Great location surrounded by beautiful wilderness. Friendly chatty staff. Nice big shower in the…read morewomen's room with perfect water pressure. Lovely views of the sunset and wildlife. Shell mound hike nearby was cool but wear bug spray there's lots of mosquitoes.

Super cute campsite. Depending on what time of year you go the bugs could be bad, but overall…read morebeautiful stay and great people in the area!

Staff was very friendly and informative. Caves were easy to find and an awesome experience!read more

This is an older, very small campground with an incredible amount of charm. Management is extremely…read morepleasant, accommodating, and welcoming. If you're arriving after dark, be cautious--the entrance sign is not lit. I was driving a 40-foot motorhome towing a 30-foot trailer and mistakenly took the first turn instead of the second. The signage isn't illuminated, so headlights are helpful to confirm you're in the right place. I highly recommend arriving before dark. The campground is very quiet and feels like stepping back into "old Florida." It sits right on the river, where we saw otters playing and fish jumping--literally jumping two feet out of the water. Very cool. We stayed in Site 20, a pull-in site with excellent river views and located right next to the boat ramp. There's a small store on-site that sells firewood, fire rings at the sites, and it's perfect for a relaxing evening. The permanent residents were extremely friendly and helpful. Kayaks are available to rent for river trips (we didn't do that this time). They don't sell bait, but there's a great bait and tackle shop less than a quarter mile across the street with wonderful people--perfect for fishing off the dock. No problems at all, the dogs loved it, and my wife really enjoyed how relaxing it was. We'd happily stay again.

Another amazing evening of fun entertainment and the best sunset on the Gulf of Mexico! The food…read moretruck offerings filled the air as we exited our vehicle. We decided to share one of our favorite haunts in Cedar Key Florida.with our friend Laura before she heads back to blustery Iowa. She loved it and found the entertainment to be very enjoyable. It is quite a trek from Ocala roundtrip but we just can't help ourselves. We shall return!

The vibes of this place were great! I loved the outdoor seating options and the live music (shout…read moreout to the broken string band) was amazing! There was a nice sea breeze and a pier you could walk out on with a few tables there too. There is a food truck that is always on site that serves some tasty beef tacos with a delicious homemade pico as well as several other food options. Drink service at the bar was very slow as several people (I assume locals) came in after me but were served before me. It's great that everyone knows everyone, but we out of towners would like to support you too. We only ended up getting one drink each because of this.

Even though Ellie Schiller Homosassa Springs Wildlife State Park is still recovering from the…read moreimpacts of Hurricane Helene, our visit was outstanding and absolutely worth the stop. The staff and volunteers clearly care deeply about the park and its mission, and their dedication really shows. While a few areas are still in the process of being repaired, the park remains beautiful and full of life. The wildlife viewing opportunities are excellent, and the park does a wonderful job showcasing Florida's native species in a natural and respectful setting. Seeing the manatees up close was a highlight, and the underwater observatory provides a truly unique perspective you won't find in many places. What impressed us most was how well the park is being maintained despite the storm damage. Paths are clean, signage is clear, and the staff members we encountered were friendly, knowledgeable, and happy to answer questions. It's obvious that a lot of hard work is going into restoring everything while still making sure visitors have a great experience. If anything, visiting during this recovery period gives you an even greater appreciation for the park and the people who take care of it. Their resilience and commitment to conservation are inspiring. If you're traveling through the Homosassa area, this park is absolutely worth your time. It's a special place that celebrates Florida's wildlife and natural beauty, and we're already looking forward to coming back once the final restoration work is complete.

Originally, we road-tripped north almost 2 hours to experience a rare opportunity to swim amongst…read moremanatees in a natural setting. When we arrived we found out that the manatees had migrated away from the springs about 2.5 weeks ago. Disappointed we drove about 6 miles south and happened upon Homosassa Springs State Park, where they have 3 resident manatees that live in the springs year round. This small state park, was devastated by the hurricane several years ago. They have photos showing how high the waters were and many buildings are still closed. We had to wait for the tram to take us across the way to the park, they also have a boat to get there in a unique way. However, the water was too low to enjoy the boat ride. The park has about 3-4 manatees during the off season and you just have to look for them as they live in a natural setting. Eventually we found them a bit down river from the springs. Once in a while you'd see their nose pop up for air. They are such beautiful creatures. There is also a small zoo with a black bear, flamingoes, a white tailed deer, reptile case, an array of birds, and a variety of wild cats. They used to have a hippo but she died about 10 months ago. Definitely worth the $13 entry fee. It's a cute and well maintained park that is about at 75% of its operating capacity due to closed buildings that have not yet been renovated following Hurricane Milton. Although, we were disappointed to miss out on a once in a lifetime experience to *actually* swim amongst manatees, being able to see them in their natural habitat was truly special.

