If you want to change from beach scenery to more nature theme setting, try Caloosahatchee Regional…read morePark (CRP) in Lee Country along the Caloosahatchee River in Alva. You can set up camp, ride mountain bike and Equestrian trails or hiking in CRP. For mountain bike and equestrian trails, go to Parking Lot #3 known as North Park Entrance. For hiking, go to Parking lot #2 or Main Park Entrance. For camping go to Parking Lot #1 or Campground Entrance! You must register for camping and have a campsite assigned to you or your group! BBQ pits and benches are available. There is a lodge with a kitchen and ice machine that can accommodate up to 80-100 participants. Before you go to CRP, make sure you call and plan out your activity ahead. Some trials may not be available in the raining season. Check your mountain bike to ensure they are in excellent working condition as there is an advanced or more difficult biking trials. No dogs or alcohol are allowed in the park! Caloosahatchee Regional Park is a hidden gem in Lee County! Bring plenty of water and enjoy the nature, hiking or camping!

Really pretty park! Great for walking, camping, bird watching, etc. There are some beautiful…read moretrees here!

Upriver is a quiet lovely campground. It has concrete slabs with enough for a sitting area. It's…read moremostly seasonal snowbirds, everyone seems to know every one and the people are very friendly. They are redoing the pool but the other facilities seem clean and the up keep of the park was clean and tidy. We only stayed two days as we were dropping off our 5th wheel to the dealers to trade in for a diesel pusher but found everyone helpful. The dealer we used will send new RV owners to this park for their first time camping and explained how the park people will help the newbies with their rig. Good to know if you need help. They do have pull-throughs.

The worst RV park we have attended. We have been here for 4 months now. Workers are rude. I've had…read morethem honk at me while outside or just come up to my door to tell me I'm breaking one of their 100000 rules. Rules consist of: *No parking on "sidewalk" (road outside the library) *cant throw dog waste in your own trash bad, it must be in their dog poop stations that are on opposite sides of the park *have to buy a gate code for $15 each, on top of the $1300 monthly rent - no visitors - we did not buy this at first, then the office would not answer and we sat out of the gate for 45 minutes - no answer - had to run to the exit gate to have it open then drive through just to get to our camper. * at LEAST $15 just to start your laundry - have to buy a laundry card Etc. We had a boat here, got upset with us when we wanted to take it out of their storage because it was after 2. Apparently you can't take YOUR OWN boat out UNLESS it's between their own hours. the pool is never open, barley any events happening (but will still charge extra for "amenities"). The AIR Conditions laundry room is only open during office hours (10-3) -also sucks if you work during the day. Has another laundry mat but no conditioning and poorly cleaned. Our electric is somehow $400?? Never felt an RV park was awful till this one. Steer clear!!!

US Army Corps of Engineers constructed the W.P. Franklin Dam to regulate the water flow from Lake…read moreOkeechobee along the Caloosahatchee River. On the river's South side, they created W. P. Franklin Recreational Park with volleyball court, picnic tables, boat ramp, playground and an observation area over the dam and a Project exhibit office. On the river's North side, they created a campground on an island with RV/tent sites, electric hook up, water hook up, fishing pier, shower/restroom, Picnic shelters, grills and boat ramp. There are only 30 lots available so you have to book your reservation early. A quick drive in the campground shows us that this is a small and clean facility with friendly staff. Two words to describe this facility, "Well Run" The river view overlooking the W. P. Franklin Dam is calm and spectacular. It is secluded and quiet but only 30 minutes to Downtown Fort Myers. One bad news, you can only stay no more than 2 weeks but the rental fee at very reasonable rate of $30 per night! Thank You, Army Corps of Engineers!

Campgrounds were great but the camp hosts were a little too much. Spoke with a couple of other…read morecampers and they all agreed that the hosts made the experience very uncomfortable. They were constantly patrolling. At one point we started counting how many times they came by in an hour... they were literally circling the campgrounds nonstop and it was in 13-17 minutes intervals.

Now the road is closed down after the Hurricane but from Venice you can walk down to this beach and…read moreit's a nice walking and along the way you can definitely find shark teeth and beautiful sea shells. PS: if you come during midday, please be prepared that the sand is extremely hot walking towards the ocean. Especially in the summer!! We came here this past weekend and stayed until sunset it was a beautiful view, and the water was perfect. Probably found about 50 short teeth, sifting, and walking on land. It's a great beach for the kids as long as the water is not too rough.

