Manatee Springs State Park Campground

Stayed on site 22, cell service was very bad, no laundry, only stayed two nights to check the park out, very small store, gravel bumpy road in campground, would stay here again if I was passing through area

The springs are amazing and full of wildlife. The manatees will only be in the springs early in the morning or later at night as they go out to the river to eat during the day. The campsite was made of small gravel so it took a little while to get the tent stakes in, but no other complaints. Facilities were clean and well stocked. Some of the wildlife seemed especially comfortable in the campsites. It rained while we were there and a few armadillos hung out under our tarp overhang and a large group of deer slept maybe 15 feet from our side. We didn’t have any issues with the animals, they were just a cute addition to the experience. The concessions and kayak rentals were open so the contract issue a few reviews mentioned must have been resolved.

Quite possibly my most favorite camp site. The hikes are fun and the water is just gorgeous. I haven’t seen manatees yet in my travels here but many others have! Great spot. Clean. Quiet. Fun.

Beautiful swimming and kayaking.

Campgrounds are nice. Sites are a little small. More tent campers than RV. Bathrooms in good shape. Magnolia 1 loop has sewer hookup. We were site 029 pull through with a 34ft TT. Awesome site No cell coverage period. You'll get 1 bar to tease you and think you can do something. NO TV antenna coverage either. One radio station (98.5). We just downloaded a few Netflix movies and watch them on the computer. Spring is nice, hiking and biking trails are nice. Lots of wildlife.

This place is beautiful. While there ddogs are not allowed on the boardwalk or in the swimming area- there are other hikes they can go on and they turn a blind eye to dogs wading in the boat ramp area as long as they are on leash. Note that not all sites allow you to park in the site. This was a little inconvenient because I was in a rooftop tent and had to pitch it on the other side of a barrier. There were other sites that had better configuration for that so take a look at site layouts as they are not all uniform. No reception, though- which was disappointing as I planned to work remote from the campsite and ended up having to log on from the nearby Walmart parking lot instead. Scenery not as good…

Well maintained campground with clean facilities and showers. Campgrounds are in walking distance to the river where there's a boardwalk, kayaking and swimming. I saw manatees and lots of birds.

Nice, spacious, semi-private spots. Great spot to see wildlife.

Manatee Springs seems to have been my family’s de facto go-campground for 40 years. Great campsites, trails, swimming spring, kayaking and canoeing, boardwalks, and the wildlife, oh my word the wildlife. Go in the winter and you’re sure to see manatees, other times of the year you’ll encounter deer, tortoises, otters, wild cats, birds, and more. In July ‘22 they were installing a cell phone booster so that should fix the historical no signal issues in the park. Can’t recommend this park more. Magnolia Loop 1 has tighter spaces but has full hookups. Magnolia Loop 2 has much larger sites but with only water and electric (30 and 15 amp).

The wi-fi was limited and practically nonexistent. Rangers were very nice, bathrooms were clean. Check reservations when checking in because we have a 35 foot travel trailer and they tried to out us in a tent spot.

We liked this campground a lot. With taxes and fees and the $7 RV surcharge (at all Florida State Parks) it came to about $30/night for full hookups.

Poor / spotty cell service in park, but there's free wifi at the concession stand. Concession stand was closed when we were there but there was still ok wifi that reached outside.

Boardwalk and swimming in the springs was open, but we didn't see where to rent kayaks or buy anything, not sure if those are closed for COVID. Boardwalk was really cool and long and we saw a couple of manatees.

Free hot showers. No laundry machines. No trash bins in park, all trash must be taken to dumpsters near park entrance.

It's beautiful here even in the winter.

Totally not the parks fault. Cold enough to run heat but river not cold enough for manatee to come in. Spots are well shaded but that means lots of trees to avoid and bumpy roots to trip over. Spots are sand which was expected. Deer came right up to our spot.

Secluded and quiet yet only 8 miles to Walmart. Spacious sites, clean rest rooms/showers. Beautiful spring. Only downfall was the dumpsters weren't on the loop so have to drive your trash.

Was looking forward to renting a kayak for the day but the park attendant said the contract ran out with the company that operated the rentals and concessions. Didn’t say when someone else would be coming in.

Also, there is absolutely no Verizon cell signal. The only method of getting online is up at the old concession and sit at a picnic table.

I did enjoy the deer that stroll by everyday. One tried to join us around the fire.

Park was clean. Good hiking and the spring area was amazing.

Site states kayak rental and concessions neither are currently available. Absolutely no cell service even for calls. Water and picnic table on top of adjoining site. Spring has spiky metal stairs that end with a steep drop off that as an adult I couldn’t stand.

The campground is amazing. Canoe and kayak rentals or use their launch. Great trails and an elevated trail through the swamps where we saw snapping turtles, deer, alligator, birds and large fish. The rangers are friendly and knowledgeable. At the springs there are step to go in and the water is always 72 degrees. There is a food stand and store at the Spring. Winter is the best time to see Manatees there regularly.

