Myakka River State Park Campground
Florida State Park
Write a Review 13208 FL-72 Sarasota, FL 34241 941-361-6511 850-245-2157 Reservations: 800-326-3521 Official WebsiteGPS: 27.2404, -82.3152
Overview of Myakka River State Park Campground
Last Price Paid: $35
Reported by julia on 1/1/2024
Longest RV Reported: 36 feet (Fifth Wheel)
Reported by LivingOurDreamNow on 7/1/2021
Number of Sites 90
Pad Type mixed
Reservations yes
Elevation 0 ft / 0 m
Max Stay 14
Max Length 45 ft
Tent Camping Yes
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Reviews of Myakka River State Park Campground 30 people have reviewed this location.
“Great Park with a couple of issues”
Reviewed 6/18/2021
Nightly rate: | $26 |
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Days stayed: | 3 |
Site Number: | 58 |
RV Length: | 33' (Class A) |
This was our second visit to Myakka River State Park. We had reservations for site #58 in the Palmetto Ridge Campground, one of 3 campgrounds in the park. Check-in was easy and efficient. Our site was so level that our leveling system made short work of it. The site was a large back in site and it had some good shade, which many of... more
This was our second visit to Myakka River State Park. We had reservations for site #58 in the Palmetto Ridge Campground, one of 3 campgrounds in the park. Check-in was easy and efficient. Our site was so level that our leveling system made short work of it. The site was a large back in site and it had some good shade, which many of the other sites do not. We had plenty of space between ourselves and campers on either side of us. There was no noise from other campers.
There were full hook-ups: 50 and 30 amp electric, water and sewer. Unfortunately, we had issues with two of the utilities. The sewer pedestal was raised so high that we could not dump using just gravity. As others have commented, we had to manually manipulate our sewer hose to get the discharge from our RV to the sewer connection. I might note that our dump connection is fairly low on our rig, so others with a higher connection may not have this problem. The other problem was the water. The chlorine content was so high that we could not drink the water. We asked a ranger about this and he said that was perfectly normal. I do know that it was not like this on our previous trip. If we do return to this park, we will bring plenty of drinking water with us. I would also note that we had no AT&T connectivity, but that wasn't a big problem for us.
There is plenty to do at this park. It is 58 square miles of great hiking, biking, and water activities. Usually, you can rent bicycles, kayaks or canoes at the park. Fishermen can catch bass, bream and catfish in the lake. We had fun hiking the canopy walkway that had a raised walkway up in the tree canopy. We also found plenty of gators in the river. Swimming is not permitted in the park because of that. During this visit, there was a drought, so no fires were permitted. The river and lake water levels were quite low, and the park concessionaire was closed. When operating, there is a tour boat, the Myakka River Queen, that is quite popular. The cost is $20/adult and $12/child (age 2-12). There is also a 1-hour tram ride available.
Globetrekker would stay here again
This review is the opinion of a Campendium member and not of Campendium.com
“Beautiful park! In our top 5 list! ”
Reviewed 5/27/2021
Nightly rate: | $26 |
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Days stayed: | 5 |
Site Number: | Site: 77, Loop: Palmetto Ridge |
RV Length: | 30' (Travel Trailer) |
I don't know how we did it, but (IMHO) we camped at one of the best sites in the Palmetto Ridge loop. I wish reviewers would provide more info on the sites they stayed in - especially the disappointed campers. There are three different campsites at Myakka, and they are all different. The PR loop is the only one with sewer I think. Ther... more
I don't know how we did it, but (IMHO) we camped at one of the best sites in the Palmetto Ridge loop. I wish reviewers would provide more info on the sites they stayed in - especially the disappointed campers. There are three different campsites at Myakka, and they are all different. The PR loop is the only one with sewer I think. There are a lot of different sites, with some mostly shaded and others nearly complete sun. Our site had a nice oak cover, and there are other sites that are similar (be sure to check Google Maps in satellite view).
We did lose power one night (short lived - just lost our coffee pot timer :) ). But everything else was flawless.
Our site was so level, I barely needed to use our leveling chalks to get set up!
Check-in was easy, although they did make us pull up and park, and when I walked back to the shack I had to wait behind a line of 7-8 cars! Why they make the campers wait, when you have a reservation and could take less time than some of the drive-up cars (with questions) I don't understand.
The bathrooms were VERY clean, but a bit warm. I didn't shower there, but it would have been hot & humid I think.
We saw lots of wildlife on our drives and bicycling; alligators, deer, turkey, wild hogs, TONS of birds. While we toted our kayaks, sadly the water was too low to paddle the river; we did see several people paddling on the lake however.
