Our next destination was Moss Park in Orange County, Florida, about a 150 mile drive from Ortona South. This park which was originally used for activities connected to the turpentine industry and later cattle ranching covers approximately 1,550 acres making it one of the largest parks is located on the east side of Orlando. It was in 1928 that the park began when Mary and Marcellus J. Moss donated 51 acres between Lake Hart and Lake Mary Jane in memory of their daughter Frances. The park is named for the Moss family, not because for the Spanish moss hanging from the trees.

Since we had never been here before and it was close to our next stop (can you guess where?), we were eager to check it out.

It’s a pleasant natural oasis on the shores of Lake Mary Jane in the otherwise busy Orlando suburbs. It is part of the Florida Birding Trail. One unusual aspect of this park is that no pets are allowed, presumably due to the sensitive wildlife, particularly the Sandhill Cranes. Also they have a strict no alcohol policy – at least regarding public consumption.

Moss Park provides multi-purpose recreation for day use in addition to the campground, which is deeply embedded in the undeveloped preserve, so there is very little impact or noise from the teeming masses. From the entrance booth, the campground is about a one mile drive in via a packed sand but reasonably spacious roadway. The campground layout is a single one-way heavily wooded loop. The loop roadway narrows as you approach the higher numbered sites.

The campground loop offers about fifty “single family” back in sites and four “multi-family” sites that can each accommodate up to 18 people. This is our first encounter with a multi-family site category. Our rate was $34.50/night. The sites are primarily gravel/sand and offer 50/30/20A electric and water, a BBQ grill, campfire ring and picnic table, but no sewer hookups. As is typical, the most private and preferred sites are on the outer perimeter of the loop. In the center of the loop are two large and clean looking bath houses connected by paved trails. Large utility sinks are provided for washing dishes, etc.

The park and campground are mostly big rig friendly with the exception of some drooping “flexible” vegetation which dragged across our roof in a few spots, a good bit of tree trimming would be appreciated. Also they demarc the site and roadway boundaries with about 1 foot tall posts stuck in the ground which are very hard to see when maneuvering and could potentially inflict a lot of damage.

Our site 43 was on the inner perimeter of the loop and plenty long at 70′, but the narrowing of the loop road in addition to the roadway curve, made it one of the least desirable sites for a big rig to get in and out of. Nevertheless, besides “displacing” a little bit of vegetation, we had no issues getting in or out. See the campground map at: https://www.orangecountyfl.net/…/OCPR-MAP07-Moss-Park…

The site was surrounded by tall pines so this was the first opportunity Rob had to test our new Starlink Gen 3 installation. As expected the service was “partially obstructed” due to all the tree cover, so using it would not have been a smooth experience. We only have the Starlink for internet backup and intend to keep it in Standby Mode ($5)/mo) unless needed. We primarily use cellular instead which is usually just as fast and significantly cheaper.

The Sandhill Cranes pretty much rule this place. They make the rounds of the campground a couple of times per day looking for handouts (you are not supposed to feed them) and are very vocal about making their presence known. See the short video attached.

Outside of going out for breakfast at Sweet Mama’s Restaurant, we didn’t do much outside the park since it was a short two night stay.

We would definitely return if in the area, but perhaps choose a site with easier access and on the outer perimeter. Our next stop would be a lot more fun! Stay tuned!