Last updated on July 16th, 2025 at 08:45 am
From the crystal clear springs and rivers of its interior to the beaches and waterways along the Atlantic coast, Central Florida is home to a diverse selection of Florida state parks with camping.
What makes this region special is proximity to the Orlando’s theme parks, abundant wildlife and refreshing swimming holes.
Manatees invade Central Florida’s inland waters to seek winter shelter at many of these state parks, while migrating birds offer and endless show of colorful plumage and sweet songs from fall until spring.
There’s a Florida state park with camping for everybody, even if you don’t own a tent or RV.
Best months to go camping in Central Florida are November through July. Best time for non-residents to reserve a campsite is 10 months in advance.
Blue Spring State Park
RV, Tents, Hammocks and Cabins
Orange City, FL — Manatees by the hundreds rendezvous at Blue Spring State Park to warm up in winter, replaced by swimmers trying to cool off in summer. The clear and constant 72 degree temperature serves both seasons well.
Blue Spring State Park is on the eastern edge of a vast basin of preserved lands, wildlife refuges and state parks that protect the watershed of the oddly north-flowing St. John’s River, making this park an ideal launching pad for paddlers.
Blue Spring State Park’s 51 campsites all have water and electric, picnic table and grill. Restrooms with hot showers nearby, and there is a dump station on site. The park has six cabins. Pets are welcome at the campground, but not in the cabins. Maximum RV length = 45 feet, but most are 30-35 feet
Read more about Blue Spring State Park
Blue Spring State Park, 2100 W French Avenue, Orange City FL 32763. Camping fees: $24/night plus $7 daily utilities fee for water and electricity. Cabins: $95 + $7 utilities fee. Hammock camping is designated in campsites 26, 27, 41, 42, 44. For reservations, book online at reserve.floridastateparks.org or call 800-326-3521 up to 11 months in advance for Florida residents, 10 months in advance for non-residents.
Pets are now allowed in Florida State Park campgrounds, but not in cabin areas or beaches. Restrictions may apply to other areas of the park.
Alcohol is permitted within the confines of your campsite in Florida State Parks.
Colt Creek State Park
RV, Tent & Glamping
Lakeland, FL — Colt Creek State Park is one of Florida’s newest state parks, offering 12 miles of well-marked trails for hiking, bicycling and horseback riding.
The park has two campgrounds, one for RVs and tents (27 sites) and another without amenities for equestrians (20 sites). For hikers and equestrians, there are two primitive campsites along trails.
RV sites include water and electric (30/50 amp), and there is a dump station in the campground. There are no amenities in the equestrian campground other than trailer parking. Maximum RV length is 70 feet.
Colt Creek State Park is part of the massive Green Swamp Wilderness Preserve northeast of Tampa.
Read more: Colt Creek State Park: Haven for trailwalkers, off-road cyclists and wildlife | Also read: One-night stand: Backcountry camping at Colt Creek State Park
Colt Creek State Park, 16000 State Road 471, Lakeland, FL. 33809. Camping Fees: $24/night plus $7 daily utilities fee for RVs for water and electricity. Book reservations online at reserve.floridastateparks.org or call 800-326-3521 up to 11 months in advance for Florida residents, 10 months in advance for non-residents. Glampers can reserve a glamping tent at resnexus.com.
Gamble Rogers State Park
RV or Tent
Flagler Beach, FL — Gamble Rogers is not very big state park, but it has a beautiful orange sand beach, an oceanfront campground and a second campground inland on the Intracoastal Waterway.
The inland side of the 145-acre park has a boat ramp and hiking trails with boat access to coastal marshes that are common along this section of the coast, making it an excellent launch point for kayaks and canoes seeking to explore quiet inland waterways.
Bicyclists can access a sunny, paved bike path runs along A1A to the nearby North Peninsula State Park.
All 68 campsites have water, electric, picnic table and a fire ring. A dump station is on site. Pets are allowed. Maximum RV length is 40 feet.
