Lake Louisa State Park – Clermont, Florida

Lake Louisa State Park – A Gem in Clermont, Florida

Like most state parks in Florida, Lake Louisa State Park is not an easy place to get a camping reservation. However, as seemed to be the trend of our trip, I was lucky enough to find an opening for one night only on January 25, 2022. We were visiting family in Clermont, which is a very charming city about 20 miles west of the Orlando hustle and bustle. I hadn’t put a lot of thought into booking that particular campground. I just needed a place for us to stay the night, and since it was close, Lake Louisa State Park was it! Turns out, this park has so much more to offer than just a place to hang your hat for the night.

Lake Louisa History

There are 13 lakes in the Clermont chain of lakes that are connected by the Palatlakaha River, with Lake Louisa being the largest, and the river’s source. History tells us that Native American cultures inhabited the lands surrounding Lake Louisa for over 10,000 years. In fact, the Treaty of Moultrie Creek, signed in 1823, made this area part of the Seminole Reservation.

Eventually, American families began to build homesteads on this land. The earliest of these settlers were John and Louise Hammond. In 1910, they began building a homestead which included their family home, a turpentine still, a sawmill, a shingle mill, and many other buildings. They used steamboats and barges to transport their goods across Lake Louisa.

A family named Bronson became owners of some of the property in 1943, and its landscape changed to become a cattle ranch and orange groves, some of which are still visible today.

In the 1970’s  the land was purchased by the state of Florida, and Lake Louisa became a state park open to the public in 1977. A nod to the original homesteaders, two of the lakes bear their names – Lake Louisa, and Lake Hammond.

Fun fact – In a 2001 drought when the lake levels dropped, two prehistoric dugout canoes were found in Lake Louisa. Also, P-51 Mustang remnants became visible, that proved to be a plane lost on a training flight in 1944, piloted by First Lieutenant Dean R. Gilmore from Pennsylvania. There is a monument erected here in honor of him and all aviators.

Camping at Lake Louisa State Park

At the time I made the camping reservations, I had no idea of the rich history of the place we would be calling our home for the night. It was late afternoon when we arrived at the park, and after driving the lengthy and beautiful entry road, we entered the campground and found our spot.

We were assigned to Site #23 in Loop B.  It was a beautiful site, once again mostly private with vegetation on all sides. Complete with electric and water.  The total fee for the night was $41.11.

Because of our later arrival, and it being winter, we only had time to get our rig set up before it was dark, so no time for a walk.

The next morning dawned chilly and with a light drizzle, but I didn’t let that deter me from exploring before we had to check out at 1:00. I can only describe my short walk to Lake Hammond as peaceful and tranquil. There was no one else out and about, and the lake was beautiful and serene.

I walked out along the wooden pier, and some fallen leaves fondly reminded me of something I would see in the fall at home in Pennsylvania. A row of Kayaks provided a brilliant pop of color on that dreary day, and I smiled as I thought that the yellow ones resembled a bunch of giant bananas. Brilliant green Lily pads covered a portion of the water near the dock, adding a bit of whimsy to the shoreline. I could only imagine how beautiful it all would be with a ray of sunshine lighting it all up, but I embraced the day as it was.  Like I said, it was so peaceful there, shrouded in clouds and drizzle.

As enjoyable as our one night at Lake Louisa State Park was, we had only scratched the surface of this beautiful park.

Next Trip Scheduled for 2024

We did not find ourselves at Lake Louisa State Park on our return trip to Florida this year, but I already have two nights reserved for January 2024.  I know – crazy, right? Once again, I felt lucky to secure these two nights, even almost a year in advance.

The campground has 60 camping spots, and they do fill up, so reserve early, and keep trying in case there is a cancellation.

I’ve done more research since our last visit, so I now know that there is so much more than camping here.  They also offer Glamping and Luxury Tent experiences. You could take horseback riding lessons, fish, go on a guided horseback trail ride, kayak tour, Segway tour, a guided hike, or rent a bicycle. Or you can stay at your campsite and take in the flora and fauna. I hope to arrive early in the day on our next visit, to take full advantage of our time at the park. And as much as I enjoyed the cloudy day mood of our first visit, I wouldn’t mind some sunshine on our next one. Wonder if I can schedule that in.