Got the last site for the Labor Day weekend, so was happy about that; although F05 was tight even…read morefor a 19 foot Airstream. Service: Arrived after office closed on Friday. Our reservation packet was in the late-arrival box. Nice color-map with good description of amenities. Beyond this the service was almost non-existent. Bath House was not the cleanest and the men's has only ONE toilet and ONE urinal. There are only TWO showers, although never had to wait. Shower debris were not cleaned during the four days. The left-side sink faucet handle was broken and spews water all over your pants because it has no aerator. Trash dumpsters are located at three corners of the park, but not the main entrance, so not easy to drop trash. I had walked our nightly trash to the bath house only to find no place for it. There was a single trash can by the fire pit but it was overflowing. Quiet: Pretty good here because many of the sites are long-term, so they aren't outside making noise. Cleanliness: Besides the bath house mentioned earlier, parts of the park are okay, like the office, pool and shuffleboard areas. Many of the long-term residents have junk piled up on their properties that detracts heavily from the cleanliness. The back of site F05 has a direct view of the long-term resident behind it and it looks like a junkyard with a lot of broken down items and storage units in very poor condition. Summary: Although the price was good, we decided we wouldn't stay here again unless it was the only place available.

Simple quiet RV "resort". Pretty clean. Staff is nice. Nice pool. Some of the permanent residences…read morehere look a bit run down. Most are newer. Would be better if it looked less like a mobile home park and more like one for RVers.

What an AWESOME place!! Idlewild Lodge is perfect for the entire family! We visited in March, and…read moreour weather was absolutely PERFECT! Cool at night and warm enough during the day to hike, enjoy the fire pit and take an incredible boat ride. We saw - without exaggeration - at least 8 alligators, sunning themselves on a warm spring day. We also saw tons of birds - osprey, hawks, even an eagle!! (I tried to add one of the videos of an alligator jumping into the water as we rode by, but couldn't figure out how to do it)! Our camp cabin was FABULOUS!! Very comfortable beds, sparkling clean throughout, nice kitchenette and living room, plus a wonderful screened-in porch. Everyone at Idlewild is SO nice and helpful!! Great fun meeting other visitors from all over the country! We will definitely be back again. Thank you Matt!!

Wow! What a change. Cabins are beautiful and fully redone. The grounds are beautiful and the food…read morefrom the food truck was really good too. Matt and Vaughn were amazing hosts. Only complaint was I didn't have more time to spend once I realized they have new rental pontoons and airboat rides on property

Had been coming here for 2 years but all of the sudden the children are a problem! Accusations of…read morethem ruining everything! They apparently trashed the bathroom and left trash every where and they just accused them for everything it makes me sad how they treat my kids like crap and blame this on them! They don't even have cameras and there was multiple people before them and there was a party the day before. I know my kids and they pick up after themselves and anyone else's trash they are responsible and very respectful! This visit was horrible and we will not be staying here again. They were also calling my kids disrespectful! Not kid friendly! I would not trust them to be around anyones kids very harmful and toxic environment! I would not recommend this place to anyone it's a bad campsite.

Recently stayed here! New management, beautiful sites, amazing pool! They have a big community…read moredeck with tv, tables, play games in the evening. This will be the place of choice when we need a campground!! Let us hold a bday party on the deck! Fun fun fun!!!!! Thank you to the campground for an amazing time.

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

Great location for kayaking, etc. There's so many places to explore…read more 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.

They've been here since 1947... before Busch Gardens, SeaWorld, Universal, LegoLand and yep, longer…read morethan Mickey. These mermaids ‍ showed Ariel how it's done in Florida waters. Welcome to Weeki Wachee Springs... home of one of the Sunshine State's original roadside attractions. (second maybe only to orange juice stands). If you love clear water, gentle humor, fun costumes, old Florida, a little razzle dazzle and a whole lot of bubbles, you'll get a kick out of the mermaid shows. The mermaids have their own theater and the kids aren't the only ones who get sucked into the fairy tale. The vibes are so laid back, you could be lulled into forgetting how hard these underwater moves are. They make it look easy-but there's some serious athleticism and training, behind all of the underwater fun... and they do it all... while wearing tails! (like Ginger Rogers keeping up with Fred Astaire-but backwards and in high heels) The mermaid show is adjacent to the water park. They share a parking lot and a ticket window. You could make a day out of it. There's a cute gift shop... and random peacocks wandering around... plus photo ops with the mermaids. I love the history of this place-they do a good job sharing it at the show. I'll let them tell you. The show is part of Weeki Wachee State Park. When i went (March 2026), it was $13 for adults-I think $8 for kids and I believe the youngest ones get in free. The water park and paddle boarding are extra but the admission covers the mermaids and I think the river cruise is included. The mermaid shows run a few times a day-and seats fill up quickly, so get there about 30 minutes early on busier days (summer and weekends). It's so Florida-you've gotta go! Have fun!

The mermaid show is the big draw from this "famous " Floridian roadside show. Once privately owned,…read moreit has now been acquired by the State of Florida. We were late for the show, because the website failed to post times and were unreachable via phone, email, or the websites frequently asked questions. We caught the last 15 minutes of the show as it runs from 11-11:30, 1:30-2pm and 3-3:30pm. It's a relatively small park. The mermaid show is cute if you have children under the age of 10 years old. Otherwise, give it a miss. Admission is $13 ea a little less for kids. 4 of us cost about $42 for entrance fees. They have a water slide that was not operating. They have a small "nature " walk. They have a boat that was not running to look at nature and they have a 30 minute animal encounter educational experience with a ranger. She showed and talked about two kinds of turtles, a snake and a small alligator. Walking around they have photo ops to look like a mermaid and after the show you have a chance to photograph yourself with a live mermaid from the show. If you have $50- $100 your kid can have a "mermaid makeover". We were at the park for maybe 1.5 hours. I suppose if the boat was running and the water slide was operating one could spend up to 3 hours. It was an interesting experience. Once is enough.