Early Campers Enjoyed Arcadia

• Some modern campers prefer RVs in the Arcadia area.rv,motorcoach image by Greg Pickens from Fotolia.com
  
  Creek and Seminole Indians, who used the 107-mile-long Peace River, were probably the first campers in Arcadia, but the Spanish also likely camped in the area because the river appears on maps they made in the 16th century. Nowadays, the highway bridge in Arcadia is a popular place for campers with kayaks or canoes to enter the Peace River Canoe Trail, according to the Sierra Club's "Guide to the Natural Areas of Florida."
  
  

Wilderness or Modern Camping

• There are other things to do while camping in Arcadia besides boating or swimming on the Peace River, but a camper first needs to decide whether he wants wilderness camping or the conveniences of modern life. Although most of the campsites are privately operated, a county-owned park offers camping in Arcadia. However, the nearest state facility offering camping is Myakka State Park, 28 miles to the west.
  
  

Public Campground

• DeSoto County-run Brownville Park is located in Arcadia on the banks of the Peace River, and it offers both RV and tent camping. Along with water, picnic tables and a fire ring, some sites include electricity, but the park also offers primitive camp sites. Campers can enjoy fishing, hunting for artifacts and walking on foot trails in 100 acres of wilderness. The park has cypress and hickory trees along with a sweet gum tree swamp.
  
  

Private Campgrounds

• The county park isn't the only place that offers campers a choice of primitive or full-facility campsites. Numerous private campgrounds offer everything from primitive, wilderness camping opportunities to campsites with access to kitchens, laundry facilities, wireless Internet access, TV lounges, billiards, hot showers, spas, shuffleboard and swimming pools for those who want to go camping without leaving all the comforts of civilization behind. The easiest way to find a current list of privately run campsites is to do an Internet search for campgrounds there.
  
  

Peace River Provides Focal Point

• The nearby historic Peace River is considered a part of what is called the "old" or "true" Florida with its cypress knees, Spanish moss, turtles, alligators, cranes and egrets, so there is an emphasis on campers enjoying the river, although all the usual camping activities are also available. Private campgrounds in the area also offer many planned activities, including the usual potluck meals campers everywhere enjoy as a way to make friends. There are also companies offering specialty tours with activities such as fossil hunting to pan for shark's teeth, along with fossilized bones, plants and shells. But that requires a permit, as does fishing. Area campgrounds have full information on activities in the area.
  
  The geology of the river is its "most outstanding feature," with large limestone formations creating shoals and gentle rapids, according to "The Peace River Paddling Trail" guide, published by the state of Florida.