Go in winter to see Manatees. Saw alligator, deer, fish, turtles...Clean facilities. Watersports.

I grew up coming here as a child it’s been 15 ish years since I’ve been back and it’s still just as beautiful. I now have children 12, 6, and 7 years old. This is the first time they have been “real camping” having the water and power at each site makes it so much better. Also having the bathrooms within a short distance is a total plus with little ones who are un-easy about going in the bushes or a bucket. 🤪 We stayed in Hickory loop it was perfect. Close enough to the springs that my older child and her friends could walk back and forth alone without me worrying they would be lost but far enough away that you are not next to all the day picnicking or noise that might come from kids playing in the spring. My only complaint is the campsite we chose did not have a definitive area around it there was some lower short grass and we put our tent towards the back and a Ranger came and asked us to get it out of the grass area. Before our trip I did see someone mentioned this in a review somewhere so I specifically was trying to make sure it was not in a “no camping zone” To me it wasn’t where we shouldn’t be (the grass was small random low patches scattered randomly, we stayed out of the tall overgrown grass that was obviously not where anyone needed to be. Other sites I noticed had big logs or definitive packed dirt areas with more than enough space that it was obviously not questionable where to put a tent. so just make sure you’re not on any grass or else you have to unpack and move all your things twice :(

I did run to Walmart and grabbed two $20 basic fans it helped SO SO SO MUCH. Idk why I didn’t think of it before but it was worth the cost. I was able to put them back in the box and they will go home and be stored away with the camping things till next time.

It rained almost the whole time we were there but only storms at night that were not bad to me just basic Florida afternoon thunderstorms. As long as it wasn’t thundering and lightning the kids and I were out adventuring and swimming in the rain. The only thing that has changed that I remember is they no longer have the big rope swing and you are no longer allowed to go to the sandy beach area on the opposite side since the state has taken over they have adjusted things to make it safer obviously for insurance purposes in my opinion that’s probably why. A ranger said they changed a lot when the state took over. It’s still great tho! To be honest I’ve barely used any bug spray there was almost no mosquitoes which was mind-boggling to me being a Floridian I wasn’t being eaten alive so they must do some spray control. All in all it’s camping it’s hot bring bug spray coolers and ice and you will be all set!

We camped overnight in a tent at Manatee Springs in #80. Be sure to bring tick repellant; this park is lousy with them. 

The park is nice, small, and well-maintained. I wasn't thrilled with the bathroom on our loop, as only one of the showers had a stall door, and the door to the building opened very easily and would stay open unless the person who left closed it behind them. 

We paddled on the river, walked the boardwalk, saw a ton of gators, and had a nice weekend, but I don't think it's worth a return visit. Not that it's a bad park, there are just a lot of parks with more to offer within an hour or two of Manatee Springs.

Generally, we prefer dispersed camping because campgrounds can get pretty loud. This was absolutely the case when we stayed the night, as some of the people on our loop (college guys) were up late drinking, shouting, and playing loud music.

My family and friends have been going to Manatee Springs State park every year to camp. We've been doing it in tents which is great and the last 2 years in campers. We always enjoyed it because you have trails, boardwalk and kayak launch and swimming area along with fishing and plenty of nature. But for the last couple years things have gone down hill. First thing is they are letting the springs area be overrun by nature and they removed the kids area. This was a huge bonus for kids and it just looks like they have given up on maintenance and just ripped out the kids area due to maintenance. On top of that the rangers in the last couple years are getting rude in the way they interact with the guests. The sites were always well maintained and now instead of maintaining them while protecting nature, it seems they have given up and are letting the roads and sites be overtaken. The roads have dozens of huge potholes and sites are overrun by huge roots. They added sewer a couple years ago when they built a new bathhouse but most of the sewer hookups were installed incorrectly and because of leveling issues at the sites they are useless. Several of the sites when it rains are flooded and washed out and they don't seem to care. Nature is always good to persevere but the campsites should also be maintained and many other state parks know how to balance this. Not to mention because they are allowing nature to take over, there is a massive tick problem here and you should prepare to be infested by ticks, especially in summer. Overall this place is great to go for the day but lately for camping is hit or miss. Just know that site 11 washes out during rain and is very unlevel and site 10 is very unlevel and massive roots throughout. Magnolia loop has a newer bathhouse and full hookup sites. But in the end if you like nature and good kayaking with manatees, this place can still be decent. Cell service is almost non existent for most. Verizon has small coverage and t-mobile with an antenna may work better, without it's not at all available unless you drive towards front of campsite. Att is hit or miss but it's still usable.

Great place! Swimming - camp sites were nice and big. Very clean. Nice well marked trails to hike! Only down side NO CELL SERVICE.

