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

Donald J

Verified

January 6, 2021 Stayed at: 12, Loop: A

5

Another great stay at Clearwater; as usual!

Gregory S

Verified

January 6, 2021 Stayed at: 14, Loop: A

5

Nice campsite layout. Well run campground.

Daniel W

Verified

January 10, 2021 Stayed at: 1, Loop: A

5

The gentleman who checked us in was very friendly and welcoming! Campsite and bathrooms were clean! We will be back!

Luis V

Verified

January 11, 2021 Stayed at: 16, Loop: A

5

Place was clean and organized. The staff was friendly and very helpful. The location was easy to find and had easy access to all roads.

Linda K

Verified

January 11, 2021 Stayed at: 19, Loop: A

5

Beautiful location, friendly staff, clean restrooms.

Adam S

Verified

January 12, 2021 Stayed at: 38, Loop: B

5

Great campground. The camp host during our stay was Joe, and he was so friendly and helpful in helping us find our first come first serve spot. (I recommend site 18) Great mountain biking and hiking right close by. Miles and miles of off road trails in Ocala forest. We were there during hunting season and there were lots of hunters around. Kind of ruined the vibe in my opinion, but still a beautiful forest.

Trent P

Verified

January 17, 2021 Stayed at: 19, Loop: A

3

We stayed three nights, in Thursday, out Sunday, in loop 1, space 19. The campground is nice and well maintained. The lake and surroundings are beautiful. We shared beach space with four Sandhill Cranes one morning and they gave us quite a show. The crowd was really quiet on Thursday night, but made a bit more noise Friday and Saturday. Not bad, just had stereos playing and such, and they did get quiet before 10 PM. The sites are paved, but narrow. Ours was just exactly wide enough for our 22’ trailer withe the tires right to the edge of the pavement. There was not an inch to spare. There is quite a bit of traffic noise from county road 44, which for an apparently rural road, stays pretty busy. Verizon cell service ranges from 0 to a weak 2 bars depending on where you stand. Using a hotspot without a booster I was able to join a video conference and did not have any issues with bandwidth. The campground staff and host were awesome.

barry r

Verified

January 23, 2021 Stayed at: 27, Loop: B

5

the hosts were very pleasant n helpfull,@ answering any questions we had.we camped here numorous times over the yrs,n we are always pleased with how clean it always is.We rate this place with a 5 star.

june C

Verified

January 25, 2021 Stayed at: 11, Loop: A

5

Bear box was so convenient. This is a very beautiful, very well maintained campground. Every site is beautiful and spacious. The lake is clear and so beautiful especially in the morning. Me and my crew highly recommend this campground!

Robert R

Verified

January 31, 2021 Stayed at: 16, Loop: A

5

Clean, quiet an the Bathhouse is excellent, nothing to complain about!

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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