We are planning a trip to Southwestern Florida in October to check out both campgrounds and apartments for next Winter. We are new to this as we purchased our new camper right before the shutdowns in March.( After 3 days in Florida in March we had to return home.) If anyone can recommend any campgrounds between Sarasota and Naples I would appreciate it. I've been checking various campgrounds online and honestly am shocked at the prices for sites. Many are $100+/night and charge extra for things like wifi/cable/trash pickup. They also seem quite crowded with pretty much one trailer on top of another. I know there are State Parks down there, but they limit you to a 2 week stay. We are looking to be down there 4 weeks. Thanks for any feedback!
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Good Campgrounds for Winter in Southwestern Florida
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2018 Reflection 150 Series 220RK 5th whee, Star White 2022 F350 King Ranch CC Long bed (HAL) (CCC 4062lbs), B&W 25K OEM Companion,. SteadyFast system, Trailer reverse lights, rear receiver spare tire holder, storage tube, sumo springs, Victron MultiPlus 12/120/3000, Solar, Custom 6K axles upgrade, and other modifications.
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Check out Riverside RV Resort. Located on the Peace River between Port Charlotte and Arcadia in DeSoto County. We’ve spent 3 winters there and it has a great sense of community, plenty of activities/amenities, and around 500 sites.
It is fairly well booked from Jan - Mar but we found that things can change quickly as folks cancel for any number of reasons.Dan & Andrea w/ Molly and Milo & Gus the cat
2019 Solitude 374TH, 2017 GMC DRW
BMW R1200RT
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CampCinci
You are definitely looking in a very expensive and crowded part of Florida! Two 2 week stays in a couple of Florida State parks in that area will definitely get you much nicer sites for a one month trip, at a much more affordable price. With COVID restrictions, there will be far fewer (if any?) Canadian snowbirds in Florida this coming winter, so keep checking the FSP website for cancellations. We can personally recommend Oscar Sherer and Myakka State Parks, but there are others and they all have similar space and amenities.
RobCate & Rob
(with Border Collies Molly & Angel + Kitties Hazel & Elsie)
2015 Reflection 303RLS
2022 F350 Diesel CC SB SRW Lariat
Bayham, Ontario, Canada
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Originally posted by CampCinci View PostIf anyone can recommend any campgrounds between Sarasota and Naples I would appreciate it.
I'll second Dandy53 (I don't know him/her) suggestion of Riverside near Port Charlotte. We stayed a month there, cost IIRC about $1,500, making it the most expensive of the three I'll mention here. Well-maintained, good staff, very good amenities, lots of community activities, reasonably spacious lots (except in the lower-priced older section), pleasant to walk around, five minute drive to groceries and other necessities in Port Charlotte. Lotta people there have been wintering there for years, has a good comfortable feeling of community.
https://thousandtrails.com/florida/riverside-rv-resort/
We spent weeks at Sanctuary RV Resort near Bonita Springs three years ago when it was pretty new. Small park, adequate sites, 15 minutes from loads of *great* beaches (including a few dog-friendly ones) and other things to do. We would have returned but they were booked solid when we inquired the following years. My recollection of rates is probably useless three years later but it wasn't crazy-expensive then.
https://sanctuaryrvresort.com/
This last one is off-the-wall because it's a full hour-plus inland from Naples near the center of southern Florida: Big Cypress RV Resort. We've stayed there for weeks a couple of times and will return. It is the most reasonably priced of these three, but is really in the middle of nowhere. There's a small convenience store nearby but real shopping is 45-60 minutes away. There's a restaurant at the nearby Billy Swamp attraction, but otherwise 45-60 minutes away. Cell service is thin for T-Mobile and Verizon, at least. So why go there? Incredibly quiet, peaceful, and not expensive, lots of places to roam near sugar cane fields and alligator-infested canals, and the fresh-produce shopping (esp. citrus) in Immokalee is fabulous and fabulously-inexpensive. We even took a day trip to Key West from there - it was a dawn-to-dark day, but interesting to get a taste of the Keys.
https://www.bigcypressrvresort.com/
(Just looked at the web site, currently still closed but maybe booking for later?)
BTW, if you think you've been shocked by prices, check out the prices of some of the resorts in Key West!
Hope this helps.Last edited by boyscout; 07-12-2020, 11:21 AM.Mark - 2018 Solitude 310GK - Ford F-350 SRW diesel short box - Pullrite Superglide hitch
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I second the Sanctuary in Bonita Springs. I have a home in Bonita and love that area. Before I retired I did most of the RV repair work in the Sanctuary and other parks in Bonita - but would recommend this one.
I will also second the fact that the closer you are to the water the more in demand sites are and the prices are higher.
Good luck
Mark2014 HDT Volvo 780 "Baby Bird"
2016 Smart Car "Baby Bird Turd" - on the back
2020 Momentum 376THS
We're both proud USAF Retirees...