Read more: Gamble Rogers: A celebration of song and sea
Gamble Rogers State Park, 3100 S. State Road A1A, Flagler Beach, FL 32136. Daily Camping Fee: $28/night plus a $7 daily utility for water and electric. (Utility fee does not apply to tents). Reservations can be made online at reserve.floridastateparks.org or call 800-326-3521 up to 11 months in advance for Florida residents, 10 months in advance for non-residents.
Kissimmee Prairie Preserve State Park
RV, tent and equestrian
Okeechobee, FL — If you are looking for the purity of a night sky and the majesty of wide-open prairie in the middle of nowhere, then Kissimmee Prairie Preserve State Park is for you.
The shady campground is in an isolated stand of trees deep within the 54,000-acre park, which is surrounded by cattle ranches and even more prairie. The nearest town is Okeechobee, 25 miles south.
Looking for dark skies? Kissimmee Prairie Preserve even has astronomy pads and is recognized as a Dark Sky Park by the International Dark Sky Association.
More than 100 miles of trails and service roads for off-road bicycling are shared with hikers and horseback riders, who come to this park for its diverse wildlife, especially for bird-watching.
The campground has 35 campsites for RVs or tents with water and electric hookups. Restrooms have showers and laundry. Maximum RV length is 65 feet.
Read more: Stargazing in the grasslands: Kissimmee Prairie Preserve
Kissimmee Prairie State Park, 33104 N.W. 192nd Ave., Okeechobee FL 34972. Camping fee: $16/night plus $7 daily for electric and water. (Utility fee does not apply to tent campers). Reservations online at reserve.floridastateparks.org or call (800) 326-3521 up to 11 months in advance for Florida residents, 10 months in advance for non-residents.
Lake Griffin State Park
RV and tent camping
(Here’s more about its dimensions.) (Photo by Bonnie Gross)
Fruitland Park, FL — Lake Griffin State Park is home one of the largest and oldest live oak in Florida. Tourists have been visiting it since the 1800s. The 620-acre park is forested with even more large, moss-draped oaks.
The park wraps around the Dead River Marsh, which leads to Lake Griffin, the eighth largest lake in the state and one of nine lakes in the Harris Chain of Lakes. Launch your kayak at the boat ramp, or rent one.
There are 40 campsites, many under a live-oak tree canopy. All campsites have water and electricity, 10 sites have 50-amp electric service, seven sites are pull-through sites, and seven sites have sewer hook-ups. The nightly
Read more: Lake Griffin State Park for famous tree and more
Lake Griffin State Park, 3089 U.S. Highway 441-27, Fruitland Park, FL 34731. Camping fee is $18 per night plus $7 daily for utilities for water and electric. Reservations can be made online at reserve.floridastateparks.org or call (800) 326-3521 up to 11 months in advance for Florida residents and 10 months in advance for non-residents.
Lake Kissimmee State Park
RV, tent and Glamping
Lake Wales, FL — Lake Kissimmee State Park is in cow country. Oh, yeah, it also has a lake and paddle trails, trails for hiking and biking and a quiet, shady campground where you may see sandhill cranes, bald eagles, wild turkeys, deer and maybe even a bobcat.
It’s hard to pick a main attraction at this family-friendly park, but if we were to choose one, it would be the living history experience of early Florida “cow hunters” in the park’s 1876-era cow camp.
The park has plenty of open space, lots of trails for people and horses, and three lakes for open paddling. And it’s in a remote area, allowing campers to spread out and enjoy the night sky without interference from ambient light.
There are 60 campsites with electric, water hookups and a dump station in a grove of shady oak trees. Sites 15, 9, 49 and 52 are wheelchair accessible. Max RV lenght is 55 feet.
Primitive tent campsites are available for hikers and equestrians.
In keeping with the cow camp theme, the Glamping experience is available in “Pioneer Tents,” furnished with queen bed with linens, end tables with lamps, interior and exterior seating areas, power outlets for charging smartphones, K-cup coffee maker, heat and A/C.
Read more: Lake Kissimmee State Park: Where Old Florida lives on
Lake Kissimmee State Park, 14248 Camp Mack Rd., Lake Wales FL 33898. Camping fee: $20 per night plus a $7 nightly utility fee to cover water and electric for RVs. Tent campers are exempt from the utility fee. Book a campsite at reserve.floridastateparks.org or call (800) 326-3521 up to 11 months in advance for Florida residents, 10 months in advance for non-residents. Glamping: $120/night, reserve at lakekissimmeesp.com/pioneer-tents Primitive camping is $5 per person per night (Call 863-696-1112).
