Best Glamping near Waldo, FL

Very close to the University of Florida. Nice campground recently renovated.

We love this campground. The sites have nice shade ( important in Florida) the bathrooms are clean and well designed. We love hiking down to the Santa Fe river.

Nice sites and some even have full hookups which is unusual for a Florida State Park.

Has beautiful sandy trails and near the silver springs park that allows kayaking and boat access on 40. You can rent a cabin or park rv. Not the most beautiful Florida park.

Lots of Floridas natural beauty but it felt like the camp sites were a bit close together. Very few full hookups most with electricity and water only. Probably won't stay here again

The campsite was nice and private. The bathrooms were clean. The park had nice hiking trails, but I enjoyed the kayaking most of all. There is a swimming section. The river goes underground but you can’t kayak in this area. The river has a small rapids area, for Florida. Got to see a snake sunbathing next to two turtles with kayaking. Fun park!

We've stayed @ O'Leno 3 times over the past year and love it! The campsites are spacious, well shaded, and with in easy walking distance to the Bathhouse/Restrooms. The facilities are kept clean and neat. There are plenty of trails and a swimming hole on the Santa Fe River. 

We also like that O'leno is 15 -20 minutes from some of Florida's beautiful Natural Springs.

We really enjoyed this park. We camped at a tent only site which was private as there weren’t many tent campers while we were there during the week. Stayed at site 31 which is probably the furthest walk from parking but the most private. We saw wild bison, wild turkeys, deer, snakes, and several different species of birds. Disappointed we didn’t see any wild horses but will most definitely be back. Beautiful part of Florida.

O’Leno State Park Review| Site 50 Oleno State Park is the camping I always remembered. You know, like quintessential state or national park imagery where you would expect to see“Smoky The Bear” around the next bend. It was one of Florida’s original state parks being built by the Civilian Conservation Corps after WWI as part of the make work project by FDR. This is probably why it has that National Park Vibe… you feel immediately at ease and that you are outside in nature. The campground surely has that feel as well as the facilities down by the river. 

There are still a few remaining buildings from the original town of Keno. This park reminds me of Hillsboro State Park with its suspension bridge over the Sante Fe River before it disappears into the ground only to appear another 3 miles downstream. The hiking in this park is OUTSTANDING. In addition, the campsites are really nice. 

We camped in Dogwood Campground which is near the entrance of the park. Most of the reviews seem to indicate that people prefer Magnolia Campground which is about 1.5 miles down the road near the river and most of the activities but after riding through that campground we were happy we were in Dogwood with it’s narrow dirt road and very rustic primitive appearance even though the sites have power and water. 

We would certainly return to this park when we can stay longer and visit some of the nearby Springs like Gilchrist Blue or Ginnie. We were in site#50. The bathhouse was clean as they are in all Florida State Parks and kind of cool that it is in the middle of the campground with small trails leading to it from a number, if not most of the campsites. 

NOTE: Some of the photos were from a trip earlier in the year as we didn’t take many pics this trip. It may appear“greener” than it actually is in North Florida in February. By the end of March it will look like this again.

Nice camp ground. Most of the space were pull through for Rv/campers. They were pretty narrow spaces. Lots of trees and shade. The entire campground was dirt and some gravel. The bathrooms were ok. Not kept the cleanest, but not the worst I’ve seen.

Super close to the river for easy access. Be prepared it almost rains every day in Florida, so if tent camping be prepared for rain.

Older Florida park with roots in the CCC and Forestry Service. Large park with hiking, bike and equestrian trails. Along the Santa Fe River there is a swimming hole, suspension bridge, old buildings and a small museum. Magnolia loop would be the best loop for RVs, but spots can be had. Facilities are clean, albeit old. Camping loops and pads are hard sand. Sites vary in size and level. Separation between sits is not bad but suffered in hurricane damage. Some sites appear a bit tight with overhanging trees.

I didn’t actually stay overnight here, but biked over from the nearby Hart Springs campground. Nice facility with fully shaded spots among Florida forest. There were a number of unmarked buildings, but upon researching it looks like a covered pool and clubhouse. The spring swimming area was lovely and clear and no crowds. Seems like a nice place to stay for a fun, activity filled getaway.

Just a beautiful state park, with that old Florida feel. The sites are big and have plenty of space between them. The the park staff we interacted with were very friendly and informative. The glass bottom boat tour is an absolute must, we had such a wonderful time and the boat captain had lots of interesting information. We have a 4 year old and a 10 year old and they both really enjoyed the boat tour also.

