Perigee32
For Bear Lake Recreation Area - Blackwater River State Forest: Bear Lake is a very nice family campground. We’ve been coming here for years. Fishing lake and dock. No power outboards on the lake (trolling motor use only). Hiking trails around the lake (4 miles), another 2 mile hike to another campground (Krul), and biking specific trails. Yes, there are helicopters (and other military training aircraft) that fly over-near the lake nearly every day except holidays due to the Navy training base close by. Part of the price of freedom, at least in this very crowded (AF, Army, Navy) military training area. The bath rooms used to be quite old and dirty. Now they are all the lockable single room style (Unisex toilet, wash basin and shower). Clean but the water pressure is very weak. Years ago Bear Lake was first-come-first-serve for all the campsites. Now the Florida Dept. of Forestry (who manages the park and others near by) use Reserve America. A small selection of sites are still first-come-first-serve, not requiring a reservation, but most sites need to go through RA. The sites we use have 50, 30, 15 amp service on all sites (except the tent area) and fresh water water on all sites. No sewer connection but the dump station is newly revamped and elevated some. We’ll be back again next year.
Posted Nov 28, 2019 by Perigee32 from Navarre, FL. This is the subjective opinion of a traveler and not of AllStays LLC.
Casey 
For Bear Lake Recreation Area - Blackwater River State Forest: My first encounter with ranger was gloomy. They insist on making reservations for a nearly empty campground on the very afternoon I show up. So That’s $6 wasted because all day long the next day there was the constant loud noise of a helicopter flying back and forth over Bear Lake. Two stars for clean bathroom.
Posted Jan 17, 2019 by Casey from NC. This is the subjective opinion of a traveler and not of AllStays LLC.
Andy 
For Bear Lake Recreation Area - Blackwater River State Forest: Stayed 2 nights in Nov 2018 for Blackwater Triathlon. Very nice, quiet basic campground. Jogging and bike trails around Bear Lake are great. Only cell service in campground and immediate vicinity is AT&T.
Posted Jan 07, 2019 by Andy from Melbourne Beach. This is the subjective opinion of a traveler and not of AllStays LLC.
Jbroham
For Bear Lake Recreation Area - Blackwater River State Forest: The park, lake, and supervisor are outstanding, what makes this park a one star is the new reservation system that is now in effect. It cost $6.50 to make a reservation and $15.00 to cancel it. That is pretty high considering one night of camping is $15.00 for a senior camper. Many times I have camped there in one of the two "walk up" camp sites and the rest of the park was empty. You can not use any of the reserved spots even when there are no scheduled campers inbound. I used to go once a month now I go once or twice a year. The reservation idea is a bad one. It makes money for the reservation company not the Florida Forestry Service.
Posted Sep 16, 2017 by Jbroham from Florida. This is the subjective opinion of a traveler and not of AllStays LLC.