Editors’ Note: Although most of these campgrounds are booked well in advance, cancellations do occur as plans change and out-of-state winter visitors modify their itineraries. Don’t give up. Check often for openings.
Lake Louisa State Park
Cabins, RV and tent
Clermont, FL — Lake Louisa is one of Florida’s newest state parks, situated in a sea of rolling hills covered with citrus trees. The park itself is a former citrus grove acquired by the state, and parts of it are still maintained as a working grove by local farmers.
When we visited, the campground was a bit sparse, even ragged, but the rise of new vegetation gave promise to a more secluded future. The spacious, modern cabins overlooking the lake may be the best choice here.
The park’s 20 cabins string out along a ridge overlooking the lake, and the campground features 60 sites with full hookups, including 50-amp electric. Campsites 1, 34 and 36 are fully accessible with a level concrete pad and connected to the bathhouse by a paved sidewalk. Big rigs up to 75 feet on some sites.
Read more: Nature near Orlando with great hiking and cabins
Lake Louisa State Park, 7305 U.S. Hwy 27. Clermont FL 34714. Camping fee: $24/night plus a $7 daily utility fee for water and electric. Cabins are $120 plus the $7 utility fee. (Tents are exempt from the utility fee). Book online at reserve.floridastateparks.org or call (800) 326-3521 up to 11 months in advance for Florida residents, 10 months in advance for non-residents.
Rainbow Springs State Park
RV and tent camping
Dunnellon, FL — Rainbow Springs, Florida’s fourth largest spring, has dozens of bubbling vents producing a swimming area at Rainbows Springs State Park in Dunnellon that looks like one of the cleanest pools you’ve ever seen.
In summer, the Rainbow River sees hundreds of people on tubes float down its pristine waters every day. Tubing season runs April to October. From fall to spring, the Rainbow River belongs to kayakers, and it makes for an outstanding outing.
Rainbow Springs was a commercial roadside attraction from the 1930s to 1973, but when the newly built Interstate system sucked traffic out of small towns, it could not compete with the likes of Disney, which opened in 1971. After shutting down, the community rallied to save Rainbow Springs from development and it became a state park that opened in 1992.
The campground has full hookups at every site and has an entrance separate from the park’s day-use area, which gets extremely crowded on weekends and holidays. Max RV length is 103 feet.
Read more: Rainbow River: Pure spring water makes kayaking, tubing tops
Rainbow Springs State Park, 19158 SW 81st Place Road, Dunnellon, FL 34432. (352) 465-8555. Camping rate is $30 plus a $7 daily utility fee for water and electric service to RVs. Tents are exempt from the utility fee. Reservations can be made online at reserve.floridastateparks.org or call (800) 326-3521 up to 11 months in advance for Florida residents, 10 months in advance for non-residents.
A 50% discount on the base camping rate is available to Florida residents 65 years of age or older, or residents who hold a Social Security disability award certificate or a 100% disability award certificate from the federal government. The discount does not apply to utility fees or the $6.70 one-time booking fee.
Sebastian Inlet State Park
RV or tent camping
Melbourne Beach, FL — Kayak to Pelican Island, the nation’s first wildlife sanctuary, or hike the Hammock Trail.
Explore the McLarty Treasure Museum’s relics from a 1715 Spanish treasure fleet scuttled by a hurricane, while the Sebastian Fishing Museum chronicles the history of the area’s fishing industry.
Sebastian Inlet State Park’s 51 RV and tent campsites are on a slope overlooking the inlet. All sites have water and electric, but no sewer hookups. There is a dump station on site, and rest rooms with showers are convenient to all campers. A camp store sells the basics, including bait for fishing.
Related story: Flock to a wonderland of birds on tiny Pelican Island
Sebastian Inlet State Park, 9700 South Highway A1A, Melbourne Beach FL 32951. 321-984-4852. Camping: $28, plus $7 daily utility fee. (Tent campers are exempt from the utility fee.) Book online at reserve.floridastateparks.org or call (800) 326-3521 up to 11 months in advance for Florida residents, 10 months in advance for non-residents.