I can’t say too much about this campground because I didn’t stay here. We say the sign and wanted to check it out so we just talked to the nice people in the office and they told us to take our time. The campground looked like nice decent size sites. They have 5 cabins available. A cute playground, volleyball area and a covered, screened in pool. The spring wasn’t anything amazing but definitely a way to cool off here in the Florida heat. I will definitely be staying here in the future.

My husband and I camped at Silver Springs Campground in our 33' RV and we loved the spacious sites this park offers! We rode our bikes around the campground and were amazed as almost all the sites were huge! Live oak trees with Spanish moss...this campground is truly the "Real Florida". Each site is shady, clean and the the bathroom facilities are close by and have a washer & dryer along with a sink..

The park also has several pretty cool looking cabins/cottages that were nestled in the forest. There is a museum and even a library!

You can hike or drive over to the adjacent Silver Springs (we rode our bikes) and take a boat tour of the mag. 1 crystal clear spring! We got lucky and scored with Oscar Collins, who has been a tour boat captain at Silver Springs for 49 years...he takes the tour to the next level with his knowledge, wit, and what can we say...the man is a Rock Star!

The park offers a launch where you can either rent a kayak or use your own to navigate the beautiful and serene Silver River and you just might see a gator or two...we did! The grounds at Silver Springs are beautiful with all types of flora & fauna. Grab a quick lunch at the restaurant or have an ice cream.

This park is one of our favorites in Florida and is great for all ages...especially for families with children. A fun place for adventure and exploring!

Silver Springs Silver Springs SP Beautiful Florida campground with 60 sites, many pullthrus. The sites are huge with lots of space and privacy. Lush surroundings. Water, electricity, fire pit, grill and picnic table on level gravel sites. The bathhouse is modern, clean, good sized. They have family showers too. Nice laundry facility. There is an environmental museum and a Pioneer Village and the grounds. Campgrounds are next to the Silver Springs where you have to take the glass bottom boat tour.$10 pp for seniors. You can also kayak the Springs but watch out for gators!The grounds on the Springs and campground have great trails.

This park is more than just a glass bottom boat tour. Within the park radius—> You have the “Silver Springs Attraction”, the state campground with all it’s hiking/biking trails, Silver River kayaking/paddling , a small museum and lots of history at this park. Then within an aprox 6mile radius (easy biking) you can enjoy Majorie Cross Greenway,Florida Trail, Swamp Lake trails and the state park equestrian trails. Wow! RV and tent sites -some with full hook up and really nice cabins. This was some the best kayaking up and down river....both ways were a joy to paddle. (Watch our kayaking the silver river video on our YouTube channel...resident manatees are often seen on river!!) We were here in a 34 foot Class A with only 2 bikes and 2 kayaks Happy Camping www.travylcouple.com

Silver Springs State Park Lovely state park in central Florida. Quiet, well spaced forested sites. We stayed in #27 in Feb 2021 but all the sites are nice. Bathrooms and showers all clean and there are some coin-operated laundry machines. Several good hikes from the campground although they don’t show up on the AllTrails app. The trail heads are near the Museum and they branch off into various trails. No trail maps at trail heads though - the only one we saw was deep into one of the trails. The River Trail and Swamp Trail are very nice. The campground is about a mile from Silver Springs SP day use area, and there are more hikes there. There are also kayak abs canoe rentals there. We rented a kayak for two hours and it was great. We will come back!

Spacey sites, though tent campers run the risk of RV generators in your ear as per most Florida state park sites.

Took me two days to see monkeys. I'd recommend staying 3 days if this is your primary reason for visiting the park. The Swamp and River trails (both trailheads are near the campground) are your best bet for seeing them on foot, but I only saw them by boat.

If you have your own boat or paddleboard, you can launch from the ramp half a mile off the River trail ($2 launch fee) and paddle upriver, then float down in the hopes of seeing monkeys.  You can also launch from Ray Wayside Park and paddle all the way up (6 miles, get wrecked).

In addition to a troop of rhesus macaques I saw gators, cormorants, anhinga, hella fish, great blue heron, red bellied cooters, and one otter!

This campground is nice the sites are nice sized and level. The campground is not located at the head springs where the glass bottom boats are and kayak rentals. This makes it even better. The campground is quiet. It's a 15 minute drive to the head springs. 

We had our own Kayaks so we put in at the head springs and paddled down to the campground. It's a 2 to 2 1/2 hour trip or more because of all the beautiful landscape and the wildlife. At the campground exit to get out of the river you have to have wheels to transport the kayaks back to the parking lot. It's about a 1 mile hike pulling the kayak.

You can also do a longer trip an paddle further to Rays Wayside. It's less busy paddling that part of the river. You will need to leave a vehicle parked at Rays Wayside to get back to the headsprings. There is a company for $10 per person that will pick you up there and brings you back. Silver Springs charges $55 per person. 

