Hello All,We are considering booking a last minute trip to FL in December. With 3 kids < 12 most of our trips to FL in the past have been Disney related but this would just be a warm weather get away. That said, it would be nice to be within a few hours drive of the parks in case we decide to take a 1 day trip. However, what we are really looking for is a suggestion of areas to camp where we could kayak on the spring feed rivers where the manatee's go. I have seen some beautiful pictures but am unsure of the specific areas. I checked Manatee Springs state park and that (and all other state parks) are sold out most of the winter. I can find sites at private parks but looking for suggested areas. Ideally we would be able to kayak from our campground, but with booking this late we can't be too picky, so even if we were within a 30-45 minute drive. To recap, FL camping with hookups, within a few hours of Orlando, and within 30-45 minutes of good kayaking with manatees. Any thoughts? Thanks in advance!

Well what you are looking for are mostly in the Ocala National Forest. Alexander, Juniper and Salt Springs all federal parks. There some other possibilities: Rainbow Springs on the Rainbow River SP and Silver Springs SP on the Silver River. Most of the other state park springs have short runs or don't have campgrounds. Ichetucknee Springs SP has a fantastic run on the river but no campground but there are private cg nearby.All of these parks have private cg nearby. All of these parks are about an hour or hour and a half from Orlando. There are other parks scattered further south but that is the main grouping.Now I'm sure you are aware that these places are probably booked solid for the snowbird season. But I'm seeing reports that the lack of Canadians is opening spots since they cannot easily escape Canada right now. So that may open some spots. I saw a report in the RV News that said Canadians are flying to Seattle and paying to have their RV's trucked across the border on flatbed semis. That works since the US isn't hunting them down and issuing $10,000 fines like Canada is doing. But that is just a trickle compared to the usual flood.

You might try Twelve Oaks RV in Sanford. Probably booked pretty solid but you may be able to pick up some open time if you are flexible. Good Luck

Across from Silver Springs State Park is the Silver Springs Rv resort and many others. You could walk over to the Springs and rent kayaks.

rav wrote:Across from Silver Springs State Park is the Silver Springs Rv resort and many others. You could walk over to the Springs and rent kayaks.You won't see manatees in Silver Springs or any in the Ocala National Forest spring runsIf you can find an RV park close to Blue Springs state Park, you are guaranteed to paddle with the Manatees there and in the Hontoon Dead River and the St Johns RiverCheck out our Google web sit under the "Springs Area" It is https://sites.google.com/site/flkeyskayaktrips/Guy

We saw several manatees last year and last week one was spotted near the glass bottom boat maintenance area.

FL questions | Good Sam Community

wowens79
Explorer III
Mar 07, 2021
We stayed at Lake Rousseau RV park, it is about half way between Rainbow Springs and Crystal River. Decent campground and friendly people, we misted used it for a base camp, and didn’t spent much time there.
Rainbow and Crystal Rivers are amazing. Rainbow has tons of wildlife, but no manatees.
magicbus
Explorer II
Mar 07, 2021
You can have it all at Ft De Soto County Park. You’ll have to see if they have room.

Dave
JoeH
Explorer III
Mar 07, 2021
You might want to check Mary's Fish Camp. Close to Weeki Wachee Springs and Crystal River. Short drive to the beaches at Clearwater.
Guy_Roan
Explorer
Mar 07, 2021
kfp673 wrote:
Hello again all. Brining this thread back to life. We thought this trip was off and then suddenly it came back to life. We are heading south the week of 3/28-4/3. Pretty darn last minute! I am driving myself nuts google searching and looking at RV parks / campgrounds so I am hoping for a few specific suggestions or some more specific area suggestions. Sites are stil available at many RV parks but state parks are totally out. Shame because there are some great looking parks.

So.. Here is what I am thinking. Centralized spot where we can easy take day trips to kayak and possibly see manatees and/or nature in general, go to a great beach ( perfect world our site would be on the beach), possibly a day trip to an Orlando park, possible day trip to Clearwater area to see a spring training game. With that said it looks like areas north west of Orlando have most except beaches. If we go to Atlantic side they have beaches but far away from the rest of my list. Are there any gulf beaches I am missing? Any awesome RV parks you ahve been to? HELP!!! ;-) Spending waaayyy to much time on google maps and the computer so all input is welcome. And yes, I am still considering a lot of what has already been written as well. Thanks again all!

