14th Annual South Florida Gathering 2025 (December 2025)

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Have we exhausted other locations?

Well... Pretty much any of the other State Parks don't offer what we're searching for... I've not done any searches yet for regular campgrounds

I agree with ya about time off from a new job (Congratulations)... We'll make the 2nd wknd our 1st choice...
 
Hey all! I called HH again last Friday. The ranger said they are re-doing electrical, plumbing and removing/adding sites. So sounds like a whole camp site revamp. He did seem optimistic about opening by the later part of the year but he told me "to call back in the summer" to confirm. Obviously, this still gives us a narrow time to book, if we decide to wait for HH to open.

Sounds like FEC is also a no-go based on conversations in this thread? I cannot go another year without our gathering haha
 
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There is a campground named Hardee Lakes County Park that would work... The only problem is is that it has dirt roads and it can get dusty from the traffic... We like it because it has miles of trails in the woods for golf carts... Also has 4 lakes/ponds for fishing...

Mosaic mined it and left the 4 lakes there... They gave the property to Hardee County and they turned it into a park... Story has it that the dust could be contaminated with minor radiation... I would think that it can't be bad or they wouldn't be open to the public... Stories can be found about it through the googler...
 
There is a campground named Hardee Lakes County Park that would work... The only problem is is that it has dirt roads and it can get dusty from the traffic... We like it because it has miles of trails in the woods for golf carts... Also has 4 lakes/ponds for fishing...

Mosaic mined it and left the 4 lakes there... They gave the property to Hardee County and they turned it into a park... Story has it that the dust could be contaminated with minor radiation... I would think that it can't be bad or they wouldn't be open to the public... Stories can be found about it through the googler...
Looked up Hardee Lakes. The camp map appears promising. Camping rates are decent. Which sites do you recommend? Can we put Doug in as a companion tent site?

I wouldn't be concerned with radiation in Florida. About the time we started our winter holidays, I looked into getting in on Radon testing in Minnesota and thought it would be an easy and profitable Florida winter job.
There is NO radiation zones in Florida.
The only thing I would get worried about in a former mine site is silica dust and that is for people with COPD or otherwise lung compromised. But 90% of Florida is silica so WTH

I did some searching on private campgrounds and what I found would not tolerate a gathering.

Did find Lake Kissimmee SP on the camping list and the satellite view was mixed message.
I won't be able to visit until next week.
 
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Did find Lake Kissimmee SP on the camping list and the satellite view was mixed message.
I won't be able to visit until next week.
Planning to go to Lake Kissimmee tomorrow. Discovered LKSP is also closing this summer (starting in May) for major campground renovations. I can at least go check it out and see if they have a guestimate on re opening.
 
Planning to go to Lake Kissimmee tomorrow. Discovered LKSP is also closing this summer (starting in May) for major campground renovations. I can at least go check it out and see if they have a guestimate on re opening.
Lake Kissimmee Louisa is definitely out.
Rangers were told the campground won't re-open until August of 2026
Plus it is way off the beaten path and the campsites are all well treed.
 
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