Camping in Ocala

[carlnkathy]

We are leaving in about 10 days (wish it were sooner) for a three week trip to Florida. Any suggestions on places to camp around Ocala, where we spend the first week, would be appreciated. I am especially interested in whether anyone knows where the wireless internet works well. Many camps advertise it, but often I have trouble getting on.
Thanks,
Carl :)

[grill-n-go]

It looks like it's been 24 hours since you posted your inquiry and I don't see any comments that are to point.. so i'll throw in my 2¢..

Don't know about private campgrounds, but can tell you that once you are 1-2 miles into the Ocala NF traveling on Hwy 40 East/West and Hwy 19 North/South, you are for the most part in a dead zones for motorola mobile phones (cingular & nextel).

In case you haven't tried it:

http://flausa.com

click on the "destinations map" on the right side of the screen
click on the Ocala area. It'll show you the Ocala area (duh!!) click on it again.
On the left side of the screen you'll see a list of things you can do in Ocala. One of them is camping, click on it. You'll get a list of 15 private campgrounds.

Ocala Ranch RV Park
2559 S.W. Hwy. 484
Ocala, FL 34473
352-307-1100
877-809-1100

..struck me as being somewhat more with it than the others on the list.

[kempert]

Last Feb., I spent several days at Paynes Prairie State Park which is several miles off of I-75 between Gainesville and Ocala. It's a great place to get away from the hustle and bustle and it costs less than $20/day for water and electricity. The bad thing is that there is no internet connection there that I know about. For what it's worth, it seemed to me that most of the campgrounds in that area are real close to the interstate. Good luck during your search.

BTW - I see that you're from Lexington. I grew up with (and later worked with) Dave Hobbs who's an assistant to Tubby Smith at UK. You don't by any chance know him, do you? He's a great guy.

[Jim-NY]

Carl & Kathy,

We are camping at Blue Spring State Park 1/17, 18 and 19; then at Fort Wilderness/Disney World from 1/20-1/27. Then we are going to Rock Crusher RV Park in Crystal River for our last 5 nights in FL.

I have never camped at Rock Crusher, but it sounds like a good campground. It's 30 miles as the "crow flies", and probably 40 miles drive, SW of Ocala, which is probably much further than you want to be.

In case you are interested here is a link to their website: http://www.rccrvpark.com/

Jim
:new_newbi

[jimair1548]

We like to stay in state parks .....Rainbow River State Park was nice(this was about a year ago, and it was being renovated). Silver River SP was also very nice. We ride bicycles so our choices tend to be near rail-trails,etc....Jim