Experiences & Amenities

Lake Louisa boasts 7 miles of paved roads and over 20 miles of unpaved multi-use trails for visitors to bike on.

Mountain bikes or fat tire bikes are advised for off-road trails, as some trails are sandy.

• Rental bikes for all ages are available at the Dixie Lake Picnic Area for use on the paved roads only.
• Rental rates per bike are $10 plus tax per hour; $48 plus tax per day; $169 plus tax per week.
• Rental Information
• Please watch for vehicles on the paved roads and use the marked bike lane. 
• Helmets are highly recommended for all cyclists and Florida law requires helmets for cyclists age 16 and under.

Lake Louisa does not have a public boat ramp. The nearest boat ramp access to Lake Louisa is at Palatlakaha River Park and Boat Ramp located at 12325 Hull Road in Clermont. However, we welcome boats with electric trolling motors provided they can be hand-carried to the water.

• For safety reasons, all boats must be off the water an hour before sunset. This also applies to overnight guests staying in the campground or cabin areas.

Lake Louisa has 60 full-facility campsites nestled between Dixie and Hammond lakes. Each site has 30- and 50-amp hookups. Some sites can accommodate rigs up to 50 feet. A dump station is located between Dixie Loop and Sandhill Loop. Campground amenities include two accessible bathhouses, two accessible fishing piers and a small accessible pavilion.

Campsites 1, 34 and 36 are fully accessible, including a level concrete pad, and are connected to the bathhouse by a sidewalk and or paved surface. Pets are welcome; please adhere to all rules regarding pets in the campground in accordance with our Pet Policy.

• Reservations can be made up to 11 months in advance. For reservations, visit the Florida State Parks reservations website or call 800-326-3521 or TDD 888-433-0287.
• Hammock camping is available at select sites. Please call the ranger station at 352-394-3969 for details.

Glamping

Carefree and luxury campsites are available year-round. Visit the website or call 352-503-4489.

Glamping

Like the outdoors, but need a little bit of luxury? Glamorous + Camping = Glamping for you!

Our CareFree Camping sites offer the excitement of the great outdoors without sacrificing the luxuries and comforts of home.

When you book a CareFree Camping Trip, we do all the work and you simply arrive at a full set-up campsite!

The park’s concessionaire offers two glamping options:

• Luxury tent site in the campground.
• Eco tent sites near the equestrian area.

Contact our concessionaire, P3, for reservations online or at 352-503-4489.

The equestrian primitive camp includes five horse paddocks, fire rings, non-potable water supply, picnic tables, one pavilion, grills and a self-composting toilet. All five paddocks are available by reservation only. This is a beautiful area for camping, with sites located under the shade of a longleaf pine canopy. There is plenty of lush pasture at the sites for grazing horses.

It is recommended that you bring other means of portable fencing or tie-downs in case the paddocks have all been reserved. Four large posts with eye-bolts for tie-downs are provided in a couple of locations.

• Campers arriving after the park closes must call the park by 5 p.m. the day of arrival to make arrangements to access the park after-hours.
• One camping rig is allowed per site.
• Pets are allowed at the equestrian campsites in accordance with our Pet Policy.
• Reservations can be made by calling the ranger station at 352-394-3969 up to 11 months in advance. Payment is due at the time of arrival.

Lake Louisa has two primitive campsites, Wilderness Point and Pine Point. Both are tucked away in some of the more pristine and beautiful areas of the park. Pine Point is located next to Big Creek. The sites do not have any water or electricity, so please bring plenty of drinking water with you.

Each site is equipped with a fire ring and picnic table. The sites accommodate up to four people at Wilderness Point and up to six people at Pine Point. They are not accessible by vehicle due to the remoteness and difficult terrain.

• The sites are pack in and pack out, including any trash that is generated. Pets are allowed at the campsites in accordance with our Pet Policy. 
• Reservations are recommended and can be made by calling the ranger station at 352-394-3969 up to 11 months in advance. Payment is collected at the time of arrival.
• Campers must arrive at the park one hour before sunset to allow enough time to register and safely get to the site before dark.

Two primitive youth campsites are available, and each site accommodates up to 30 people. They are equipped with a picnic table, fire ring, benches and charcoal grill. The sites have no electric or running water. The nearest restroom facility is located approximately a half-mile away from the sites.  

Parking for the youth camp is located at the trail head and is within 100 feet of the nearest site.

• Parking at the sites is prohibited to minimize the impact on the native vegetation.
• One chaperone is required for every 10 youths, and chaperones must remain with the groups at all times.
• Groups must arrive at the park one hour before sunset to register.
• Pets are allowed at the campsites in accordance with our Pet Policy.
• Reservations can be made by calling the park at 352-394-3969 up to 11 months in advance. Payment is made at the time of arrival.

