Wilderness Shores Ranch & Campground — Hotel in Lakeland

AMAZING! 5*+ If you are looking for a great outdoors experience, this is the place to be! We were only able to stay for 2 nights and as we packed up, wished we could have stayed longer! We camped by the waterside at a water spigot site. Beautiful nature scenes all around and you just can't beat the feeling of waking up in your tent and watching the sun come up over the water beyond the tree covered hill! The kids had a blast feeding and petting all the animals. We brought our 4-wheel drive side by side to explore all the awesome woods trails they have to offer and tour around the property. They have a nice bath house they clean daily to refresh at the end of a long day at play. All around just an awesome camping experience for the family! They have endless possibilities to boondock or pitch a tent in the woods if you want to be more secluded. Also alot of nice pull through RV sites as well with only water and power hookup though but they have a dump station available for use. The owners have alot of projects going on around the property and I can't wait to come back and see how the work turns out! Very nice people here. The owners and employees were very personable and loved to have us staying. Bring your four wheel drive toys! Bikes, kayaks, canoes, tents, campers, fishing gear, pets, and kids! Lots to do for all ages Love the no rules mentality at this place! Just be respectful and don't ruin it or it won't stay like that for long!

Side note: not the quietest place at night because of train tracks running right next to the property and also close proximity to main hwys. and our neighbor campers could have kept it down a notch. Some just want to enjoy the peace and quiet of nature! But still didn't ruin the time. Also there are gators in the water! The ones we saw were very small but I don't recommend swimming .

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This place is phenomenal. I despise camping, the idea of camping, the outdoors in Florida, but I do love my son so when he begged to go on his Cub Scout Camping Trip we obliged. From the beginning the owners made it clear they couldn't have been happier to have us. Our camp sites were all together on the water. I was shocked at the incredible breeze we had coming from the water. The sites were a great size, the scenery was beautiful and perfect for our kiddos to go fishing. We had plenty of fire pits, two pavilions (one with power. one without) and plenty of play space. There are modern bathrooms, both indoor and outdoor. Other optional activities were paddle boats, kayaks, and canoes. Then there were the animals! The kids spent hours each day playing in the pen with the goats! There are also chickens, longhorns, horses, exotic birds, and the resident pittie Maize who loved to give my son kisses and chase after birds. The owner came down and took ALL of our kids on an ATV tour around the whole property and told us about the plans for the expansion. That place is going to be someplace truly spectacular in a few years. They are VERY Scout friendly, so if you have a scout group, church group, kid group of any kind, I highly recommend reaching out to book your camping trips here. They will treat you well. We've camped at Disney, LaNoche, and Springs, but this was by far the favorite of many parents in the group. I had a blast when I expected to be miserable. There are RV spots, very reasonable large tent rentals (set up and break down included) and primitive camping as well. You're welcome to camp anywhere on...

Don't miss out on this experience! From the moment you pull through the gates, you'll be glad you came to Wilderness Shores! There's nothing cuter than a few happy and curious cows checking you out as you check in.

Thomas and Paul are warm, friendly, and happy to welcome you and get you set up with all you need for a peaceful getaway with nature AND new friends.

The camp sites are large and clean, and most all of them are replete with fantastic views and the bathrooms are updated, clean and private (which isn't always the case when you visit campgrounds, so it's great to have those little creature comforts!) There's no shortage of things to do and see with the beautiful horses roaming about, some mischievous and funny goats to keep you company, and the unforgettable longhorns that call the grounds home!

I can't even express how incredible it was to wake up to horses grazing just outside the tent, wading in the lake as the sun came up. The beauty and peace in those moments were alone worth the trip out to Wilderness Shores.

My only regret was not being able to stay longer to fish and explore more of the property. Needless to say we will be back, and we'll be staying longer next time!

Even if you only come for a night, do yourself a favor and come convene with nature, get familiar with farm life, and find the peace and quiet that only comes with time away from screens, work, and the fast pace of the world.

THANK YOU to Thomas for taking such great care of us, and thank you to Paul for making experiences like this possible. The little things matter, and you made the...