Dog-Friendly Camping near Thonotosassa, FL

Dog-Friendly Camping Reviews near Thonotosassa, FL

1209 Reviews of 245 Thonotosassa Campgrounds

• 

  James W.

  Guide

  Nov. 5, 2026

  St. Petersburg-Madeira Beach KOA Holiday

  The bayou site are excellent. Reasonably level, nice patios, and a bit of a view. The staff are nice and helpful. They seem to have a section for those of us who are not snowbirds.

• 

  Stuart K.

  Legend

  Nov. 1, 2026

  Fort De Soto Campground

  The Most Perfect Campground in Florida?

  On my never-ending pursuit of finding the most perfect campground on earth ... I may have just landed it! Fort DeSoto State Park Campground, which rests at the southernmost edge of Pinellas County, reached by crossing a series of causeways from St. Petersburg until the land simply runs out and the Gulf of Mexico (as my friend John Cougar Mellencamp recently point out - not Gulf of ‘Merika) takes over. First impressions are pure Florida magic with palm-lined roads, sweeping water views of translucent aqua blue shimmering in the sun all accompanied by a salty breeze that makes you feel like vacation has officially begun. The campground itself is spread across a low-lying coastal landscape with mangroves, dunes and open skies punctuated by cotton candy clouds, and despite its popularity, this tri-loop campground haven manages to feel relaxed and unhurried if you pick your timing right.

  This archipelago is shaped like a boomerang with 3 distinct campground loops – each with its own vibe, layout, amenities and overall character (more on this later) – leaving one with the impression that Fort DeSoto is both incredibly spacious as well as incredibly well-organized, offering a mix of waterfront and interior sites with paved pads, picnic tables, stand-up grills and access to modern bathhouses that are generally clean and well maintained. Many sites offer electric and water hookups, with a dump station available for RV travelers. Navigation through the one-way loops is straightforward, pets are welcome and the overall layout feels intentionally designed to handle high traffic without feeling chaotic. While there’s but just a modest playground on-site, there are much more amenities for the kids on North Beach, but throughout the campground area, the sheer amount of open space, bike paths, beach side access to inlets that will allow you to make the most out of being this close to the Gulf more than compensates for families.

  What truly sets Fort DeSoto apart is everything just outside your campsite. Miles of white sand beaches wrap around the park, including North Beach which is frequently ranked among the best beaches in the country (note: not county ... country). Kayaking trails wind through calm mangrove tunnels, fishing piers stretch into Tampa Bay, and biking loops circle the entire park. History lovers can explore the restored fort and military ruins, while birders will find plenty to admire along the shoreline. For supplies, you’re about 15 minutes from Tierra Verde Market, Publix and a Walmart Supercenter on Pinellas Bayway as well as a handful of casual eateries like Billy’s Stone Crab and Sea Hags if cooking feels optional.

  Trying to find out which 1 of the 3 loops might be best for you? I’ll try to break this down. First, of all, my brother and I stayed in Area #1, so let me begin there, not only because numerically that’s where we should begin, but also because I’m the most familiar with this loop, which consists of sites numbered #1-85. If you’re looking not just for ocean views with Gulf access – because like me, you’ve brought a kayak / canoe – then Area #1 for this solo reason is why you want to book here. And while it’s true that you likely could access water in Area #2, you’ll have to go the long way around to access the Gulf. Back to Area #1, I found this simple, single loop offering sites excellent in size, with TONS of shade (no need to bring your shelter to blot out the sun, although not a bad idea to have it handy in case of rain) and decent length long ‘driveways’ with which to pull in and set up camp, whether you’re packing tents (like me) or pulling in with your RV or sprinter van. Seriously, the scenery alone here in Area #1(at least sites #1-34) cannot be beaten with direct views of the Gulf, which you can access in less than 20 paces from where you’ve pitched your tent or parked for the night. 

  Each site is equipped with electric and water and for RVs needing sewage, there’s a spot as you exit prior to arriving at the ranger station that will accommodate you. The restroom and shower facilities in Area#1 are the best that I’ve ever seen in the state of Florida (which is saying something as I’ve camped in more than 100 spots here in the Sunshine state) – and wonder if this is because CG Hosts (versus FL state employees) are charged with keeping the CG clean?! – with very hot water (sometimes TOO hot) and lots of pressure would be an accurate description. Area #2 IMHO is somewhat cramped, very RV populated, with sites that are fairly crowded, yet heavily shaded with amenities that are similar to Area #1, albeit slightly more outdated; however, if you come with pets in tow, this is the ONLY area that will welcome you here at Fort DeSoto CG. Lastly, Area #3 has AMAZING water views, but given the seawall that surrounds this portion of the island, you won’t be able to actually access the water unless you dock your boat somehow to the wall and don’t mind jumping up 4-6 feet down to access your vessel. I found the sites here to be fine, although like Area #2, somewhat crowded, but yet still offering very good shade with restroom and shower facilities to be on par with the rest of the park. The best sites over here would be those from #197– 233 that look northernly towards the Gulf offering nothing short of AMAZING sunsets on the water.

