Best RV Parks & Resorts near Wildwood, FL

There are more RVers here in the winter than I thought possible in one place not the Hershey or Tampa RV Show.  Lots of families, lots of older folks, overall a good mix of people.  

There are multiple sections here each with a completely different feel.  D section is old-school, Florida State Park-like camping.  You have that romantic, southern charm and foliage.  It's tight for big rigs, lacks internet and getting your Starlink out there can be a challenge.  T-Mobile and AT&T work great out there but, it depends on what you need.  The new section is immaculate with large grass sites, nice pads and easy back-in sites for even the biggest fifth-wheels.  This is the best place if you have a need to work from your camper.  If, like us, you like to work from a tent, you cannot put anything on that beautiful grass campsite.  This is why we stay in the older section.  It's run-down, crumbling concrete pads that need to be repoured, decent sized sites AND you can use the grass.

This is our third time here and we will keep coming back due to community and locality.  Not far from Disney though traffic makes it harder to get to the other parks.  Wawa and Publix are just outside the gate for your coffee and grocery needs.  

Get here at noon ON THE DOT if you want a new site.  D section I recommend 35 feet or under, and enjoy the parade on Saturdays and Sunday as 40-100 new rigs come in.  

STAY AWAY FROM THE SITES NEXT TO THE SEWER ACCESS, THEY STINK!

Whether there is 21 Palm trees here or not, I was not able to tabulate, but this off-the-beaten path RV reclusive respite is conveniently located in central Florida just off the I-4 corridor on Exit 58 and just a 3 mile drive east on highway 532. This location features 70 or so pull-through and back-in RV slots complete with outdated and heavily cracked concrete slabs for your parking pleasure. Half of the slots here looked as though they are occupied by year-on-year residents who have given up moving their RV any further than this place. There were a good dozen or so free spots to park your RV in when we passed through.


There’s a handful of amenities, although I will warn you, mostly everything here is fairly outdated. Here’s a line-up of what to expect: 30 / 50 amp electrical, water and waste hook-ups, laundr-O-mat, fitness center/ gym, a small lake for fishing, horsehoe pit, propane refill station, shuffleboard court, recreation hall, telephone hook-ups, small in-ground heated pool and surrounding patio with lounge chairs and a fairly decent lakeside view. This place is pet-friendly and aside from all of the dogs you’ll come across, you’ll see no shortage of long-necked cranes walking around as though they owned the place. Lovely. 

Insider’s tips? Here’s a few: (1) The small lake in front of 21 Palms is actually great for some lightweight kayaking, just beware of a few points where the water is shallow enough to get you stuck; (2) If you’re looking for something to do locally, check out Orland Tree Trek Adventure, which is an elevated outdoor obstacle course full of ropes, pulleys, suspended bridges and nets that will test your high altitude agility – tons of fun with the kiddos!; (3) If you are looking for a local restaurant, you will be pretty challenged to find much, but we did stumble across a spot called Reunion Café (www.reunion.cafe)) that ended up being quite a little Mediterranean culinary gem – be sure to order the chicken kebab, Shawarma and finish it off with the homemade Baklava! 

Happy Camping!

We enjoy this park a lot because it has so much to offer in the park, nearby, and we often see our friends here each winter. They have approximately 850 sites depending on the tortoises (sometimes they get a whole spot if their best is there). They are adding about 180 sites on the south side of the park. Full hook ups, generous yards, decent landscaping. There are some permanent structures, mostly rentals and the cabins. There are some personal sites as well. The park is about 2.63 miles all the way around the outer loop. Sometimes the cows from next door get loose and come visit. Sometimes there are alligators underneath RVs.

With so many guests they also have a gate guard shack thing and lots of staff members. They have dark green polos ride around on golf carts. They are super friendly. Most of them are RVers at the park as well.

They have many sections. A- Lots of pull throughs B- Giant Field where the kids play C-Not sure where this section is... D- Jungle, Secluded, Private, also with snakes but a lot more shade E/F/G- Normal RV Park in the grass, some shade in some parts. H- Residents of the park and some staff I- Residents and long term guests.

Getaway Cabins- they are adorable from the outside, they look massive compared to an RV.

Cell signals: This park is in Clermont, FL and it’s not a huge town but decent sized town. There isn’t great cell service. The park is further from a tower and there are so many RVers in the area that don’t count towards the population, it becomes a bandwidth issue. This park does have some kind of DSL for long term contracts. They have WiFi for a few throughout the park, and in the Club House they have better WiFi.

