Waterfront
Canoes
Trailhead
Trail information
Picnic area

Featured amenities

Showers Showers

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.

Available sites

38 total sites

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
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

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.

Based on guest feedback

4.5

Overall rating

Based on 449 reviews

Write a review
5 stars 71.5% (321)
4 stars 17.6% (79)
3 stars 4.9% (22)
2 stars 4.2% (19)
1 star 1.8% (8)

Showing 449 reviews

Barry R

Verified

March 25, 2021 Stayed at: 32, Loop: B

Showers were very clean. A few tents, but predominantly RVs when we were there.

Helpful

Robert S

Verified

March 23, 2021 Stayed at: 42, Loop: B

Outstanding camping site. Spotless bathrooms. Nice trails.

Helpful

jeff r

Verified

March 22, 2021 Stayed at: 22, Loop: A

Nice shady sites. All are close to the lake. Standard grills and fire rents. Good grassy spots for tents.
The morning i was supposed to check out of my reserved spot, I went to the entry to ask for a first come, first served spot for that night. The man at the gate told me that he had empty spots but that he couldn't give me one because they weren't allowing walk-ups and told me it was the decision of the ranger. I asked if there was someone else I could talk to so I could get some clarification on such a silly policy and hopefully get a spot. He then told me how he had just given a spot to the lady who was in front of me when i arrived and then proceeded to give me a spot for the night.
The entire thing made no sense. Had I just walked away the first time he said no walk-ups then i would have gone without a spot for the night and a spot would have gone empty unnecessarily.

Helpful

Joe H

Verified

March 22, 2021 Stayed at: 22, Loop: A

Beautiful campground Ranger Joe was awesome, friendly and informative!

Helpful

carolina l

Verified

March 21, 2021 Stayed at: 32, Loop: B

Very beautiful park, confortable spot and very friendly staff. We love it our experience

Helpful

Mary H

Verified

March 16, 2021 Stayed at: 12, Loop: A

Nice campground, just a little picky about staying on the pavement pad. Not so easy for large RVs. The lake is nice and there are lots of picnic tables on the beach. Clean bathrooms with showers. Water is available at various locations nearby around the campground.

Helpful

Rodney W

Verified

March 14, 2021 Stayed at: 27, Loop: B

We stayed for two nights at the campground in a Class A motorhome. Our site was positioned well and was in the circle of sites around the bath house. Although the site was in a good position, it was not really level. When we leveled it, the front tires were about 3 inches off the ground. The second night we were there, we moved the camper back on the parking pad a few feet. This was better, but 2 of the tires were still a couple inches off the ground. There are no electric or water hookups at this campground. We filled up the fresh water tank at the faucet at the entrance near the gate house. In the time since I made the reservation, my husband has been put on a CPAP machine, so the nights we were there, he wasn't able to use his machine. (Generators have to be turned off at 10:00.). We also didn't have good Verizon cell service. Overall, this wasn't our favorite campground during our trip. It also wasn't the worst.

The host who checked us in was very friendly. He told us there was a Dollar General down the road and recommended the Italian restaurant a couple miles away in Paisley. We ate there and it was very good. He also told us that the Circle K nearby was good for getting gas in a big rig, which was extremely helpful since it makes me a little nervous to take the motorhome with the tow car to get gas.

Helpful

Roland J

Verified

March 9, 2021 Stayed at: 42, Loop: B

Very quiet park. Well maintained bath house and grounds. Staff is friendly and helpful. Note that contrary to the web site this is a no hookup park. Cellular signal for Verizon was good.

Helpful

Wilbur A

Verified

March 7, 2021 Stayed at: 38, Loop: B

This is a beautiful wooded campground. The campsite was spacious and the restrooms were very clean. Loved hiking the trail around the lake and the Florida Trail next to the campground. The lake was beautiful and lived up to its name with crystal clear water. Although there were trailers and RVs, this is an ideal campground for tent campers like us. The staff were super friendly and helpful.

Helpful

randy b

Verified

February 28, 2021 Stayed at: 24, Loop: B

This campground is not big friendly! We have a 35’ 5th Wheel that is 13.5 high. We hit a tree limb in loop A in part because we were told to not drive on grass. There is no maneuvering room as the roads are narrow. Corners are tight. Wish we had known this before reserving. Next time we’ll call and hope that the rangers know the park and whether we are able to get in safely...

Helpful

Location & Directions for Clearwater Lake Rec Area

24511 Cr 42, Paisley, FL 32767 United States

Elevation: 16 ft

Getting There

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.

Nearest town

Paisley, FL - 1.5 mi

About 3 min to downtown

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.

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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Last updated: October 22, 2026

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Explore Paisley, FL

Population: 757

Nearby city: Deltona, FL

Approx. 20 mi away (straight-line distance)

Elevation: 72 ft

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