  Insider’s tips? Here’s a handful: (1) Waterfront sites in Loop 2 and Loop 3 are the most coveted for sunset views and breezes, but they book fast; (2) Bring bikes as this park is tailor-made for cruising on two wheels with flat, scenic loops in and around the campground area, but the best biking will be had once heading out past the ranger station to explore the larger areas of the island, where East Beach is worth a glide by (especially to watch the kite surfers where wind is at its strongest), but it’s North Beach that will have you stopping for a longer spell; (3) Kayaking through the mangroves on a calm morning is a must, especially for wildlife sightings; however, our absolute favorite moment of the entire trip was crossing the strong currents of shipping lanes to make it all the way to Shell Key, which apart from a few pensioners getting sunburnt in their beach chairs and an errant fishing boat or two, we had the entire island to ourselves … EASTER EGG: I’m a fairly solid kayaker and love oaring and with these strong currents, it IS manageable to cross, but you’ll want to plan on at least 1 hour of non-stop, albeit scenic oaring to make it to Shell Key; (4) Afternoon storms roll through quickly in summer, so plan beach time early and camp dinners later; (5) North Beach on the northernmost edge tends to be quieter and more family-friendly than the busier east-facing beaches near the fort; (6) If you’re visiting during peak season, weekday stays are noticeably calmer than weekends; and (7) When heading to the restroom facilities you will come across what is likely the largest sign I have ever seen in any campground WARNING YOU OF RACCOONS and, trust me, you want to HEED THIS SIGN as these black-eyed bandits are EVERYWHERE and not afraid to come right up to your tent and look in or right up to you sitting next to your campfire while looking for something to eat or steal, so be incredibly careful and PACK UP EVERYTHING whenever it’s not being used EVEN IN DAYLIGHT HOURS.

  In sum, I absolutely loved this campground and will now be comparing every single one I visit to Fort DeSoto Campground.

  Happy Camping!

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• 

  Stuart K.

  Legend

  Nov. 1, 2026

  Countryside RV Park

  Wild West Meets Old Florida

  This Old Florida location has a Western bent to the place with the covered wagon motif and ranch-styled main office with what looks to be a horse tie up on the porch, so whatever the theme might be, this RV enclave is a good stretch away from the I75 highway that you moseyed onto in to find this 55+ retirement one lane (OK, there’s a simple loop) cowboy retirement OK corral. You’ll access Countryside RV Park via Country Rd 489 just off of Route 470 and if you blink (you know, because of all that dust blowing off the prairie), you’d miss the turn-off, so keep your eyes peeled, pardner, and about 20 yards into the property, you’ll swing by the office on what looks to be freshly laid, small single vehicle lanes and check in with the sheriff (er, the RV manager), who will direct you to your humble piece of very flat land, which no doubt will be draped in shade provided by the scattered ancient and live oaks that are sweating Spanish moss creating a very (trust me) un-wild, wild west vibe.

  There’s some basic amenities here in addition to the standard pull-through parking pads and FHUs offering 20 / 30 / 50 amp electric, water and sewage, including: sanitary dump, impeccably clean his / her restrooms and shower facilities, picnic tables, WiFi, cable TV, coin-operated laundry, horseshoes, side X side shuffle boards that are in pristine condition, recreation room with billiards, dog park, fire pit, retention pond, on-site storage, exercise equipment and gym. There’s even a proper mail room in case you plan on staying long enough that you need to receive mail here or have it forwarded (beats waiting for the Pony Express to arrive). Due to this being a semi- or full-retirement zone, Countryside offers additional diversions and activities like bingo, Karaoke, bowling, arts & crafts as well as Bible study, in addition to learning how to lasso your very own steer (OK, I made up this last one).

  Insider’s tips? Here’s a few: (1) If your ID or social security card doesn’t clearly state that you are 55+ you won’t have any luck at this hideout; (2) If you do manage to stay here, IMHO the best spots are those either on the western - but of course - side of this depot (#6 – 22) or eastern (#46–#59) perimeters; (3) Should you need to load up on anything while here, there’s not much nearby apart from a Dollar General and Kal’s Food Grocery, but if you don’t mind driving slightly further afield, there’s a Publix NE of here and a Winn-Dixie and Walmart due south of here towards Bushnell; and (4) In the event that you’d like to grab some local grub, there’s Big Apple Café and a Subway nearby in the small town here, or up on Lake Panasoffkee there’s Big Bass Grill Lakefront Restaurant & Marina, which I highly recommend.

  Happy Camping!

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• a

  alan F.

  Scout

  Oct. 28, 2026

  Hillsborough River State Park Campground

  Showers and bathrooms are closed

• G

  Gordon S.

  Scout

  Oct. 23, 2026

  Little Manatee River State Park Campground

  Quiet. Definitely skewed toward equestrian. Sites are well spaced. Outer loop is best. Restroom/showers are very well kept. Not much for kids. Short trails are ok. Cayaking is best option if you're in to that. Relax here, enjoy the peace and have your favorite beverage

• 

  Julio B.

  Scout

  Oct. 21, 2026

  Fort De Soto Campground

  Beautiful 😁

• E

  Efstathios A.

  Scout

  Oct. 21, 2026

  Encore Winter Quarters Pasco

  Great location

• d

  d I.

  Guide

  Oct. 20, 2026

  Bradenton / Hunsader Farms KOA

  Nice little place. Gravel, pull-through sites, clean bathrooms, and friendly staff. Tons to do for the littles!

• C

  Corey S.

  Traveler

  Oct. 12, 2026

  Bay Bayou RV Resort

  Great time @ a great campground.

  Great fishing docks, with lighting for nighttime fishing. Clean & great environment, kids had a blast. Will stay here again