Sarasota is a classic Gulf Coast winter stop, and from November through April the sites are hard to come by. Most of the area's RV inventory leans toward 55+ and long-stay communities, so all-ages parks that take overnight guests are the scarce thing here, and many of the bigger short-stay parks sit across the county line in Bradenton. Inside Sarasota County, parks cluster along Fruitville Road toward I-75 and down the South Tamiami Trail toward Osprey. The rare one is on the sand: Siesta Key's Turtle Beach, with a free trolley into Siesta Village and downtown.
Turtle Beach Campground
A county-run beachfront campground on Siesta Key with 39 sites, each on full hookups at 20/30/50 amp, plus a kayak launch and direct access to Turtle Beach. A free trolley runs to Siesta Village and downtown; note that pets are not allowed.
Address: 8862 Midnight Pass Rd, Sarasota, FL 34242
Website: sarasotacountyparks.com
Oscar Scherer State Park
RV and tent camping inside a 1,400-acre preserve for the Florida scrub-jay, with 15 miles of trails, kayaking on South Creek and swimming in Lake Osprey. It connects directly to the Legacy Trail for biking into Venice or Sarasota.
Address: 1843 S. Tamiami Trail, Osprey, FL 34229
Website: floridastateparks.org
Sun Outdoors Sarasota
A large all-ages resort on Fruitville Road, formerly Sun N Fun, with full-hookup back-in and pull-through sites on 30 or 50-amp service. Families come for the year-round Mega Slide and a schedule of more than 150 activities.
Address: 7125 Fruitville Rd, Sarasota, FL 34240
Website: sunoutdoors.com
Need power when the hookup is not an option?
A Gulf Coast trip means storms, crowded weekends and the occasional night without a hookup. A portable power station keeps a fan, the fridge and your devices running through an outage or a dry night, with no generator noise for the neighbors.
Thinking bigger, like backup for the house too? See our best solar generators for home backup.
Nearby: Best RV Parks in Ocala, FL · Best RV Parks in Kissimmee, FL · Best RV Parks in Key West, FL
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Listings are editorial. No park paid to be included.