Clearwater Lake Rec Area

Waterfront
Canoes
Trailhead
Trail information
Picnic area

Featured amenities

Showers Showers

Sites & Rates

Average nightly rates

38 total sites

RV Sites

37 sites

Tent Sites

1 site

About Clearwater Lake Rec Area

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.

Number of accommodations: 38

Seasonal information

2026 (Current year)

2026 Season availability

Current season
Upcoming seasons
Past seasons
Closed periods
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 Showers
RV Utilities and Hookups

RV Utilities and Hookups

  • Dump station on site
Water and Hygiene

Water and Hygiene

  • Potable Water
  • Showers
Water Access

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

Site
Price
🚐 1, Loop: A RV
No Hookups
Price not available
🚐 10, Loop: A RV
No Hookups
Price not available
🚐 11, Loop: A RV
No Hookups
Price not available
🚐 12, Loop: A RV
No Hookups
Price not available
🚐 13, Loop: A RV
No Hookups
Price not available
14, Loop: A Tent
5 guests · Pet Friendly
Price not available
🚐 15, Loop: A RV
No Hookups
Price not available
🚐 16, Loop: A RV
No Hookups
Price not available
🚐 17, Loop: A RV
No Hookups
Price not available
🚐 18, Loop: A RV
No Hookups
Price not available
🚐 19, Loop: A RV
No Hookups
Price not available
🚐 2, Loop: A RV
No Hookups
Price not available
🚐 20, Loop: A RV
No Hookups
Price not available
🚐 21, Loop: A RV
No Hookups
Price not available
🚐 22, Loop: A RV
No Hookups
Price not available
🚐 24, Loop: B RV
No Hookups
Price not available
🚐 25, Loop: B RV
No Hookups
Price not available
🚐 26, Loop: B RV
No Hookups
Price not available
🚐 27, Loop: B RV
No Hookups
Price not available
🚐 28, Loop: B RV
No Hookups
Price not available
🚐 29, Loop: B RV
No Hookups
Price not available
🚐 3, Loop: A RV
No Hookups
Price not available
🚐 32, Loop: B RV
No Hookups
Price not available
🚐 34, Loop: B RV
No Hookups
Price not available
🚐 35, Loop: B RV
No Hookups
Price not available
🚐 36, Loop: B RV
No Hookups
Price not available
🚐 37, Loop: B RV
No Hookups
Price not available
🚐 38, Loop: B RV
No Hookups
Price not available
🚐 39, Loop: B RV
No Hookups
Price not available
🚐 4, Loop: A RV
No Hookups
Price not available
🚐 40, Loop: B RV
No Hookups
Price not available
🚐 41, Loop: B RV
No Hookups
Price not available
🚐 42, Loop: B RV
No Hookups
Price not available
🚐 5, Loop: A RV
No Hookups
Price not available
🚐 6, Loop: A RV
No Hookups
Price not available
🚐 7, Loop: A RV
No Hookups
Price not available
🚐 8, Loop: A RV
No Hookups
Price not available
🚐 9, Loop: A RV
No Hookups
Price not available

Reviews (445)

What Guests Are Saying

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.

Review Summary

4.5
445 reviews
5
71.5%
318
4
17.5%
78
3
4.9%
22
2
4.3%
19
1
1.8%
8

Gary L

Verified

March 30, 2022 Stayed at: 1, Loop: A

4

Very clean restrooms the volunteers really made my experience great

Martha S

Verified

March 30, 2022 Stayed at: 27, Loop: B

2

Campground was fine with two exceptions - generator policy allowed our neighbor to run his generator from 8AM to 10PM continuously. Said he needed it for TV and A/C (even though the highs were in the 70's). How rude! The other issue was ticks! Never seen so many. We stayed 4 nights and pulled of a half-dozen ticks off each of us! Tiny ones!

Deborah K

Verified

March 31, 2022 Stayed at: 6, Loop: A

5

Lovely campground and the hosts are wonderful people! Also loved the local community library nearby, the librarian is awesome!

Deborah K

Verified

March 31, 2022 Stayed at: 7, Loop: A

5

Great campground, wonderful hosts!

Fred L

Verified

April 7, 2022 Stayed at: 26, Loop: B

5

Loved kayak fishing here! The camp hosts Jerry & Terry were terrific - friendly, answered our questions, & shared interesting local info! Fun people to be around!

Terrence B

Verified

April 20, 2022 Stayed at: 3, Loop: A

5

Nice little well run campground .The hosts were friendly and actually worked like they are expected to.

Terrence O

Verified

April 25, 2022 Stayed at: 39, Loop: B

5

The sites were well maintained - vegetation cleared and grounds clean, baths and showers were well maintained and very nice. We will be back.

Tony C

Verified

April 27, 2022 Stayed at: 17, Loop: A

4

Nice campground!!!!

John M

Verified

May 4, 2022 Stayed at: 27, Loop: B

5

Have been visiting Clearwater Lake for 40 years. Always loved being able to check in any time day or night until that ended. NOT IMPRESSED with the current procedure where one MUST reserve in advance online and pay $8 reservation fee.
SUGGESTION: One park I visit often, Sesquicentenial State park in SC, has a board at the entrance that states which site are available/ unreserved. Other government campsites I've visited have self registering systems where each reserved site has something marking the site reserved. My favorite was a federal park. They had two loops, one reservable loop and one first come.

Rorie A

Verified

May 5, 2022 Stayed at: 1, Loop: A

5

Exceptional hosts there! Brought our ice to our campsite, (we were on bicycles). Suggested a great restaurant nearby.

Location Clearwater Lake Rec Area

Address:
24511 Cr 42
Paisley, FL, 32767
United States

Highway access

Clearwater Lake Recreation Area is accessible via Florida Highway 42, and is located approximately 6 miles east of the intersection with Florida Highway 19.

Elevation: 16 feet

Distance to downtown

1.5 mi drive to downtown Paisley (about 3 min)

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.

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Nearby destinations


Last updated: September 8, 2026

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