Oscar Scherer State Park Campground inFlorida

by Marc Bennett
Updated: December 22, 2022
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A Florida Gulf Coast camping location near the beach and feeling like a real getaway from city hustle and bustle, but still right in the middle of town. Oscar Scherer State Park was a real surprise for us that you might enjoy too. Read on for more in our review.

We have stayed at around 10 other RV Resorts and campgrounds in Florida, most for longer periods of time, so you will find more detail and photos on those in our other reviews at the end of this article.

Location of Oscar Scherer State Park

Oscar Scherer is situated on Florida’s gulf coast between Sarasota and Venice. It has super easy access to city amenities and stores, but feels like you are in a distant escape or preserve. We were amazed how remote it felt, while still being so close to town. It is also only a short drive from Casey Key and the waters of the Gulf of Mexico.

Weather in this area is warm year round, which makes it a wonderful winter destination. We visited in January and were very comfortable with daytime temperatures in the 70s.

Area Attractions

Located between Sarasota and Venice Florida, Oscar Scherer State Park is very close to beaches. It is a really great area for visiting beach towns and Florida tourist destinations on the Gulf Coast. Or simply getting away from cold northern temps or big city crowds.

One of the attractions for us, as full time RVers shopping RVs, is that this campground is near Coach House RVs – we really enjoyed our visit with them and tour of their facility.

Amenities and Activities Near Oscar Scherer

If you are looking for active pastimes, there are 15 miles of biking and hiking trails. For water lovers, you can swim in the lake, paddle a kayak down South Creek, or fish. There are also ranger led education opportunities to learn about the local plants and animals. We are told that the park also has fun community events during the winter months but we did not participate.

Canoes and Kayaks can be rented at the ranger station. There are six shower and restroom buildings. Two of those buildings even have laundry machines. Campsites are water and electric only, but there is an RV dump station and trash dumpsters are available.

Playground above, and one of the many hiking trails below.

Learn how we camp for (almost) free with our Thousand Trails membership

Practical Amenities

There are multiple bath houses on property, and some even have laundry machines. RV sites are water electric only, so you may need to use the dump station. It is a large loop and only one way traffic, so you might need to drive a substantial piece of the loop in order to dump your RV tanks.

Mail

We don’t think they accept packages at this State Park. If you need to receive something sent to you while staying here, you should probably send it to a local post office or a FedEX or UPS location.

Address of State Park as reference for surrounding amenities:

Oscar Scherer State Park
1843 South Tamiami Trail
Osprey, FL 34229
Tel: 941-483-5956

RV Site Layout and Types

The campground is laid out with one main loop. There are a handful of cut-offs within the loop so that you don’t need to drive the whole thing every time. All roads within the loop are one-way only.

There are 104 total sites, and all except six are back-in only. The six pull through sites are 50 amp and appear long on the map. But we would not consider this a big rig friendly campground. It could be a little tight getting around. It is definitely better for smaller RVs. We don’t recall seeing any RVs longer than about 35 feet, and most RVs were under 30 feet.

We were in Campsite 82 which is designated NO PETS, due to alligators in the waterway immediately behind the site. Alligators may also be in the lake.

PROS

Quick easy access to services, stores and beach area attractions
Feels much more remote than it is
Good biking, hiking and kayaking

CONS

Most sites are pretty small, so not good for large RVs
Sites are water electric only, so you will need to use the dump station
Some sites do not allow pets, as there may be alligators in the waterway behind some campsites

Rates at Oscar Scherer State Park

Rates at Oscar Scherer State Park were only $30.75 during our four day visit in January 2020. We paid for four nights for a total of $123, but only ended up staying 3 nights as we left early on the last day to boondock with friends nearby. Rates seem very similar in 2023 at $26 per night plus fees. We were in a 30amp site in our small rental RV. Larger, or 50amp sites, might have been more expensive.

Learn how we camp for (almost) free with our Thousand Trails membership

Getting To Oscar Scherer State Park

This state park is very easy to access, right off State Highway 41 (Tamiami Trail). Major Interstate I-75 is the main artery in the area. Being in west central Florida, there are no hills to speak of. Roads between the highway and campground are all easy to navigate with any size RV. It is an urban environment with flat, relatively wide roads.

Once you arrive, there are check in lanes for you to park your RV while you register with the park ranger. Make sure you arrive during open hours, as the gates will close and require a code after hours.

Some of the internal roads are narrow, and are only one way traffic. Mature trees and other plants separate the sites and make the RV park feel much more rural than it is. Most sites are pretty level, but we did notice a few RVs needing leveling blocks.

Summary

Oscar Scherer State Park Campground is a great little nature getaway, despite being so close into the city. It has nice access for biking, kayaking and hiking, and is also close to the beach areas. We were only here for a few days on a whirlwind of RV rental trip. But, we would gladly visit again in our future travels.

Contact Information for Oscar Scherer State Park

Oscar Scherer State Park
1843 South Tamiami Trail
Osprey, FL 34229

Phone: 941–483–5956

www.floridastateparks.org/oscarscherer

Reservations can be made through Reserve America:
1.800.326.3521 or www.reserveamerica.com

Editorial Disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are the author’s alone, not those of any RV park, campground, or RV resort, and have not been reviewed, approved, or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities.