roadtripper6476342

We enjoyed staying here, but realize it has no cell signal, nor water or sewer hook-ups. Nice to have electricity to run the A/C though. We stayed on the east side which has much more shade than the west. You will see your neighbors a lot, but we had no problem with this. Access to Everglades Shark Valley 16 miles away and Oasis Visitor Center which has birds and gators aplenty. Careful of the drivers on Hwy 41; the natives will feel the need to pass you even if you go the speed limit. The park has a spot to fill your fresh water when you arrive and a dump station for when you leave. Do make sure you fuel up before you arrive as well as have food/supplies. The only gas station I remember on 41 was across from the Shark Valley entrance which works in a pinch. When we return, we may try to stay on the Gulf side of the Everglades but don't know if any of the sites have electricity...

All the other reviews here paint an accurate picture of the park. I took a walk on a Sunday morning, a day I've gotten used to as busy for weekend campers pulling out. I didn't see a soul until walking across the Phase I camping area to the laundry, which I then learned had no working units. I did see perhaps a dozen or so campers spread throughout the park, and we have 5-10 in our Phase II area with FHU. Granted, it had rained all weekend and the wet, humid feel of the day did not invite a whole lot of outdoor activity. However, I found the ghost-campground feel compelling and I wonder about the story of the park. It has surely had better days, and I do enjoy the quiet rural setting.
I would not think of this as a destination campground--a bit too far away from Memphis to consider much connection there. However, if, like us, you want a few days of seclusion and rest, I would recommend this park--even if for no other reason than I would hate for it to die out completely.

I didn't know what to expect here with the mixed reviews. However, we found it easy-going and relaxing. We only stayed for a weekend, so no issue with the no hook-ups situation. Having a dumpsite would add to the site, but I understand that free camping has limits. Mark, the helpful, gregarious camp host greeted us at the gate and helped with the rather unusual lock system. The grounds have many more sites than I had expected, with perhaps only half of them full. I only walked the trails a bit and checked out the canal, but they both looked full of wildlife. The trail connects to Hickory Hammock, a site where we stayed before, though I didn't venture the 4-mile one way journey myself. Overall, way more plusses than minuses.

We only stayed one night on our way south and did so only because of our TT membership which offered a no-additional cost campsite as opposed to our staying at a Wal-Mart. Really enjoyed the location; didn't really enjoy trying to get our motorhome level. Since we only had the one night, we gave up, blocked and chocked and hoped for the best.
Very nice shower house, camp store, propane for sale, et al. Every staff person we encountered (and we saw so many in a one-night stay!) had great attitudes and helpful advice. I don't think I'd recommend bike riding or walking (unless you have more expertise/experience than I), but a great place to stay by the lake, dip your toes in the water, and relax.

We love the location: in the south DelMarVa Eastern Shores, right off the ocean. I could sit and listen to the waves all day. It does take a while to get to "civilization"--the park has basically a 6-7 mile lane to the entrance. Just trust in GPS; you'll get there. After about a 15-minute ride to Hwy 13, one can find all the supplies one would need.
We received a handwritten note with our reservation and met some very nice people. LOTS of space for walking/bike riding. I don't know exactly what happened to the park, but supposedly the owner sold off a big part of the land. The swimming pool, mini-golf course, and a big lodge sit unused for years. Many, many sites marked as unusable. However, the maintenance crew does an amazing job of mowing all the grass and keeping the laundry room/shower rooms going. I don't think I've seen such a huge park so well maintained.

First a story: We went the wrong way--entering from 92 onto Indian Lake Rd. We followed GPS directions to the local correctional institution where a very kindly deputy escorted us back to the correct path. He said he didn't recommend the facilities for overnight. Anyway, we took Indian Lake Rd to Rima Ridge Rd and took several miles to get to the Tram Road campground. Highly recommend entering from Hwy 40 rather than Hwy 92 to get to Tram Rd. Lots of other Tiger Bay recreation areas along 92 so we didn't pay as close attention as we should.
That said, if you want a secluded stay--only three other campsites here--then you will find it here. With our signal booster, we have strong internet access and can spend the weekend in peace and quiet.

Free to us with Thousand Trails membership.
Though one can't View the Gulf from the park, we did enjoy the area a great deal. Punta Gorda has a lot to offer for a smallish town, especially if you like nature. We highly recommend the Peace River Wildlife Center as well as the Charlotte Harbor Environment Center if you want to take a short-ish hike. Lots of parks to visit as well as nearby beaches, and we found the view from the Hwy 41 bridge gorgeous, especially at sunset.
The park itself has mainly retired age folk, with a few families scattered around the park. Most seemed annual or seasonal stays, but very friendly and easy to talk to. We stay during the Holidays and the park had functions for Christmas and New Year's Eve, if you like that sort of thing, as welOnll as activities almost every day during the week. We only had an issue with trying to make left hand turns to or from the park. Not a big deal with a car, but pretty steady traffic makes it a bit more patience-demanding with an RV.

From the check-in when I had to sign to pay a $50 if we didn't back in to a site, this Thousand Trails campground just seemed a bit odd. The park has a large number of sites, but many do not have sewer hook-ups. While we have stayed plenty of places without them, it seems unusual for a Thousand Trails park. For such a huge park, the laundry room seems inadequate, so we drove to Wauchula and found a good place--SuperMatt Laundry on Palmetto Street. (Reasonably priced and plenty of machines/space--I recommend!) We happened to come during a quite rainy time which also affected some of our perceptions. I also found the number of political flags, placards, et al uncomfortable.However, the access to Sebring to the east, Zolfo Springs to the south, Wauchula to the north, and Bradenton and Sarasota to the east, we spent quite a lot of time out of the campground.

Using reviews to adjust expectations really adds to the camping experience. The most noted items in the reviews for Breezy Hill do apply: strange sewer hookups, lots of Canadiens, tight spots, etc. However, knowing them in advance helped us to enjoy our stay. The hookups worked fine though they require a little bending over. The Quebecois all seemed nice, though the language barrier does complicate things. The spots compare to many of the Florida parks we have stayed at. I would add a couple other items: the key code access (a UPC on a printed page) could use better explanation. The recycling accepted aluminum cans but I couldn't figure out if they took anything else (French directions). Our last night there, they seemed to have some sort of celebration (music and partying) until 11:00. Lots of construction happening as well. However, as far as access goes, we could spend time away from the park easily. Short drive to I-95, near gas, groceries, etc. I would camp here again, especially after getting a feel for how the park works.

Our week here went quickly. We had some bad weather with high winds/lots of rain, but came through it just fine. Yes, this park has a very rural setting, which keeps things quiet. A 15-20 minute drive either west or east puts you in a town with plenty of supplies/groceries, et al. We also took a 30-40 minute drive to Shiloh Military Park and got a lot out of all the information there. Definitely worth the trip. We had outstanding wi-fi connection, though terrible TV coverage, which seemed strange. The office had a lot of books/DVDs to borrow as well, and very friendly and helpful staff, though they seemed rather short-handed. Very inexpensive laundry room helped us out as well.