Clearwater Lake Recreation Area offers a quiet getaway along the southeastern edge of the Ocala National Forest, just outside the community of Paisley, Florida. With a shaded campground, day use picnic area, beach and a nature trail that winds through the pine woods and scrub around Clearwater Lake, this facility has plenty of activities to keep campers occupied.
The Ocala National Forest, in north central Florida, spans four counties and 383,000 acres. It is the southernmost and oldest national forest east of the Mississippi River, and protects the world's largest, contiguous sand pine scrub forest.
Operating hours and availability for the current season.
Upcoming seasons
Planned operating dates for future seasons to help you plan ahead.
Past seasons
Historical operating dates from previous years for reference.
Closed periods
View dates when this campground is temporarily closed during the season.
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
Open year round
This campground is open year round, providing flexibility for your stay.
365 Days
Campground Amenities
Most popular amenities
Showers
RV Utilities and Hookups
Dump station on site
Water and Hygiene
Potable Water
Showers
Water Access
Beach Access
Missing information?
Rates, Sites & Availability
Select check-in and check-out dates to see real-time availability for each site.
38
Sites Available
🚐1, Loop: A
RV
Pet Friendly · Paved · Driveway entry: Back-In
🚐10, Loop: A
RV
Pet Friendly · Paved · Driveway entry: Back-In
🚐11, Loop: A
RV
Pet Friendly · Paved · Driveway entry: Back-In
🚐12, Loop: A
RV
Pet Friendly · Paved · Driveway entry: Back-In
🚐13, Loop: A
RV
Pet Friendly · Paved · Driveway entry: Back-In
⛺14, Loop: A
Tent
Paved · Pet Friendly · Yes shade
🚐15, Loop: A
RV
Pet Friendly · Paved · Driveway entry: Back-In
🚐16, Loop: A
RV
Pet Friendly · Paved · Driveway entry: Back-In
🚐17, Loop: A
RV
Pet Friendly · Paved · Driveway entry: Back-In
🚐18, Loop: A
RV
Pet Friendly · Paved · Driveway entry: Back-In
🚐19, Loop: A
RV
Pet Friendly · Paved · Driveway entry: Back-In
🚐2, Loop: A
RV
Pet Friendly · Paved · Driveway entry: Back-In
🚐20, Loop: A
RV
Pet Friendly · Paved · Driveway entry: Back-In
🚐21, Loop: A
RV
Pet Friendly · Paved · Driveway entry: Back-In
🚐22, Loop: A
RV
Pet Friendly · Paved · Driveway entry: Back-In
🚐24, Loop: B
RV
Pet Friendly · Paved · Driveway entry: Back-In
🚐25, Loop: B
RV
Pet Friendly · Paved · Driveway entry: Back-In
🚐26, Loop: B
RV
Pet Friendly · Paved · Driveway entry: Back-In
🚐27, Loop: B
RV
Pet Friendly · Paved · Driveway entry: Back-In
🚐28, Loop: B
RV
Pet Friendly · Paved · Driveway entry: Back-In
🚐29, Loop: B
RV
Pet Friendly · Paved · Driveway entry: Back-In
🚐3, Loop: A
RV
Pet Friendly · Paved · Driveway entry: Back-In
🚐32, Loop: B
RV
Pet Friendly · Paved · Driveway entry: Back-In
🚐34, Loop: B
RV
Pet Friendly · Paved · Driveway entry: Back-In
🚐35, Loop: B
RV
Pet Friendly · Paved · Driveway entry: Back-In
🚐36, Loop: B
RV
Pet Friendly · Paved · Driveway entry: Back-In
🚐37, Loop: B
RV
Pet Friendly · Paved · Driveway entry: Back-In
🚐38, Loop: B
RV
Pet Friendly · Paved · Driveway entry: Back-In
🚐39, Loop: B
RV
Pet Friendly · Paved · Driveway entry: Back-In
🚐4, Loop: A
RV
Pet Friendly · Paved · Driveway entry: Back-In
🚐40, Loop: B
RV
Pet Friendly · Paved · Driveway entry: Back-In
🚐41, Loop: B
RV
Pet Friendly · Paved · Driveway entry: Back-In
🚐42, Loop: B
RV
Pet Friendly · Paved · Driveway entry: Back-In
🚐5, Loop: A
RV
Pet Friendly · Paved · Driveway entry: Back-In
🚐6, Loop: A
RV
Pet Friendly · Paved · Driveway entry: Back-In
🚐7, Loop: A
RV
Pet Friendly · Paved · Driveway entry: Back-In
🚐8, Loop: A
RV
Pet Friendly · Paved · Driveway entry: Back-In
🚐9, Loop: A
RV
Pet Friendly · Paved · Driveway entry: Back-In
No sites found matching your criteria.