Our Verizon coverage was good enough to stream TV, but our AT&T phone had to hotspot off Verizon.
This review is the opinion of a Campendium member and not of Campendium.com
“TRULY ENJOYABLE 5 DAY VISIT”
Reviewed 5/27/2021
Nightly rate: | $16 |
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Days stayed: | 5 |
Site Number: | 83 |
RV Length: | 34' (Class C) |
This was our third visit to Myakka River State Park and was thoroughly enjoyable. Despite the weather heating up we still found lots of things to do, thank heavens for all the lovely shaded areas in the park. This time we took the Tram Tour, something we'd never done before, I learned so much from our personable and knowledgeable g... more
This was our third visit to Myakka River State Park and was thoroughly enjoyable. Despite the weather heating up we still found lots of things to do, thank heavens for all the lovely shaded areas in the park.
This time we took the Tram Tour, something we'd never done before, I learned so much from our personable and knowledgeable guide Dennis about the three ecosystems existing in the park, the history of the feral hogs, the strong suggestion not to wander in the wild grassed areas due to the prevalence of several varieties of snakes, four which are lethal and the cottonmouth also known as the water moccasin that will actual chase after you to bite. There are lots of safe paths and roads to travel so it's easy to not wade through the prairies and former ranch lands. We also learned the history and background of the Palmer Ranch lands and Mrs Palmers forward thinking in cattle raising and breeding, and saw the site of the original Palmer Ranch House. There is a gift shop and canteen which wasn't open on our last visit due to covid-19 restrictions, the same probably applied to the Ranger led talks and campfires, we didn't get an opportunity to check on them.
We'd taken the boat tour before and enjoyed it, there is a special combination rate for the boat tour and tram tour that saves $8, l wasn't aware of that before as hubby purchased the boat tickets last time (and he's not a big sign reader). All the staff and rangers we met were friendly, knowledgeable, and a joy to deal with. Our campsite (number 83) was spotless, pea gravel paved, nice well maintained electrical, water and sewer connections, note the sewer connection is raised, it's easily connectible but you may have to make more adjustments that you're used to. We had the picnic table, fire pit and separate charcoal bbq on a metal post, although I used our BBQ and electrical appliances. We had quite a lot of privacy at our, good greenery screening, the area was quiet, site was extra large, near but not to the bathhouse, complete with nice hot showers, benches, clothes hoods, new clean shower curtains, well lit and spotlessly clean.
My brother in law saw our photos and has already asked us to take him there when he returns in the fall, this is a good, safe, clean and well supervised park with lots of bike, hike and walking trails and animals to see.
We used our cell phones from Verizon for email and calls and had absolutely no problem.
FEWD would stay here again
This review is the opinion of a Campendium member and not of Campendium.com
“Great for outdoors stuff, far drive to city”
Reviewed 5/12/2021
Nightly rate: | $28 |
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Days stayed: | 4 |
Site Number: | 28 |
For those of us who don't mind a 30 minute drive into the city, this is a great state park with lots of hiking and kayaking options. Saw a lot of gators and birds. I stayed in Old Prairie which was very shaded and had level dirt sites. The bathrooms were generally clean though older. Got great Verizon service but zero AT+T. Was abl... more
For those of us who don't mind a 30 minute drive into the city, this is a great state park with lots of hiking and kayaking options. Saw a lot of gators and birds.
I stayed in Old Prairie which was very shaded and had level dirt sites. The bathrooms were generally clean though older. Got great Verizon service but zero AT+T. Was able to work and jump on Zoom meetings.
I give it a 5 but this should not been seen as in comparison to a full service RV luxury campground. It is a state park and you should look at it from a more outdoorsy perspective. I think I'd want more privacy in a tent though. I'd love to give it 4.5.
Also, there were no camp hosts and I think that had to do with the pandemic so I'm taking that into consideration for bathrooms.
ClassCFullTimer would stay here again
This review is the opinion of a Campendium member and not of Campendium.com
“Stunning terrain, lots to do - one of our Favs!”
