Lake Manatee State Park (Bradenton, FL)

We took our own camper for a quick President's weekend trip to Lake Manatee State Park this past weekend. Most state parks book up 11 months in advance, but I was able to get this site last minute using the Wandering Labs website. If you've never used it before, check out my previous blog about getting a site in Florida. 

The park is about 9 miles east of I-75 in Bradenton. No busy roads or shops surround it, just pure peace and quiet. When we arrived, what I loved most was how the area looked like Old Florida- moss hanging from the tress and palmetto buses surrounding the sites and road. It is truly a Florida camping experience! 

This quiet campground has 60 sites. The sites are fairly wide and each one comes with a picnic table, fire pit, and two poles for a laundry line, or even better, a hammock! If you want to get active, there are walking trails, some of which take you down to Lake Manatee. There aren't kayaks available for rent right now, but if you have your own, you can take it out on the lake (just watch out for gators- this is Florida!) If you bring bikes, there is also two miles of paved road around the parks. 

If you are looking to check out the area, I would recommend taking a trip to Hunsader Farms, which is a couple miles further east. During February and March, they have U-pick strawberry fields, and in October and November, they have a pumpkin patch and corn maize. You can also check out their farmer's market, petting zoo, swamp buggy rides, and much more. I would suggest checking out their website before you go to see what type of fruits and/or vegetables are available for U-pick, depending on the season. 

On our last night of our trip, we took full advantage of the fire pit, and made smores! There were no street lights, so the stars were clearly visible. We really enjoyed the laid back, quiet of this park, and can't wait to go back again!