Crystal Isles RV Resort

First the good: Upon check in, our site was changed, and for the better! We were initially assigned a very wet and muddy lot. We were moved onto a concrete pad. Then the electric didn't work, but my husband discerned it was a blown fuse. A new fuse was brought and installed with in minutes. Everyone was very friendly. The laundry room was pretty good. There were enough machines, washing was $1.25 for about 35 minutes, and the dryers cost the same for 45 minutes. The bath house was adequate. This is a fisherman's and boaters paradise. We are neither, thus our title. Cable TV had enough stations.
Now what we didn't like: While our original site was very long and more room, the concrete site was somewhat better. But it was tight. In fact, the worst part about the campground, during peak season was that most sites were tight. There was a nice big pond in the middle but it was so full of algae it was not all that nice. We did stick our feet in the swimming pool and hot tub and the water was good for the cold temperatures. They have wifi for a $3/day fee.
I'll let some pictures tell a better story.

Campground has concrete pads for some sites and muddy ground for others. Ours was muddy. Pool and hot tub was down for maintenance while we were there. Close to town. Bathroom and shower were nice at the pool site.

Getting to this RV park was not so bad, the drive in was okay. The city of Crystal River is very lovely, some good shops, and fine to get around. Turning down the road to the RV park is just a 4 mile drive. Once in the park, pretty easy to get to our spot and back in right next to the lake.

This park had some good amenities with a nice pool and hot tub, basketball, good playground and nice clubhouse. They had various activities each day which was great to see. Kids loved it!

There are some spots with their own docks on the rivers as well as well as a few ramps to get your own boat in the river. Also, leaving the RV park and driving away from the city, we were only 5 miles away from the Gulf of Mexico and a really nice beach. I wish we would have gone there on a sunny day - next time!

Some of the RV spots were a bit tight but getting in and out was just fine.

We look forward to coming back to this park again!

Want to see the Manatee’s in the winter? Come here. Weather was great. Amenities were all nice, the pool was great. Nice little ice cream stand on site. Propane fills every day between 2:30-3:30. Fishing paradise. Full hookups, low water pressure, nice club house, and staff was very friendly.

The good. Nice pool, clubhouse. If you boat, a boat launch and a free public launch with plenty of parking a mile down the road. Nice laundry room. Fenced dog area and large dog walk area. If only everyone picked up after their dogs.

The not so good. When it rains, it floods. And stays wet a long time.
The sites are gravel. One shower and toilet for men.
Many of not the sites are permanent residents. Even school buses come in. Some of the permanent sites are not pretty.
The absolute worst is the no see-ums. We probably spent $50 on every kind of spray nothing worked, even at the pool.They are brutal! Benedryl every day.
We tried to get propane and they never did get us any.
4 miles from a beach and 4 miles from town.
It’s,way cheaper to stay a month or longer than daily or weekly.
We payed for electric which I guess is fair. Wi-fi is extra and so - so.

The clubhouse pool and hot tub are great. Our site was full hookup and included cable TV. Reception was a bit fuzzy on all channels, but we didn’t come for the cable TV. The No-See-Ums were more than a nuisance at the campground. I backpack and came armed with several great bug repellents, Deep Woods Off included. Nothing worked to ward off the No-See-Ums. The bites continue to itch even with topical treatments. There was only one flush toilet and one shower available for men during our visit. If my stay was any longer than 6 days, I would have shortened the visit due to the ruthless No-See-Ums. AT&T cellular service clocked in at 63.5 Mbps download speed and 4.05 upload speed. Verizon clocked in at 2.90 Mbps download speed and 0.70 upload speed. Some destinations may warrant braving insect problems, like Assateague Island National Seashore and the biting flies. A stay at Crystal Isles RV Resort doesn’t warrant putting up with the No-See-Ums in my opinion. Know before you go.

Our rate reflects “the trails collection” which is part of Thousand Trails. The park has full hook ups and cable through a satellite dish in park (not crystal clear but fine). 5 miles to a county beach which is nice for sunsets.
Park has some activities during the week. (Tai chi, movie night, etc).
Overall a good experience. The no see ums were few in early November. It’s also been dry so that maybe why.
Town has everything we needed and some cute breakfast spots close by. Very nice office staff!

I am a Thousand Trails member. Check-in was quick and efficient. I was not impressed with the 1st site I was assigned (nothing wrong with it but too close to the river) but was allowed to choose another. It was perfect for my needs. After reading some reviews I was concerned that it was a party campground. Not even close! Nice site with concrete pad and patio. Very quite. Maintenance readily available if needed. I did...hooking up the FREE cable! Look forward to returning!

Crystal Isles isn't bad, but...

The Good...
Location - near Three Sisters Springs
Playground
Pool
Clean Bath House
On-site water entry points
Friendly Community

The Bad...
Cramped Sites
No picnic table with "Elite Sites" $85/night
No concrete pads at "Elite Sites
Extra costs for the internet that is not usable ($3/day) - Don't waste your money
Verizon cell service appears good with bars, but it often does not work. It's possible this related to 5G upgrades?

We're thousand trail members, so stayed here free, but this was a good encore resort. Friendly staff, great pool, and super close by the beach. The only downside was the no-see-um bugs that come out occasionally, but that's seasonal and everywhere in town. Verizon coverage was bad, but AT&T was fast.

Cell Speeds:
Verizon:
DOWN: 1-2Mbps
UP: 0.5Mbps

AT&T:
DOWN: 50Mbps
UP: 4Mbps