Been coming here for 15+ years and glad much hasnt changed even after everything they have been through with hurricanes and everything. The people that work here and the people on the water are great had a euphoric day! read more

Chassahowitzka River Campground - Kayaking at the springs - Rafting/Kayaking Near Me - Homosassa, Florida

This place is ABSOLUTELY TRASH now. I would not suggest that anyone go here anymore. Nothing but a major money grab now. They got rid of their Jon Boats and they are expensive now!!! $35 for a kayak and $45 for a two seater kayak. Definitely not a place you can bring family to anymore. read more

Great location for kayaking, etc. There's so many places to explore. We arrived on a Sunday and heading down to the boat launch. There were a lot of people in/on the water having a good time. Heavy kayak/boat traffic, but everyone was respectful of each other. We took the kayak out on a Tuesday and had a peaceful time. We went to Seven Sisters Springs - didn't cave dive but it was crystal clear. Also ventured down to the crack - but it was murky (from the hurricane) and we couldn't see it. We saw many fish, crabs and even river otters on our trip! The campground itself is good. It's heavily wooded and if you go, be sure to bring bug spray. The horseflies are awful (I have a bunch of painful bites). We can't sit outside and enjoy the weather. All in all not a bad place to camp. read more

I'm not sure why it says no swimming but we went for it and swam down to the springs, seven sisters I believe. It was awesome. Spent the night in our camper peacefully. read more

I just went for the day to kayak and had a great experience. I went on a Monday so it might be different on a weekend or during the summer, but they had plenty of available kayaks without needing a reservation. Everyone was friendly (especially the younger guy with a beard working boat rentals) and everything went smoothly. You rent the boats all day (until 5:30) so you don't have to worry about hourly. After 1:30 it's $5 off. There were plenty of places to kayak or boat to and can get out to walk or swim around. It is very spacious and it's not a loop so you can choose how long you want to ride for. I did hear one of the employees tell a customer that there were manatees nearby and that they should go up to the manatee and put their hand in the water to pet them. As most people know (I'm sure as well as this employee) manatees are very protected and this is actually illegal, so please don't encourage this. Otherwise, it was a fantastic trip for a day of kayak and I will definitely be back. I enjoyed it more than places like Weeki Wachee where it's an exact length and it gets crowded. read more

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One of my favorite places to kayak from. Don't miss this hidden gem. Only $5 to park. They have a GREAT store, right on the water. Very reasonable prices for drinks and snacks (cheaper than DG actually). Say hi to Phill ("Capt. Phill") in the "yak shack". He is so helpful and friendly,.. and is the area's fishing and diving expert. He will make your visit so much better with his knowledge of the area and the local fishing info. read more

Chassahowitzka River Campground - Capt. Phill - Rafting/Kayaking Near Me - Homosassa, Florida

Great experience lovely place to paddle! We saw quite an animals and wildlife and the staff was friendly and helpful.

IF you are looking for peaceful rest & quiet nights this is NOT the place to stay. I tent camped Tuesday-Saturday and had ONE NIGHT of rest. Quiet hours are supposedly 10p-6am with a staff member to ensure that's enforced.. it was not! Loud music, partying (no alcohol allowed, lots being consumed) people talking & yelling until 2-3 am!! IF you're not boating/kayaking there's no water access that anyone could tell me about. Definitely would not recommend this place to anyone looking for peaceful experience or wanting to simply rest & enjoy nature. Absolutely unacceptable on the part of the property management. read more

Bathrooms very nice and clean. Lots of mosquitos, noseums and biting flies, bring some insect repellent containing Picaridin NOT deet. read more

Chassahowitzka River Campground - Primitive camp site. Running water and only a short walk to the restrooms and showers. - Rafting/Kayaking Near Me - Homosassa, Florida

We were invited by my cousin to come out and enjoy a day canoeing down the river with the kiddos. We have two 4 year olds and my cousin came with his four year old. He usually comes with his wife and their other little one. I mention that to say that this is definitely a family friendly place, even for the littlest members of your family. The place we're we rented our canoes was inside of a campground type facility. The folks who run that place are very friendly. The river of course is beautiful. We were able to show or toddlers some wildlife along the way which was great. We saw manatees, otters, and birds on our trip. Everyone's favorite part was going to one of the spots were people gather in the river to hangout with friends, family, and others on the river. We found a spot to "park" our canoes and jumped out with the kiddos. The kiddos had a great time playing around in the river while some of the guys who we were with chatted with other friendly folks on the river. There were folks from different backgrounds and ethnicities hanging together. Music was playing and folks were having a great time. There was even a sort of food truck on the river if you can imagine. Overall, one of the best family outdoor experiences of 2022! read more

