Idlewild Lodge & RV Park on Lake Panasoffkee
At 2:06pm on Thursday my sister in law sent me a link for their campground adding “I booked this place for this weekend!” Itching to get away after the busy holiday season, we pressed the book reservation button on the Idlewild Lodge website and we were off with Selah and Sebi in tow the very next morning. Sometimes last minute trips can be the absolute best. Gone was the planning, the cleaning of the house and the organized packing. It was a mad dash to Northern Florida up I-75 to pick up our Airstream, Roamin’ Holiday, out of storage and head to the campground. We arrived just before dark and boy were we surprised to find a gem for our very first trip of the new year.
We pulled into the Idlewild Lodge Campgrounds and were blown away at the beauty of the property. We immediately met the owner. He showed us to our RV site for the night - site 10! It was perfect - 50 amp hookups, brand new pavers, fire pit, grill & picnic table. There was also a supply of firewood ready for us to use. Shawn informed us he just laid the last brick paver two days ago. It was then that we realized that this place was newly done. We could not wait to take a look around before it got dark. We quickly unhitched, set up the Airstream, gathered the pups and off we were on a guided tour.
About the Lodge:
Idlewild Lodge & RV Park sits right on Lake Panasoffkee just South of Ocala, Florida in Sumpter County. It consists of 10 cabins and 11 RV sites. In the center of the property is a resort style pool with a public bathroom and laundry facility behind it. Next to the pool is the future office/dining hall with an outside room containing vending machines full of yummy treats and ice. Across from that is a Quonset Hut that they made into a Rec Hall. Its barn-like doors open onto an outdoor seating area with a food truck and party lights overhead as well as a gorgeous view of the lake. A giant old oak tree is the spectacular focal point of the beautiful landscaped yard with a fire pit and herb garden nearby. Also on the property is a Bait Shop and the Swamp Fever Airboat Adventure Tour office next to a long beautiful dock.
The History of Idlewild Lodge:
In 1947, Rufus and Elsie Wysong retired to Florida and purchased the fishing camp on Lake Panasoffkee. They established the Idlewild Lodge and offered fresh water fishing and camping to tourist who came to fish for black bass. During this time, the lake was always full of fishing boats and there were competitions and tournaments for catching the largest bass. In 1948 the lake was “so full of bass you could hardly cast without a strike” per an article in the Tampa Tribune. Another article dated July 6, 1956 stated the Lake was 9 miles long and 3 miles wide fed by two beautiful springs, emptying 2,000,000 gallons of clean pure water into it every hour.” Besides bass, squirrels and bronze back wild turkeys populated the area and were hunted by the locals. By 1956, there were 14 fishing resorts on Lake Panasoffkee. Except for Harry’s Lodge, Idlewild Lodge was the only place on the lake to get coffee and a bite to eat. It also had a “long dock which lead back to a beautifully landscaped lawn of St Augustine and carpet grass, ringed by live oak heavily draped in moss.”
1976 Ad
Since the 1960’s the property has exchanged hands several times and by 2021 was in pretty poor condition. For the past two years, the current owners have done everything possible to restore Idlewild Lodge back to its former glory -possibly even better! They have completely gutted the cabins, installed new pipes, restored the pool, moved buildings, paved the roads and beautifully landscaped the grounds.
Our Tour of the Property
We started our tour by checking out a two bedroom cabin. It was tastefully done with new kitchen cabinets and appliances, nice furniture and comfy bedding. The bathroom even had hair dryers, black monogramed makeup towels as well as soap and shampoo. The one bed room cabins were just as nice, however set up as a studio apt with a half wall dividing the living room from the bedroom and a gallery kitchen. They were all newly renovated and super adorable. All the cabins have tv’s, AC and internet.
We were then guided to the dock - they built it projecting out onto the Lake and the views from it were amazing. I could sit there for hours just staring at the scenery. The moon was full and just rising into the blue sky. It was bright and spectacular to look at. We were invited to go on a sunset cruise the next evening to see the sun set behind the Lodge from the East side of the Lake. We were also encouraged to wake up early and catch a gorgeous sunrise from the dock but we missed it both times.
We then toured the Quonset Hutt. They covered it in wood and made it in to a cozy Rec Hall for picnics and to play fuse-ball or corn hole. There is also a keg of beer on tap inside - free to guests. This would be an amazing place to host a fun party, a rustic wedding or a reunion. We were informed that they served coffee, breakfast and lunch daily from the food truck and we were encourage to check out the herb garden to see the different varieties to clip and use to spice up meals while staying on site. My favorite feature of the grounds were the two fire pits. They seemed to burn all day and were so much fun to sit by and keep warm as it was a very cold January weekend.
Our sunset cruise the next day was so much fun. We brought Selah and Sebi on board with us and they loved it too. The owner shared some history and features of the lake and one of the gentlemen caught a small bass. We saw an alligator and then watched the sun set and turn the sky orange. It was breathtaking.
We loved that this property was super dog friendly. Selah and Sebi stayed with us the entire time. They even had dog stations with bags and trash cans. We also loved that the Lodge was new, clean and well cared for.
Final words
But what we loved the most was the southern hospitality of the family that owns and runs the property. They were beyond helpful, extremely giving and very gracious. From tours of the property, late night cups of coffee, unlimited firewood for our brand new fire pits, use of the washer and dryers, free beer for those that love beer, herbs for our recipes, fires to roast marshmallows and hotdogs, pontoon boat rides to amazing sunset cruises. We are forever grateful for their kind hearts and we look forward to coming back and staying at the Idlewild Lodge again and again.
Check out our YouTube travel vlog on the Idlewild Lodge and RV Park and like and subscribe. Also let us know your favorite part of the camp or other rich history you may know about the Lodge. We highly recommend you click the reservation button too and just go! You will love it there.