no electricity so leave your cell phones at home unless you have a charging block and want to use to take photos. Easiest way to get there is by ferry, they will haul your camping gear and even your kayak if you reserve in advance.There are carts available to load your gear in to get it off the dock from the ferry (but you may have to wait in line to use), and a golf cart/tram or truck will take you back to the camping area.During the day the beach is busy during summer break, but many folks come out for the day only. The island is fun to explore - "At one time approximately 20 fishing families lived on Cayo Costa in the early 1900s, where they established a school, a post office and a grocery store." per the state park website

  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 . Usually you are able to purchase wood for fires at the ranger station. Bring all of your food and WATER. Also 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..You are pretty much on your own out there after the last ferry leaves for the day, enjoy a moonlit walk on the beach or an amazing sunset.

  One of our top 5 favorite camps in Florida!

• D

  Don

  Scout

  

  May. 10, 2021

  Horseshoe Cove RV Resort

  Convenient to Interstate 75

  I mainly choose this campground because it was close to my son’s home in Sarasota. The people in the office were very nice. The park is kept clean. I am in the pull thru sites which are a little tight and can be challenging to park on in big rigs. Roads are narrow with lots of turns. If you have a big rig with a toad I suggest dropping the toad by the office to park rig (I am a single) and have your partner drive to site with you. No fun having to disconnect after you get in a dicey situation. This section seems to get a lot of campers for a day or two stays (it is also off season). Has very nice amenities, WiFi is not great, and ATT doesn’t work all that well here. Stays of 30 days or more you pay electric on top of site fee. Yes I would stay again. 3 stars is because of the tight sites and higher than average cost.

• 

  Joe R.

  Legend

  

  Oct. 15, 2019

  Fort De Soto Campground

  Tropical Oasis for the Family

  I find myself torn between four and five stars on this campground. It turned out being everything we expected and more. As an camper with northern roots, I have found it hard to camp in Florida. This campground helped me relieve those worries. 

  I will start by saying that this campground is south of St. Pete and north of Ana Maria Island. We drove down from Orlando and it took us under two hours. We hit some traffic on 275 and the Parkway, but it is expected. There are two tolls (1.00 and .75) before you hit the park. One thing we learned and a good pointer is that if you intend on going into the park (which you probably will), you should go in and register BEFORE you go to the beach, even if before check in time. By paying for your site, they provide you a beach pass for two vehicles, which saves $5 each on parking. 

  The check in process was very simple. We arrived about an hour early and got everything set up. We were told to stop back between 12:30 and 1 (Advise that check in is at 1pm, so getting in early is not a guaranteed or expected result). The parking lot is a bit awkward, as the camper/trailer line blocks views and actual spots for cars..but it is trivial. 

  We had rented site 28 (mostly because it was one of the only ones available and best of the litter). There are three loops, and we were in the 1-86 loop. There are no pets and no RV's allowed, which was perfect for us. Most of the outer side of the loop has some sort of water. Water does not mean access. It seemed that the higher numbers (40+) had less access to water and more of a mangrove area. Depths of sites also varied widely. We must have done the camping gods some good, because we hit the site karma. Our site was nice and deep, with a weird little island (former tree/stump) in the middle. This actually made us divide the tent area up into two sides, which worked out well. The site has plenty of options for both clothes lines and hammocks. We opted to put the "kitchen" towards the back of the site with the water view, and fire bin (rented for $3 from the campground office). We had neighbors on both sides and across (this places always sells out) and it was still fairly secluded. They did a great job at keeping a lot of natural growth to maintain privacy and a true tropical feel. There was plenty of shade, but also plenty of sunshine when you wanted it. This site also gets direct sunlight after about 9am (based on mid october), so plan accordingly. It gets toasty :) We have an inflatable raft that we took out in the water. We were greeted by dolphins, sting rays and manatees. 

  The bath house is pretty central and literally across the road from our site. We had expected a much further walk based on the map, but it was just a 1 minute walk. They were ample, but nothing to write home about. They clean them daily, so they are not bad. The showers leave a lot to be desired with water pressure and privacy. They share a common area with stalls and cheap liners that offer little privacy. Again, it is camping so this isn't a complaint, but a warning. Also, bring your own toilet paper. 

