Living in and around Lakeland, Florida is an excellent idea for active adults who are seeking sun, nature, fishing, boating, and golfing. There’s also spring training baseball and a growing art scene.
From Lakeland, it’s an easy trip to Orlando, Tampa, Gainesville, and Sarasota. Many people buy a house in Lakeland with the intention of making it their full-time Florida retirement location. Others like to spend several months out of the year in Lakeland, soaking up the warm temperatures and enjoying the fact that they're not shoveling snow or scraping ice.
If you’re arriving in or near Lakeland with an RV, we can point you toward some 55+ communities where there's plenty of parking.
Lake Ashton - Lake Wales, FL
Mid $100s - Low $500s
Residents can park their RVs and their boats at Lake Ashton, a 55+ community in Lake Wales. There's a selection of new and resale houses for sale in this waterfront neighborhood, with a focus on single-family homes and attached villas.
Amenities include two 18-hole golf courses, a driving range, shuffleboard courts, tennis, and a resort-style pool and spa. The clubhouse spans 26,000 square feet and includes an exercise center, sauna, game room, and woodworking shop. There’s also a bowling center, a computer lab, and a catering kitchen. The health and fitness center includes an indoor pool, basketball court, and walking track. Massage services are available, and residents can play racquetball or pickleball. With Lake Ashton on the property, residents can also go boating and fishing.
Carriage homes can be purchased in one of four models. They have two or three bedrooms, two bathrooms, and an attached one-car garage. With between 1,747 and 2,292 square feet, there’s plenty of space for entertaining, relaxing, and planning a future road trip. Single-family homes have 1,290 to 2,560 square feet, two to three bedrooms, two bathrooms, and attached two-car garages. Many homes have dens and come in more than 20 floor plans. Lake Wales is full of places to explore, and Lake Ashton is close to Bok Tower Gardens and its unique carillon and lush gardens.
Highlands Ridge - Avon Park, FL
Low $100s - Mid $300s
Highlands Ridge also has the benefit of both new construction and resale homes. This 55+ community also has RV parking, which is a major benefit for residents moving into one of the 850 properties.
The neighborhood has two clubhouses, two golf courses, and a wellness center that includes a day spa. Pools, shuffleboard, tennis, pickleball, and horseshoes are popular, and there’s also a restaurant, bar, and pro shop at the North Course Clubhouse and the South Course Clubhouse. This community is an excellent option for active adults who want to stay parked for a significant amount of time in Central Florida.
The 260-acre lake is a great place for boating, fishing, and kayaking or canoeing. Residents have put together a gardening club, a softball club, and a woodworking group. There are also block parties, day trips, and casino nights.
The villas are between 1,467 and 1,750 square feet with two bedrooms, two bathrooms, an attached two-car garage, and a den. Four models are available, many with gourmet kitchens and lanais. Avon Park is full of natural landscapes and freshwater lakes, and Donaldson Park and Lake Isis are popular places for anglers and wildlife watchers.
Tomoka Heights - Lake Placid, FL
Low $100s - High $200s
Tomoka Heights is a 55+ community with plenty of RV parking and an intimate, village-like feel. There are only 460 single-family and attached homes available as resale properties or new construction. They have between 1,000 and 3,000 square feet with two to three bedrooms. Buyers will enjoy the large master suites, gourmet kitchens, and hardwood floors and cabinets. It’s also possible to select a home with a Florida room or a formal dining room.
Because Tomoka Heights is on the shores of Lake Henry, there’s a fishing dock, a boat ramp, and several scenic trails that wind through native plants and picturesque ponds. The clubhouse features a multi-purpose room, a computer room, and a library. There’s a pool, patio, and spa, as well as tennis courts, bocce ball courts, and shuffleboard. The community is incredibly social and frequently hosts potlucks, Saturday morning breakfasts, exercise classes, and holiday parties.
With the community situated just off Highway 27 and Lake June Road, residents are close to shopping and parks. Lake June-in-Winter is a great place for fishing, and Lake June-in-Winter Scrub Preserve is a remote wildlife preserve where visitors are likely to see the endemic Florida scrub jay or a nesting family of osprey.
Cormorant Point - Sebring, FL
Low $100s - High $100s
Park your RV at Cormorant Point, a 55+ community with only 150 attached and single-family homes. Most residents join Golf Hammock, a clubhouse with popular amenities like a multi-purpose room, a restaurant, and indoor practice facilities. There’s also an outdoor pool and patio as well as tennis courts. Pack your golf clubs into the RV before you come to Cormorant Point; there’s an 18-Hole Ron Garl golf course in the community, as well as a driving range, practice bunker, putting green, and chipping area.
Attached villas have two bedrooms, two bathrooms, and between 1,390 to 2,297 square feet. Screened lanais and wall-to-wall carpeting are standard. In the single-family homes, buyers will find resale models that have 1,193 to 2,779 square feet with two bedrooms and two bathrooms. Residents who enjoy camping in their RVs can be found in nearby parks and wildlife areas such as Highland Hammock and Kissimmee Prairie Preserve State Park.