Florida is one of the most popular destinations for RVers, for good reason. Home to over 800,000
miles of pristine beaches, roughly 700 freshwater springs, 11 national parks,
culturally diverse cities with incredible food, theme parks, world-class birding, and endless
native and migratory wildlife. There's something for everyone in the Sunshine State. Winter is one
of the most popular times to RV Florida thanks to its mild weather when most places look like this,
Florida looks like this. We.re Liz in Dennis of Eat See RV,
native Floridians and full-time RVers who have shared life on the road and all we
eat and see along the way since 2018. Join us in today's video as we show you five of our
favorite campgrounds around the state and some of the incredible activities to do in each area.
There are loads of RV parks and Resorts National Park campgrounds and even free camping throughout
the state of Florida, but our personal preferred way of camping is at state parks. There are over
170 state parks that you can visit in the state of Florida, 50 of which you can camp at. Not
only are these state parks located in some of the most beautiful and unspoiled natural
settings of this great state, but camping is super affordable, often 40 or less per night with some
amenities. State parks have a limit of 14 days and reservations can be made up to 11 months in
advance peak campground occupancy in the winter season lasts from November to around April of
each year so you will want to plan ahead or check for cancellations frequently, because these can
be really hard places to get into. Let's dive in, Myakka River State Park is one of the few
unspoiled habitats of native Florida. The 37,000 acre park is the second most biodiverse ecosystem
in North Americ. Home to wetlands, prairies hammocks, and Pineland. Campers can enjoy the
diverse landscape and abundant wildlife here from 90 different RV sites across three campgrounds.
Big Flats Campground is closer to many of the popular destinations in the park including the
bird walk and canopy hike, resting under an old oak hammock. Those with bigger rigs or who want
full hookups and nicer amenities may prefer to stay in the newer Old Prairie and Palmetto
Ridge Campgrounds near the entrance of the park. Over a hundred different species of
birds can be found in myakka River State Park making it a world-class spot for birding. The
bird walk is the best spot for viewing birds and is a fantastic place to watch the sunset.
There's also 66 miles of scenic waterways to enjoy, keep an eye out for otters and gators which
frequent the waters and the shores of the park. Make sure not to miss the canopy walkway which
takes you 74 feet above the palm and oak hammocks giving you a 360 view of the beauty of Myakka
River. The state park did suffer some damage from Hurricane Ian in 2022 so make sure to visit the
state parks website to see about closures and openings. Florida has the largest number of
freshwater Springs in the world, these iconic springs that directly connect to the aquifer
below aren't just a beautiful place to visit but home to a wide variety of plant and animal species
as well as the main drinking source of water for much of the state. Thanks to the water staying a
brisk 72 degrees year round the springs are safe haven for manatees in the winter. Blue Springs
State Park is one of the most popular spots for viewing manatees in the winter but its popularity
often means it's overcrowded and incredibly difficult to get into, instead we recommend
visiting Manatee Springs a first magnitude spring that pumps over 100 million gallons
of water each day and is a frequent spot for Manatee sightings in the winter. The campground
has 30 and 50 amp electricity and water at each site with showers and restrooms in each loop.
If you visit on a warm day make sure to take a dip in the spring and take a walk down the mangrove
boardwalk to get a taste of Florida's native landscape. There's also a 32 mile natural coast
trail perfect for biking. The increased popularity of the Florida Springs over the years is impacting
their health and beauty spikes and visitor numbers are resulting in shoreline erosion and immense
amounts of trash contamination, if you visit please make sure to expect this fragile ecosystem
never touch the manatees or other wildlife and always leave it better than you found it.
The next campground is located about 30 minute drive from my hometown St Petersburg it is one
of the nicest beachfront campgrounds in all of Florida. Fort De Soto isn't a state park but a
county park, however voted one of the best beaches in America it's worthy of a mention on this list.
The 1136 acre park resides in five interconnected islands with 236 RV camping sites to choose from.
Many campsites are directly on the water and offer water and electricity. Some sections
of the campground can only accommodate RVs and campers shorter than 16 feet and only one lobe
allows pets so make sure to check restrictions when booking. The park has seven miles of
incredible beaches where you can spot Dolphins snorkel or relax in the sugar soft white sand.
There's also a seven mile bike trail that takes you from the southern to the northernmost part of
the park. Make sure to stop at the old fort which was built during the Civil War period
and was in operation for 12 years having its own self-contained city. The foundations the
buildings can still be seen throughout the park. It's also important to note that since this is a
County Park and on a state park reservations can only be made six months in advance.
The Florida Keys are a bucket list destination for most RVers the 120 mile stretch of tropical
islands off the southern tip of Florida is the epitome of Island life, with Caribbean
blue waters, fantastic snorkeling, tasty seafood, and gorgeous sunsets it's a snowbirds paradise.
There are four state parks to camp out along the keys John Pennekamp coral reef state park
is the first, located in Key Largo, John Pennekamp Park extends three miles into the Atlantic Ocean
covering 70 nautical square miles of coral reefs, seagrass beds, and mangrove swamps. Sites have
30 and 50 amp electricity with water and dump. There's also a playground, Cafe and Restaurant,
laundry, kayak rental, and boat launch for snorkeling tours. We highly recommend booking
a two and a half hour snorkeling tour of the reef which takes you to some of the popular
spots offshore, we saw so many different fish and coral on the tour and were greeted by dolphins and
manatees on our trip home. If you are into snorkeling we highly recommend visiting the
nature trail in the park which showcases the native plants of the Florida Keys renting a
canoer kayak and exploring the mangroves or simply relaxing on one of their beaches. either way don't
miss out on the world-class sunsets here which are best enjoyed on the Bay Side of the islands.
The last park on the list is somewhat of a hidden gem. This small lesser visited park is
often overlooked as people head south on 75 but Paynes Prairie Park is perfect for a short stay
with its campgrounds accommodating rigs of all sizes and every site having water and electricity.
Paynes Prairie isn't the typical Florida landscape it's Savannah Wetlands is the only place in the
state where visitors can see wild roaming Bison and Horses which were native to Florida prior
to Spanish colonization. Hike up to the top of the 50 foot tall observation tower to get
a good view of the vast prairie. Possibly see 30 different bird species that can be found here or
if you're lucky get a glimpse of the wild horses or bison. And don't miss the opportunity to canoe,
kayak, bike, or hike the 21,000 acre park during your stay. We recommend making a
stop at The Visitor Center as well to learn more about the native history of this region.
If you want to learn more about these campgrounds or destinations make sure to visit Campendium
before booking where you can see pictures and other user submitted reviews. We also
have videos on each of these destinations on our YouTube channel Eat See RV. Happy RVing!