Clean campground, Very shady, close to other springs and scalloping. No thrills, but I liked it, I have been to 100 campground. I wouldn't recommend it but I also would not recommend it if you know what I mean. It was a 6 out of 10. Has a nice boat launch area read more

Love this place! The springs are beautiful and truly one of a kind :-) definitely recommend checking it out

For those looking to experience natural Florida's wildlife and beauty, forget Disney world; grab a kayak and explore its natural rivers! I drove down from Buffalo, NY in February to escape from the Polar Vortex with 6 kayaks and a group of enthusiasts and the Chazz river (what it's referred to locally) was one of the many we hit during our kayaking adventure through Central Florida. The campground was nice, but we mostly used the park as a launching pad for our kayaks. There was no fee to use the campground. The river itself was wonderful to kayak through. We encountered a few gators, but they're docile and scared of you...so you shouldn't fear them, but you definitely shouldn't feed them! Definitely don't miss this gem if you're going through Florida. Rent a kayak and explore this river! read more

Chassahowitzka River Campground - Launching pad - Rafting/Kayaking Near Me - Homosassa, Florida

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Don't stay here!!!!! Their reservation website it terrible, and will only reserve half of the spots you reserve and pay for. Oh and even though it's their fault they will still keep your money! Beware!!!!! Also don't try to talk their so called "Manager" who talks over you and down to you and they hangs up the phone on you when you try to speak. STAY AWAY!!!!!! SAVE YOURSELF THE HEADACHE!!!!! read more

Awesome place and awesome campground. Springs are beautiful. Definitely would recommend checking it out

Beautiful place! First place we hit with our new RV and we'll definitely be back!! The river is great for kayakers and is perfect for fishing or just paddling around seeing the springs and all of the manatees. Not sure about how abundant they are year round but Christmas week 2017 they were everywhere...and very friendly! The bugs (no-seeums) were very plentiful and made an otherwise perfect scenario a little uncomfortable at times...especially in the early evening. I can only imagine that they get worse in the summertime. The campground itself is a little tight but there are enough trees and bushes around to provide some privacy. A few potholes on the dirt/gravel roads make it slow going with your rig. Hopefully those are addressed in the near future. The bathrooms were clean...the staff was friendly and helpful. Lots of dogs but unlike some other reviews, it appears to me that all the owners clean up after their dogs. Poop bag stations w/ trashcans all around. Thoroughly enjoyed this place. Looking forward to a return trip! read more

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Found this place through a local's recommendation. The staff is really friendly and the price for the kayak is relatively cheap compared to other more touristy place. Also, there's less people and hence its really nice to be able to kayak and enjoy the nature. There's also the famous seven sister springs but unfortunately I can't dive so I didn't went to see it. I saw some manatees really up close, flying fishes (forgot the names), birds and there's many different paths one could take on this river. Unfortunately, I didn't bring my phone while kayaking. Would highly recommend anyone who would like to see manatees or just a relaxing day! read more

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Its ok. Very wooded and not a lot of sunshine around the park. They could use a little bit of elbow grease to clean some things up but overall the lots are spacious and everyone is nice. read more

Older lady at the desk is nothing but rude. I called to reserve a kayak this morning. She returned my call over an hour later and said they had no single kayaks available. When I asked her to hold while I discussed the available options with my wife, she hung up immediately. I called back to ask why she hung up. Her response, in a very rude and aggressive tone, was "what do you want??" So I said ok, bye. I'll be spending my money elsewhere from now on. read more

Great place to set your kayak in and enjoy a day in the springs and on the river. Great for birding, look close and you may see a gator and a river otter. Drop on in "The Crack" too. read more

This is a review of the boating location. We didn't camp, or rent anything here. The springs in the area are beautiful. There are caves that extend deep into the limestone, and the water is crystal clear. Seven Sisters Springs is just upstream from the launch, and is the jewel if the river, although there are other nice springs to explore as well. I would recommend you get there early to experience it. The boat trailer parking was full by 9:15 on a Saturday. Also this is a major area for the locals to hang out once the day gets on. By mid-morning the beauty of the river will be overtaken by unruly kids jumping in front of power boats, and air boats blasting up and down the river. Go early, enjoy the river, and then get out when the average number of teeth is less than the average number of fingers, and "hold my beer, and watch this" is the most common phrase you hear. read more

