Lake Kissimmee State Park — LK1

Lake Kissimmee State Park, in central Florida near Lake Wales, is a shaded, oak-hammock campground built around access to boating, fishing, and more than 13 miles of hiking trails. Right now, though, the most important thing to know isn't the site amenities — it's that the campground itself is closed. Here's the current status, plus what to expect once it reopens.

The Current Situation, Up Front

Florida State Parks' official park page states the campgrounds at Lake Kissimmee State Park have been closed for a renovation project effective Feb. 17, 2026, and as of this writing, no reopening date has been announced. The closure covers the family campground, the primitive wilderness area, and the Cypress Swamp Trail catwalk. Youth Camp and Group Camp areas remain open, but only for organized groups such as scout troops. The camp store and on-site kayak rentals are also closed for the duration. The park itself remains open for day use — hiking, boating, fishing, and the Cow Camp living-history demonstrations are all still happening, just without overnight camping. Given that this closure has already run about six months with no announced end date, anyone hoping to camp here soon should check the park's official page immediately before making any other plans.

Campground Overview

Lake Kissimmee State Park is located at 14248 Camp Mack Road, Lake Wales, FL 33898 (27.94849, -81.35090), about 15 miles east of Lake Wales off State Road 60. It's managed by Florida State Parks and set in a 5,300-acre stretch of central Florida wetlands and prairie along the shores of Lake Kissimmee, Lake Tiger, and Lake Rosalie.

The information referenced here as "LK1" — 30 sites, each with water, 30-amp power, a picnic table, and a fire feature — appears to describe one loop of the park's family campground rather than the whole thing. Independent campground trackers describe Lake Kissimmee's full family campground as 60 sites spread across two loops, with accessible sites identified as high as site 49 and 52 — numbering that wouldn't fit inside a single 30-site loop. In other words, LK1 most likely represents Loop 1 of a two-loop, 60-site campground, not the park's entire camping inventory. That distinction matters for anyone trying to match a specific site number to a reservation map once bookings reopen.

Location and Access

Access is straightforward vehicle camping — no boat or ferry required. From US 27, take State Road 60 east to Boy Scout Road, turn north to Camp Mack Road, then follow it roughly 5.5 miles to the park entrance. This is a standard drive-up campground designed for the full range of camping equipment, from tents to large RVs, rather than a primitive or boat-access site.

Camping Options

Tent Camping

Each site accommodates tents, including large tents up to 9x12 feet, alongside water, 30-amp power, a picnic table, and a fire ring with a grill grate. That's a considerably more developed setup than primitive camping, though the park's separate primitive wilderness area — which offers a more basic experience for backcountry-minded campers — is currently closed along with the main campground.

RV Camping

RVs, motorhomes, fifth wheels, trailers, camper vans, and pop-ups are all accepted, with a maximum RV length of 55 feet. Every site has 30-amp power and water but no sewer hookup; RVers rely on the campground's dump station instead. One detail worth planning around: sites are described as back-in only, with no pull-through configuration, so longer rigs should plan their approach accordingly.

Electricity and Hookups

Every site carries 30-amp power and a water connection — solid for most RVs and trailers, though worth noting if you're used to 50-amp service and run higher-draw equipment. There's no sewer hookup at individual sites; a dump station serves the campground centrally, though its operational status during the renovation should be confirmed once the campground reopens.

Campsite Facilities

Under normal operation, each site has a picnic table and a fire ring with a grill grate, and the broader campground offers flush restrooms, hot showers, a dump station, and laundry facilities. Florida State Parks specifically identifies accessible amenities — accessible picnic tables and grills, plus paved paths to accessible restrooms with showers — at sites 15, 9, 49, and 52. Since those site numbers span a wider range than the 30-site LK1 listing alone, confirm which loop an accessible site falls in once the reservation map is live again. The camp store, informally known to regular visitors as the Cracker Shack, normally stocks ice, firewood, snacks, and camping supplies, but it's closed along with the campground during renovations.

Water Access

Lake Kissimmee itself sits about two-thirds of a mile (roughly 1,079 meters) from the campground, so this is camping near the lake rather than directly on its shore. The park's accessible kayak dock is closer, around 643 meters (about 0.4 mile) away. The park has its own boat ramp and marina, and boating, canoeing, and fishing are central activities — but kayak rentals specifically are currently unavailable due to the renovation closure, so paddlers will need to bring their own gear for now.

Best Campsite Characteristics

There isn't enough verified detail to single out one pitch as the best in the loop, but the shared baseline is solid: every site gets water, 30-amp power, a picnic table, and a fire ring, set in an oak hammock that provides natural shade and separation between sites. Camper reviews from before the closure describe the sites as spacious and well-shaded, with wildlife — deer, armadillos, wild turkeys — regularly passing through, particularly in early morning. RVers should plan around the 55-foot length limit and the back-in-only layout rather than expecting a pull-through spot.

