I think they have been purchased by developers....probably for the best in this case! The property has flooded far too much and it smells of mold. read more

For just under 3 years, we were lucky enough to call Camp Venice home. Unfortunately, the owner sold the campground to the County and we must now vacate. We are headed back to the original resort we lived in when we 1st moved to Florida. Several things to point out on the plus side of this move.... The pool is amazing, clear and always open. You can have any beverage you want without a nazi shaking her stupid finger at you and talking to everyone like a dog. They will even sell beer in the office :) The rent is cheaper for actual AMENITIES. Notice I spelled it correctly and I also pronounce it correctly. It is NOT amenTities. I don't know how many damn people here say it wrong, but it's so maddening. Several of our snowbird friends will be joining us there and I truly couldn't be happier for that fact alone!! Rambler's Rest is clean all around, I will not have to do my own landscaping, either. The water and/or electricity are stable and won't randomly shut off, forcing boil notices. We won't be ON the river, but maybe 200 yards from it. Maybe, just maybe the skeeters and damn no-see-ums will give my poor body a break . We finally get to live near Cindy and John again!!! All of my sweet friends in park models here, though.... They aren't going. They were forced to sell their homes for next to nothing and they are scattered around, with most being in the same area code. We will still have to get together for Happy Hours come Snowbird season. Can't miss out on those. The most glorious part of all is that there will be nobody named Ann Moreland there to make everyone's life a living Hell. If the current owner has any thoughts or brains at all as a business man, he would do a quick survey and an internet search for both of his parks and take those reviews quite literally. He should also reach out to the employees that he had around last Christmas and inquire as to why he didn't get "thank you" from them for their supposed Christmas Bonus. Maybe he'll find out that Ann Moreland didn't actually give the bonus to them. Well, she DID, but it was to strictly to purchase the materials to fix her home that was damaged by last year's hurricanes. FEMA didn't assist her, as her home isn't even in her name. I guess she had to get it fixed somehow. Maybe she'll finally get busted for her insurance fraud claims on both of her cars, as well. Oh, and let us not forget to tell the owner that the new deck that was supposed to be done on the blue house at CV 3 years ago was actually "accidentally" done on the deck of her own house, without his knowledge. Karma hopefully hits her quick and harsh. God don't like ugly, Ann Moreland. One way or another, hopefully one day soon, you'll get everything in life that you deserve!! read more

My parents have spent the winter here the last 4 years. 2 years ago, we stayed in one of the rustic cabins in the river. It was very basic and the bed wasn't very comfy but you really can't beat the view. Just keep an eye out for gators before stepping off the porch! Last year, we brought our RV down and spent nearly 2 weeks over the Christmas holiday. I love the old Florida feeling of the place and the fact that you can walk over to Snook Haven for lunch or dinner. There are hiking trails in the park and you can launch your kayak from the ramp within the park. It's a great place to stay to access the beaches in the area. read more

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I spent 1 night at the Camp Venice Retreat at the beginning on November 2020. We did tent camping by the water. Our campsite was beautiful it was by the side of a lagoon off from the Myakka River. The campground is off from the beaten path,old Florida style. Has a few cabins,a boat launch,a pool and two restroom/ shower facilities+ laundromat. Restrooms are ok,probably had been done about 10 years ago,nothing too fancy. My only issue was that the restroom was out of hand soap and toilet paper mostof the time.That is why my four star review.I wish the camp stuff pay more attention to that. Other than that I had great time! There are lots of spots directly on the water. It is amazing way to watch nature.The lagoon had a small 4 feet alligator.I loved watching her especially at the night time,she was scared of people,but still let herself be seen. There are no ground fires allowed,so you have to make sure you bring your own fire pit,what is kind of unusual.They also offer fire pit rentals if you don't have your own. Tent spot was $54,I find that a bit pricey. However the river was beautiful and wild,we did kayak about 10 miles up river,and a few miles down stream too.Up river is mostly houses,under passes not much spots to stop,down river you will find several locations to explore,Jelks Preserve on the right, than Esquterian trail on the left,both are easy to get out,and has a picnic table and walking trails. I'm glad we get a chance to camp at the Camp Venice Retreat and explore the unspoiled Myakka River! read more

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This is our second year of staying at this campground. We stayed over a month this year. We love how it's quiet and off the beaten path. We were here in February during the busy season. Most of the campers are seasonal from out of state and very friendly. This campground is "old school" like a real campground, not a parking lot. I would have given this campground a 5 star but couldn't because #1: the people that run the office are RUDE! The few times I went in to ask a question they were put out and nasty! It's obvious that they must not like their job and aren't people persons. They greet you with just above a grunt, sometimes nothing at all! #2: they basically have no WiFi. So we used our hotspot mostly. Overall I'd stay here again, but I will avoid the office at all costs. (I suppose that's what they want.) read more

It depends on what you're looking for as to what rating you'd give it. We have a 'big rig' and the tree canopied road driving in was not optimal- I had branches hitting my roof the whole time. It also has giant potholes which are a pain. The lots are grass so keep that in mind. We didn't have a hard time leveling however. The trees are great but the wifi and my cellular reception was horrible. Also, we kept losing power the last two days we were there so my AC's weren't powered, wreaked havoc on my inverter, etc, our RV was 85 degrees when we came back. It's nice to be able to walk over to Snook Haven and the restaurant. If you want rustic seclusion then this may be your spot. If you need to have access to the world (and easy access) then you may want to look elsewhere. I hear they are addressing some of these issues but as it stand, I won't be back. read more

This is our first stay here and we LOVE IT! We were very concerned that it wouldn't be open by Feb. 2023 because of the extensive hurricane damage it (and many other places) suffered. But they got it in ship shape order very quickly. The location is great, the views are great, and the staff is very helpful. We're looking forward to coming back in 2024. read more

I have to agree that there is MUCH room for improvement at this camp. First of all, your GPS/Garmin navigation will try to take you to the end of the road. DO NOT DO THIS. There is a sign for the camp down this road, but it does not tell you which of the three or four options you are supposed to take. It appears that you should go straight, as this is the largest road. DO NOT DO THIS. When you see that second sign, take a hard right. If you miss it, and go straight, be prepared for your Class A motorhome to get stuck under a tree and scrape up the top of your rig and rip your awning. Trust me on that one. Next, when you do manage to unhook your toad, and turn your rig around in the parking lot of the restaurant at the end of the street, and arrive at the gates; no one is there. Door locked, no one around. I sat there at the gate for a good while before one of the campers offered to help me get in the gate and find my spot. Multiple calls to the office went straight to voicemail and were never returned. Now let's talk about the dust. (I know some people have been here during rain and mentioned the pot holes and mud....) yes, all true, but if it hasn't rained in a while, they do not water or oil the dirt roads. There is dust blowing EVERYWHERE. Everyone's rigs are covered in dust. Everyone's tents are covered in dust. The picnic tables, the food, the bikes..... EVERYTHING. Don't even think about sitting outside..... you will be caked in dust within minutes. There are also the dangerously low tree limbs as others have mentioned..... Also, the park map is not accurate..... it needs to be re-drawn with all the streets in the correct locations. Also, there are street names on the map, but none on the actual streets.... no way to tell what street you are on. Also, no indication of which way you must enter your street to have your rig face the right direction. (Normally most places draw a line from the gate to the spot so you can see how to approach). I did it wrong and had to circle around the unnamed streets till I was facing the right way. All this could have been avoided with better management.... or ANY management... still have yet to see any staff at all. Will update after I've been here a few days. read more