8 Awesome Campgrounds in Southwest Florida For A Tent or RV

If you’re looking for the best campgrounds in Southwest Florida for your upcoming trip, this guide has you covered.

When visiting Southwest Florida, you’ll have loads of accommodation options from which choose.

There’s a wide selection of luxurious beachfront resorts, charming Airbnbs and other vacation rentals, and lots of cozy bed and breakfasts.

Or you can spend as much time as possible outside and opt to go camping instead.

These southwest Florida campgrounds all have a noteworthy feature or two.

You can stay overnight at the historic Koreshan State Park, or watch the colorful birds at the Periwinkle Park and Campground.

Whether you’re looking for a social camping experience or something more secluded, a great family campground or some of the best beachfront camping Florida has to offer — or all of the above — these 9 campgrounds in southwest Florida have what you’re looking for.

8 Campgrounds in Southwest Florida

Seminole Campground

8991 Triplett Rd, North Fort Myers

If you’re a fan of thriving greenery, you’ll love the Seminole Campground.

This is one of the best campgrounds in Southwest Florida, thanks to the abundance of oak, pine, and cypress trees growing on the property.

Not only are these lovely trees nice to look at, but they also provide some much needed shade from the Florida sun — perfect southwest Florida camping.

The Seminole Campground includes 129 sites, with spots for both RVs and tents.

It also boasts quite a few awesome amenities, including free Wi-Fi, a heated swimming pool, showers, and an exercise room.

There’s even a dog park, a nature walk, and a game room for you to enjoy during your time at this Southwest Florida campground.

The campground is convenient to I-75, and just down the road from one of our favorite watering holes, The Boathouse Tiki Bar & Grill.

• Type: RV and tent

• Open: Year round

• Sites: 129

San Carlos RV Resort & Marina

18701 San Carlos Blvd, Fort Myers Beach

There are quite a few campgrounds clustered on San Carlos Boulevard in Fort Myers Beach, but it’s locally known that the San Carlos RV Resort & Marina is the best of them all.

The main thing that sets the San Carlos RV Resort & Marina apart from the competition is its location.

Out of the 128 campsites (eight of them are for tents), approximately 80 of them are right on the water!

This means that you’ll have easy access to all of the water activities in the area, including kayaking and boating.

Could you ask for a better spot?

Then, there are all of the lovely amenities at San Carlos RV Resort & Marina. These amenities vary by season.

During the warmer months, you can rent kayaks, swim in the pool, and relax in the hot tub.

And in the winter months, you’ll be able to stay entertained as well.

You can watch music shows, participate in a fashion show, and meet your fellow campers at a social dinner.

• Type: RV, 8 tent sites

• Open: Year round

• Sites: 128

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If your road trip has you heading further down into the Everglades, be sure check out our Guide to Camping in the Everglades!

Fort Myers/Pine Island KOA Holiday

5120 Stringfellow Rd, St James City

Situated on the quiet Pine Island, this Fort Myers/Pine Island KOA Holiday is one of the best places to go camping in southwest Florida to get away from the hustle and bustle.

The main appeal of the Fort Myers/Pine Island KOA Holiday is the slew of nice amenities.

In addition to all of the necessities, this campground includes two clubhouses, a heated pool, a hot tub, a basketball court, a tennis court, and even a pet park! What more could you ask for?

It’s one of those campgrounds in Southwest Florida that’s perfect for families and multi-generational travelers.

We also love the location — St James City on Pine Island is close enough to Punta Gorda, Cape Coral and Fort Myers for sightseeing but far enough away to have Pine Island all to yourself.

Plus, you’re close to Matlacha, one of our favorite places in southwest Florida.

As for the types of campgrounds, you can park your RV, pitch a tent, or even rent one of the deluxe cabins.

There are several that sleep up to 6. In total, there are 368 campsites, all of which are on or near the properties’ beautiful lakes.

• Type: RV, tent, cabins

• Open: Year round

• Sites: 368
  
  

Naples/Marco Island KOA Holiday

1700 Barefoot Williams Rd, Naples

There aren’t many noteworthy campgrounds in the Naples and Marco Island area, but, luckily, this Naples/Marco Island KOA Holiday campground fills that gap.

As a matter of fact, you’ll be just a few miles away from all of the best Naples and Marco Island restaurants and attractions, including the Naples Pier, Tigertail Beach on Marco, and the 5th Avenue restaurants in Naples.

As with many KOA campgrounds, this Naples/Marco Island KOA Holiday includes RV sites, tent sites, and cabins. In total, there are 168 campsites.
After you get settled at your campsite of choice, you can take your time enjoying the many amenities of this Southwest Florida campground.

You can take a dip in the pool, test your shuffleboard skills, relax in the hot tub, or play with your furry companion at the Kamp K9 dog park.