Silver Springs State Park
RV and tent camping
Ocala, FL — Florida has many state parks built around springs, but Silver Springs State Park is the best of them all. One of Florida’s original tourist attractions with glass-bottom boats as long ago as 140 years.
Those glass-bottom boat tours are still marvelous, still operating, gliding quietly around the spring and spring run, allowing you to peer deep into clear waters filled with fish.
Kayakers won’t find a waterway with more varied scenery or easy-to-see wildlife, from wild monkeys to manatees, alligators, otters and birds.
The park also has some of best cabins in the state park system and a beautiful shaded campground with 59 spacious sites with water and 50-amp electric, picnic tables and fire rings.
Read more: Silver Springs State Park: Famous spring plus cabins, hiking, history
Silver Springs State Park, 1425 N.E. 58th Ave., Ocala FL 34470. Camping: $24/night plus a $7 utilities fee for water and electric. Tent campers are exempt from the utility fee. Cabins: $110 plus the $7 utility fee (2-night minimum). Book online at reserve.floridastateparks.org or call (800) 326-3521 up to 11 months in advance for Florida residents, 10 months in advance for non-residents.
Tomoka State Park
RV and tents
Ormond Beach, FL — A watery paradise with excellent paddling, biking, boating and fishing, Tomoka State Park is on the banks of the Tomoka River, and it’s the gateway the Scenic Ormond Loop with access to five sister state parks.
A premier stop along the Florida Birding Trail, Tomoka State Park boasts sightings of more than 160 species of birds.
There are 100 well-shaded campsites, and most are deep, spacious and private. All but a few pads are hard-pack sand and coquina shell for tents as well as RVs. Each campsite has electric and water hookups, picnic table, lantern post and a grill. Dump station on site. Maximum RV length is 34 feet.
Related story: Tomoka State Park: Gateway to the Ormond Scenic Loop
Tomoka State Park, 2099 North Beach Street, Ormond Beach, FL. 32174. 386-676-4050. Camping Fee: $24 plus a daily $7 utility fee for RVs (tents are exempt from the utility fee). Book online at reserve.floridastateparks.org or call (800) 326-3521 up to 11 months in advance for Florida residents, 10 months in advance for non-residents.
FAQ / Frequently Asked Questions
These frequently asked questions apply only to Florida State Parks camping, not campgrounds managed by other agencies, such as Florida State Forests or water management district recreation areas. Nor do they apply to federal and county campgrounds.
Is park admission included in state park camping rates?
Yes. Park day-use admission is included in the base camping rate.
Do Florida residents have any benefits when reserving campsites in state parks?
Yes. As of January 1, 2024, Florida residents can book campsites at Florida State Parks up to 11 months in advance, a 30-day head start over non-residents.
Are Florida residents entitled to discounts?
Yes. Florida residents 65 and older are entitled to a 50% discount off the base camping fee. The discount does not apply to utility or booking fees, which are additional.
A 50% discount on the base camping fee is also available to families from a Florida-licensed foster home and to Florida residents with a Social Security disability award certificate or a 100% disability award certificate from the federal government.
Can an individual reserve more than one campsite?
No, at least not for the same dates in the same park. However, some parks have group camping areas with some restrictions and qualifications, such as youth groups or non-profits. Contact the individual parks directly.
Can I reserve a campsite for someone else?
No. Registered campers must produce identification to rangers upon arrival at the campground, and the ID must match the name on the reservation.
Is there a limit on how long I can stay?
Yes. There is a two-week limit for a reservation at any one state park, and there is a waiting period between bookings at the same park. Reservations are matched in the database to ensure compliance.
Are pets allowed in state park campgrounds?
Yes. Pets are allowed in all Florida State Park campgrounds, but restrictions may apply to other areas of the park, such as beaches or trails.
Is alcohol allowed in state park campgrounds?
Registered campers are permitted to use alcohol within the boundaries of their campsite. However, alcohol is not permitted in any other areas of the park.
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