Mandie Z.

Clearwater, FL

Joined March 2023

3 stars isn't bad

I'm giving 3 stars because I was pretty satisfied and that's it. To me, 5 stars means spectacular. Here's what I can say, pro, con, and fyi. Pro - it's nicely tended, as a state campground it's got pretty nice amenities (electricity and water hookups, dump station is on site). The bathrooms are clean, except for the windows and ceiling. Broken screens have allowed insects (and probably other pests) to get in and the spider nests along the ceiling were - ick). But the facilities work, plenty of hot water in the shower, toilets clean etc. Horse stalls are in good condition as well. It's quiet and very dark at night. Great for star-gazing. Cons- Try to get a sense of the space before picking your site. The photos etc made it look like easy back-in but gets are some sites with trees very close and the lane is super narrow. I had a rough time backing in, even with help because there wasn't room to pull forward to maneuver. BUT I moved to another site and it was perfect. Close to the bathroom, easy back in and still had some shade. The more shade you get the more chance you'll have a tight squeeze backing in. I had a rough time coming in at night, the keypad for the gate isn't lit and it's very low (could hardly reach from my truck). Also, I found it odd that the camping area and approach is paved, but about 1-1/2 miles of the trail is gravel. So you go from paved to gravel to paved. Go SLOW on the gravel stretch, it's very bumpy and you'll raise a white cloud of dust. The dump station is near the gate, but it's narrow and the placement of the trees and gate can make it tricky to pull out. Hard to describe - just be cautious pulling into the dump station - plan your exit before you pull all the way in or you might have trouble (especially if someone is waiting and you can't back up. FYI Cell service is bad for AT&T. I'm told other carriers are better. It's a fairly remote public campground. Plan your trips, you won't want to get to your site and realize you should have picked up ice because it will be 20 minutes one way to get out. I'd absolutely stay there again, now that I know where the best sites are and that I should have a cell-signal booster. It really is a nice place - beautiful woods.

A step above for the area

I read a lot of reviews before I came to stay here. Important to note that I was here for a few weeks in May. So a lot of snowbirds are packed up and gone. I can't say what it's like in January, but I've had no problems. The permanent residents are friendly. The amenities are plentiful. I haven't used their bathrooms much but from what I've seen they are clean. The hookups at my site are convenient and unlike another place I stayed, I'm not sharing a single water line with another space. Someone else said the spaces are tight. It really depends on the space. The roads are narrow - it's an older neighborhood, so no surprise - but pulling into my spot (pull-through) was very easy and I have way more room than other places that charge more for the same type of site. The clubhouse is pretty amazing. Clearly, they take pride in their facilities. In fact, the buildings were getting re-roofed while I was here. Impressive library, pool tables, games, huge collection of jigsaw puzzles, social events and the pool is clean. I've seen reviews about homeless people etc. Let's be clear - I've never seen anyone inside the park who doesn't belong here. Florida has a homeless population - that's sad, but if you want them to hide because they ruin your illusion that everyone lives your privileged life - you're the problem. I like to go for walks at night. I've never felt afraid. Never been bothered. And the large family of ducks bedding down are sweet to see! To anyone who says "this isn't a resort" I ask, what does that mean? The facilities are full of things to do and well maintained. If you want a gated community or a place that is entirely populated with shiny new rv's this isn't the place. There are mobile homes, there are all kinds of rv's. I've stayed at other parks in the area - so far this one is the best for reasonable money. If you want to spend 3 times as much - sure, you'll find newer parks. I'd come back again. No question.

Crowded but convenient

There are pros and cons, like anywhere. If you want a convenient location to the beaches, stores, restaurants etc this place is great. But it's crowded and it's hard to get a sense of the community. There's a real mix of permanent, seasonal and "just passing through." I'm here at the tail end of spring break season. Florida snowbirds are just starting to look north. So you might deal with loud music and you might have a nice chat with someone who's been here all winter. I personally don't like how cramped it feels - but honestly in Pinellas County Florida everything is close together. The sites vary in size and shape. My site is clean, hookups all work, gravel must have been added recently. I got a hello text with a map and some brochures dropped at my door. Otherwise no one has bothered me. Don't rely on the wifi. My mobile 5G isn't working great either because of the amount of traffic. The facilities are there, but not spectacular. They don't have enough trash cans, so they overflow a lot. The "fitness center" is an open shack, but it does have equipment. Bathrooms are fairly clean, but not in great repair. The biggest problem is the sand fleas (aka noseeums). They clearly don't spray and there's a terrible infestation. I had welts for weeks. Use bug spray!