Short and sweet. The managers were rude when you saw them. Other wise they were never available. We camped here in a Fifth Wheel.

Stayed two weeks. The park is a very clean well kept park with adequate rest rooms, showers and laundry facilities. Sites are mixed in with long term resident park models. Most sites are shaded and easy to get in and out of. Many sites are on or near small ponds and streams. Fishing is available on the Myakka River that runs along the rear boundary of the park. Has a few alligators in the park ponds. The only downside to the park is their wireless Internet which works on and off by the office and does not reach into the park. It is a corporation park and staff are not available after hours and on Sundays if you have problems. We camped here in a Motorhome.

Described in the Encore brochure as "A Premier RV Resort in Venice, FL". Huh? This is an old, run-down, shabby campground. Electric voltage is low. Running one air conditioner alone on 30 amp reduced voltage to 109. Running the microwave alone reduced voltage to 106. Office staff and other campers were friendly and helpful. Campground setting is out in the country. Streets are narrow for large rigs. Because of the electrical voltage and run-down appearance, we would not stay here again. Price indicated is the Passport America rate. We camped here in a Motorhome.

I was disappointed. Mother Nature does her best to make the park beautiful, so you can't beat the huge oaks and beautiful river, but it is really not well maintained. There are two parts to this park - one side is all RVs and the other side is tents and RVs. The tenting side has all the old oaks and is very shady. The RV side is crowded, but if you are lucky enough to be on the water, I imagine you can overlook everything else. It was very cold while we were there and we were not allowed to have campfires, so night life was early to bed. Next door to this campground is a restaurant/bar called Snook Haven. Snook Haven is well known in the area and pretty crowded. They have great bands playing there all the time. The food is expensive though for what you get ($19 for a ribeye steak) and with that you get a very small salad and one side, such as french fries or vegetables - all served on paper plates with plastic utensils. The pool is very small. The meeting room they advertise is a room connected to the office with long tables in them. There is internet access in that room as well. In the office they have three rather empty shelves of supplies and no food items. I stopped in the woman's bathroom about 9:00 p.m. and one of the toilets was clogged and they were out of toilet paper. I went back at 9:30 a.m., and nothing had changed. There are two showers and two toilets. The tops of the shower stall came up to my neck, which I did not like. Although I do not have kids, I thought the playground was the worst of all. There is a large sand area with weeds growing throughout it. There is one swing set with two swings. That is sum total of the playground. All in all, it is not terrible, but certainly not worth the $45 they charge each night. The picnic tables are small, and the lots are not groomed. The nature is beautiful though, which is really their saving grace. Oh, one more thing, the "gravel road" they advertise is a long dirt road with some fair size potholes. We camped here in a Tent Trailer.

We are native Floridians, and this is one of our favorite weekend getaway parks. It's not fancy, but it is very comfortable and laid back. It is also not near any of Florida's theme parks or major tourist attractions, which makes it attractive to those of us who prefer NOT to be near those things! It is on the Myakka River, and canoe rentals are available. There is a small boat ramp as well. Right next door, so to speak, is "Snook Haven," a waterfront restaurant with tasty fried seafood and a funky real Florida atmosphere. If you want flashy or fancy Florida, this isn't it. But if you want a quiet place to kick back and relax without all the hoopla of the other mega campgrounds, Venice Campground is the place to go. The owners are friendly and helpful. There is a tent area that is separate from the RV area. You will see everything from tents to luxury motor homes, and everyone seems to be enjoying themselves. We camped here in a Motorhome.