9 acres hosted by Russell H.
1 RV/tent site
Off-leash friendly
Pets can be off-leash at this Hipcamp.
Full RV hookups
Electrical, water, and sewage hookups are available at all sites.
Gray Rock Cove is a beautiful 9.46 acre slice of old natural Florida. There’s room to stretch out, plenty of wildlife to see, but no lifted 4x4 or mud tires required to get there!
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, shared by a few neighbors whose property lines intersect in the dense wetlands. It is too heavily wooded to see across, but have access to a beautiful view of some open water.
Around the property are wild blueberries, blackberries, and muscadines along the wood line as well, depending on the time of year. Feel free to forage/pick if you're confident in plant ID and they are ripe, but if you want a fruit tree from our nursery we do ask that you pay for that!
We have cleared one area to the water and built a small floating dock to get a view of wildlife and native plants in the pond. 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 old aluminum jonboat 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. It’s a workout to get out there a little ways, but peaceful once you rest and look around! The deepest portion we’ve found in the immediate 100' vicinity of the dock is about 3’, but we hear there’s a spring head somewhere within the pond. The bottom is mucky and uneven so it is best explored from above the surface. Swimming isn’t recommended, you’d come out looking like swampman. I'd imagine the water is quite clean, but it is still best enjoyed from above.
This property is very close to Holly Lake Boat Ramp and the Lake Yale Boat Ramp. 2 miles from downtown Umatilla (Some restaurants/retail/gas) and only 15 minutes to downtown Eustis (more food options, casual dining, larger retail, grocery, gas, etc). Plenty of room for a boat trailer or camper trailer, but a little too tight for larger RVs.
A short drive to Mt. Dora, Eustis, Ocala, and The Villages. Easy access from main road with no 'off-roading' or 4x4 required to reach the sites. There's a 2-lane county road along the front of the property, with a dense greenery barrier blocking view of the road from most everywhere on the land. You will hear the vehicles pass nearer to the road, but can barely see them. Traffic is light/sporadic during the day with motorcycles and sports cars enjoying the twisty roads, while it drops off to almost nothing at night aside from an occasional passerby.
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 5-6 days per week. There’s a county road out front blocked by greenery, a public dirt road near our work building side with vacant land on the other side. The dirt road accesses a couple properties further back behind the wetlands (a few houses on acreage and a wedding/event venue), and one single estate home neighbor on the other side opposite the dirt road. Barbed wire fencing on all sides but the wetlands, however the fence is not dog-proof.
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 occasionally use the bathroom. However, we don't live there and our work doesn't impact any of the leisure areas. 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 8-9am at the earliest (limited noise when we do arrive). We mow most of this area at least twice per month. 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.
We don't spray for bugs/fertilizer and only spot treat the largest of the ant mounds when they get large. Otherwise it is living soil with bugs and critters of all kinds...as it should be! The Sandhill Cranes poke and prod around for bugs or the occasional mole, and the rest we coexist with. Therefore, there is a chance of encountering ants, spiders, ticks (more so in dense woods), snakes and more. It is natural outdoor Florida, after all.
Some of the pond is explorable by jonboat (provided with kayak double-end paddle) or bring your own kayak/SUP. Waders may be suitable too but we haven't braved that yet. The pond is 2-3' deep or less at most points, with submerged plants/roots, making motorized water travel impossible and paddle transport a bit of a workout sliding over and through 'old Florida' wetlands. Don't take a fancy Kayak out there unless you're ok with it getting some 'Florida Pinstripes', you will slide past things.
For true paddleboarding or kayaking of more than a few hundred feet, you'll want to visit a nearby Holly Lake public boat ramp, which is only 1.2 miles West on West Ocala St, but this pond is still pretty to enjoy wildlife watching from the dock or floating on a small boat in the water. Feel free to explore around at your discretion, but don't go further than 150-200' out from shore into the wetlands as it does eventually cross into neighboring property without a clearly marked line. Their side of the pond is also heavily wooded and I'm not sure if they have much open water, so making it even 100' back into it is a chore. It is dense enough that you feel like you're a mile away from civilization even when you're 50' away from shore tucked behind some native plants. This wetland environment is heaven for Florida Sandhill Cranes (the non-migratory full-time Floridian Sandhills), Blue and White Herons, Egrets, Eagles, Hawks, Owls, Dragonflies, Butterflies, Songbirds, Pig Frogs and more. Pig Frogs, by the way, are the main culprit for short deep grunts you'll hear in the woods...short grunts = Pig Frogs. Alligators make a similar grunt, but it is deeper, longer, and more drawn out, something we haven't heard in this pond yet. 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! In general, the small shallow wetland pond attracts smaller wildlife than the deepwater lakes in the area, but that is more of a guideline than steadfast rule.