  There is a playground with good swings and also a sturdy playground that offered plenty of opportunity for my four year old to blow off some steam. The ground is all recycled rubber, which I love as a parent. 

  The campground store is nice and good for essentials if you don't want to take the 15/20 minute drive to publix or 7 minute drive to 7-11. Firewood is a bit overpriced at $9 per bundle and the fire buckets are cheap at $3 per night. They also have basic food and camping supplies. Note that there is no alcohol allowed in the park, including the campground. All I can say is that you should use common sense. This is a family friendly place. They also rent bikes and kayaks. 

  The site was just a 10 minute drive to north beach, which is our favorite. There is plenty to do in the area. Overall, I love this place and look forward to coming back many times in the future. Note that they do start booking 6 months out and open up 10% of the sites for the weekend each friday at 7am if you want to try and get lucky.

• T

  Toni S.

  Guide

  

  Sep. 30, 2018

  Fort De Soto Campground

  Beautiful Wild Florida

  Ft. Desoto Park is a must see when you visit Florida. Its one of the most well preserved areas that feature Florida as it used to be, wild and beautiful. The camp ground is nice and has all of the amenities. Keep your food locked up though as the raccoons are brazen!

• 

  Frank E.

  Scout

  

  Nov. 11, 2018

  Fort De Soto Campground

  Great camping and kayaking spot

  Some sights are waterfront. Beaches nearby. West coast of Florida.

• 

  A T.

  Guide

  

  Jul. 10, 2023

  Fort De Soto Campground

  Beautiful camp spot

  Very beautiful and short drive to a great Florida beach. Bugs suck though.

• N

  Nicole D.

  Guide

  

  May. 22, 2018

  Palmetto Ridge Campground — Myakka River State Park

  Great hiking trails

  Big campground in a beautiful park that really shows you natural Florida. Not enough privacy on each campsite, personally, but still nice. The hiking trails & the boardwalk are awesome, love the long views over the prairie and canopy.

• 

  Eric H.

  Guide

  

  Nov. 4, 2019

  Palmetto Ridge Campground — Myakka River State Park

  My first love.

  I’m pretty sure this was the first campground I ever went to as a kid, and then every spring break following. Only recently stopped going with my family. As far as Florida camping goes though, this is probably my favorite.

• 

  Ellen S.

  Traveler

  

  Jul. 23, 2018

  Fort De Soto Campground

  Beachin’ it!

  Not waterfront but close enough! Hike to the beach, or stay at your spacious site and enjoy the Florida nature! Roads are tight, but spots are clean and easily accessible

  dog friendly too! Dog beach closer than the people beach!!

• 

  Katie K.

  Ranger

  

  Sep. 17, 2016

  Palmetto Ridge Campground — Myakka River State Park

  Myakka from my Childhood

  Unfortunately, I went as a little kid so I don't have any amazing pictures to share. But I have FOND memories of this experience, and I couldn't get over the canopy walkway. This place is unlike any other, and teeming with interesting, diverse wildlife. If you're in Florida, you have to make your way out here.

• j

  janet H.

  Legend

  

  Mar. 23, 2019

  Fort De Soto Campground

  Palm tree paradise

  March escape to Florida. Great camp ground! Includes parking at Fort Desoto beaches. Seven miles of beach, great bike trails. Bikes and kayaks to rent. Nice bathhouses. Large lush mostly level gravel sites. Trees and shrubs provide shade and privacy from neighboring sites. No fire ring. Favorite sites 200-230 3-30 all waterfront. Lots of other great waterfront sites available. Interior sites hard to back into.

• 

  Steve S.

  Guide

  

  Jul. 6, 2016

  Palmetto Ridge Campground — Myakka River State Park

  Classic Florida

  If you want to see 'Old Florida', you can't get much better than this - we spent the weekend kayaking along the myakka river and saw more wildlife than we could of imagined. Campgrounds are quiet with lush overgrowth between sites, clean restrooms and plenty to see and do within the park.

