Whenever I camped at a campground, I more often than not, explored the surrounding area to see other campgrounds.
Central FLORIDA
In central Florida, Hontoon Island State Park has a campground where you have to leave your car behind for the weekend and take a boat across to the island. Not good for me as I need my car nearby for supplies and cooler.
Lake Ashby has an adorable little campground with walk-in campsites (you have to park your car in the parking lot). Nice, but not private enough for me.
Also in central Florida, I drove through Clearwater Campground several times. There were a couple private enough sites, but there was a lot of day-use crowds of people at the small lake.
Rodman Campground had some nice sites but I was not keen on the constant bad smell from the paper mills in nearby Palatka.
Blue Springs State Park is a fantastic place to see lots of manatees in the winter, but I personally never camped overnight there as it was more expensive.
In Ocala Forest I drove lots of time through Gore’s Landing and Lake Eaton Campground, both of which seemed too damp and full of mosquitoes, but both okay for those wanting to launch small boats.
I drove clear across the city of Ocala, which took 45 minutes, to look at Shangrila Campground, and got to see horses. The campground is very nice with a host, and is right next to extensive hiking, biking, horse trails. It is more money than I like to spend but not too bad.
I really liked Three Nut Camp in Ocklawaha, at coordinates 29.119856 and 81.909084, which was free, but I would have needed to be camping with someone else as it was isolated with no host.
When I camped at Seminole State Forest with my friend Jake, we camped at Oaks group camp. The other sites were Blackwater, Jumper, Bunk, Corral, and Mocassin, all great for groups, but some have EMFs, not the best for me.
After driving through Silver Springs Campground, and seeing how nice it was and how close to supplies, I probably would have camped there but there were so many nearby less expensive choices. But it was great for RVs and those needing showers.
A popular free campground in Wildwood is Lake Panasofkee. It was a huge field where a lot of people brought their horses. I noted there were one or two sites toward the back with a little privacy due to a few trees, in case I was ever stuck for a place to stay a night or two.
I’ve explored gorgeous peaceful Shanty Pond on foot even though it closed down in 2020. I hope it reopens someday and gives nearby Salt Springs, where I’ve camped several times, some competition. I much prefer the primitiveness of Shanty Pond.
FLORIDA Panhandle
Near where I camped in the Apalachicola area, St. George Island State Park was beautiful but full during spring break when I drove through. Also I was not a fan of the cell tower at the entrance.
I preferred Hickory Landing to nearby Right Lake Campground as Right Lake was a huge circle of sites with little privacy, though there were showers there.
In the Florida panhandle, my friends always said good things about Grayton State Park, which I have yet to explore. I checked out Torreya State Park, a very beautiful forest. The main campground was not private enough for me but fine for RVs. I didn’t get a chance to explore the tent section as my car was running out of gas, but I will definitely consider it for the future as my friend Jake raves about it.
Northern FLORIDA
Someday I want to check out Goose Pasture, near a river, recommended by a friend. On the honor system with cash fees.
I checked out the campground near Gainesville called Paynes Prairie Preserve State Park, which was nice but not primitive enough for me.
Near Lake City in Florida, many of my friends camp regularly at Ocean Pond, but I was not fond of the campground because there was a cell tower directly across the lake. I did stay a few times at nearby Hog Island Campground with nice wooded private sites, and a camp host. I like the fact there were only about eight sites, and that the lake water lapped up to the sites, but it was always filled with mosquitoes, and also across from the cell tower.
I checked out Cobb Forest on a dreary day in 2021. There were no designated sites. People were camping everywhere with smoky fires and appearing to possibly be doing drugs. I heard over the years that the forest had been cleaned up, and that there were “no camping’ signs even though people were still camping there.
Florida Gulf
My friends loved Tillis Hill Campground in Inverness. It was an equestrian campground which I usually really like. When I showed up there after making reservations, I was disappointed to see it so crowded and hardly a site with any privacy. It was perfect for RVs though. While I was trying to decide whether to stay at least one night I could smell a lot of smoke and learned there was a controlled burn going on near the entrance
When there are no controlled burns, I plan to check out Holder Mine and Mutual Mine Campgrounds, also in the Citrus Wildlife Management Area.
The ranger at Lake Wales Ridge, who has similar tastes as me, told me about Lithia Springs Campground and Withlacoochee State Forest, both of which I will try out someday.
Southern FLORIDA
In early spring 2025 I checked out more thoroughly the free campgrounds in Florida. You have to go on the SFWMD (South Florida Water Management District) website. You are allowed to camp six nights at a time and not more than twenty nights a year. Serenova Tract seems to be the most popular. Hampton Tract is down a one and a half mile dirt road after the locked gate. There was a cell tower at the beginning. It is ten miles to Walmart. Upper Hillsborough Tract near Zephyrhills only eight miles from Walmart, is a gorgeous primitive campground but as I drove through there were very high EMFs, it was near a mobile home park and loud train intersection. Allston Tract was one mile down a dirt road to the locked gage then 1000 feet dirt road to campground after gate. No host, but quiet and pretty. Oak Ridge Equestrian Campground, a tiny campground with not privacy and no host, was down a dirt road and near a Publix supermarket.
While camping at Lake Wales I checked out nearby county campgrounds at Lake Rosalie, Lake Arbuckle and Coleman Landing, all of which would be okay for me in an emergency, but not private enough.
