Encore Southern Palms

This is a huge Thousand Trails campground. It has street names throughout, which makes it very easy when searching for your site. The roads are all paved, which was very nice and clean walking the dogs. Every site has grass which we appreciate. There is a lovely pond with a water fountain, and huge, beautiful trees, and the grounds are manicured regularly. The laundry room is the largest I’ve ever seen at an RV campground. The overall vibe of this campground is extremely relaxing and quiet. They have daily activities for everyone: bingo, shuffleboard, karaoke, complementary happy hour, dinners, complementary ice cream socials, swimming aerobics, & More. The staff in the office are extremely personal and friendly.

I gave this campground only three stars because

#1) the office was closed upon our arrival on Saturday at 3 PM even though it’s posted that they are open till 5 PM. And there was no envelope with our name on it in the “after hours“ box. But a maintenance gentleman was kind enough to help me out. He stated that the reason there was no envelope for us in the “after hours box” is because the office staff thought we had “checked out”. What??? Apparently they were confused because we had just stayed at that campground the week before, even though we had had this current reservation set for months. But the maintenance gentleman was extremely friendly and helpful and was able to get us checked in.

#2) The sites are extremely tight. We were literally butt to butt with the RV behind us, and 12 inches to spare before touching. And there was less than 8 extra feet combined between our neighbors on each side of us. So imagine how tight it was after we had our slides opened.

#3) the sites are inner mixed with cabins for full-time residence. Some cabins, like the one next-door to us, were very trashy.

All in all I would come back to this campground, however, I would be specific and request a site change if it were under the same conditions as our last stay. We were unable to do that this time because, like I had mentioned above, the office had closed early upon our arrival and was not due to open for two days.

This place used to be great. That being said they need work. Site manager has very little people skills and rolls the problems to corporate. If thats the case what good are you. Also if you late ow its 30 dollars every 15 mins. I understand that for people that abuse it. This is a rv park, we drive houses that go threw earthquakes everytime we move them. So sometimes there are issues. If you speak with office they say nothing we can do. Really, what a joke. Dont plan on this place to be the same as over the years it has become a weed filled rude and inconsiderate park. Just MHO.

The word that comes to mind to describe this RV park is "harsh." We were in Pines Section, that is across the highway from the main section, Sun. To get to the main park Sun, you must either walk across a busy Rt 44 or drive. We were in an area where adjacent sites were empty. Because this area was an open grassy area, campers used this as a dog park, where dogs could use as a bathroom. We did not have a picnic table, unlevel areas obscured by grass, susceptible to falls and was littered with cigarette butts. Swarms of non biting midges entered your vehicle and RV, even with heavy winds. What I would describe as almost an industry standard, many RV parks will print that early arrival and late checkouts may be subject to a $30 fee. But here,upon check in, we were given a welcome package that was reviewed verbally by staff and were told that for EVERY 15 MINUTES PAST THE 11AM CHECKOUT, WOULD BE CHARGED $30! And much before 11am, staff made several passes in a golf cart with a clipboard, checking off whatever, so hope that you don't experience any difficulties getting out of your site, ie non functioning levelers. We were told to sign this acknowledgement of rules and return to this office, across the highway from our site. I did not sign this form. Area is convenient to shopping and many restaurants.

Close to downtown Eustis, nice size campsites, friendly people, lots of activities everyday. My only complaint is that there are very few bathrooms, and they are closed 3 hours a day for cleaning...but with that being said...the bathrooms are probably the nicest and cleanest bathrooms I've ever seen on a campsite! Also I feel very safe on this campgeound

My fiancé and I travel nearly year-round for work, and at the end of every season we book a campsite specifically to clean, pack, and prepare our trailer before heading home. Because of this, we always make sure to reserve well in advance and communicate our needs clearly. Unfortunately, our most recent experience at Encore Southern Palms was so unacceptable that we will never be returning.

We made our reservation over a week prior to our planned arrival and paid in full. During booking, we informed the staff that we would need a late check-in, something that has never been an issue in years past. Historically, this campground has our paperwork prepared and sends an employee to help us get settled when we arrive after hours.

This time, however, could not have been more different.

Upon arriving, we followed their instructions and called the late check-in number. We then waited over 30 minutes for someone to show up. When an employee finally arrived, he made it immediately clear—through his hostile tone, raised voice, and overall attitude—that he was annoyed by our presence. Instead of greeting us professionally, he rudely informed my fiancé that he had no paperwork whatsoever for our reservation, despite it being made and fully paid for more than a week in advance.

Rather than attempting to resolve the issue or find us a suitable site for the night, he abruptly told us—again, in a rude and dismissive manner—that our only option was to park on the side of the road. Not only was this unsafe, it also provided none of the water or electric hookups we had already paid for. When we expressed that this was not an acceptable solution, the employee simply got back in his car and drove away, leaving us stranded with no assistance and no plan.

Because there was no safe or viable option for us to stay, we were ultimately forced to get back on the road and drive through the night to our property—something we specifically booked this stay to avoid.

The level of unprofessionalism, lack of preparation, and absolute disregard for guests’ safety and comfort were shocking. The behavior of the late-night employee—an older man who made it very clear he had no interest in helping anyone—was entirely unacceptable and reflects extremely poorly on the management of this campground.

We will never be staying at Encore Southern Palms again, and we hope management takes a hard look at their customer service standards and after-hours procedures. No paying guest should ever be treated the way we were treated.