RVing to Clermont, FL: Hills, Parks & Lakes Guide

Why Clermont for an RV Stop

The town sits on the Lake Wales Ridge, a spine of ancient sand dunes that gives Clermont its signature elevation. That topography, which once held orange groves from horizon to horizon, now holds something else: a cluster of RV resorts and campgrounds that make the town a practical base for exploring the chain of lakes and the state parks around it.

Clermont was established in 1884 and incorporated as a town on 9 June 1891. It disbanded on 25 May 1895, then reincorporated as a city on 28 December 1916. The name comes from the French hometown of A.F. Wrotnowski, who managed the Clermont Improvement Company. None of that history involves RVs, but the hills that made the citrus economy possible are the same hills that make the campgrounds interesting.

The Campgrounds

The biggest concentration of RV options sits on the south and north ends of town. Thousand Trails Orlando — 2110 Thousand Trails Blvd — is a membership-style campground with 1,832 reviews and a 4.2 rating. It is not a secret, and it is not empty. Expect a full-service resort operation with the usual amenities, and book ahead if you are arriving on a weekend.

Encore Clerbrook RV & Golf Resort on US Hwy 27N carries a 3.9 rating from 580 reviews. It is a golf-and-RV hybrid, which means the fairways are the neighbor and the rigs are the residents. Encore Lake Magic on Hwy 192 West rates 4.1 from 541 reviews and sits closer to the southern edge of town, near the Polk County line.

Bee's RV Resort on US-27 rates 4.1 from 437 reviews. It is a smaller operation, and the rating reflects a solid, no-frills stop. If you want the state park experience instead of the private resort, Lake Louisa State Park Campground - Loop A rates 4.7 from 387 reviews and puts you inside the park itself — 7305 US-27, same address as the park.

What to Do With the Rig Parked

You did not drive all this way to sit in a campground. Lake Louisa State Park — 4.7 from 3,604 reviews — is the big draw. It has six lakes, a beach, and hiking trails that actually climb. The Lake Louisa State Park Tours & Activities operation, rated 4.9 from 863 reviews, runs guided paddles and other programs. That is the highest-rated thing in this article, and it is worth building a day around.

Waterfront Park on Lake Minneola — 330 3rd St — rates 4.7 from 4,212 reviews. It has swimming, fishing piers, and a playground. It is also the site of Pig on the Pond, the three-day event run by Project Scholars that draws more than 20,000 people. The 2026 edition was the 27th. If your trip overlaps with it, expect the park to be busy and the parking to be worse.

For a quieter walk, Lake Hiawatha Preserve at 450 12th St rates 4.8 from 601 reviews. Palatlakaha Recreation Park at 1250 12th St rates 4.7 from 493 reviews, and the adjacent Park Palatlakaha Playground rates 4.7 from 401 reviews. Hancock Park on Hancock Rd rates 4.3 from 375 reviews. Clermont Arts & Recreation Center on S Hwy 27 rates 4.6 from 374 reviews.

If you have kids who need to burn energy that a trail cannot absorb, Sky Zone Trampoline Park on S Hwy 27 rates 4.4 from 1,385 reviews. It is not a nature park, despite the category listing, but it is a reliable indoor option when the afternoon thunderstorm rolls in.

The Citrus Tower Problem

The Florida Citrus Tower, built in 1956, still stands over Clermont. It was one of Florida's earliest roadside landmarks, built to celebrate an industry that was already starting to fade. The groves that surrounded it are mostly gone — killed by repeated freezes and suburban development. The tower remains, but it is not a brand, and it is not a business you can visit in this article. It is a landmark with a view of what used to be.

That is the Clermont story in one structure: built for citrus, outliving the citrus, now a monument to the hills themselves.

The Numbers

Clermont's population is 44,984 people, with a median age of 42.4 years. Median household income is $79,789. Median home value is $368,600, and median gross rent is $1,774. There are 18,718 housing units, of which 558 are held for seasonal or recreational use — that is the snowbird and weekend-escape crowd. Vacant units run 1,800, and the unemployment rate sits at 5.9 percent. 35.7 percent of residents hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

The seasonal-use number is small, which tells you that most of the RVs in the local resorts are not parked there by locals. They are passing through, using Clermont as a base for the lakes, the parks, and the hills.

The Bottom Line

Clermont is not a destination for the citrus it lost. It is a destination for the ground that grew it. The RV resorts are solid, the state park is excellent, and the town has enough elevation to make you feel like you are somewhere other than Florida. Bring a leveling kit, check your brakes, and plan around Pig on the Pond if you want the park to yourself.