Serenova Tract

A beautiful campground tucked back amongst large trees. This campground is near supplies, groceries, etc. There is some road noise as you are not too far off the main road but it was not a bother to us. There are some trails nearby. Great spot to park and camp while we were visiting family in Tampa and Newport Richey.
Most of the sites are shaded but there are a few great for solar.

Note: Google maps may direct you wrong. The turn in is at the stoplight at Hays Road. (Coming from the west it's on the right - south side of the road, coming from the east it's on the left off 52).

This was our first experience at a SWFWMD property and we were very happy with our stay. During our month long stay in the area we stayed at 3 other campgrounds managed by SWFWMD (see those for individual reviews).

Another thing to note:
All of the campgrounds in the SWFWMD are by online reservation only. They are completely free. But you must obtain a reservation prior to arriving. A gate code will be emailed to you. Each one has a 7 day maximum stay. If staying at another property you must have 24 hours between properties. You are allowed 2 reservations at a time (example one reserved for one week and another for the following week). If you want to reserve a third week somewhere you have to wait until one reservation is complete. And lastly, no more than 30 days total at any of their campgrounds in a year.

No trash on-site, please pack it out so these places stay open. Non-potable water and either vault toilets or port o potties are available.

We stayed here in Feb. 2022. During our stay a FWC officer came around twice asking to see our reservation email.

Great free campground. Looks abused over the years as there is no one here to look after it full time. There is trash left from other campers and pretty sure someone dumped their black tank outside the gate. This is such a beautiful place do your part to keep it clean! There are a few sites that can accommodate a big rig. We are 43’ long and 13-3” tall and made it in fairly easy some small limbs rubbing but no big limbs. We were here for 7 days and never saw it full. The vault toilet was trashed I wouldn’t count on using it. I worked construction for years and it put some of the worst port-a-potty’s to shame.

This campground is very peaceful and clean. It has 1 vault toilet that is decent but never had any TP for the 5 days I stayed so I assume it’s not checked regularly. You do have to apply for a permit to camp here through the SW Florida water management site. The campground is gated so you need a code to get in, which is a nice safety feature. There’s A primitive side & an equestrian side but during my stay it was all regular campers and nobody with any horses. There’s non potable water and 2 really nice shelters for picnics or gatherings. There’s at least 15 spots here, all a mixture of sun and shade. Most sites feel pretty secluded and never got full during my visit. Watch out for wild hogs during any hikes or trail rides as they are very active in this area. There’s a Publix just across the street and a gas station not even half a mile down the road. Super easy to get to and short drive down a dirt road. I’d definitely stay here again! No trash services so pack it out! Had 2-3 bars of 5G through AT&T.

Serenova Tract is a very nice equestrian campsite, the primitive was not as nice and only recommended for tents. Spots had good privacy and location off SR52 makes it easy for anything you may have forgotten. Unfortunately that is also the only drawback as traffic on SR52 and Suncoast Hwy could be heard especially at rush hours. Otherwise a nice place to unwind with excellant phone service.

Enjoyed our 7 days here at Serenova Tract. Access to the park is right off the main street (52). The road back to the camping area (after the locked gate) is a bit bumpy and only space for one vehicle at a time. When you come to the first fork in the road go left. You will then reach the final fork and primitive is to the right (tent only recommended, do not go back with a travel trailer or you may have trouble). Go to the left, Equestrian side (rv and travel trailers allowed). There are about 10-12 camping spots on the equestrian side, they are spacious and include a fire ring and picnic table.

Road noise during the day and early morning but probably manageable if not in a tent.

Interenet
Verizon 35mbps down and 15mbps up
Visible 5 and 5 (capped speed on hotspot)
ATT 19mbps down and 9mbps up