Manatee Springs, Chiefland, Florida  Beautiful clear spring with swimming area, including area for kids. Two nice boardwalks. Nature trails. Great cafe at the Spring with ribs and pulled pork sandwiches.Yummy! Canoes for rent.  Campground was okay. Not great. Magnolia loop 1 was the best. Good bathhouse in this loop.The other two loops have narrow, bumpy dirt roads and sites not as nice. Most sites hard packed sand. We wound up on ADA site and it was the only paved one. It's a nice pull through. Sites have fire ring and table. Staff and rangers friendly and informative.

We enjoyed this place so much. There was so much wildlife and it was very peaceful. The deer literally walked up into our site while we were cooking and hanging out. We saw several different deer walking to the restrooms and throughout our stay. We saw a tortoise, hawk, several other bird species and a turkey. Lots of caterpillars and butterflies also. Our site was number 59 and it was pretty private for the most part but did help that no one was staying to our left. We didn’t get to experience the springs because they had an incident which caused them to close the springs and the FWC was there taking care of things. The bathrooms were clean and easy to access with paved walkways. The trails were nice but lots of caterpillars at this time hanging off the trees. The bathrooms in the day use area were closed for reno but they had temporary ones set up next to the building. They also have a concession stand with food/snacks and a few store items like bug spray, sunscreen, mask/snorkels etc.

We really enjoyed this campground and state park. We stayed in various sites on the Magnolia 1 loop in February 2021. All the loops were nice. The campground on Mag1 loop did flood a bit in very rainy weather and that could have been challenging for people in tents. Manatee Springs and the river are very nice and we did see many manatees. You’re allowed to swim in a specific area by the springs and it’s refreshingly cool. Good hikes right from campground and springs. Canoe-kayak rentals for the river area. The concession stand for rentals also serves excellent smoked BBQ and Cody, the fellow that works there is friendly, nice, and informative. There is no cell service in the campground area but you can pick up some WiFi (2 bars) near the concession stand for free. We really enjoyed our time at Manatee Springs and will return again

It's really difficult to book a campsite b/c it's always completely booked. We finally got a spot booked but it was an ADA site so we had to set the tent up on a concrete slab. Sure, no problem. Well, there was a problem b/c we got a bad storm and since we couldn't anchor our tents into concrete, one gust of wind blew all 5 of our tents away. I don't blame that on the park but even though it was an ADA site, there was more than enough space surrounding the concrete to pitch our tents. Not sure why the slab was a requirement. Regardless, we had an awesome time swimming in the springs and exploring. Definitely recommend checking it out.

I have vivid memories of this park from my childhood. It was great being able to go back after so many years. This park is a wonderful hidden gem that you will most definitely enjoy. The park is broken into three loops and some primitive camping mixed in. Some small trails. Plenty of wildlife from deer, fish, birds, and if you visit in the winter, manatees are everywhere. There is a swimming area at the spring where you can dive. Kayak and canoe rentals are available at the snack house. We stayed in spot 19 which was perfect for our rig at 30’ overall. Nice privacy between spots. Highly recommend! Pros: Quiet. Privacy. Nature. Hiking and Kayaking Cons: No cell service. Weird RV waste hookups that stick out of the ground more than 12” in some areas making it difficult to hook up for smaller rigs. There is a dump station available though.

Amazing state park to visit. We recommend staying at least 1 week to envelope yourself in the pristine wilderness Florida has to offer. First of all, you won't get much of a phone signal out here. During our stay we had to drive to Cheifton once in awhile to get phone messages and emails. The campsites are beautiful and have a good amount of vegitation separating you from your neighbors. We camped here in our motorhome and had adequate clearance for our roof and we were able to get around the turns in the road well without hitting any trees. There are times that it's a tight squeeze though. 

We had the opportunity to kayak, the spring is beautiful and very clear, lots of fish and wildlife to experience.

We're looking forward to a future visit.

We were excited about having electricity and shade in the heat of the summer. Our site was large and shady. No tent pad outlined just set up anywhere on the site. The one drawback on the site was the dust got everywhere. Well...there is also the lack of wi-if if that’s a priority for you. Considering some of the difficult conditions we have camped under in the past this was a very mild inconvenience. The bathroom in the Hickory section needed updating and because of the dirt roads and tent sites by evening were usually affected by everyone tracking in. There was a dishwashing station on the backside that was helpful. We rode over to the Magnolia section and there were 2 other bathrooms, 1 that was newly updated, the other had some improvements made in the past 10 years or so. The good news is that once we arrived we were so happy with the spring here that we never moved our car or drove anywhere. There is one concession stand that served bbq chicken, beef and pork plus hot dogs. You could also buy a few swim supplies and tent kayaks there. Next time we come we’ll be sure to same time cooking and eat here. A float to use in the spring would also be nice. I did have an opportunity to use my mask and fins here. I am hoping to get a spot here in the winter during manatee migration. I LOVE THIS SPRING!