  Only callout is the need to be mindful making reservations and staying at the park during the rainy season as some roads are awash and difficult to drive.

• 

  Christina L.

  Scout

  

  Sep. 19, 2021

  Palmetto Ridge Campground — Myakka River State Park

  Florida untouched

  We arrived at the gate! After hearing of the wilderness preserve we decided to go ahead and get the permit. You drive about a mile down the road from the main state park entrance to find the wilderness preserve entrance which is code protected. After driving back to the parking area, we realized we had the 600 acres to ourselves. We then hiked to the deep hole. There we saw tons of alligators birds and wildlife! A great piece of raw Florida!

• J

  Justin S.

  Guide

  

  Sep. 29, 2016

  Palmetto Ridge Campground — Myakka River State Park

  Huge state park, lots of wildlife

  Excellent for wildlife viewing in the surprisingly beautiful prairie and tropical Florida area. You can rent bikes or kayaks nearby and make sure to take a tour on the famous fan boats. Pros: wildlife, cabin option, close to towns, clean, pretty large sites, modern amenities like laundry, restaurant, gift/grocery shop on site, very shady campsites, great trails (many boardwalks), huge park, easy to get to from 75. Good mix of locals and tourists to give you more ideas of what to do while visiting. Cons: just the bugs and heat...

• 

  Laura D.

  Scout

  

  Jul. 13, 2018

  Peace River Campground

  Wilderness or Glamping

  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. There is laundry facilities, showers, a pool, canoeing and kayaking, ATV riding trails. A snack bar/ restaurant, ice cream place is available on the weekends. The office / store is very well-stocked. I love this place!

• 

  Jenny J.

  Traveler

  

  Jul. 30, 2020

  Fort De Soto Campground

  Beautiful campground

  This is a great campground near the beach and bay. Many sites are right on the water which is beautiful. This campground is kept super clean. They don’t allow alcohol and you have to have a bin to have a fire. There’s a great little store and snack shop where you can rent bins if you don’t have one. It’s great for birdwatching and nature. The raccoons are around, so don’t leave food out. We went in Feb 2019 on a last minute reservation. Otherwise it’s next to impossible to get a site here on the weekends. The bathrooms are old, but clean. Overall, a great Florida campground!

• 

  Meghan O.

  Ranger

  

  Jul. 4, 2018

  Fort De Soto Campground

  Busy Campground With Nice Ammenities

  close to the breweries in art district of St Pete Florida, Fort Desoto Campground has everything you could want for a long weekend or quick getaway. There's a general store if you want to stock up on snacks, fishing tackle, pool floats, or ice cream, or just catch a little air conditioning and Wi-Fi. The General Store also has a nice balcony overlooking the water and some oyster beds.

  The campsites are suitable for car camping, hammock camping, tent camping, or RVs. Be sure to bring your rain gear and rain flies, as Florida thunderstorms are brief but no joke. You can rent bicycles down closer to the actual Old Fort where there's also a huge fishing pier and plenty of old military installations to explore. However don't rely on using the bikes to get back to the campground as there's no drop-off on the other side.

  It can be a bit of a long walk from the campground itself to the Old Fort, which shouldn't be a problem unless you didn't pack the right clothes or shoes. If, like me, you find yourself a little under-prepared, there is Lyft and Uber in the area and in a pinch you can use that to get back and forth between the campground and the fort.

  Our neighbors at the next campsite over we're, unfortunately, a bit of a party crowd, which made for a loud night and very little sleep. That said the restrooms were nice and easy to reach and all of the amenities or what you would expect at a bigger busy or campground.

• 

  Daniel S.

  Legend

  

  Oct. 14, 2017

  Fort De Soto Campground

  Excellent camping right on the beaches of florida.

  We had an excellent mini camping vacation down in florida with a hole bunch of friends celebrating a 30th birthday. Fort desoto is perfect for hammocking and the weather is ideal. There trees everywhere, picnic tables and fire pits.