Retired RV Tech
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Originally posted by boyscout View Post
The prices are shocking, but of course are far less than $100/night if you book extended stays (weeks or months, especially a full season).
I'll second Dandy53 (I don't know him/her) suggestion of Riverside near Port Charlotte. We stayed a month there, cost IIRC about $1,500, making it the most expensive of the three I'll mention here. Well-maintained, good staff, very good amenities, lots of community activities, reasonably spacious lots (except in the lower-priced older section), pleasant to walk around, five minute drive to groceries and other necessities in Port Charlotte. Lotta people there have been wintering there for years, has a good comfortable feeling of community.
https://thousandtrails.com/florida/riverside-rv-resort/
We spent weeks at Sanctuary RV Resort near Bonita Springs three years ago when it was pretty new. Small park, adequate sites, 15 minutes from loads of *great* beaches (including a few dog-friendly ones) and other things to do. We would have returned but they were booked solid when we inquired the following years. My recollection of rates is probably useless three years later but it wasn't crazy-expensive then.
https://sanctuaryrvresort.com/
This last one is off-the-wall because it's a full hour-plus inland from Naples near the center of southern Florida: Big Cypress RV Resort. We've stayed there for weeks a couple of times and will return. It is the most reasonably priced of these three, but is really in the middle of nowhere. There's a small convenience store nearby but real shopping is 45-60 minutes away. There's a restaurant at the nearby Billy Swamp attraction, but otherwise 45-60 minutes away. Cell service is thin for T-Mobile and Verizon, at least. So why go there? Incredibly quiet, peaceful, and not expensive, lots of places to roam near sugar cane fields and alligator-infested canals, and the fresh-produce shopping (esp. citrus) in Immokalee is fabulous and fabulously-inexpensive. We even took a day trip to Key West from there - it was a dawn-to-dark day, but interesting to get a taste of the Keys.
https://www.bigcypressrvresort.com/
(Just looked at the web site, currently still closed but maybe booking for later?)
BTW, if you think you've been shocked by prices, check out the prices of some of the resorts in Key West!
Hope this helps.
2020 Imagine XLS 22MLE
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Originally posted by RV Tech Ret View PostI second the Sanctuary in Bonita Springs. I have a home in Bonita and love that area. Before I retired I did most of the RV repair work in the Sanctuary and other parks in Bonita - but would recommend this one.
I will also second the fact that the closer you are to the water the more in demand sites are and the prices are higher.
Good luck
Mark2020 Imagine XLS 22MLE
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Originally posted by Dandy53 View PostCheck out Riverside RV Resort. Located on the Peace River between Port Charlotte and Arcadia in DeSoto County. We’ve spent 3 winters there and it has a great sense of community, plenty of activities/amenities, and around 500 sites.
It is fairly well booked from Jan - Mar but we found that things can change quickly as folks cancel for any number of reasons.2020 Imagine XLS 22MLE
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Originally posted by boyscout View Post
The prices are shocking, but of course are far less than $100/night if you book extended stays (weeks or months, especially a full season).
I'll second Dandy53 (I don't know him/her) suggestion of Riverside near Port Charlotte. We stayed a month there, cost IIRC about $1,500, making it the most expensive of the three I'll mention here. Well-maintained, good staff, very good amenities, lots of community activities, reasonably spacious lots (except in the lower-priced older section), pleasant to walk around, five minute drive to groceries and other necessities in Port Charlotte. Lotta people there have been wintering there for years, has a good comfortable feeling of community.
https://thousandtrails.com/florida/riverside-rv-resort/
We spent weeks at Sanctuary RV Resort near Bonita Springs three years ago when it was pretty new. Small park, adequate sites, 15 minutes from loads of *great* beaches (including a few dog-friendly ones) and other things to do. We would have returned but they were booked solid when we inquired the following years. My recollection of rates is probably useless three years later but it wasn't crazy-expensive then.
https://sanctuaryrvresort.com/
This last one is off-the-wall because it's a full hour-plus inland from Naples near the center of southern Florida: Big Cypress RV Resort. We've stayed there for weeks a couple of times and will return. It is the most reasonably priced of these three, but is really in the middle of nowhere. There's a small convenience store nearby but real shopping is 45-60 minutes away. There's a restaurant at the nearby Billy Swamp attraction, but otherwise 45-60 minutes away. Cell service is thin for T-Mobile and Verizon, at least. So why go there? Incredibly quiet, peaceful, and not expensive, lots of places to roam near sugar cane fields and alligator-infested canals, and the fresh-produce shopping (esp. citrus) in Immokalee is fabulous and fabulously-inexpensive. We even took a day trip to Key West from there - it was a dawn-to-dark day, but interesting to get a taste of the Keys.
https://www.bigcypressrvresort.com/
(Just looked at the web site, currently still closed but maybe booking for later?)
BTW, if you think you've been shocked by prices, check out the prices of some of the resorts in Key West!
Hope this helps.2020 Imagine XLS 22MLE
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