Happy Campers Rescue Ranch - Dunnellon, Florida

Jessica Sloan

We had a great time! It was my kids' and pup's first camping experience. Arcadio was super helpful and accommodating. We loved the animal rescue. Such a cool idea to let kids play on a playground in the same pen as the animals. My dog was able to run and play with us, off leash. We enjoyed the other families that were staying on the property while also having privacy, with our campsite tucked away from them. This was also our first hipcamp booking and I'd highly recommend for anyone looking for a family camping experience ?

Passing Pretty Nails

?️I want to take a moment to express my heartfelt gratitude for the opportunity to provide my nail services at this extraordinary glampsite. The chance to combine my passion for nails with the breathtaking beauty of nature is an absolute dream come true.

To all the future guests of Happy Campers Rescue Ranch, I am dedicated to delivering exceptional nail care that will leave you feeling pampered, relaxed, and truly taken care of. I am committed to creating beautiful nail designs that will enhance your overall experience in this serene and enchanting environment with farm animals that love to watch! ? ? ? ?

I am genuinely thankful for the opportunity to be a part of your journey at Happy Campers Rescue Ranch. Your satisfaction and happiness are my utmost priorities, and I am eager to contribute to your unforgettable experience ?

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Chris Dow

Best place to camp. I found my spot. I weekend vacay there and it is an awesome space. Great hospitality and the hosts are wonderful. Love the atmosphere and quiet. Looking forward to the beginning of the year when I go back again. Love bringing my dog Dakota to enjoy my getaway. Thanks!

Amber Baginski

This was my first time using the Hipcamp app to book a camping trip in FL, I moved from Arizona in September and had a waaay easier time booking state parks in the winter season. All that to say my first Hipcamp experience was AMAZING and I will absolutely be returning to Happy Campers Rescue Ranch!! I was a little surprised the owner of the campsite lives on the property, however it ended up being a blessing!! Arcadio even moved our campsite to a more private area in the back of his property to accommodate to my preference/ familiarity with that style of campsite which was so so amazing of him.

Beyond him helping us move sites, he offered to move us to one of his available RVs due to the crazy off and on rainstorms that were expected for our stay. After building the tent twice I naively declined for I felt committed to the bit.. our tent flooded in the middle of the night. Arcadio made it very clear to reach out whenever we needed, so I feel I could have reached out in the late hours if I reaaallly wanted but decided to just pack up shop and retire the trip hahaha.

When he found out we didn’t stay for the full duration of our trip, he offered a partial refund due to the weather. I declined, for he can’t change the weather (although he did try his best to accommodate to things even beyond his reach lol). Arcadio donated the money from the rest of my stay to his cute, friendly variety of animals he keeps on the property.

Overall a lovely experience, absolutely can’t wait to visit again!! He also offers projectors, kayaks, and a peddle boat to rent, with a drop off service for the kayaks/peddle boat. Also extremely convenient location close enough to civilization and the Crystal River!!

Y'shua יהוה

The Guy is Great and I Enjoyed the Stay, a Little Hot at the Time of Year chosen, Hammock Were not the Best Choice, Trees Stable for them, the Animals were Nice. Over Nice Stay, would Recommend, as long as you don't mind camping on someone's property, he does leave you alone

Cheryl Clifford

We were at Happy Campers Rescue Ranch to return our 20' Uhaul truck and auto trailer. What a pleasant experience we had with Arcadio who greeted us with such a genuine smile and kind demeanor. He made the checkin process easy. After, he showed us around his property and introduced us to his rescue animals. We will definitely refer our friends and family who visit us to consider staying with Happy Campers Rescue Ranch.

Jerri DelRossi (Morlock)

Had an awesome weekend with the grandkids at Happy Campers! Very friendly & accomdodating hosts! They let our family join us for a cookout, they watched our dog while we went tubing & had a great movie night at our site...they were truly a delight to work with and very responsive. They were also very understanding of our late departure as we got hit with a rainstorm. My grandchildren fell in love with all the animals, however, I think Billy & Wilbur stole their hearts ❤️. My grandson was a little iffy about the one he dubbed as "the emo chicken" haha. We had a great time & will definately return.

Simon Nonymous

We rented a trailer here for six nights, but left after only one night. If you're staying here in your own unit, or as a camper, not much else of this review is relevant.

TLDR - the trailer is falling apart and is definitely not worth the price we paid.

My wife and I are both experienced campers and caravanners, so to stay in a trailer is very much in our comfort zone. We rented a trailer here via VRBO for six nights as part of a three week vacation in Florida.

So why a one star review?

Having been asked to give an arrival time, and having arrived on time, we were not met or greeted for over two hours.

As I have mentioned, we know our way around caravans/trailers, so we tried to make ourself at home. The trailer itself is old, and very much in need of a make over. The trailer did not meet the description given in VRBO. In particular there were no:

- towels
- hand towels
- tea towels (for drying pots)
- no kettle

The coffee make did not have a jug with it; what it did have was some dried out coffee grounds in, with mould on top.

In addition, there was no working oven, just a small air frier, and a two ring electric hotplate. Two plates, two mugs, and two forks were provided for eating and drinking.

Arcadio did come over to see us, and having mentioned the missing items, he brought us two of their own towels, some dish rags, a stove top kettle, some knives and forks and spoons, and eventually their own coffee maker as he did not have the right sized jugs for the one in the trailer. He was also kind enough to plug in their own firestick to the TV for us.

He mentioned that the description given on VRBO needed updating, as normally they don't provide towels.

As we settled in and it went dark, we noticed a lot of missing bulbs, and lights that didn't have covers over them, plus a switch that was dangling down out of its place. Nothing dangerous, but highly unsatisfactory. The bed and bedding were poor, one old pillow each, and it was all fit to go to the thrift store for recycling.

We were already aware from a review on VRBO that the toilet (a trailerstyle toilet) didn't have a proper flush, but needed to be filled with water then flushed with water from a bottle. We can cope with things like that to be fair, but it's an indication of how badly run down this trailer is.

We managed to cook our pizza slice by small slice in the air frier while we discussed whether we could manage five more nights here. The final straw was when I couldn't get any hot water to run in the kitchen sink to wash the plates and cutlery.

We left the next morning, and were given a $125 refund when we asked. Arcadio said he would have come over to sort the water out fo us, but by now, we had had enough, and knew we couldn't stay. We lost £300 GBP or $380.

Do we feel like we are being unkind, or a bit intolerant? No. We wouldn't live in a house or trailer in this state ourselves. It felt unclean, unloved and in need of a good make over. It clearly hadn't been cleaned or serviced since the last guests.

We managed to find another trailer not too far away, that was $5 a night more expensive, and what a difference. It was like being at home, everything we needed and more, and in a good state of repair and cleanliness.

We took this up with VRBO that the trailer was not as advertised by the way. They were less than interested, so I doubt we will be using them again.