In this blog, I’ll countdown my top five Florida state parks. I’ve enjoyed traveling to Florida for several years and have camped primarily at Florida state parks. I’ve stayed at dozens of parks, and in this episode, I’ll pick my top five and the reasons for each choice. Each of these parks I highly recommend and would stay at them again.
To set this up, my ratings for each of these state parks are based on the main things I look for in a state park, namely, a beautiful setting, quality campsites, solid infrastructure, and the ability to exercise and work. It’s focused on state parks that are best for living and working remotely. If you are primarily looking for great places to fish and could care less about other forms of exercise or bandwidth, this list will miss the mark and pass over several great fishing spots.
Also, if a park is very strong in one area but weak in others, it likely won’t make the list. I have to work regularly, so having good bandwidth isn’t optional. Many Florida state parks excel in beauty but have limited bandwidth to work from, so they simply won’t make my list. I’ll link to each state park in case you want to do more research.
You can look at all our campground reviews on the campground reviews map.
So, let’s start the countdown.
Number 5 in our countdown – Colt Creek State Park
Like the old Chex cereal commercial used to say, “those who don’t like Chex cereal, have never tried Chex cereal,” the same can be said of Colt Creek State Park. Maybe it is because I was serendipitously there in the winter of 2018 when they cut the ribbon to open the campground, but I really love this place.
It is likely the quietest park I’ve been to anywhere, as it is on the south side of the Green Swamp in central Florida, about 16 miles north of Lakeland, Florida. It is literally in the middle of nowhere, making it great for stargazing. Besides newer large private campsites, Colt Creek is wide open, has miles of great trails to explore, miles of paved roads to run and bike on, and adequate bandwidth to work from. There is an excellent bathhouse and laundry machines.
There is a wide variety of wildlife to watch and study. I’ve seen snakes, Gopher Tortoises, hawks, rabbits, many species of birds, a plethora of types of butterflies, and deer galore. The park has an excellent set of programs for various activities, and the price for staying there is very affordable. The only drawbacks are the distance to groceries – whether you head to Lakeland or Zephyrhills, its 16 miles one-way, and the fact that they hold several great sites out of the reservation system. Also, the bandwidth can be problematic at times. Otherwise, I really do love this place.
Number 4 in our countdown – Gamble Rogers Memorial State Rec Area
Moving from Central Florida to the Atlantic coast, north of Daytona lies Flagler Beach and Gamble Rogers Memorial State Rec Area. This incredible park sits right on the Atlantic Ocean on route A1A and has just about everything. Besides stellar bandwidth to work from, I like the feel of the area along Flagler Beach. The park is close to amenities in town, so it is easy to stock up or eat out. There are also great bathhouses and laundry machines in the campground.
The Riverside campground lies on the intercoastal waterway and has large private sites and newer infrastructure, while the Beachside campground is right on the beach. One thing I love about this park is the constant stiff breezy. If it is 90 degrees inland, likely it will be 5-10 degrees cooler here with a great breeze to quell the heat. Besides the beach, a long paved public running and biking trail along the A1A makes exercising super easy. All this makes staying at Gamble Rogers a no-brainer. It makes me want to go back right now.
Number 3 in our countdown – Wekiwa Springs State Park
Wekiwa Springs State Park near Apopka, Florida, is a great place to live and work remotely and is close to everything. Besides being close to shopping, groceries, and restaurants, Wekiwa feels like it is a world away once you enter the vast state park. The campsites are mainly private, many are full hookup, and bandwidth is one of the highest I’ve recorded at any Florida State Park. There are several miles of paved roads within the park to run and bike on and many miles of hiking trails to explore. Two drawbacks are no laundry machines and the fact that they keep some great sites off the reservation system.
I’d be remiss not to mention the springs area. It can be a wonderful experience for frolicking but is open to day-use and can get very crowded by locals. While the campground is excellent, the main drawback is how close you are to town. Groceries may be nearby, but it is probably one of the loudest campgrounds of the top five due to nearby traffic noise. Yet, I’d still stay here again in a heartbeat.
Number 2 in our countdown – Lake Louisa State Park
Lake Louisa is like being at home for me. I’m not from Clermont, Florida, but Lake Louisa has been my most visited Florida State Park. Its proximity to Walt Disney World probably started me staying there, but it is now a destination in central Florida. Lake Louisa is close to Clermont, making eating out and stocking up on groceries a breeze. Pretty much every retail chain has an outlet in town. The bandwidth is excellent to work from, and the amenities within the park are substantial, including a small store with great snacks (including packaged ice cream) and camping items.
I love the miles of lightly traveled paved roads within the park to run or bike on and the massive trail system to explore. There are great bathhouses and laundry machines and let’s not forget access to the large lakes within the park for kayaking and fishing. Lake Louisa pretty much has it all, making it hard to beat and hard to book. There are some full hookup sites in C Loop, but you have to book 11 months ahead of time to snag one.
Number 1 in our countdown – Jonathan Dickinson State Park
My number one state park takes us way down the Atlantic coast to just north of Jupiter, Florida. Jonathan Dickinson State Park is a recreational wonderland with outstanding campgrounds and access to excellent amenities. The Pine Grove Campground near the front of the park has 89 full hookup sites with outstanding bathhouses and laundry machines, yet 12 campsites are kept off the reservation system for some reason. There is exceptional bandwidth at Pine Grove campground, the best I have ever seen, making working very easy. Near the Loxahatchee River, the River Campground has electricity and water at the campsites and provides easy access to the river.
Being a state park just off the Atlantic Ocean, Jonathan Dickinson is usually breezy and cooler than inland. The park is best known for its recreational opportunities, especially its outstanding mountain biking courses. Besides best-in-class mountain biking, the park has an enormous footprint with miles of hiking and equestrian trails and miles of paved, lightly traveled roadways within the park for running and biking. The park’s outstanding and unique recreational opportunities, access to water sports, easy access to town, excellent working bandwidth, and quality campsites put it at the top of my list. I think I’d stay there all the time if I could.
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