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Woodsy cabins in Florida: Stay at four great state parks near Orlando

Central Florida is famous for a lot of things, but your first association probably isn’t “cabins in the woods.” Yet, thanks to Florida’s award-winning state park system, cabin rentals in Central Florida are an ideal option for those want to be surrounded by nature — and are willing to plan ahead.

There are four state parks within 90 minutes of Orlando that offer affordable cabins. They range from well-equipped two-bedroom houses a half hour from Disney World to rustic cabins without air conditioning on an island accessible only by boat.

Because they are popular and a good value, these Florida cabins are often booked up, so you will probably have to plan ahead. You book cabins by calling 1-800-326-3521 .

For weekends in most locations, you will have to reserve months out.

The good news, though, is that the penalty to change dates is only $10 and if you must cancel (not just change the date) the fee is $17.75. Weekends and holidays require two night stays.

One other quirk about these cabins: To encourage you to unplug and enjoy the natural world, you won’t find televisions, phones or Wi-Fi.

The largest and newest cabins are at Lake Louisa State Park in Clermont, near Disney World.

The most rustic ones, which are almost like camping, are at Hontoon Island State Park in Deland.

The other two sets of cabins — at Blue Spring State Park in Orange City and Silver River State Park in Ocala – are well equipped and located in particularly appealing parks.

Here’s a profile of each park’s cabins with some insider tips based on my visits.

Cabins at Lake Louisa State Park

Cabin rentals in Central Florida: Front porch of cabins at Lake Louisa State Park near Orlando (Photo: Bonnie Gross)
Cabin rentals in Central Florida: Front porch of cabins at Lake Louisa State Park near Orlando (Photo: Bonnie Gross)

The cabins at Lake Louisa State Park are big – all have two bedrooms and two bathrooms plus a full kitchen. With a sleeper sofa in the living room, the cabins would be quite comfortable for six people and ideal for an extended family or even three couples.

The kitchen has a microwave, dishwasher and everything you need to set up housekeeping. A large screened porch with rocking chairs overlooks a little lake in the distance. Cabins have heat and air conditioning and rent for $120 a night.

There are 20 cabins here, many more than at other parks, so it is easier to get reservations.

A key advantage to Lake Louisa is that families can use these cabins when visiting Orlando’s theme parks. After a day of frenetic stimulation at an attraction, kids might benefit by spending a day exploring forest trails. You might even spot some of the abundant wildlife, including birds, gopher tortoises and deer.

In addition, there’s a small beach for swimming at Lake Louisa State Park, improving it as a summer destination.

The park has 25 miles of hiking trails and South Florida visitors will be surprised and delighted by a unique feature: rolling hills, some over 100 feet high! We also enjoyed coming upon former orange groves now gone wild. Plucking an orange from a tree made a refreshing treat on a hike.

You also can rent kayaks or canoes at the campground store and paddle on pretty Hammond Lake.

Read Florida Rambler’s comprehensive story on Lake Louisa State Park and its Florida cabins.

Lake Louisa State Park
7305 U.S. Highway 27
Clermont 34714
(352) 394-3969
Park website

Reservations: Call (800) 326-3521 (8 a.m. to 8 p.m.) or visit the state park reservation system.

Cabins at Blue Spring State Park

Central Florida cabin rentals: Cabin at Blue Spring State Park near Orlando. (Photo: Bonnie Gross)
Cabin rentals in Central Florida: Cabin at Blue Spring State Park near Orlando. (Photo: Bonnie Gross)

Blue Spring State Park has something special every season of the year, thanks to the stunning spring and its clear water.

In summer, it is wildly popular for swimming in the 73-degree water. You can rent inner tubes and float from the spring boil about a quarter mile downstream to a swimming dock. From there, it’s out of the water, walk the trail back to the spring head and do it all over again.