Reviewed 3/15/2021
Nightly rate: | $30 |
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Days stayed: | 12 |
Site Number: | 29 |
Overall, this is a wonderful park and the campgrounds are very nice. Camped in a 35” motorhome. We are self-contained so cannot comment on restrooms/shower facilities. There are 3 campgrounds in the park. Big Flats is the closest to Upper Lake and has 20+ sites and has many trees and the most laid back vibe. If you want to be near t... more
Overall, this is a wonderful park and the campgrounds are very nice. Camped in a 35” motorhome. We are self-contained so cannot comment on restrooms/shower facilities. There are 3 campgrounds in the park. Big Flats is the closest to Upper Lake and has 20+ sites and has many trees and the most laid back vibe. If you want to be near the Weir and lake then this is your best bet. The other 2 campgrounds are closer to the bridge and south entrance. Old Prairie has 20+ sites and has lots of trees and shade. Palmetto Ridge has 40+ sites and has full hookup and pull through sites and appears to be the newest campground with most sites having less shade than the other 2 campgrounds. We stayed in Old Prairie with review geared toward this campground.
Pros –
- Lots of shade in most of the sites.
- Decent cell and internet coverage on Verizon and T-Mobile
- Sites are level and spacious.
- The campground was very quiet – some sites back up to the park road but overall it was a very peaceful and quiet campground.
- There is laundry facilities which are reasonably priced, clean and worked well.
- The people working in the office, the volunteers and camp workers are very helpful and friendly.
- Park – this State Park is one of the most beautiful we’ve seen. There is so much to do. During our 2 week stay we biked, hiked or kayaked every day. It’s a huge park with many trails and areas to explore. Kayaking is great except during the driest part of the year (late spring right before the wet season). Recommend picking up the $2 map to see details on the rivers and trails.
Cons –
- The online description of the Old Prairie sites denotes “gravel” pads. Not true. They are dirt. We made do but were surprised based on the description. If you want gravel choose the Palmetto Ridge campground.
Gina would stay here again
This review is the opinion of a Campendium member and not of Campendium.com
“Worst Experience with a State Park yet....”
Reviewed 2/27/2021
Nightly rate: | $5 |
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Days stayed: | 0 |
Site Number: | never made it |
WORST PARK MANAGMENT AWARD OF THE YEAR........ We planned a trip for weeks.. Spent hundreds on camping/hiking gear.. changed schedules at work, paid to have pets kennelled.... drove hours to the park only to be told that they cancelled out resdervations the morning of our planned scheduled weekend hike.. No call and they said they call... more
WORST PARK MANAGMENT AWARD OF THE YEAR........ We planned a trip for weeks.. Spent hundreds on camping/hiking gear.. changed schedules at work, paid to have pets kennelled.... drove hours to the park only to be told that they cancelled out resdervations the morning of our planned scheduled weekend hike.. No call and they said they called that very morning.. No call... Regardless... we had reservations, plans.. spent a fortune for this weekend and they decided that very morning that they would do a BURN and we would have to find other arraingments. They didn't offer us a camp site, a cabin, or another spot at another site on the trail. They just said OH WELL YOU ARE OUT..... I said WHAT THE F>>> and they hung up on me. This is the worst case of customer relations I have ever seen.. Weeks and hundreds planned on this weekend and they don't give a rats a....ss about people. I am behond upset and pissed off. And the ranger on the phone.. She is one nasty person.. No effort to figure it out for us.. Hundreds and hundreds of acres of land and they can't help us find a place to hike and camp. The other hiking sites were all open, so the scheduled burn couldn't have been that big.. And why would you take our reservations and then wait until last minute to tell us they are doing a planned burn and that we are f###Ked and to go someplace else.???? Disappointed is an understatement.. We deserve an apology and this needs to be fixed by the park manager. You don' t treat people like this.
This review is the opinion of a Campendium member and not of Campendium.com
“No AT&T cell, far from walking trails”
Reviewed 1/5/2021
Nightly rate: | $20 |
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Days stayed: | 1 |
Site Number: | 62 |
RV Length: | 25' (Class C) |
I camped at the Palmetto Ridge loop which has full hook-ups and large sites for RVs up to 40', quite a few pull thrus. Sounds good, right? For me this is just an OK campground due to some serious drawbacks. 1) No AT&T cell service. Every person I asked who had AT&T reported no service. One person with Verizon got 3 bars, another got 1... more
I camped at the Palmetto Ridge loop which has full hook-ups and large sites for RVs up to 40', quite a few pull thrus. Sounds good, right? For me this is just an OK campground due to some serious drawbacks. 1) No AT&T cell service. Every person I asked who had AT&T reported no service. One person with Verizon got 3 bars, another got 1-2 bars but could not stream. 2) Too far from hiking trails to walk to them, must drive your car or RV to trailheads. Same for canoes and kayaks.
