Overview

Ortona South is a perfect campground for a quiet, sunny escape to inland South Florida. The campground is set along the Caloosahatchee River portion of the Okeechobee Waterway.

Campers will enjoy watching the boats and manatees pass through the Ortona Lock. Alligators, osprey and otters are also frequently spotted in this area.

Ortona South is in the Okeechobee Waterway, due west of Lake Okeechobee. Okeechobee means "big water" in the Muskogean Native American language.

Natural Features:

The campground's terrain is flat and lined with tropical greenery like the cabbage palm, Florida's official state tree.

Ortona South is a short drive from Lake Okeechobee, the largest freshwater lake in Florida, spanning 730 square miles. It's shallow for a lake of its size, averaging depths of just nine feet.

Recreation:

Activities here are focused on simple, relaxing pleasures like fishing and strolling the grounds.

Largemouth bass, bluegill and crappie are the most commonly caught fish at the piers.

A boat ramp and picnic areas are just across the river.

Facilities:

All of the 51 campsites have electric and water hookups. Campers can look forward to hot showers and laundry facilities as well. Waterfront sites are available, but are generally the first to book up.

Nearby Attractions:

Head west to LaBelle, Florida, where an annual Swamp Cabbage Festival is held. Or travel east to hike or bike along the Herbert Hoover Dike, part of the 1,400-mile long Florida Trail.