**Trail Lakes Campground** is Everglades RV and tent camping at its best!! Camp in the Everglades with the conveniences of home. We are located in the Big Cypress National Preserve and surrounded by over 1 million acres of National Park lands. **Trail Lakes Campground** offers a truly unique wilderness camping experience. We’re owned and operated by the Shealy family for three generations. This old- style Florida campground is one of a kind. We offer primitive tent camping, tent camping with electric (Class B site), rustic cabins with A/C, and Native American built chickee cottages for a clamping-style experience. Amenities include showers, laundry, ice, firewood, general camping sundries, a gift shop and nearby fishing areas and hiking trails. Information regarding availability, unit capacity and reservations are available on our website. Fishing and safari guide services are available directly on site. Restaurants, grocery, gas, hardware, bait and tackle supplies and National park water access are easily accessible in nearby Everglades City, just 12 minutes away. Experience the real Florida at **Trail Lakes Campground.**



Trail Lakes Campground

I gave this campground 5 stars because it feels so different than the rest of the Campgrounds available in Big Cypress Reserve and Everglades National Park. 

  

Trail Lakes is a proper campground which is staffed and gated just off of Hwy 41 (Alligator Alley) on the west side in Ochopee. It's open all year long. 

  

For me, visiting in the off season, it felt nice to have the structure of the campground. Most of the other campgrounds I visited along 41 between Naples and Miami were completely empty of people, but full of signs warning campers of Panthers and alligators - and even bears. I had no idea Florida had bears. I didn't want to camp alone, so I loved that this campground had staff and a few other guests who might notice f I got eaten.

  

The campground is open all year long, and has a small store in the camp office. 

  

The campground is built in several loops around a couple of lakes and has space for RV's and tents. If also offers cabins and some screened in open air huts (which I didn't stay in but they looked really cool). You could buy ice and firewood, as well as rent kayaks if you dared to boat through alligator swamps.

  

There's not much in Ochopee, so stock up when you leave Miaimi or Naples (depending which way you drive). There are a few things available at the campground store.  There is a mini post office in Ochopee which is worth stopping for a photo opp. The airboat tours which are everywhere along the highway here are definitely worth it.   

  

You can get their latest pricing for all their sites and cabins at www.evergladescamping.net

Great basecamp for Everglades Adventures!

Great spot, secluded in nature. Instantly felt peaceful and happy upon arrival. Excited to be here for 2 days!!

Update after the trip: loved this campground. Slept in my hammock for 2 days while my buddy was in the cabin. Quiet area. Beautiful stars at night. Very friendly hosts and on-site services such as wood delivery at all times!

Have been here less than an hour and I’m in love!!

My girlfriend and I wanted to do the spur of the moment camping trip and so, while we were driving from the east side of south Florida we tried calling multiple campgrounds to find which had last minute availability for a 7:30 pm check-in. This campground was the first to answer the phone number listed on this app. The lady that answered was very nice and explained they had electricity and showers and that there were still tent sites available. The latest time you can check in is 9:00 pm and check out time is lax so we weren’t told a specific time. 

Once arriving to the campground all we had to do was call a number to unlock the gate and then we paid for our camp site while we were in the car. After we paid, we were escorted to our camping site by a gentleman on a four wheeler. 

The camping cite has a grill and electricity but we couldn’t find any water pump. But we brought water so we were fine. We were on a site next to the bathroom which also has showers, so it was easily accessible. There is a good amount of space for each site. You can definitely play some music at a low volume without disturbing anyone else. Another great aspect of this location is your ability to see all of the stars. There are no towns close by so the light pollution is low. 

We are in November now and the weather is in the 70s during the day and 60s at night so the mosquitoes are not bad, but they are still present. Having a bottle of bug spray and maybe a fogger will do just fine in this weather. 

Overall I am so happy with this campsite and it was perfect for what we were looking for. 

Nice hideaway 

We were so glad to find this place on The Dyrt. Once you check in, there is someone there to guide you to your site. You cannot reserve sites, you just request the amps needed for your rig. There are tent sites, cabins, and Chickee huts to rent as well. We were guided to a pull thru site. This was a first for us and we were thrilled. Our site was directly across from the bath house. We had no trouble leveling our trailer and getting set up. Fire pits are at every site and fires are encouraged. If you did not bring wood, there is some for sale. The bath house was adequate. It could be cleaner, but it is camping. The sites include water and electric. You are not able to pick up antennae TV unless you have high quality tall antennae. Radio stations came in just fine. 
At the front of the park is a little store with SkunkApe gear and an animal exhibit with gators, pythons and chickens. Skunkape is the equivalent of Sasquatch. Apparently, there is a legend of sitings in the Everglades. Kayak and canoe rentals are available as well as a swamp buggy ride. We brought our own kayaks and were told where to enjoy them. 
This campground is 15 minutes from Everglade City and 25 minutes from Collier-Seminole State Park. 


Hidden Gem

Stayed here a night in February 2021. State parks aren’t yet allowing tents due to Covid. We camp in our truck so don’t fit the definition of “self contained” or tenters, so this spot was great. Water and electric or primitive sites available. There were some great cabins/huts that looked great, too. Hosts are welcoming and helpful. Firewood, ice and some supplies available on site. The sites were spacious and had room to spread out and not be on top of your neighbors. Picnic table and fire rings at each site. It was a full moon the night we stayed and the stars were still incredibly bright as there is very little light pollution. Sunset was beautiful. Some mosquitos at dusk, but not bad at all. (It was February- sure June would be different...) Plenty of trees for shade and hammocks. Two showers in both the men’s and women’s bathrooms. Showers were hot with good water pressure. Shower drains could have been better as the floors were wet throughout the whole bathhouse, unfortunately. (Only reason it’s not a 5-star review.) One bar service on Verizon, but typical for me in the area. We only stayed a night so didn’t take full advantage of kayaks and boats, but there is a lot to do. Campers have free admission to the Snake Ape and reptile exhibits- snake lovers will enjoy the snakes including one of the largest captive pythons in the world. We held a baby alligator and saw the adults up close. The caretaker was refreshingly knowledgeable and caring. Overall, a quick stop for us but we enjoyed it and would stay here again. 

Great quiet spot to camp

It’s the Skunkape Headquarters! It’s got a lot more to offer than other camp stops that cross FL along US41, though a bit pricey.  They have a reptile exhibit which you can visit for free if you’re staying here. Safe, clean &amp; friendly.

A quirky but fun stop.

This is my second time here in 2 months, no other place feels so calm and welcoming without a million rules. Great staff everyone seems so happy.

Simply Beautiful!!!

The campground was beautiful and the sites were somewhat spread out or had vegetation separating the sites. The guys in the shop were great to work with and very friendly 

Everglades

This was my 2nd visit to the park.  At 50 bucks for a tent site, it isn't cheap, but the sites can accommodate up to 3 tents. The scenery is very nice and the staff are helpful, would go again.