While camping at Panther Pond I checked out the surrounding area. Fish Easting Creek Campground, while very popular with its camp store and a river to kayak, it was an anthill of people when I drove through one Saturday with tents on top of one another.
W.P Franklin North made me feel like what I’d feel like in Venice. It was perfect for high-end RVs, but not great for tents. Ortona North Campground was similar, surrounded by water. Pepper Ranch Preserve was gorgeous. Close to Lake Trafford and open for camping Thursdays through Sundays it had wide open skies to see the stars.
Near Fort Myers, in Alva I checked out Cindy Rouse Campground which had walk-in sites, with cars parking in the nearby parking lot. Nearby there were hilly bicycle trails in Caloosahatchi Regional Park.
Dinner Island was fun to drive through with extensive dirt roads, beautiful meadows, cows, cowboys, horses and lots of land. The two free campgrounds were near the paved road. One was full sun, great for RVs and the other was way too shady and damp, and most likely full of mosquitoes.
I heard great things about Babcock Ranch which I will definitely check out someday.
Despite its popularity, I did not personally care for Highlands Hammock State Park near Sebring for overnight camping. It had a windblown, kind of parched look when I drove through.
While camping in southern Florida I checked out Picayune State Forest and was not personally impressed with the open layout of the campground next to a lot of forestry maintenance equipment and close to a very dusty road. A controlled burn was taking place, so I didn’t get to see much of the hiking trail area.
Along the Tamiani Trail I checked out Monument Lake Campground, with a massive cell tower right at the entrance, Midway Campground which was halfway between Naples and Miami with some good sites in the rear away from the road traffic.
I’ve heard good things about Mitchell Landing and Bear Island Campground in the same area, but I didn’t want to drive down ten to twenty-mile dirt roads without having four-wheel drive.
VIRGINIA
I tried to find Curtis Creek Campground, which came highly recommended. However, my GPS sent me twenty miles the back way along a heavily graveled, winding road with steep drop-offs. It took all my skill to be able to turn around without falling off the mountain.
Hungry Mother State Park was beautiful for camping RVs but not private enough for me.
I camped one night with a friend at Warrior Creek Campground which was pretty, but she had not picked a private enough site. Cars were driving too close to our site and the wind was fierce.
SOUTH CAROLINA
There’s a fabulous place in South Carolina called Congaree National Park, which I heard is number 3 national park in the country. There is a boardwalk among biodiverse trees with amazing root systems. I look forward to trying out the campground sometime.
NORTH CAROLINA
I really liked Black Mountain Campground in Piscah National Forest when I drove through it.
In the Uwharrie National Forest, I drove through and took copious notes about campsites in popular Badin Lake Campground.
ALABAMA
While camping at Open Pond Recreation Area in Conecuh National Forest near Andalusia, Alabama I checked out Geneva State Forest Wildlife Management Area, which was not as private as I like, but I would definitely consider camping there in the future.
I checked out Bear Lake Campground in Blackwater River State Forest near Baker, and wasn’t too keen on it. I explored Karick Lake, both north and south campgrounds, which were not private enough for me but maybe fine for those in RVs.
SOUTHWEST
I checked out campgrounds near Tucson. Molino Basin Campground was at 5000 feet altitude up Mount Lemmon, had hosts, no EMFs, was $10 per night with senior pass. Up further the mountain General Hitchcock Campground was at 6000 feet altitude. The same price. Sites for tents, not RVs. There were stream sounds. And I could hear traffic. Even further up was Spencer Canyon Campground, same price, mainly tents and hosts. Not a lot of shade. Rose Canyon Campground at 7000 feet altitude was closed for some reason. There was snow on the ground at top of mountain and sleet/snow coming down as I drove around.
A year before becoming a nomad I had surgery in Sacramento and checked out some campgrounds in Folsom. At the time I didn’t think myself capable of camping but if I ever go back to that area I would definitely camp at Folsom Lake State Recreation Area and Peninsula Campground, where the water was so turquoise and I saw people parasailing.
NORTHWEST
When I camped in Olympia State Forest I checked out Middle Waddle Campground, which has lots of dirt bikes and ATV vehicles and lots of firecrackers going off in the nearby woods. I decided against driving all the way to Fall Creek Campground because it was down a four-mile gravelly road. Porter Creek Campground was full when I drove through. It was heavily wooded and there were amazing sites, many that were private.
GEORGIA
I once camped on a friend’s property in Georgia and got to know the downtown Thomaston.
While driving through Georgia from Gemlike to Parsons Mountain Campground, I came across a couple towns that I really liked. Greensboro had a quaint downtown with café tables, library and senior apartments that looked homey. Oconee Village had businesses such as CVS nestled among tall evergreens, instead of trees first being mowed down and a few shrubs later planted.
NEW HAMPSHIRE
In New Hampshire, the other campgrounds I checked out were Jigger Johnson Campground, which had loud traffic and needed mowing. Big Rock Campground was also near traffic but was pretty and peaceful toward the rear. I would consider both in the future but were much further from supplies than Covered Bridge Campground where I stayed. White Ledge Campground was very shady and near the traffic, too. Passaconaway Campground was a little dilapidated but had lots of first come first served sites. Hancock Campground was pretty, near a river, crowded with kids on a Wednesday. I liked Blackberry Crossing Campground, which had a host and seemed quiet, but it was very crowded and full of mosquitoes at the time I visited.
VERMONT
Some campers I met in Florida told me good things about Moosalamar Campground. However, they did mention that there were lots of mosquitoes there.