A beach located in Venice. This beach is much quieter and definitely less crowded than the other…read morebeaches in the area. This is the beach to go to if you are looking for shark teeth. The sand here is darker in color than the others near by, but very soft. I like going here just because it's so peaceful. There are no food or drink options on this beach, but there are resturants near by.

We went to Cayo Costa State Park over the Columbus Day weekend.Stayed overnight in a tent…read morecampsite.It was great! Cayo Costa is a beautiful,unspoiled,rustic South West Florida island in the Gulf of Mexico. The rangers at the park were friendly and helpful. Campsite was clean. Restrooms were clean-make sure you bring a flashlight,because there is no electricity in the restrooms and that been said there are no lights after sunset. Cold water showers-not so bad if you stay there between April and October. The beach was beautiful, very few people. Most of the time it felt like we had the whole island to ourselves:) Great hiking trails,kept clean. Noseeums were pretty bad, at sunset and sunrise.Nothing will keep them away but you can protect yourself if you stay dressed-covered head to toe- or if you keep moving they can't bite you. Overall we had a great time and we will definitely be back on this beautiful island!

Isolated and great shelling. Beautiful boat ride to the island with great tour guidesread more

State park beach. Parking seemed limited but we were able to find a spot. This location is…read morewheelchair accessible and they offer some beach wheelchairs if needed. Parking was $5. I have a Florida state park pass but didn't see an attendant to show it to. The beach was very clean. It's a narrow beach but long. Water was extremely clean and pretty. Saw a manatee and what we think was a giant grouper swimming by!

This is such a beautiful park made for the perfect beach day. Upon entering the park you are…read moresurrounded by the stunning wildlife and nature of the gulf coast of Florida. Parking is at a small fee and there are multiple lots as you drive down the park. We recently visited to watch the sunset and had a wonderful time. I definitely recommend this spot for a beach day, picnic, or shell hunting.

So happy we stumbled upon this gem, it's our new favorite campground! Amazing location, super…read morefriendly hosts, well maintained. A real campground, not one of those awful RV parking lots that you usually find in the area. This place is absolutely gorgeous!

First of all This is not a resort…read more Very laid back atmosphere. No one to check you in when you get there. I had to make a call to see what to do. Was told park anywhere and no one even asked our name. This is an oversized parking lot with 10 sites. Not all sites have full hookup as advertised. First site we pulled into had no sewer. If you don't have a 50amp RV, you must bring a converter as that's all they have, even though it's advertised as 30/50. Luckily we had one otherwise we would have had a problem. If it rains- be careful! Big storm last night and hookup area flooded where electric and sewer hookup was. Luckily we were hooked up prior to storm. Our neighbor who arrived shortly after storm was not so lucky and had to wait for area to dry up before they could hook up. It never did so they had to boondock at different site. My spouse was sick and we called the day before at 8am to see if we could reschedule. We spoke to someone who informed us to text the owners and they will get back to us when they can. I then texted. When I didn't hear back I called again at 3:30 and was told again the owners are busy and will get back to me eventually. I texted again at 5 and never heard back so we just went. It was frustrating I couldn't get an answer. The place is very chill. Family owned and ran. Met an owner who arrived hours after we hooked up. Very kind. Nice dock out back to watch sunrise and dolphins play. Chairs, fire pit and kayaks available for use. Island shack on property with laundry, shower, bathroom and couches. Walk to cute boutiques and art galleries and seafood restaurants.