There is a small bathroom building with toilet, sink, and shower. No power access aside from 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, plenty clean enough to bathe and wash with, likely would want to filter/purify for drinking as it has some iron and sediment in it out of the tap). 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, and responsible safe consumption of anything legal recreationally or medicinally in FL is allowed while camping. Please, no firearms discharge for hunting or target practice, the land is too small and neighbors too close for that.
Pets are welcome, but be advised that perimeter fencing is only barbed wire. 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 them 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.Hidden Cove Campsite is a flat grassy area with ample shade trees around, a gravel parking lot entry, and a gravel vehicle/RV pad. There is a 50amp RV electrical hookup, water, and sewer available for $15/day extra, (not required with boondocking or car camping on the same gravel pad). Plenty of flat grassy areas available for tent and car camping too. There are some suggested camping spots, but with flexibility to choose what works best.
All is a short stroll from the floating dock at the 'cove'. It is also near the full bathroom (with shower!), washing machine, 'patio' table, and fire pit. There are multiple options for dry tent sites and/or car camping sites with flexibility on how you set up camp. In the bathroom, light and exhaust fan operate by switch as well, feel free to leave the bathroom light on inside overnight if helpful for any guests (just keep the door shut to limit bugs after dusk). There are a few outlets in the bathroom and laundry room, ok for phone charger or low draw devices, but not set up to run higher draw devices (refrigerators, ACs, etc)
A few areas approaching the water get a bit soft after a rain (ranging from 1/2" of standing water to dry but soft enough to leave deep footprints), so keep vehicles and tents to higher ground. Plenty of 'high and dry' grass all around. Choose a firm flat area for your tent, check for ant piles, and you'll be set! Well-hidden from the road and the best scenery of the property is only a few steps away!
Bathroom building, floating dock, campfire spot, and gravel area with patio table set all nearby. There is a downward facing dusk-to-dawn dim amber light on a pole near the bathroom building so it won't be pitch black during nighttime bathroom runs, but it doesn't spoil the darkness or night sky across the property. Beyond the campsite, further away (east) than our work building, sits 5+ acres of grassland/scattered trees plus acres of wetland pond to explore and enjoy privately with only your group. Our property extends to the barbed wire fence past the pine trees, with the neighbor owning the pasture beyond the fence and before his inner property wall. Neighbor's garage is visible from much of our property, but their house is tucked deep back on their larger parcel and can't be seen from most of our property. We can accommodate up to 12 people and multiple cars, but only take one reservation at a time. For now we are only offering this one 'campsite' as we'd prefer not to have multiple unrelated groups camping at once. Setup location is flexible if you spot another location on property you'd rather set up camp. RV hookups are available with a $15/day "extra" through the app, but the fee is not required if you'll be boondocking running on generators or without power. Bathroom usage and water from any spigot around the property is included with any stay, just please turn off anything you've turned on (some hoses we use frequently are left on with a sprayer end stopping flow).
We ask that you keep your camp (tents, vehicles, chairs, etc) out of direct sight of the only neighboring house visible from the property as a courtesy to their quiet enjoyment, and avoid camping near our nursery plants, between the work building and dirt road, or behind the work building which also is visible from the dirt road....but those areas aren't nearly as appealing to set up camp anyways as they are less scenic, less private, and less convenient to the amenities. Plenty of locations throughout the property offer nearly 100% privacy and meet this request without a direct view of any other homes or passing vehicles. Depending on your setup you may prefer shaded areas or wide open grass, either is ok with us.
The only people you may cross paths with while on property is us as we come and go during daytime hours in the nearby metal shop building, shipping container, and outdoor nursery area. We grow gourmet mushrooms indoors and fruit trees in our plant nursery outdoors, nothing wildly noisy. We, too, enjoy the land when we're not working, but refrain from doing so when we have hipcampers there to enjoy it instead. We'll only be coming and going from our working portion during the daytime, if at all, and letting you enjoy the rest of the property day and night. We live about 45 mins away while not there for work, so we won't ever stop by overnight unless there's an emergency. In a true emergency, 911 will reach you far faster than we will anyways, and they'll come more prepared!
We're using a small portion of this land for a few business ventures that we'll grow in time, while aiming to Food Forest the rest and preserve the tranquility to be able to share it with others through experiences like camping, u-pick events, nursery plant sales, and farmers markets. Camping on our property helps us support this back-to-the-basics earn-from-the-land goal, plus the land is really really pretty!
Natural features
Forest
Field
Wetlands
Farm
No reviews yet
Be the first to book this Hipcamp.
Hosted by Russell H.
Joined in July 2024Things to do nearby
More camping spots nearby
Safety at Hipcamp
Hipcamp is created with ❤️ and hope for our future.