No available sites
All sites are booked for your selected dates. Try showing all sites to see booked options, create an alert to be notified when something opens up, or adjust your dates.
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Site Details
Select a site to view details
38
Sites Available
Site
Price
🚐1, Loop: A
RV
Pet Friendly · Paved · Driveway entry: Back-In
🚐10, Loop: A
RV
Pet Friendly · Paved · Driveway entry: Back-In
🚐11, Loop: A
RV
Pet Friendly · Paved · Driveway entry: Back-In
🚐12, Loop: A
RV
Pet Friendly · Paved · Driveway entry: Back-In
🚐13, Loop: A
RV
Pet Friendly · Paved · Driveway entry: Back-In
⛺14, Loop: A
Tent
Paved · Pet Friendly · Yes shade
🚐15, Loop: A
RV
Pet Friendly · Paved · Driveway entry: Back-In
🚐16, Loop: A
RV
Pet Friendly · Paved · Driveway entry: Back-In
🚐17, Loop: A
RV
Pet Friendly · Paved · Driveway entry: Back-In
🚐18, Loop: A
RV
Pet Friendly · Paved · Driveway entry: Back-In
🚐19, Loop: A
RV
Pet Friendly · Paved · Driveway entry: Back-In
🚐2, Loop: A
RV
Pet Friendly · Paved · Driveway entry: Back-In
🚐20, Loop: A
RV
Pet Friendly · Paved · Driveway entry: Back-In
🚐21, Loop: A
RV
Pet Friendly · Paved · Driveway entry: Back-In
🚐22, Loop: A
RV
Pet Friendly · Paved · Driveway entry: Back-In
🚐24, Loop: B
RV
Pet Friendly · Paved · Driveway entry: Back-In
🚐25, Loop: B
RV
Pet Friendly · Paved · Driveway entry: Back-In
🚐26, Loop: B
RV
Pet Friendly · Paved · Driveway entry: Back-In
🚐27, Loop: B
RV
Pet Friendly · Paved · Driveway entry: Back-In
🚐28, Loop: B
RV
Pet Friendly · Paved · Driveway entry: Back-In
🚐29, Loop: B
RV
Pet Friendly · Paved · Driveway entry: Back-In
🚐3, Loop: A
RV
Pet Friendly · Paved · Driveway entry: Back-In
🚐32, Loop: B
RV
Pet Friendly · Paved · Driveway entry: Back-In
🚐34, Loop: B
RV
Pet Friendly · Paved · Driveway entry: Back-In
🚐35, Loop: B
RV
Pet Friendly · Paved · Driveway entry: Back-In
🚐36, Loop: B
RV
Pet Friendly · Paved · Driveway entry: Back-In
🚐37, Loop: B
RV
Pet Friendly · Paved · Driveway entry: Back-In
🚐38, Loop: B
RV
Pet Friendly · Paved · Driveway entry: Back-In
🚐39, Loop: B
RV
Pet Friendly · Paved · Driveway entry: Back-In
🚐4, Loop: A
RV
Pet Friendly · Paved · Driveway entry: Back-In
🚐40, Loop: B
RV
Pet Friendly · Paved · Driveway entry: Back-In
🚐41, Loop: B
RV
Pet Friendly · Paved · Driveway entry: Back-In
🚐42, Loop: B
RV
Pet Friendly · Paved · Driveway entry: Back-In
🚐5, Loop: A
RV
Pet Friendly · Paved · Driveway entry: Back-In
🚐6, Loop: A
RV
Pet Friendly · Paved · Driveway entry: Back-In
🚐7, Loop: A
RV
Pet Friendly · Paved · Driveway entry: Back-In
🚐8, Loop: A
RV
Pet Friendly · Paved · Driveway entry: Back-In
🚐9, Loop: A
RV
Pet Friendly · Paved · Driveway entry: Back-In
No available sites
All sites are booked for your selected dates. Try showing all sites to see booked options, create an alert to be notified when something opens up, or adjust your dates.
