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Submission
An island of shade amid a broad, winding grassland, the Hopkins Prairie Campground is a seasonal destination for campers looking to get a bit off the beaten path. It sits right along the Florida Trail and offers opportunities for fishing and birding along miles of prairie shoreline.
The turnoff for Hopkins Prairie is 9.2 miles north along SR 19 from the intersection with SR 40. Turn left and follow the signs, turning left, right, and left along unmarked, unimproved roads to reach the camping area.
Beautiful place but got harassed by the camp supervisor for not paying for camping but I paid for the day and had not spent the night. He insisted I spent the night but I had time stamped videos of when I showed up 7:20 am and planned on leaving before dark. After he kept pushing for me to pay more than double what I already paid I decided to leave early and not deal with it which really sucked because I had driven 3 hrs just to get there. Will be picking a new camp ground next trip to Ocala.
Quiet, peaceful and relaxing when not in the camp grounds. The campground was full with partying folks, so we decided for a more secluded experience and camped opposite side of prairie.while it lack the 1 seater bathroom, and firepit ring, we still had an amazingly relaxed time.
We camped here, at the edge of the prarie, tucked under the oaks! It was lovely! Hiked the prarie a bit, the loop down to the swimming hole and drove over to another trail head to hike some more! We saw autumn wild flowers in bloom, many birds including a scrub jay and a Barred owl that sits in the oaks beside the bathouse to hunt the flying mammals as they emerge at dusk. (Regretably, the colonel population is down considerably over just a year ago!) We did a little 4-wheel driving through the sugar sand road through the dispersed camping areas around the lakes that dot the prarie. There's a boatlaunch for your paddling vessel and reportedly good fishing. Bonus: we got our $10 permit to go to a designated Plat of the forest where we cut a sandpine to take home for our Christmas tree! 🎄
Definitely a new holiday tradition.
Vault toilets were clean. No potable water. There's a spigot for well water that's discolored by tannins and iron. There was no firewood to purchase, but plenty to scavenge near by. Follow the sound of the big saw.
You're 30 minutes from the nearest store, so come prepared- including long sleeves and pants plus bug repellent- chiggers are wicked- don't sit on the ground! Also spotted bear poo on the trails. So hike in loud groups and consider bringing bear spray and know how to use it.
Campsites offer a range of privacy, connected sites for groups. All had picnic benches and fire rings, most had raised grills. All had food vaults as this is an area of high bear activity. Camp host was friendly.