Site 62 was a level pull thru requiring only 1 block on front tires. 30 amp power was steady, did not use the water (came with a full tank). Sewer connection is raised several inches above the ground, so high a slinky still might not cause the effluent to flow. I had to raise the sewer hose by hand to get tanks to drain. Fairly good distance between sites and most had bushes between with various degrees of privacy. Most sites had no shade. Roads are paved and sites are gravel with some bare / mud spots.
Campground was mostly quiet on the Tuesday night I visited. I-75 is about 9 miles away and supplies are available there.
This place is best for real outdoors people who like to be away from "civilization." Lack of cell service and not much for me to do mean I will not return.
This review is the opinion of a Campendium member and not of Campendium.com
“Great Park - Lousy Sites at Big Flats”
Reviewed 12/21/2020
Nightly rate: | $32 |
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Days stayed: | 2 |
Site Number: | 1 |
RV Length: | 28' (Travel Trailer) |
Myakka River State Park gets five stars as a park. But this is a campground review and the Big Flats campground only gets three stars. It is possible that the other campgrounds within the park are nicer, we did not tour them. The campsites at Big Flats are smaller than average for Florida State Parks and there is no vegetation scree... more
Myakka River State Park gets five stars as a park. But this is a campground review and the Big Flats campground only gets three stars. It is possible that the other campgrounds within the park are nicer, we did not tour them. The campsites at Big Flats are smaller than average for Florida State Parks and there is no vegetation screening sites from one another. The true failure of the campground is the sewage system. The odors from the system permeate the entire campground. It's not pleasant. The campground also has a fire ant problem, though the park staff do try and keep it under control. On a positive note, the campground is within walking distance of the concession area. You can take boat tours, rent canoes, and grab a meal at the location.
This review is the opinion of a Campendium member and not of Campendium.com
“Great Florida State Park!”
Reviewed 11/22/2020
Days stayed: | 2 |
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Site Number: | 64 |
RV Length: | 34' (Fifth Wheel) |
This was our first trip to Myakka River State Park. We were concerned that it would be completely flooded due to all the rain over the last few weeks. While the water was still high, the campsites in the Palmetto Ridge loop were dry (mostly). The Palmetto Ridge Campground is the full hookup loop of Myakka River State Park, and site 64 ... more
This was our first trip to Myakka River State Park. We were concerned that it would be completely flooded due to all the rain over the last few weeks. While the water was still high, the campsites in the Palmetto Ridge loop were dry (mostly). The Palmetto Ridge Campground is the full hookup loop of Myakka River State Park, and site 64 was huge! Most all of the sites were large and easily accessible. The Canopy Walk Nature Trail was a neat experience as well! We would absolutely stay here again!
Jouppi Outdoors would stay here again
This review is the opinion of a Campendium member and not of Campendium.com
“Love”
Reviewed 9/7/2020
Days stayed: | 3 |
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We loved this park and will definitely be back. The campsite was beautiful and we didn’t feel like we were on top of our neighbors. Easy in and out.
The trails, bridge and gators were awesome!
HamFamVentures would stay here again
This review is the opinion of a Campendium member and not of Campendium.com
“rude campground hosts”
Reviewed 5/4/2018
Nightly rate: | $22 |
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Days stayed: | 2 |
Site Number: | 41 |
My family and I are avid campers and have visited many campgrounds in Florida and beyond. I have never encountered a campground host quite like the one in the old prairie loop. NO welcoming words or introductions only shouting at my kids for playing basketball on an empty campsite and to move my vehicle. This encounter only moments aft... more
My family and I are avid campers and have visited many campgrounds in Florida and beyond. I have never encountered a campground host quite like the one in the old prairie loop. NO welcoming words or introductions only shouting at my kids for playing basketball on an empty campsite and to move my vehicle. This encounter only moments after arriving. They even called the poor ranger out that had spent all day fighting a brush fire. All for nothing, the empty campsite remained empty for another full 24hrs. Just completely unnecessary and aggravating to say the very least. Also, not this hosts only bad review.
This review is the opinion of a Campendium member and not of Campendium.com
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Amenities
Hookups
- 50 Amp
- 20 Amp
- water
- sewer
- Full Hookups
Connectivity
- wifi: free
Recreation
- bike rental
- boat ramp
- boat rental
- fishing
- picnic area
- playground
- recreation trail
- water access
Site Amenities
- fire ring
- picnic table
Facilities
- cabins
- dump station
- general store
- ADA Accessible
- laundry
- restaurant
- restrooms: flush
- showers
- trash
- water available
Discount Clubs
- Senior Discounts
Pets
- pet restrictions: 4 pet limit
- pets
Nearby
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