Ortona South

Ortona South is a perfect campground for a quiet, sunny escape to South Florida. The campground is set along the Caloosahatchee River. Activities here are focused on simple, relaxing pleasures like fishing and strolling the grounds. If you walk across the dam between 7AM and 4PM, the road on the north side of the river provides a great place for walking and bicycling. Catfish, largemouth bass, bluegill, and tilapia are the most commonly caught fish at the large wooden pier at the campground. Snook are commonly caught at the small north end pier, which is also accessible by walking across the dam from 7AM to 4PM. Several large bird species frequent the area if you are a bird watcher. All campsites have concrete pads, 30 amp and 50 amp electric, water hookups, a fire ring and grill, and a covered picnic table. Other amenities include a sanitary dump station, restrooms with showers, dumpsters, WiFi (near the west end restroom only), and a picnic pavilion for campers only. Day use visitors are allowed on site for fishing. Laundry facilities are not currently available on site. The Ortona North Day Use Area has a boat launch and is a 25 minute drive by way of the Town of LaBelle; LaBelle is the nearest town and has stores, restaurants, etc. The campground's terrain is flat and lined with tropical greenery, including the Sabal Palm, the state tree of Florida, with the Caloosahatchee River to your north and picturesque pastures to your south. The South Florida Water Management District is constructing a Water Quality Treatment and Testing Facility adjacent to the south east end of the campground, and construction at that site may affect the serenity of your experience. Head west to LaBelle, Florida, where an annual Swamp Cabbage Festival is held the last weekend of each February. Or travel east to hike or bike along the Herbert Hoover Dike, part of Lake Okeechobee, and part of the 1,400-mile long Florida National Scenic Trail.