Chassahowitzka River Campground - Rafting/Kayaking Near Me - Homosassa, Florida

Love this river and campground, beautiful water and completely worth the pricefor kayak/canoe rental. Would recommend going early due to limited parking. Boys outside are super friendly. Only issue currently is dooreen at the front counter always has something slick to say under her breath. Get dooreen from out of there and it would be the best place in area! read more

No problem getting a reservation they gave us a really nice spot it's a short walk to the ramp Internet is not as bad as everybody says the only thing I can say and it's not against the campground itself it's the deer flies were out and it was awful and we had to really really spray but this is a lovely place and will come back again read more

Pros: The river is beautiful. The launch area is well maintained and very clean and easy to use. Camp grounds are fairly good size and not to hard to back into. Had zero issues with power, water and septic. Camp sites (RV) are close to the river launch area which brings me to cons. Cons: If you drive your car/truck to the launch site you have to pay extra to park, your camp sit fees do not cover this and it is not explained in the rules. There are a bunch of rules that I didn't see any of our fellow campers following. The staff that we interacted with acted like the simplest requests were rocket surgery and went way overboard with the warnings if you break the rules. read more

Reservation process is easy and the price is very reasonable. To all the complainers of no power or water...what did you expect? You are primitive camping. We didn't rent but the price of $35 for a kayak for a day is good. Many other springs charge the same for 2-4 hours. Plenty of room on site 61 which is the smallest site for 3 tents (small) and to park you car. Bundle of firewood was $15. 3 port a potties within walking distance for the ladies or use the bathhouse and toliets in the rv section. You do have shower access. Site are well maintained, staff knowledgable and friendly. A little loud at night but not bad after 10pm quiet time. Piece of advice if your phine goes dead let it stay that way. We made coffee, bacon, eggs over and campfire and enjoyed this wonderful part of old natural florida. If you want to disconnect this is a good place. read more

Chassahowitzka River Campground - Rafting/Kayaking Near Me - Homosassa, Florida

Friendly people and nice quiet campground. Restrooms and facilities were very clean. We walked to the little store and rented kayaks.

The worst customer service. Every interaction with an employee was a terrible experience. Rules are not enforced and will not give refunds. Will never come back or recommend. Try your luck at a better campsite like Weeki Wachee or Homosassa. Some more info: My friends and I reserved an RV site a month before our camping trip and planned to sleep in our cars because tent camping was not allowed. We checked that this was acceptable via phone several weeks before our reservation. When we got there, after checking in at the front with an unfriendly and rude employee named Denise, she made it aggressively clear that we could not set up tents in the RV area and we had to sleep in our cars, even after we told her that was already our plan. Shortly after going back to our site, a man named "PJ" came over to us and told us we had to leave because we were sleeping in our cars, and that was not allowed despite Denise telling us it was okay. Turns out he was kicking us out because someone who was staying more nights needed the spot. When we questioned him, saying we had had our reservation for a month and had made our plan to car camp clear for weeks in advance, he made a claim that it was "his camp" and he would "check with the front". I then get a phone call from Denise saying that we can't stay there because car camping wasn't allowed (even though she had already told us it was!!!) and we could move to a tent site that was open. I asked if we could get refunded for the price difference between RV and tent sites and she refused. We then asked if we would be refunded if we left and she said she could only refund half of it if we left due to the "cancellation fee", despite the fact that they had ALREADY rebooked our old site and we were kicked out due to their mistake. As we were talking through our options she said she had to go because she had other things to do, and HUNG UP ON US!!! My friends and I decided to walk up to the front office so Denise couldn't avoid us. When she was confronted she tried to offer anything but a refund (free $5 parking,free firewood, free kayak rentals, or credit for another visit, in that order), but we just wanted a refund. Eventually she gave us the refund for the difference between an RV and tent site, but not without yelling at us. As a cherry on top of the whole experience, when we got to the new site there was an aggressive dog running around the campsite without a leash (growling at us and other guests). The owners were hostile toward us, calling us names, when we asked them to put a leash on. Management never did anything when it was brought to their attention. Overall, we will never be returning. read more

Absolutely gorgeous area and super clean campground. Go kayaking on the beautiful river nearby.

Great place for the family. Clean and comfortable. Went tent camping and the whole family had a blast.