• Type: RV, tents, cabins

• Open: Year round

• Sites: 168

W.P. Franklin Campground

17850 N Franklin Lock Rd, Alva

The W.P. Franklin Campground is one of the best campgrounds in Southwest Florida, because almost every single campsite is on the water!

This campground actually takes up an entire island in the Caloosahatchee River, and, because of this set up, 27 of the 30 campsites are waterfront sites.

All of these campsites are suitable for both RVs and tents.

This waterfront location also means that its extremely easy to participate in any water-based activity.

You can kayak, fish, paddleboard, or canoe to your heart’s content.

The W. P. Franklin Campground includes all of the necessary amenities, as well as a few fun ones.

You can play a few rounds of horseshoes, have a lovely picnic, watch the boats head out on the water, and even take a tour of the W.P. Franklin Lock and Dam.

• Type: RV and tents

• Open: Year round

• Sites: 30

Koreshan State Park and Historic Site

3800 Corkscrew Rd, Estero

Koreshan State Park and Historic Site is undoubtedly one of the most unique campgrounds in Southwest Florida.

The main reason that this campground stands out from the rest is because of the fascinating history that began here in Estero at the turn of the 20th century.

Exploring the historic site is a great addition to camping here and one of the most unique attractions in Naples.

The story of Koreshan State Historic Site starts with a man named Cyrus Reed Teed, a physicist who dabbled in alchemy. During one of these experiments, Teed completely blacked out due to an electric shock, and in the midst of this blackout was said to have experienced a “divine illumination” in which a beautiful woman shared with him the secrets of the universe. It’s gets better.

After this experience, Teed changed his name from Cyrus to Koresh, the Hebrew version of the same name, and started a new religion known as Koreshanity. The core tenet of this religion is the Hollow Earth Theory, the belief that the universe exists inside the Earth which of course is hollow inside.

Amazingly, several hundred people (mostly women) not only believed him, but followed him to the swamps of southwest Florida long before there was much here other than one road between Fort Myers and Naples.

Today, you can camp right where this group of individuals practiced this theory of religion and began their new life.

The history alone is intriguing, and much of what they built still remains — a community complete with a bakery, performing arts hall, their own printing press, and several homes.

And while the history gives Koreshan State Park an interesting flair, the location and amenities are noteworthy as well.

Situated along the Estero River, Koreshan State Park includes 60 campsites, 12 of which are designated for tents.

There is also a playground, a dump station, a laundry area, a vending machine, electricity, water, firewood, and ice.

If you like paddling, this prime spot is one of the best places to go kayaking in Fort Myers.

Head west on the narrow stretch of Estero River and it eventually opens up into the Estero Bay Aquatic Preserve right near Mound Key, a perfect place for exploring.

• Type: RV and tent

• Open: Year round

• Sites: 60

Periwinkle Park & Campground

1119 Periwinkle Way, Sanibel

Sanibel may be known more for its awesome beachfront hotels and resorts, but if you’re hoping to do a little bit of camping on Sanibel Island, Periwinkle Park & Campground is a great place to stay.

Located near the Sanibel Causeway, this campground includes approximately 200 campsites, including ones for both RVs and tents.

It also has loads of amenities, including complete hookups, LP gas, ice, laundry, restrooms, showers, picnic tables, and a clubhouse.

The location is also ideally close to the eastern tip of Sanibel Island with lots of things to do — not only one of southwest Florida’s best beaches, but also where the Sanibel Lighthouse is located.

Don’t miss sunset on Sanibel here!

One of the coolest amenities of Periwinkle Park & Campground is the Aviary.

That’s right, this Southwest Florida campground is home to loads of cool non-native birds, including macaws, toucans, and parrots!

Every morning at 10 a.m., there’s a free bird show, when you can watch a volunteer feed the feathered friends and learn about these colorful birds.

There are even a few brown and ringtail lemurs on the premises.

• Type: RV and tent

• Open: Year round

• Sites: 200

Raintree RV Resort

19250 N Tamiami Trail, North Fort Myers

Raintree RV Resort is the only family-run spot on this list of the best campgrounds in Southwest Florida.

This means that while staying at this lovely campground, you’ll enjoy that extra touch of cozy comfort.

There are 128 campsites at the Raintree RV Resort, all of which are only suitable for RVs, 5th wheels, and travel trailers.

During your stay, you’ll easily be able to stay entertained, thanks to the campground’s two club houses, sparkling pool, bubbling hot tub, and sport courts.

It is important to note that Raintree RV Resort is a seasonal campground, so it is only open from November to April.

It is also only open to guests who are 55 years old and older.

• Type: RV and trailers only

• Open: Seasonally

• Sites: 128

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Whether you’re looking for camping with a bit a local history, a great place to park your RV, or beachfront camping under the stars, you won’t be disappointed with any of these prime campgrounds in Southwest Florida.

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