  Do watch out for those sneaky raccoons. They literally went into our cooler and drank a bunch of out beers. I get it when every one is wasted beers are fair game..but seriously the crushed some beers. People were friendly at the campground and it seemed like there were a bunch of other people partying.

  This is also a great place to camp if you looking to do water activities. There are jet skis, boat tours, fishing tours, all kinds of things near by. Have fun and don't drink to much.

  Cheers!

• 

  Brice P.

  Scout

  

  Aug. 25, 2022

  Fort De Soto Campground

  Beautiful time at the local state park

  The wife and I are using this as our first test run for full time RVing. Packed up a small class c rental and got a waterfront site. It’s hot. Very hot. But it’s Florida in the summer. Camping is great here. Raccoons are very smart and arent scared of people. Keep your stuff locked up. The att service is terrible but T-Mobile is very good. Wi-Fi available but only at the office and camp store. Might be better if you have a Wi-Fi booster? We don’t have that. The park is quiet and clean. Plenty of non gross garbage cans. Electricity and water no problems. The park is beautiful. Side note: watched a guy empty his black tank into the sewage area without a hose so that’s pretty gross

• 

  Dave V.

  Legend

  

  Sep. 30, 2016

  Cayo Costa State Park Campground

  Want your own island...well...here it is!

  Though Cayo Costa State Park is located in SW Florida...a bustling madhouse of northerners from Oct through May...you can still find peace and quiet.

  Most folks prefer to pay the $45 to take the ferry across the waterway between Pine Island and Cayo Costa...but I say save a few bucks...brave the power boaters, stuff your gear in dry bags, cram them into the kayak and paddle to/from the island. (The only downside is you have to leave your kayaks up on storage racks at the Cayo Costa Ranger Station).

  Take the time to plan your paddle around, between and through the barrier islands to Cayo Costa. There is some big water, that might put your panties in a bunch if you aren't use to it. With all the skirting, figure about 5 water miles...give or take. We left Pineland Marina (overnight parking was $8 for your vehicle)...paddled across to Black Key, down through Orange Pass, around Coon Key, pass between the southern point of Useppa island and Terrassee Island and stop for lunch on Cabbage Key...at none other than Cabbage Key Restaurant (where Jimmy Buffet wrote/sang of "cheeseburger in paradise"...for real!). We are talking Old Florida here. Then weave your way north a couple mles to the Cayo Costa State Park Ranger Station/Camp Store. You'll get a rickshaw type hauler to pull all your gear the nearly one mile to the other west side of the island where the tent sites and primitive cabins are.

  Remember, if you do take the ferry...know the times of arrival and departure...or you'll be staying another day.

  If you paddle...know the upcoming forecast. If weather turns poorly...you'll be nervously paddling back singing the Gilligan's Island theme song.

  Caveat: This is SW Florida...we are talking below the tropics line folks. It's hot. If you rent one of the primitive cabins (do so long in advance...) there is no electricity, so there is no AC, fans or what-have-you. If you are in a tent...its hot...suck it up and love it! Being SW Florida...on the Gulf...sand and all...you get skeeters and no-see-ums or chiggers. If there is no wind off the Gulf, sometimes you'll get small biting flies. I only add this, so you come prepared. Sawyer Permithrin Clothing spray works great...I spray it on my clothes and tent.

  Also know, that from June through October, it'll ordinarily rain for a short duration in the afternoon. Nothing to worry about and it cools things down (just kidding...it cranks up the humidity). You'll be in your swimsuit anyways...

  It seems as though you are marooned on your own little island. You'll enjoy a myriad of water birds (herons, egrets, diver ducks, anhinga, spoonbills, pelicans, sea gulls) along with osprey, bald eagles, kingfisher and kites. The beach is awesome...and sunsets like you've never enjoyed before! Stargazing is to die for...no ambient light to wash out the blackness of the night sky.

  Swim, shell, explore, fish (get a free shoreline fishing license first..ya, I know...if its free why bother...but it is the law)...it doesn't get much better than this.