I was in site 53 and there are trails you can hike from behind many of the campsites. There is a cracker house village and a great museum with artifacts and giant skeletons of big creatures. Lots of fossils and arrowheads. The Museum is only open on weekends.

The bath houses are very clean and if cold out nice hot heaters. There is a washer and dryer at the bath houses too.

They sell firewood and ice at the campground. You use a QR code scanner to purchase it. The wood is nice and burns like wood should.

I went to Silver springs as a kid and always thought of it as a tourist trap. I never had a desire to camp there yet I will say I have changed my mind and have already booked for next year. 

Florida residents have a one month booking advantage which started this past January. If your a Florida senior resident you get 1/2 off the price. The campsite hang tag gets you into the headspring for free. 

The park is nice I will visit again.

We loved this campground. We did not visit pool/hottub or bathrooms... had a camper delivered and towed our boat up. Perfect spot on the Sante Fe with the Ichetucknee and Suwanee rivers super close. Huge dockage and nice spot for overflow/trailer parking. 

The park it self was very nice we got a River spot and loved it. 

We did get take out from the bar, it was bar food. Wifi is bad, like real bad but you are in the woods. Had enough on my mifi to stream Dinner and a Movie for NYE. Speaking of NYE they had a Motley Crew cover band, social distancing and masks are not a thing in this part of Florida, like the posters from the health department don't even mention masks, so if COVID is still a thing prepare yourself. There is one gas station within a few miles and that is it. Bring everything you need or eat bar food.

I recently stayed at the Island Oak RV Park in the beautiful town of Glen St Mary, Florida and I must say, I was thoroughly impressed with the facilities and overall experience. The park is conveniently located off I-75 just outside of Jacksonville.

The park itself is well-maintained - clean and has great amenities. My spot was level and spacious with full hookups including water, sewer, and 50-amp electric, which was perfect for my larger RV. They do provide WIFI but from my experience, it was not too reliable and we opted for using our mobile hotspot. We have AT&T, the 5G signal was great, and were able to get 60 - 90 Mbps down with our hotspot.

One of the things that stood out to me was the range of amenities available at the park. They had a great playground for kids, a refreshing heated swimming pool, a hot tub, and a well-stocked general store where I could purchase everything from snacks to RV supplies and even a decent selection of alcohol.

The laundry facilities were also modern and clean, but we did not use them. The Gym was well-outfitted with a variety of equipment and would be good for a quick morning workout. We went during St. Patrick’s Day, they had events going on throughout the weekend.

The lake was a little cold so we did not use it. They did have a variety of paddle boats and kayaks around for free use. During the summer months, they have a floating obstacle course that looks like a lot of fun.

The putt-putt golf course is another fun amenity at this RV park. The course is nicely laid out, with a variety of obstacles that make it challenging but not too difficult. They also have a variety of other games, corn-hole, bocce ball, shuffleboard, latter ball, basketball, volleyball, pickle ball, and even a loan frisbee golf hole.

What really set this RV park apart was its restaurant and bar. I have stayed at a few others that have similar amenities but this one was better than most. We had the wings two nights in a row they were so good! They also offered a good selection of pizza, burgers, sandwiches, and appetizers. The bar was equally impressive, with a great selection of beers, wines, and cocktails, as well as a welcoming atmosphere, and since it was St. Patrick’s Day they also offered festive cocktails.

The bathhouses were clean and well-maintained. The one we used has 4 stalls to it all with a private bathroom and shower in one. If I am nitpicking the water pressure was not great but it was nice and hot. Each bathhouse also has laundry machines available for use.

Overall, I highly recommend Pine View RV Park to anyone looking for a fun and convenient RV park in North Florida. The friendly staff, immaculate facilities, and range of amenities make it a top-notch destination for RVers of all ages.

I had relatively low expectations of Silver Springs mostly from childhood memories of hot, humid, crowded and touristy. Well, it was a real retro experience and I'm happy to say that not much has changed and that's a good thing!

The camp ground was exceptional with lots and lots of room. The river, as pristine as ever. The tour boats were the very same vessels of my childhood memories and provided a great backdrop to the overall setting.

I think we were in spot 51 which was a pull through and probably the very largest campsite we have ever had and it dwarfed our little travel trailer but we loved it.

It pretty much rained most of the weekend but we still enjoyed our long paddle with all kinds of wildlife INCLUDING THE MONKEYS!!!

The only reason I give this park a 4 and not a 5 star is you have to drive to the kayak launch which is in the same parking lot as the access for the day guests (and there are many). 

I applaud Florida State Parks for managing such a great facility in spite of all the pressure over the years. WE WILL RETURN.