Fishing is available at Lake Louisa, Dixie Lake, Hammond Lake, Bear Lake and Smokehouse Lake. Hand launching of a small boat, canoe or kayak is permitted at each of the lakes. Electric trolling motors are permitted but gas-powered motors are not.

Lake Louisa can be fished from the shoreline while Dixie and Hammond lakes have accessible fixed docks and Bear Lake has a floating dock. Smokehouse Lake is accessible only by a four-wheel-drive vehicle and can be fished only by boat.

You must register at the ranger station in order to fish Smokehouse Lake. The lakes offer anglers a chance to catch fish as well as see some of the park's abundant wildlife.

• Pick up a fishing regulations handbook at the ranger station upon your arrival (while supplies last).
• All fishing within the park must conform to regulations concerning size, number, method of capture and season. 
• A fishing license may be required. More information is available at the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission’s Fishing in Florida.

Geocaching is an outdoor game using hand-held global positioning systems (GPS) devices. It's effectively an inexpensive, interactive, high-tech treasure hunt that's a great way to learn geography. Participants use location coordinates to find caches. Some caches are easy to find; others are more difficult. The biggest reward is the thrill of the search and the discovery of a place where you have never been. Geocaching should have minimal impact on the environment and conscientious land-use ethics should be followed.

• Operation Recreation Geotour

Hiking is a favorite pastime at Lake Louisa. On over 20 miles of trails winding through the park's natural plant communities, you never know what you might see around the next bend.

For those looking for a shorter hike, a half-mile nature trail is located at the Lake Louisa parking lot. This shaded and picturesque trail winds through three of the park's 11 natural communities with interpretive signs along the way.

Be sure to ask for a trail map on your way into the park.

Equestrians may use 15 miles of the unpaved multi-use trails in the park.

• Trail Map

Please be courteous of all trail users, which might also include hikers and mountain bikers.

There are 20 miles of unpaved multi-use trails in the park for mountain biking, hiking and nature observation. Equestrian usage is allowed on 15 miles of that trail system Conversely, hikers and bikers are allowed on the horse trails.

• Trail Map

Two-person canoes and single/tandem kayaks are available for rent at the Dixie Lake Outpost for use on beautiful Dixie Lake. The boats include life jackets, paddles and safety whistles.

• Rental Information

Visitors can bring their own canoes, kayaks and other small vessels as long as they can be hand-carried to the water. Gas motors are not permitted but electric trolling motors are.

Picnic areas are available at the Lake Louisa day-use area and the Dixie Lake day-use area. Lake Louisa’s picnic area features tables (under the shade of oaks), charcoal grills, bathhouse, accessible playground and swimming area.

Dixie Lake’s picnic area features an accessible four-table picnic pavilion (first come, first served), charcoal grill, restroom, fishing dock and canoe/kayak launch.

Ample room for a daytime family reunion is available at the Lake Louisa picnic area. The tables and grills are first come, first served, so we recommend arriving shortly after the park opens to secure tables and grills for your gathering.

For a multi-day reunion, we suggest renting some or all of the park's cabins. The cabins each accommodate six guests.

When making your reservations, be sure to request that the cabins are adjacent to one another (if available). This will provide you with a large area below the cabins for an outdoor gathering.

• For assistance with planning your special event, contact the ranger station at 352-394-3969.

Visitors are welcome to swim in Lake Louisa at the designated swimming area. Please be aware that no lifeguards are on duty and swimming is at your own risk. Pets are not permitted in the swimming area.

Swimming is not permitted at any other lakes in the park. Keep in mind that you may not be able to see the lake’s bottom even in shallow water as a result of naturally occurring tannins. This process takes place over time as water produced by rainfall slowly moves through the green swamp and into Lake Louisa by way of Big Creek and Little Creek. As the water flows over fallen leaves, the tannin slowly leaches out and turns the water brown tea-colored. 

Moss-draped oak trees, beautiful vistas and picturesque lakes provide a fantastic backdrop for weddings.

Please keep in mind that if you are planning on having the wedding or reception in the cabin area, we require a rental of one cabin per 10 guests. Only six guests per cabin can remain in the park after the park closes.

• If you have any questions regarding cabin rental, please contact the ranger station at 352-394-3969.
• For assistance with planning your special day, view Wedding Information.

Wildlife viewing is a fun-filled activity for the entire family. The park is home to numerous species of wildlife including white-tailed deer, bobcat, gray squirrel, fox squirrel, raccoon and opossum, so you never know what you might find just around the bend.

Keep your eyes peeled for the gopher tortoise, too. These seemingly slow land turtles occasionally emerge from their underground homes (burrows) to feed on grass and prickly pear cactus.

• Around the lakes, be watchful for osprey (fish hawk) and the American bald eagle.
• Bird and butterfly checklists are available at the ranger station.