Oscar Scherer State Park

This is our first time at Oscar Sherer. Though the campsites are close together there is enough foliage to maintain privacy. Everyone is so friendly and respectful. There is enough hiking for all levels though in hot weather make sure u have adequate water. The shaded South Creek and Findley trails are perfect for hot sunny days.
Be aware the almost all the water spicots are shared so make sure u come with adequate length of water hose.
There are 5 restrooms . #4 & #2 have 1 washer & dryer each. Be aware they do not take coins just credit cards. Some might not accept foreign credit cards.
The designated ADA restrooms are not very accessible as the facilities are old.
The volunteers are helpful and always working.
Be aware that as of this time, sites 75 thru 90 do not accept pets due to proximity to creek.

Access is easy off of I75, have to go into the ranger station to check in. Campground roads are mostly one way with some tight turns. I would not recommend anything over 35', some sites require a tight turn to back in. Saw a 40+ foot 5th wheel that could not get into their site (site 14, 36' limit). Pay attention to the site length limits on the website. There are some live oaks that are low hanging once you get off the paved road to try to get an angle on the site. Most sites are shaded and level. Most all sites have trees and vegetation in between. Water is shared with your neighbor, there are two spigots per post.

Bathrooms are clean and all the facilities were nice. The best part was very few bugs, no see ums were not here, mosquitoes were few. Squirrels and armadillos roamed the campground. Many trails in the park, and many more at Myakka River SP and Mabry Carlton Preserve that are within a 20 minute drive.

No road noise, just nature sounds.

Decent AT&T cell service 2 bars 5G unboosted, RSRP was -100 unboosted, -65 boosted; streamed with no problem.

An old school typical Florida state park. It is located in the middle of an urban area, yet feels really remote. It is older, but the bath houses are immaculate, the showers are hot and have great water pressure and it’s apparent the volunteers and camp hosts take great pride in keeping it that way. There are daily activities (which we did not do), and several trails right from the campground that we hiked. The beaches, stores and crowds are all nearby if you want that stuff.

We love this park. Our site #4 had vegetation both sides so we were secluded from the neighbors. Read the details of each site specifically size and where water is located. We used 2 hoses to connect to the water. Beautiful multi use trail right from the campground, rode into Venice, stopped at a coffee shop and then back, 25 miles. Great day!

Review (long) of the Oscar Scherer Florida State Park campgrounds. If you know anything about Florida state parks this one is a poster child for them.

Some Salient points include:

1. Very reasonable especially if you are a Florida resident 65 or older. 4 nights with water and power hookups for less than $100 total (dump station available).

2. At this particular park you have to share water spigots, so make sure you have adequate length of drinking water hose.

3. The barbecue type grill is in a fire ring on the ground with the adjustable grate, so nothing at waist height unless you bring your own.

4. Florida is subtropical. That means there are bushes and trees and vines that will grow and take over your awning in less than a day almost it seems like. The bonus to this is you don't really know, see or hear your neighbor even if the sites are relatively close together. Also you're guaranteed shade least part of the day. A DISADVANTAGE to this can be a claustrophobic type feeling and you tend to lose the breeze.

5. We were in site 65 which is very close to Highway 41, and I never heard a single vehicle. On the other side of the Campground you can hear traffic on the 681....just a quiet hum though.

6. Because it is a state park there are lots of rules and regulations regarding the foliage as well as the animals that inhabit the area, all of which make common sense.

7. It is not a manicured area but rather a little rough and tumble. Primarily the asphalt on part of the loop, as well as over grown greenery.

8. They have a mix of back- in, pull through, and even Drive-In sites. I plan to investigate those drive-in lots to see why they are designated as that.

9. Bath houses are in the middle of the overall big long (basically rectangular) loop. Which is kind of nice because then you don't have people walking past your site to get to them. But if you are someone who uses the bath house they're not overly close unless you arranged to have a lot in the proximity of one.

10. There is a Publix less than two miles away and a Walmart less than three miles away. But again you will have no inkling that you are in the middle of civilization once settled in at your site.

11. There are a ton of trails as well as the ability to access the Legacy Trail which is well known as a paved multi-use trail in this area. I did get on to the Legacy Trail for a couple of miles, which can be very brutally hot after mid morning most all year round. Also, while there is water available, it's around 3 or so miles between parks where drinking fountains might be, so it would be wise to bring your own hydration.

12. Lots of ground water here in the form of Osprey Lake as well as multiple little channels so that of course means there are alligators in the area, as well as TONS of mosquitoes.

13. Granted, partly because of the heat, (and partly because each site is so secluded) there's not a lot of social interaction with the people here. They will say good morning if they walked by while taking the pup out for a stroll, but it's not like a community where the sites are more open.

14. Bathhouses are adequate from what I can tell, full disclosure is I did not use them but did pop in to look. They seem clean enough, but this is Florida and it's always high humidity so there's all sorts of ooey stuff growing in the drains.

15. While most of the sites are pet-friendly (other than the ones right along the canal), there are no dog waste bags nor garbage receptacle available in the campground Loop. The only place bags are available or at the picnic areas or the ranger station. There is only the dumpster available for garbage (even though the rules tell you to dispose of the dog waste of the garbage near the bathhouses.)

In this video, we provide a walking tour of the Oscar Scherer State Park Camping Area, to include the adjacent lake and day use area; video uploaded here on Campendium for your immediate reference. We show you the best campsites at the Oscar Scherer State Park Campground and point out campground amenities. Oscar Scherer State Park is conveniently located near both Nokomis Beach and Sarasota Florida and is a popular affordable camping destination. Verizon cellular service clocked in at 44.5 Mbps download speed and 1.34 Mbps upload speed. AT&T cellular service clocked in at 50.2 Mbps download speed and 1.41 Mbps upload speed. T-Mobile cellular service clocked in at 65.2 Mbps download speed and 1.93 Mbps upload speed.

The state park has a nice setup, the roads are kinda narrow and there one way only. 42 had a lot of shade and was between 2 bathhouses.

Laundry is hit or miss, there’s only 1 washer and 1 dryer at select bathhouses and there outside, they also require a CC, no quarters.

We enjoyed our stay, it’s a great location for checking out the beach’s or the Tampa/St Pete area. Ice is $2 and wood is $5 at the ranger station, bring cash.

Sites are close together with vegetation between. You will look at your neighbors on many sites where vegetation is thin. Some sites off level especially on creek, sloping to the rear toward creek. Some sites shady and some sunny most if the day. Carefully look at site photos when making reservations. Campground road is very narrow. Most campers quiet but there were some loud ones which I was not near. When there is no wind you will hear distant road noise from I-75 and U.S. 41 which is not bothersome. Bathrooms adequate but I did not use them. 30 amp electric power steady. Verizon 3 bars good enough for streaming, no WIFI in campground. I would not come here in a class A motorhome or fifth wheel over 30’ except on the few pull thru sites, however a few people did. Volunteers pleasant and helpful. Overall campground has a very closed in feeling which I did not particularly like. However, I may return someday.