Walk In The Water Campground Lake Wales Ridge State Forest

Open — Open year-round with reservations required for all sites. Reservations can be made up to 11 months in advance. No potable water available on-site, campers must bring their own drinking water. Limited to 14 consecutive nights per stay.

About

Walk In The Water Campground is located on the Walk In The Water tract of Lake Wales Ridge State Forest in Polk County, approximately 44 miles southeast of Lakeland. The campground features eight primitive campsites, including four tent-only sites and four RV or tent sites. Each site includes a picnic table and fire ring. Sites 1-3 and 5 are tent-only with parking restricted to the main campground parking area only. The Lake Wales Ridge is a narrow ridge that runs north and south through the Florida Peninsula, formed when ancient ocean levels rose and created an isolated island where plants and animals evolved independently. Today, the scrub ecosystem thriving on the ridge contains one of the highest concentrations of rare and endangered plants in the continental United States. The forest offers diverse recreational opportunities including the Big Bay Trail, Scrub Jay Loop Trail, and designated horseback riding trails (Red and Blue). Fishing, hunting during scheduled seasons, hiking, bicycling, and wildlife viewing are popular activities. The campground provides two portable toilets and a dumpster. No potable water or electricity is available, so campers must bring their own drinking water. The facility is open year-round and requires advance reservations for all sites. A day-use pavilion is also available by reservation. Bears and raccoons frequent the area, requiring proper food storage.

Directions

From US Highway 27: Turn onto County Road 630A on left. At stop sign turn left onto County Road 630 East. Proceed through Frostproof, past McDonald's, over railroad tracks, then left onto Walk-In-The-Water Road. Follow about 1/4 mile then turn left onto entrance road. From SR 60: Turn right onto Walk-In-The-Water Road just past Jay-Bees Restaurant. Proceed south about 4 miles and turn right into campground entrance.

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