Mattson Ranch aka The Hive
Park in our lush green pasture if you have solar or park under the shade of a large oak if that's what you prefer. Position yourself in the West and take in the sunset or get closer to nature in our East pasture. Either way you'll enjoy the peace and calm that comes with this location. Our property is down a dirt road that we have had RV's and trailers navigate with no pro
Park in our lush green pasture if you have solar or park under the shade of a large oak if that's what you prefer. Position yourself in the West and take in the sunset or get closer to nature in our East pasture. Either way you'll enjoy the peace and calm that comes with this location. Our property is down a dirt road that we have had RV's and trailers navigate with no problem. When you arrive you can check out the property and choose where you want to spend the night. Located near Ocala which is the horse capital of the world, The World Equestrian Center, the Ocala National Forest, Juniper and Alexander Springs, many hiking, fishing and offroading opportunities. Less than 2 hours from Disney World and Daytona Beach.
- Check in: After 4PM
- Check out: Before 12PM
- Cancellation policy: Moderate
- On arrival: Meet and greet
- Minimum nights: 1 night
- Accepts bookings: 6 months out
Activities
Offered on the Host's property or nearby.
Terrain
Natural features you'll find at Mattson Ranch aka The Hive in Florida.
Ranch
This land was once used as a horse farm we have 2 large pastures perfect for camping.
The vibe at Mattson Ranch aka The Hive
Places to see near Mattson Ranch
11 Reviews
I loved staying here! The hosts are wonderfully sweet and interesting people whom I plan to keep in contact with for sure! The property is nice and quiet with lots of open space, such a peaceful place to be. Apparently at one time there were horses here, and there are two large, level pastures with plenty of areas to choose from to find just the right spot for you and your rig or camping setup. Just a heads up, parts of the driveway are a bit sandy but my front wheel drive kia soul did totally fine with it and any RV shouldn't have any issue either. Definitely stay here if you're considering it, you'll be glad you did. 😊




We camped as a family of seven, our kids ranging in age from 0 to 12 years old, and everyone felt welcome. The host is hospitable and a good communicator. She even offered to help teach the young ones how to get a campfire started properly, which really impressed me.
We felt comfortable being as private or communal as we wanted to be. We were welcome to hang with the other campers or the host family, but there was no pressure. It felt good to just spend time with our children.
We stayed for four or five nights, camped in our own tents in the shadier field, borrowed the camp stove for a few meals, and cooked over the campfire for a few others. Because of the current national shortage of personal toiletries we elected to bring our own TP, but really everything listed on Hipcamp was provided.
This is a clean, quiet, and safe site, with good stargazing and nocturnal wildlife listening opportunity. It isn’t hard to find a spot to pitch a tent on gentle sleeping ground (we don’t sleep on foam pads). It is possible to set camp close to the toilets, so that’s a bonus if you travel with young campers.
Extremely welcoming and friendly hosts!!! The property and setting were perfect. They allowed us to pick our site, on their beautiful property. As of right now, this is a primitive site, but the hosts mentioned they were hoping to have a new bathroom/shower facility opened in the future. The only thing I would mention to future campers is, be prepared to encounter soft sand and some minor low hanging branches, upon exiting. Just keep a constant speed and you should be fine. Our 2wd Ram 1500 with street tires, pulled our 3500-4000lb travel trailer just fine. The low hanging branches were all soft and nothing too thick or major.
Can’t stress enough how peaceful the property was and how welcoming the hosts were. We will definitely be back!!!




We had a great time at Mattson Ranch. We set up camp in the West pasture, which is elevated and has beautiful views of the surrounding landscape. We had two families of four and let the kids run around and explore the large property, including the lower pasture. Michelle was very welcoming and gave us total privacy. We definitely plan to come back soon.



Matson ranch was great. The Live Oak‘s were beautiful and our dogs loved running around the field. There were some interesting 🐮 noises at night but on the whole we loved it.
A beautiful location with lots of Spanish moss clad trees surrounding the pastures. Plenty of camping spots to choose from, we camped in the east pasture and loved the shady oaks. Michelle was really welcoming and helpful, as were all the other campers at the site. Our kids loved the space and the canine companions! We will definitely be back!
Beautiful and peaceful property
Camping here exceeded our expectations! Very quiet peaceful lots of space and gorgeous trees to camp under, nice forest and field views. Lots of wildlife, we heard owls in the woods around us at night.
Hosts are very friendly, welcoming and helpful!
Overall a wonderful experience 10/10 will return for sure!!!!
Thank you Michelle!!!
- Property
- Mattson Ranch
- State
- Florida
- Country
- United States
- $25/night
- 6 Sites
We enjoyed having your group here. Thank you for adding the drone photo. I love those. We had a tree guy come in and clear the branches on the way to the West pasture just after you left. Thanks for staying!