Horrible customer service in every aspect! My husband and I first witnessed poor service in the office from the office staff. One employee could do the job, but was not able to do it without cursing about every customer. The parking lot attendant was the rudest man I have ever encountered in my life. He was rude from the first words out of his mouth and he started an argument with my husband. He then proceeded to continue bad mouthing us and threatened to hit me after I confronted him. What kind of a state park employs a man that would threaten to hit a woman in a parking lot??? Go to another park, Florida is full of beautiful rivers and springs! Ps I have contacted the commissioner because managements response was "everyone has a bad day " read more

This review is for the tent portion of the campground. Nice sites, wooded and private. Be sure and preview or request a site with a table since not all the sites have tables and a few of the smaller sites are not good. Hot showers and a nice rec room with electric outlets and tv are available if you walk over to the RV side which is about 1/8 mile apart from the tent side. No alcohol is allowed. But the bar at the Riverside is only a short walk away and had AWSOME burgers and $1.drafts. You can rent a kayak or a canoe. The river is beautiful and full of wildlife. We used the kayaks all day for a $25 dollar fee and the kayaks were of better quality than many of the other rental places. read more

It's a great place to kayak but the staff (Dave) is the biggest jerk! Hey was so rude to my wife and I we almost had a fist fight! We will never be back!! There are so many nice parks around here with great staff that's there's no reason too. I don't understand why someone who hates their life so much has a job in customer service or a job at all. read more

Probably one of the most wonderful places you could ever experience. Should be on everyone's bucket list of things to do. Make sure you're with someone that has some degree of experience with the rivers it is old primitive Florida and comes with all of the floral and fauna as such. Black Bears Panthers otters alligators water moccasins You will see them all. Best of all don't forget the manatees they are beautiful, but always remember don't touch. Do not feed them do not stand your two-year-old on their back and take pictures and yes the fines are very expensive if you get caught doing it so observe and enjoy. And yes there are river dolphins there not a myth. Make sure to pack a lunch and plenty of water to drink. Oh yeah don't forget mask fins and snorkel your go to need them at the springs. Safety first. read more

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i ran USF's Canoe and Kayak club back in the late 90s/early 2000's and this was my go-to river for my club. After not having been here in probably over 12 years, i decided to make it a point to return. The place is under new ownership (at least from back then) and is even better than i remember it. Perfect staff, excellent facilities and maintained grounds. While the price has gone up since i had last been (of course it would have), it was still well worth camping and renting a canoe for the day. I couldn't have been happier to return to my old stomping grounds for catharsis. Cheers! read more

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Loved camping at this place, been there twice and are going back for a third. The RV camping area has lots of trees and amarillos and neat night life in the trees. Rented kayaks the first time and bought our own for the second and third. Had a great time even with a burn ban on. The only negative was the rude lady in the front. She seems to love being condescending and answering rudely and was that way both times. I read the reviews and this is a constant with her. Despite this person, I will return. Love Rainbow River also!! Lady Lake Fl resident read more

Love this launch so much but the customer service is garbage. After getting screamed at by the older lady at the counter, slamming her hands on the counter telling me I can not purchase a parking spot bc there are no more (although I'm literally in a parking spot) I got one from another worker out side. This is not the first time I've been confronted with this women's nasty attitude. It really sucks loving this place so much but dreading seeing the awful staff. I can not fathom how someone can be so nasty and treat their customers so shitty and feel good about themselves. read more

We used the online reservation on their website to reserve a jon boat on in early April. On arrival, we learned that the boat is a paddle boat, it does not have a motor. We decided to reschedule the reservation for another day in May and borrow a small motor from a friend to enjoy a relaxing day on the river. Unfortunately, something had come up and we were again unable to use the rental on the rescheduled date. After multiple attempts to call that week (phone has been busy constantly), I got finally through to speak to someone the day before our scheduled rental. Darlene answered and after looking up my information, told me the reservation was for 2 kayaks, not a jon boat. Not only is the reservation wrong, she was very short with me as I explained that none of this was told to us upon reserving, in writing or anywhere to be found online. Basically, she said use it tomorrow or lose your money. I do not have anything in writing that confirms this policy. I have not signed anything regarding this rental, there is not contract that states their cancellation or change policy. Their website also does not have anything in regards to cancellation or changes to existing reservations. NEVER again will I use this business for ANYTHING! read more

Great river, beautiful place. Had a wonderful time kayaking. Only downside was the incredibly rude staff members working the counter in the store. read more

Nice river but terrible customer service. My boyfriend and I were treated terrible by Heather. There was a slight misunderstanding and instead of talking to us personally she decided to yell at us in front of everyone. I felt that was very unprofessional. She was very sarcastic too. And made us feel uncomfortable. For the rest of the visit she was eyeing us down and pointing. I definitely would no recommend this to anyone I know. read more

This place sucks. No one answers the phone or returns messages or emails. Don't waste your time with this place!