Central Florida cabin rentals: Kitchen area in Blue Spring State Park cabin. (Photo: Bonnie Gross)
Cabin rentals in Central Florida: Kitchen area in Blue Spring State Park cabin. (Photo: Bonnie Gross)

In winter, the spring is closed to swimmers and open to manatees. Hundreds of endangered manatees gather here as the nearby St. Johns River cools down, making it the best place in the state for manatee viewing from land. Manatee season is weather-dependent, but generally occurs November to March.

In spring, as the weather gets warm and humid, Blue Spring has a brief firefly season. For a few weeks in April (again, timing depends on weather), the woods fill with thousands of blinking fireflies at dusk.

Year around, there are trails to explore and kayaks and canoes that can be rented for scenic paddling along the St. Johns and several nearby creeks. You also can take a narrated boat tour of the St. Johns River from the park’s boat concession or take a Segway tour of the park.

The park is located in the middle of a wide swath of undeveloped woodland and its woods are full of birds. Wild turkeys frequent the grassy hillside next to the historic Thursby House, built by pioneer in 1872, when Blue Spring was emerging as an important steamboat landing on the St. Johns. The Thursby House is open for self-guided tours and has historic artifacts that tell the history of the Blue Spring.

Thankfully, a park with so many assets also has top-notch cabins, although not many of them. With six cabins and the popularity of both manatees and swimming, snagging a cabin here can take planning. You can reserve cabins up to 11 months in advance and weekday nights are often available with shorter notice.

The two bedroom cabins are secluded from the busy spring and its parking lot by their location in a thick oak hammock. Cabins can accommodate up to six people with two bedrooms (one double bed and two twins) plus a sleeper sofa in the living room. There’s one bathroom.

Kitchens have dishwashers and microwaves and cabins have gas fireplaces for use in winter. The cabins have a screened porch, and outdoor grill with a picnic table, heating and air conditioning. Price: $95 per night.

Read Florida Rambler’s comprehensive story on Blue Spring State Park.

Blue Spring State Park
2100 W. French Ave.
Orange City, 32763
(386) 775-3663
Park website

Reservations: Call (800) 326-3521 (8 a.m. to 8 p.m.) or visit the state park reservation system.

Cabins at Silver Springs State Park

Central Florida cabin rentals: Silver Springs State Park cabin is set in the woods with a Cracker style metal roof. (Photo: Bonnie Gross)
Cabin rentals in Central Florida: Silver Springs State Park cabin is set in the woods with a Cracker style metal roof. (Photo: Bonnie Gross)

The cabins at Silver Springs State Park are similar in size to Blue Spring (they sleep six in two bedrooms with one bath) but in some ways are even more appealing.

Each “cabin” – and these are really houses more than cabins – is situated in the woods surrounded by big trees and vegetation, separated from neighboring cabins. Out back, there’s a fire ring for campfires and s’mores.

The metal roofs and porches make these structures look like Florida Cracker houses. The screened porches are massive and hold a picnic table and a few rocking chairs. The living rooms are a bit roomier than Blue Spring.

Central Florida cabin rentals: Interior of cabin at Silver Springs State Park. (Photo: bonnie Gross)
Cabin rentals in Central Florida: Interior of cabin at Silver Springs State Park. (Photo: Bonnie Gross)

There’s a full kitchen and dining room table for six, cozy wooden cabin-like décor and a gas fireplace that provides a warm glow in the cabin with the flick of a switch in winter. At the ranger station, you can check out board and cards games. The kitchen has a dishwasher and microwave. My only criticism: Don’t plan to do real cooking. There are no serving dishes, no cutting board and few pans. Cabins have heat and air conditioning

It’s a little easier to book cabins here because there are 10 of them. Price: $110 per night.

Silver Springs State Park is full of recreational opportunities. There are 15 miles of lovely forest trails that can be walked or ridden on mountain bikes. At the spring (a short drive from the cabins), you can rent canoes or kayaks. You’ll see wildlife on this paddle – lots of birds, alligators and, if you’re lucky, manatees or even wild rhesus monkeys.