Had a great camping experience earlier this year (March) at Fort De Soto Campground. We love and…read moreenjoy camping, and this was our first camping experience in the state of Florida after moving to the state the previous year. Let's begin with the reservation and securing your actual camp site. Reservations are HIGHLY recommended. Like most other public (federal, state, or county) campgrounds, having a reservation is arguably the best way to secure your camp site. I believe I reserved the site about 6 months ahead of time. Fort De Soto is fairly competitive when it comes to site selection - so if you're looking for a waterfront site, make sure you give yourself ample time to reserve your site based on your camping trip date. We've been to Fort De Soto before, visiting the beaches and what not, so we know that it's a great location. We didn't really know what to expect when it comes to the campground itself as the reservation site doesn't really provide extensive images that help you with the site selection. We find that using Google Maps help to a certain degree, although the foliage and tree canopies tend to obscure any sort of overhead recon. On the day of our trip, we traveled from Lutz at the time. The journey was fairly easy and without much trouble or traffic. You have to officially enter the park first before getting to the campgrounds (requires you cross at least one bridge). The entrance to the campgrounds is not too far from park entrance. What's neat about the Fort De Soto Campground is that it's sort of its own mini-peninsula off the main road leading to the rest of the park. Depending on which part of the land you're on, you essentially have your own "private" bay. The check-in was relatively smooth and fast. Like other campgrounds, there were a list of rules and guidelines for your stay; general rule of thumb is just not be an asshat and you'll be fine. During the time we were there, there were no ground campfires allowed - all fires needed to be contained in an above ground grill (using the one on the site, or one that you bring). Not sure if this was a year round policy, or during the burn-ban that impacted both Pinellas and Hillsborough counties. We stayed on Site 061 after thoroughly reviewing the available sites as best we could. We selected this site, even though it was not waterfront, due to it's relative vicinity to the water, less going through some mangroves. Overall, the site was pretty clean, save for the lingering smell of urine. We also had the privilege of staying next to a Camp Host, who was super quiet and did not really bother us in any way. We were able to backup our Chevy Silverado into the site, and throw up our tent and other camping furniture with ease. We found that we had a great access point to the water. There was a hiking path of sorts behind our site, but it's a clear shot to the mangroves from the site. The mangroves had an opening that allowed us to walk into the shallow bay. We took advantage of this, and did some light fishing from here which was awesome. When it came to pests, we didn't really have an issue with them. From this site, you can easily walk to the hard-stand restrooms and showers. The rest of the campers were friendly and kept to themselves, which made this camp trip super relaxing and enjoyable as it should be. Overall, a great campground if you are looking for a bit of a unique camping experience in the Tampa Bay region. I would highly recommend this site to any camper interested!

Very well thought out…read more What I camped here for one night with friends. Environment The campsite was fairly large, we were able to fit 2 cars in comfortably. There is a table and plenty of space to set-up tents. There is an outlet and water access. There are lots facing water, but some places can be spotty as there are mangroves. There are also various spots where you can launch kayak/paddleboards which makes it convenient. The bathroom and shower area was very clean and big. The showers I thought was a little inconvenient. (Maybe I am not to this). There are no hooks to hang my towel.. or even clothes.. There is also a dayroom nearby where you can rest if it is too hot in the campsites. In terms of accessibility - everything was easily accessible. I like that there is a bike path that you can ride from the campsite to the North beach. Niceness of all I haven't had a bad encounter, everyone was nice.

Beautiful campground! We are absolutely thrilled to be here. We originally had our stay planned a…read morefew weeks earlier but due to a family emergency we had to cancel the day before. I offered to send some money for the cancellation and Anita at the front would not have it. They even rescheduled us for now. The shower facilities are clean and well maintained. Some of the best rv sites I've ever seen with a fair amount of privacy. The birds are super cool to look at and admire. The speed limit is a strict 7 1/2mph which means you don't have to worry about being knocked off or mowed over on your bike. The beach is about a 10 minute walk or a short bike ride, beautiful beach. Overall beach feel to this campground. We will be here for another 2 weeks and cannot thank periwinkle park enough for an amazing affordable Sanibel experience!

Great starting point to visit the Islands. Beach is a short bike ride or walk from the campground…read moreand not crowded.

I was very worried coming in here with all the horrible reviews that are posted for the place…read more However, I decided to come anyway and thankfully did. We arrived at an earlier time than expected and the front desk was able to accommodate us and check us in at that moment. The general manger also came by to check on how we liked the place. Not bad for a few nights. Many mobile homes are run down and rv sites a mess. Take in consideration Ft Myers had a major Hurricane run over them as well. According to the rules online not many people follow by them in regards to having their sites up kept. The sites give you an overall crowded feeling and the streets to certain sites are very narrow. Overall, not a bad price to stay here for a few nights or even a week. We traveled for work with our toddler. The pool was very small and the hot tub was under construction or maintenance. Before jumping to conclusions because of other people's reviews just come check the place out yourself.

Place is run down. Lots are all on ground, no pavers or concrete. Pool was closed the entire month…read morewe were there. Many year round residents. Lost power and water while we were there. Would not recommend this park.