If you are coming from PA; figure two days coming and two days returning you are trying to fit in way too much for the time you'll have.
Pick two of the items you have on your list and then aim for a RV park near them. You and your family will enjoy the trip a lot better than trying to fit it all in.
From One who has experienced all that Florida has to offer over the past fifty five years , and still do now at age 85 !

Guy
SpeakEasy
Explorer
Mar 07, 2021
A couple of thoughts.

First - if you do decide that Ft. DeSoto Park looks good don't be put off by lack of available sites. On Friday mornings (at least this was true before COVID) they release a number of sites for the following week. We were able to get a site that way sort of last minute a couple years back.

Second, there is an RV park in the Bradenton area, Frog Creek, that my cousin spends the winter at. She's really into kayaking, and she loves this park for that. I haven't been there, and I don't know if there are manatees, but apparently it's ideal for kayaking.

Have fun!

-Speak
ferndaleflyer
Explorer III
Mar 07, 2021
Leaving in the Am for FL. Winter Quarters Pasco for a week then to Smyrna for a week. 1 day down and 1 day back from Baltimore. Also went to West Palm over Christmas/New Years. I am 80 driving a DP with a toad. We just booked last week. You have fun and be safe.
kfp673
Explorer II
Mar 07, 2021
Guy Roan wrote:
kfp673 wrote:
Hello again all. Brining this thread back to life. We thought this trip was off and then suddenly it came back to life. We are heading south the week of 3/28-4/3. Pretty darn last minute! I am driving myself nuts google searching and looking at RV parks / campgrounds so I am hoping for a few specific suggestions or some more specific area suggestions. Sites are stil available at many RV parks but state parks are totally out. Shame because there are some great looking parks.

So.. Here is what I am thinking. Centralized spot where we can easy take day trips to kayak and possibly see manatees and/or nature in general, go to a great beach ( perfect world our site would be on the beach), possibly a day trip to an Orlando park, possible day trip to Clearwater area to see a spring training game. With that said it looks like areas north west of Orlando have most except beaches. If we go to Atlantic side they have beaches but far away from the rest of my list. Are there any gulf beaches I am missing? Any awesome RV parks you ahve been to? HELP!!! ;-) Spending waaayyy to much time on google maps and the computer so all input is welcome. And yes, I am still considering a lot of what has already been written as well. Thanks again all!

If you are coming from PA; figure two days coming and two days returning you are trying to fit in way too much for the time you'll have.
Pick two of the items you have on your list and then aim for a RV park near them. You and your family will enjoy the trip a lot better than trying to fit it all in.
From One who has experienced all that Florida has to offer over the past fifty five years , and still do now at age 85 !

Guy

Thanks for the reply. To be clear, we will be in Fl for a full week. I am looking at Sunday to Saturday however since it seems to give more availability. We will boondocks somewhere Saturday night.
JoeH
Explorer III
Mar 08, 2021
SpeakEasy wrote:
A couple of thoughts.

First - if you do decide that Ft. DeSoto Park looks good don't be put off by lack of available sites. On Friday mornings (at least this was true before COVID) they release a number of sites for the following week. We were able to get a site that way sort of last minute a couple years back.

Second, there is an RV park in the Bradenton area, Frog Creek, that my cousin spends the winter at. She's really into kayaking, and she loves this park for that. I haven't been there, and I don't know if there are manatees, but apparently it's ideal for kayaking.

Have fun!

-Speak

No manatees around there( Frog Creek) ... at least not congregating. It's always possible to see them in the area as they go out from their warm water spots to feed during the day. . We sometimes get them in the canal behind our house. It is good paddling there in the tidal creeks and Bishop Harbor area.
At the Big Bend Power Plant about 15 miles north in Apollo Beach, there is a Manatee viewing station and education center. In the winter months, there are literally hundreds of manatees there. BUT, due to covid they are closed until November 2021 .
Rickyrocket
Explorer
Mar 21, 2021
North Beach cg in St.Augustine borders the intercoastal on one side and the ocean on the other.
mileshuff
Explorer
Mar 25, 2021
agesilaus wrote:
Lifetime Florida resident and I have never heard of a gator attacking a boat. The very rare gator attacks, maybe one every other year at a guess, occurs mainly when idiots feed a gator and get it used to people and mainly occurs in the evening at dusk and generally on smaller people. You are a thousand times more liking to get hurt by some drunk driver in a car or a BOAT

I've found that where there are manatees there are no gators. Gators don't seem to want to hang around if there is a manatee in the same area. Was in the waters near Kennedy where a frequent huge gator hangs out. Last trip couldn't figure out why the gator was no where to be found until we spotted two manatees.

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