They have: 2 Pools 1 Hot Tub Mini Golf Tennis Courts Pickle Ball Courts Shuffle Board Club House Mail Room Camp Store A small Lake with Kayak rental Alligators Sand Hill Cranes Tortoises A Garden Basketball Kids play room and play area Arcade Gym Several pretty ponds and a giant lagoon

Most of all we come here repeatedly because we love to see our friends and being a member we can all stay for free.

We recorded several videos about Thousand Trails Orlando:

https://youtu.be/xiMkg_pDEoM

OK, let’s just cut to the chase here. You are likely considering Sun Outdoors Orlando Champions Gate due to its proximity to the ‘Most Magical Place on Earth’ or one of the other themed amusement parks here in the Orlando area. And maybe you’ve got an RV and shrugged your shoulders and said ‘why not?’ And to this I say, if proximity and accessibility are key criteria for you on this particular trip and locking down a spot to park your RV for a few days while you (and likely the kids) are wanting to enjoy all of the entertainment and endless lines of all-you-can-eat buffets, then Sun Outdoors will certainly be a very good option for you.

What I like most about Sun Outdoors Orlando is that this spot is recently completely refurbished, so everywhere you go, while the place itself looks like it has recently been cleared of all vegetation (definitely a negative in my mind - as it looks as though every single piece of nature, be it grass, bushes or trees, has been surgically removed leaving a very barren, sterile environ), all of the buildings, sites and amenities look fairly brand spanking new, especially the club house and adjoining in-ground heated pool, which is definitely the best aspect of this particular paved campground. Here they have plenty of level, asphalt-paved or grassy RV pads, spots for tent camping as well as even cottages and cabins that they’ll rent to you in case you’ve not come prepared with any overnight preparations of your own.  

Amenities: large heated in-ground swimming pool with patio and deck chairs, umbrellas and chaise loungers, pristine bathroom & showers, shuffleboard court, game room, horseshoe pit, WiFi, pet-friendly, coin-operated laundr-O-mat, dog park, bingo hall, basketball, volleyball, stand-up BBQ grills, religious services, Adirondack chair encircled fire pits, cornhole as well as back-in and pull-through RV slots with concrete patios, picnic table and all the traditional hook-ups (20 / 30 / 50 amp electric, water and sewage).

Insider’s tips: (1) When we visited, there was a solid amount of road construction going on right in front of Sun Outdoors Orlando, so unless that has changed (call ahead if this is of concern), then I would highly suggest booking a spot furthest away the front of the campground, which sits right in front of the roadway where the work is being done; (2) If you grow weary of opening up your on-board fridge or half-empty roto-molded Cordova cooler and want to check out a nearby restaurant, I recommend nearby Miller’s Ale House, Marco’s Pizza, Mondo di Gelato or Reunion Gyro; (3) While this campground will tell you on-line and on-site that you can tent camp here, even if you could, I don’t know that you would want to, unless your idea of a good tent camping experience is being sandwiched between 2 oversized RV’s and pitching your tent on asphalt; (4) Some of these sites for large RV’s and even 5th wheels appear to be a bit too small (several were either parked beyond the asphalt limits on the grass, or the width was too large and overhung the concrete pad itself, creating unstable situation for some RV’s) ;(5) If you actually care to grab a slice of nature while you are here at Sun Outdoors Orlando, then go for a day trip to Lake Tohopekaliga, which has some pretty amazing bass fishing as well as a few choice places to drop your boat into, like Twin Oaks or Cherokee Point Conservation Areas (and if you don’t have your own kayak, canoe or boat, contact Wild Willys Airboat Tours and they’ll show you around); and (6) There’s a Publix, CVS and Aldi so close to this campground that you can walk there, in case you run out of anything.

Happy Camping!

Why contemplate leaving the creature comforts of home when you can just haul everything that you love most to a place that provides all of the concrete paved, easy-to-access amenities that you likely have at home in the first place? If you find yourself in this dilemma, no worries, Orlando/ Kissimmee KOA has all of your manufactured outdoor camping needs covered … and what’s perhaps most interesting is that you won’t even have to drive out of the concrete jungle to encounter this experience, in fact, it’s right off a major 4-lane highway (HWY 192).

So, if you are dreaming of escaping your domesticated life for the thrills of an outdoor camping adventure that will have you appreciating the best of what nature has to offer, then just be forewarned, this is not that place. But if you are simply looking for a change of scenery and want to be near all of the action and attractions here in Central Florida’s ‘Magic City’ and want a different experience than paying overpriced rates at Tiki-hut themed entertainment hotels and relish the idea of dusting off your RV or unpacking your tent in a pseudo nature environment complete with all the astro turf your dog can poop on within a confined, fenced-in setting, then this KOA (and let’s be frank, ANY KOA) has you covered.

