2 sites · RVs, Tents9 acres · Umatilla, FLGray Rock Cove is a beautiful 9.46 acre slice of old natural Florida. There’s room to stretch out, plenty of wildlife to see, while it's all 2wd accessible.
Out of the total 9.46 acres, almost 6 acres is grassy with scattered trees. This area is almost entirely walkable with clumps of trees and saw palmettos offering shade and various flora and fauna, field grasses and ground cover between.
3.6 acres along the rear of the property are part of a natural 15-acre heavily-wooded wetland pond. It is shared by a few neighbors whose property lines intersect out in the dense wetlands. While it is mostly wooded, we do have access to a beautiful view of some open water filled with wildlife viewed from the shoreline, our floating dock, or an aluminum jon boat.
There are plastic Adirondack Chairs down near the water to enjoy along with a patio table set on the gravel that is available for use as well. We’ll leave out an aluminum jon boat that we have if you’d like to explore the water…just know that it is half paddling and half “scooting and tugging” across submerged plant matter and sticks. Beautiful scenary, but miles of paddling will have to be reserved for the nearby springs or lakes.
This property is very close to Holly Lake Boat Ramp and the Lake Yale Boat Ramp. 6 minutes from nearest Ocala National Forest Trails off of SE Hwy 42, 22 mins from Alexander Springs Recreation Area.
2 miles to downtown Umatilla (Small town restaurants/some fast food/retail/gas) and only 15 minutes to downtown Eustis (more food options, casual dining, larger retail, grocery, gas, etc). 25 Minutes to Downtown Mount Dora.
Plenty of room for a boat trailer, camper trailer, Class C, Class B, or 5th Wheel, but a little too tight for larger Class A RVs.
A short drive to Mt. Dora, Eustis, Ocala, and The Villages. Easy access from the main road to reach the site. There's a 2-lane paved county road along the front of the property, with a dense greenery barrier blocking view of the road from most everywhere on the land.
We have a gravel parking lot, metal work building, and outdoor plant nursery on one end of the property, taking up about an acre. We are often there daytime hours 3-5 days per week, occasionally on weekends. Barbed wire fencing on all sides other than the wetlands, however the fence is not dog-proof so please keep dogs close and/or contained/leashed if unattended.
We might cross paths or see each other from a distance if there at the same time since the campsite, bathroom, dock, and fire pit are near the metal work building and parking. We may be in and out of the building or (very occasionally) use the bathroom if we must. However, we don't live there and our work doesn't impact any of the leisure areas so we try to stay out of sight as much as possible to allow campers private enjoyment. If we are there, we stay pretty self-contained on one end of the property and want campers to enjoy the peaceful setting. We are also typically gone by 4-5pm any day we are there, rarely arriving before 9am at the earliest (limited noise when we do arrive). We mow most of this area at least twice per month but extend that out a bit during cooler months. We allow some grassy areas to grow wild for pollinators while ensuring the property is walkable throughout with mowed paths, as long as reasonable observation and care are exercised.
Some of the pond is explorable by jon boat (provided with kayak double-end paddle) or bring your own kayak/SUP. This wetland environment is heaven for Florida Sandhill Cranes, Blue and White Herons, Egrets, Eagles, Hawks, Owls, Dragonflies, Butterflies, Songbirds, Pig Frogs and more. We get visits from raccoons, possums, and an occasional black bear, the latter judging more from footprints in mud and scat than actual sightings. We've seen banded water snakes, wild rabbits, and a rare turtle or tortoise, but so far no gators, water moccasins, or Cottonmouths that we have spotted yet. That said, it is a Florida wetland surrounded by open land, this is their natural territory, so please explore with caution and expect the unexpected when it comes to wildlife. If you spot anything unique, we'd love to hear about it! We do also allow a couple 'barn cats' to seek shelter in our metal building where we provide food and clean water. They pay us back by offering rodent control, although they sometimes also invite their raccoon friends in. The cats are sweet but feral and will likely stay hidden, but please don't allow your four legged friends to chase our barn kitties.
There is a small bathroom building with toilet, sink, and shower. No standard outlet (110v) power access other than a few outlets in the bathroom and laundry (available for phone charging if needed, but nothing high-amperage). We do have numerous water spigots sprinkled throughout the property (unfiltered well water). There's a spot for a campfire near the bathroom building and the campsite. Some sections of the property get muddy after rain, but they are nearer to the water and at the furthest East end away from gates. The access in and out to the campsite is easily doable with any vehicle, so if you find mud to get stuck in you had to try extra hard to do so!
Pack out what you pack in, other than a few trash bags that you're welcome to toss into our garbage can. Responsible/safe consumption of anything legal recreationally or medicinally in FL is allowed while camping. Please, no glass in the fire, and no discharge of firearms for hunting or target practice, the land is too small and neighbors too close for that. Some neighbors in the distance do have firing ranges you might hear, but some of them have 20-50+ acres, so they have plenty of room to set it up properly. Within less than 10 minutes traveling further Northeast to SE Hwy 42, you can be on trails into Ocala National Forest.
Pets and working dogs are welcome, but be advised that perimeter fencing is only barbed wire and control of your pets is required. If you can control your pet without a leash, that's perfectly ok. No dogs on site at our property or the neighboring home, but one neighbor down the dirt road walks his large dogs on a leash up the dirt road to check his mail and back. We wish to be respectful of neighbors and your pets by not having your pets wander onto neighboring property or into danger on the road. If your dogs mind well and stay near you, off leash is allowed at your discretion, please keep them contained with you or in a crate at night and make sure they aren't wandering off property into neighboring land or the road.