Reviews
449 reviews
Summary
AI generated
Clearwater Lake Recreation Area is highly praised for its spacious, well-maintained campsites and friendly, supportive staff, making it a favorite for many campers. The natural setting and lake provide enjoyable swimming and outdoor activities, although there are concerns regarding ticks and the recent algae bloom in the water. Overall, visitors appreciate the peaceful atmosphere and cleanliness of the facilities, with many expressing their intention to return.
The site was clean and the hosts were attentive. The bathrooms were not as clean as in the past. There was clearly something growing on the shower walls and not all the lights were functioning.
The campground has exclusive real estate on a perfect lake. Most of the campsites i walked by had views of the water and the overall site is well maintained. The host camper Jerry was helpful and polite.
I hiked down from palatka on The Florida Trail and he made the experience seemless.
I was a bit surprises by the mandatory two day reservation when staying weekend with CWL but that just for ed me to enjoy a bit more time.
The sites my group had were decent size big enough for more than 5 people. We all ended up using just 1 but was forced to pay for 3. 2 of the fire pits were broken and one of the picnic tables were broken with exposed rusty metal as a hazard. You can’t fish unless you rent a canoe but it was almost impossible to find someone at the gate to rent. The bathrooms needed some serious updates. The rv and tent sites are mixed together and it wasn’t peaceful listing to generators run from 6:30 am until 10 pm.
Excelente lugar para pasar unos días muy agradables en familia , mucha tranquilidad, el personal de vigilancia muy amable , los baños buenos . Todo recomendado.
Love Clearwater Lake campground. Very peaceful, clean. The trail around the lake is just about a mile which is enjoyable.
Campground hosts Jerry and Terry are friendly and professional.
Clearwater Lake Recreation Area is tops on our list of favorite camping spots! Beautiful woods, private camp sites, and very hospitable, helpful staff. It's also a great place for hiking, and a central spot for paddling other Ocala streams and lakes, particularly Alexander and Juniper Springs. We love this place!
From the intersection of Florida Highways 19 and 42, go east on Highway 42 toward Paisley. Drive approximately 6 mi and turn left at the entrance to Clearwater Lake Recreation Area.
Clearwater Lake Recreation Area is accessible via Florida Highway 42, and is located approximately 6 miles east of the intersection with Florida Highway 19.
Policies & Rules
Arrival & departure
Check in time
2PM
Check out time
11AM
General
Campground gate is locked during Daylight Savings (Mar - Oct) and (Nov - Mar). Campers who check-in after the gatehouse is closed must visit the Gatehouse the next morning to complete their check-in to their site. Failure to do so will lead to a 'no show' charge to your reservation and potential forfeiture of site.
Campsites are limited to 2 tents, 2 vehicles (campers included), and 5 persons.
Extra vehicles will be charged a per-vehicle, per-night fee
Bears and raccoons frequent the area; all food must be kept in approved containers. Failure to comply with this regulation can result in immediate ejection from campground without refund.
Alligators inhabit the area; use caution around water.
Private vessel launches in the Juniper Wilderness Run are subject to a fee.
Dogs/pets are allowed in campground only and must be leashed and supervised at all times. No dogs/pets allowed in day-use area, bathrooms, in lake or on the trail around the lake.
Click here for more information about Ocala National Forest
Don't Move Firewood: Help protect our forests! Prevent the spread of tree-killing pests by obtaining firewood at or near your destination and burning it on-site. Moving firewood is illegal in some states. Visit dontmovefirewood.org to learn more.