As far as amenities go, it’s a KOA, so there’s going to be more amenities here than you can shake a stick at. These include: heated in-ground medium-sized pool complete with tiled patio, lounge chaise chairs, tables with umbrellas and regular chairs, water-rinsing station, as well as a jacuzzi / spa, propane refilling station, bike rentals, 134’ max length slots, WiFi, pavilion, Kamp K9, firewood for sale, 24 hour laundr-O-mat, picnic tables, community fire pits, on-site market, recreation office, life-size Jenga, designated trash areas, fitness center, playground, dog wash, public bus service, basketball court, EV chargers, jump pad, taxi service back-in and pull-through perfectly paved, level concrete RV sites with full hook-ups (30 / 50 amp electric, water and sewage). There’s even RV sites that are dubbed ‘Deluxe,’ which are larger and come with a paved connected patio.

No RV? And REALLY don’t want to have an experience that is different than living at home? Even here at this KOA, that’s not a problem, where the proprietors will easily rent you a deluxe cabin, if there is one available. These 1BR or 2BR A/C cooled Deluxe Cabins sleep 4, 6 or 8 people and come with bunk bed set, futon / sofa sleeper and a queen-sized bed along with a private bath and shower, TV with cable offering over 20 channels, some with EV chargers, patio w/ charcoal or gas BBQ grill and fire pit, front porch with patio furniture and chairs, refrigerator, fresh linens, paw pen for the pups and a partial or full kitchen. They even have rustic cabins that are cheaper and don’t come with all the thrills for those that want some degree of ‘roughing’ it, so this means no kitchen and no bathroom or showers, although there is full bed, bunk bed, TV, mini-refrigerator, A/C patio furniture, brick fire pit with cooking grate.

Insider’s tips? Here’s a few: (1) To continue with the simple, easy-to-access, manufactured experience theme here, for those that grow tired of trying to conjure up that next meal for the kiddos, who are grumbling about making every meal, head on over to any one of these nearby drive-thru windows or curb-side meal offerings: McDonald’s, Panda Express, Applebee’s, Steak ‘n Shake and Wendy’s; (2) If you want to heighten that suburban culinary experience you all have been craving though, I really do rate the silverware-free dining experience that is Medieval Times Dinner & Tournament, which is literally just down the road and is actually a lot of fun for the kiddos and adults alike; (3) Should you find yourself in need of anything that you either forgot or may have run out of, then fear not, there’s a Sam’s Club that is in walking distance from this KOA and further south that definitely requires a drive, there’s a Walmart Supercenter; (4) I’ve noticed that this place has SIGNIFICANT discounts if you simply plan in advance – so for example, during the months of March OR April (it’s January now), they’re offering a whopping 25% discount; and (5) If you are looking for a slice of nature’s paradise, then I highly recommend driving a bit north to Wekiwa Springs, where you’ll be able to enjoy one of the most amazing springs in all of Florida where the water is 72 degrees year round.

Happy Camping!

General: 59-site campground in two loops plus 10 cabins. 

Site Quality: These sites were HUGE. Many were pull-throughs. Our site (51) could easily fit four of our vans! All sites were gravel and level and had water, electric, and (I believe but we didn’t use) sewer hookups, a bbq grill, a fire ring, and a large picnic table. Each loop has a handicap-accessible site near the restrooms. In addition to the size of the sites, there was reasonable separation/privacy between them. Although I did not see the inside of them, the cabins looked beautiful – they were large with huge screened-in porches. One of the cabins was handicap accessible. 

Bathhouse: Was very clean. In addition to the men’s and women’s bathrooms, there were two family restrooms, complete with showers, and the showers had plenty of hot water.  

Activities/Amenities: There is no swimming or fishing here but you can rent kayaks. Note: the launch area is not within walking distance of the campground. We chose to do an organized tour with Get Up and Go Kayaking with glass bottom kayaks. The launch site for this tour is a quick drive from the campground. There are also several hiking trails that were well marked. There is a museum geared toward school groups that is open to the public only on the weekends (we were there during the week). Although the gate agent said there was no recycling, we saw a recycling bin near the restrooms/dumpster. It was not indicated what materials were accepted so I assumed it was single stream. Other amenities include a dishwashing sink, vending machine, a small lending library, and a washer/dryer.

This state park was a pleasant surprise and we wish we could have stayed longer!