The monkeys are part of the colorful history of Silver Springs. In 1930, according to the Silver Springs Theme Park, a fellow called Colonol Toohey operated the “jungle” tour and placed rhesus macaques monkeys, indigenous to Central and East Asia, on an island to delight his visitors. He didn’t know that monkeys are good swimmers. The escaped monkeys have thrived ever since, with a population now estimated at 200. Because they’re an exotic species, state officials aren’t wild about them — but visitors are.

The park has a charming “Cracker village,” where historic buildings have been moved into a cluster to form the Silver Springs Museum and Environmental Education Center. The center is open to the public on weekends and holidays for a $2 admission.

Read Florida Rambler’s comprehensive story on Silver Springs State Park and its Florida cabins

Silver Springs State Park
1425 N.E. 58th Ave.
Ocala 34470
(352) 236-7148
Park website

Reservations: Call (800) 326-3521 (8 a.m. to 8 p.m.) or visit the state park reservation system.

Cabins at Hontoon River State Park

RCentral Florida cabin rents: Rustic cabins at Hontoon State Park provide a more camping-like experience. (Photo: Bonnie Gross)
Cabin rentals in Central Florida: Rustic cabins at Hontoon State Park provide a more camping-like experience. (Photo: Bonnie Gross)

Hontoon River State Park cabins are in a totally different category; they appeal to folks who want more of a camping experience.

They offer the fun of being in the woods and cooking over a campfire, while guaranteeing you’ll stay dry in a storm and have a place of refuge to avoid mosquitoes.

Six very basic cabins are located in a shady, open forest. There’s no heat or air conditioning, no kitchen and, like the campers, you walk to the central bathroom with hot showers and flush toilets. The cabins have bunk beds with vinyl-covered mattresses and you bring your own sleeping bag (or linens.)

Central Florida cabin rentals: The Hontoon cabins do provide you with a bug-free and dry spot to take respite in the woods. (Photo: David Blasco)
Central Florida cabin rentals: The Hontoon cabins do provide you with a bug-free and dry spot to take respite in the woods. (Photo: David Blasco)

The cabins have a screen porch with a table and chairs – perfect if you get bad weather. They also have ceiling fans in the bedroom and porch, lights in both bedroom and porch and a single electric outlet. The cabins come with a fire ring with a grill and a picnic table, like the campsites.

The cabins are inexpensive: $30 a night for a four-bunk cabin; $35 for six bunks. The larger cabins have a larger screened porch area.

What makes the cabins at Hontoon Island especially attractive is their remote location. Hontoon Island State Park is located in the St. Johns River and the only way to reach it is by boat. A free electric ferry buzzes back and forth every few minutes, carrying hikers, campers and fishermen and all their gear. Campers and cabin guests and gear are then shuttled by van to the campground a half-mile from the marina.

As a result of its location, there are no cars on the island, no concrete, no crowds and no development within sight. The park has an extensive trail system for hiking. I recommend the 3-mile-long Hammock Hiking Nature Trail, which takes you through a thick hardwood forest with lots of sprawling live oaks draped with Spanish moss. The path ends at a huge Indian shell mound, a hill about 20 feet high and 400 feet long.

The park is also a great base for kayaking or canoeing. Circumnavigating Hontoon Island in a canoe or kayak is a perfect day’s paddle. You can bring your own or rent them at Hontoon. Note, however, that there are only two double kayaks and five canoes and they cannot be reserved. On busy weekends you must get to the marina early.

Read Florida Rambler’s comprehensive story on Hontoon River State Park.

Hontoon Island State Park
2309 River Ridge Road
Deland 32720
(386) 736-5309
Park website

Reservations: Call (800) 326-3521 (8 a.m. to 8 p.m.) or visit the state park reservation system.

Going beyond Central Florida?

Read Florida Rambler’s report on more Florida cabins in state parks

 


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Alberto rodriguez

Sunday 6th of November 2022

Thank you , this information is so valid, not too many information abbot Florida state park and recreation place . Bravo

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