Reservations and Availability

There is currently nothing to reserve. Florida State Parks has historically allowed booking up to 11 months ahead for Florida residents and 10 months for non-residents, with new inventory released daily at 8 a.m. Eastern, and that system will presumably resume once the campground reopens — but there's no indication yet of when reservations will reopen or what changes the renovation might bring to site inventory or configuration.

Fees

The most recently published rates list camping at $20 per night plus tax, a $7 nightly utility fee for RV, cabin, bungalow, boat, and yurt units (not charged for tent camping), and a $6.70 nonrefundable reservation fee per booking. Day-use entry, separate from camping, runs $5 per vehicle for two to eight people, with other rates for different vehicle occupancy. These are the last published figures; treat them as provisional until the campground reopens and confirms current pricing.

Rules and Regulations

Standard Florida State Parks rules apply: quiet hours from 11 p.m. to 7 a.m., check-in around 3 p.m., check-out around 1 p.m., and parking generally limited to two vehicles per site. Pets are allowed in the campground itself but not on beaches, playgrounds, in cabins, or in park buildings. As always, rules and fees can change, and campers should verify current regulations with the park before planning a trip — especially given the ongoing renovation.

Pets and Campfires

Well-behaved, leashed pets are permitted in the campground under Florida State Parks' standard pet policy. Each site's fire ring and grill grate support both a campfire and cooking, though campers should use only designated fire areas and check for temporary burn restrictions, particularly during dry stretches.

Nearby Activities

Fishing, boating, and canoeing on Lake Kissimmee, Lake Tiger, and Lake Rosalie are the park's headline activities, though kayak rentals are currently paused. Hikers have more than 13 miles of trails to work with, plus six miles open to equestrians, and an observation tower offers views over the lake and its marshes — though note that the Cypress Swamp Trail catwalk is closed along with the campground; the accessible boardwalk at the Cypress Swamp trailhead remains open and still leads to a scenic overlook. History-minded visitors can catch Cow Camp living-history demonstrations of 1876-era Florida cow hunters, held Saturdays from Oct. 1 through April 30 (excluding Christmas). Wildlife sightings commonly include white-tailed deer, bald eagles, sandhill cranes, turkeys, and bobcats.

Current Conditions

To recap the key point: the family campground, primitive wilderness area, camp store, and kayak rentals are all closed for renovation as of Feb. 17, 2026, with no reopening date announced as of this writing. Youth Camp and Group Camp facilities remain available for organized groups. Day-use access — hiking, boating, fishing, Cow Camp — continues normally. This is a long-running, open-ended closure rather than a short seasonal one, so check the park's official page directly before assuming any of this has changed.

Safety

Lake Kissimmee is a large natural area with extensive waterways, marshes, and wildlife, so standard precautions apply for heat, insects, thunderstorms, and boating or paddling safety. Cell service and internet access can be limited or unavailable inside the park, worth factoring into trip planning. Hikers and cyclists should carry enough water, especially during Florida's warmer months.

Nearby Services

The park is roughly 15 miles from Lake Wales, which has grocery stores, gas stations, and restaurants. With the on-site camp store closed, visitors doing day trips or eventually overnight stays should plan to bring supplies from town rather than count on buying them in the park.

Pros and Cons

Pros:

• Water and 30-amp power at every site, plus a fire ring and grill grate
• Accepts everything from tents to RVs up to 55 feet
• Shaded, spacious oak-hammock setting with regular wildlife sightings
• Strong access to fishing, boating, and 13+ miles of hiking trails
• Dump station and (normally) on-site camp store and kayak rentals

Cons:

• The campground is currently closed for renovation, with no announced reopening date
• The primitive camping area is closed too — there's no fallback tent option on-site right now
• Not waterfront camping — roughly two-thirds of a mile from the Lake Kissimmee shoreline
• No pull-through sites, and no sewer hookup at individual sites
• Camp store and kayak rentals unavailable during the closure

Final Verdict

Under normal circumstances, this is a solid pick for campers who want real hookups, a shaded setting, and easy access to lake recreation and hiking without paying resort prices — 30-amp power and water at every site, a 55-foot RV allowance, and enough trail mileage to fill a weekend. Right now, though, it isn't bookable at all. The campground, primitive area, camp store, and kayak rentals have been closed since mid-February 2026 for renovation, and Florida State Parks hasn't announced when that will change. Anyone drawn to this park for an overnight trip should hold off on other plans until an official reopening date appears, and should treat every site detail here as "how it normally operates" rather than "what's available today."