Reviews

Jay Goodman

Not what it use to be . Last year I went and the bar no longer served food so that was a change. Well this visit last weekend I learned the bar nor grill is open anymore, so definitely not was I was expecting. Between that and the pool and hot tub getting locked up at dark time nothing much left to do for adults when the sun goes down anymore.

Dianne Perrillioux

We rented a cabin that was definitely not inexpensive, and the cabin certainly was not worth the price we paid. There were absolutely no amenities in the cabin except tissue paper and a quarter bottle of dish detergent. There were no dishes, paper towels, pots, bed linen, soap , nothing. The mattresses were thin foam mattresses on wood platforms, which made for very uncomfortable sleeping. The cabin was very very tiny and poorly maintained inside and out. Even the shower curtain had holes in it where cats had been climbing up the shower curtain. There was caked on dust on the ceiling fans it was not a pleasant place to stay at all. The one Blessing about the cabin was that the air conditioner worked very well even though it was very dirty. We were lucky that we ended up being able to leave a day earlier than expected, however when we tried to get a refund for the last night or a credit for another time we were told no refund nor credit if you check out a day early. The clubhouse where you pick up your key for late check-in was also pretty dirty and not very well equipped with amenities. Don't count on the restaurant or bar or band. The worst part about this experience is that when you call to book they tell you how beautiful it is, how many things there are to do, and how much you're going to love the place. Absolutely none of it was true. I wish that I had looked at reviews before I booked. The pool area did seem nice.

Juli Garisto

This location on the Santa Fe River is absolutely BEAUTIFUL! Marty was excellent with getting our Pontoon rental and the boat ran great with no issues at all. I believe the lounge and music venue is reopening on 11/8/25 but dont quote me on that. We had a blast and wished we could have stayed longer. Will definitely be back soon!

Dave Mac Farlane

Made a reservation for Labor Day weekend and was told there was additional costs because this was an event weekend. There was supposed to be a Beatles tribute band and a Jimmy Buffet tribute band. The staff says both bands canceled. I call BS. There was no event at all!! There was no inclimate weather at all the entire weekend. I'm sure the bands were asked not to come because of such low attendance, there were hardly any sites rented, most were work campers or full time residents. We arrived about 8:30 on Friday night to a site that was so overgrown with weeds I could hardly find the water and sewer connections. There was also a bunch of debris, wood planks and trash mixed up with the weeds. First thing Saturday morning I took my dog to the dog park where she found a bag of rotten shrimp on the ground!!! DISGUSTING!!! Later that morning went to launch the boat which was not very nice, huge deep ruts in the approach to the ramp, enough to damage my trailer. No charge to launch but they require you to park way back at the campground storage lot. The transient boat ramp users pay $10 and park right next to the bar. It seems like I was punished for renting a site!! We decided to make Sunday a pool day and talked to several people at the pool and everyone was saying the same thing. WAY OVER PRICED!!! and NO ENTERTAINMENT!!! I have been coming to Ellie Ray's since 2001 and to see this place so abandoned on a major holiday weekend is really a shame!!!! The new owners obviously don't care at all about this place and are just letting it decay. The boat docks are hazardous, the grounds are not kept up with, barely mowed. This place has huge potential to be an outstanding RV destination but no one should spend the money they are asking and get not much bang for the buck. Apparently the thinking is to go 55+ with this place which will really make it go downhill faster than the Jamaican bobsled team. Save some money and go somewhere else. To say my wife and I are disappointed is a huge understatement!!!! $630 dollars for 3 nights!!! I was robbed.

Heather Kirby

My husband and I visited Ellie Ray's during vacation to launch our boat. It is a good location. My husband did one of the jet ski tours and had a blast. The pool and hot tub are amazing. Ms. Anna and Mr. Marty are very kind and helpful. Oh, and let me not forget the 2 fur babies that greet you upon arrival. Jet - Jet is so super lovable. It was a great time. Thank you for the memories!!

Akasha Smith

Ellie Rays has gone completely downhill. Not only can they not keep a Cook or serve food anymore, they no longer have good customer service. They no longer allow people to hang out on the beach area at the picnic table and chairs, even if you’re a paying customer for the boat ramp. Why would you have a picnic table and chairs down at the beach area if people who pay to be there can’t sit there and hang out? Been coming here for years to get jet ski gas, food and drinks, but I’ll make sure to go to Sandy Point right up the river from now on where they have customer service and want my business! Update: Owner wants to claim we were in an altercation. Yes our family watched a man scream and cuss out a group of jet skis that purchased fuel and left. We weren’t part of this group at all and were there long before that group that had the altercation. This is the first we heard of us being rude and disruptive. And not only that…. What restaurant? You haven’t served food in months.

Scott Honeycutt

The staff is super friendly and helpful. The locals a re friendly and fun and the lounge is mostly locals. The lounge has good indoor and outdoor areas including an outdoor stage for bands. Pool tables and events like Karaoke. Beer and liquor selection is limited. I’m not sure if that’s sales driven or due to financial struggles. The campground is decent but needs some updating. I did have a maintenance issue and the super nice maintenance guy took care of it quickly. Again the staff is great. Even though they continue to advertise it. The restaurant is closed which left me hungry after my arrival and setup. The resort is evidently in financial struggles. There are 100 sites and only 8 campers here. A few cabins. There’s a nice pool and the location is great. Especially if you are bringing a boat or visiting the state parks and springs. The prices are too high for the current condition but would be about average if there were modern amenities/upkeep.

Chan Cleta

Worst stay of my life. I rented a cabin for 3 nights. Unfortunately cut short. When I got there 2 dead roaches greeted me as soon as I opened the door. The floor was filthy & the AC didn't work so the room was a humid oven all thru out. They did absolutely nothing for me but bring me a fan & say sorry. Be careful going down the ramp. Huge hole that swallows your trailer so u have to go down the side. The restaurant was closed because (from his employees) no one wants to work for him due to his attitude. When I returned the key early again all I got was a sorry. No return for my day cut short & no accomodations to another spot with AC

Christopher Orsini

Such a cool place to visit! We went out for a music festival and loved it! The bar is a good size with pool tables and more. The outside bar is perfect with the music stage right there. The campgrounds are set up nice for primitive camping, RVs, cabins and more. There is a nice pool with waterfalls and a hot tub that's pretty large. If you want to hit the river, they have a boat launch right across from the bar. The food they serve up is great too. Hamburgers and fries were on point. The drinks were inexpensive and made nice and strong. Along with the bands playing were venders selling all sorts of goodies just down from the pool. Such a great place a chill and hangout!!!

Katlyyn Arnoldi

We booked a 6 hour pontoon boat rental from Ellie's and had a GREAT time! It fit 4 adults and 2 children comfortably and was spacious enough to still walk around, fish and hang out. We saw lots of turtles and fish, different birds. You can boat right into the springs which was beautiful. I cant recall his name but the gentleman that helped us get onto the boat and showed us how it worked was really friendly and was just overall a cool guy. The woman who helped us at the counter was extremely personable and was very kind. Their prices are more than affordable for what you get and we plan to book another rental from here in the future on our next vacation! Thanks for the great time!

Trinna Pye

Horrible customer service. And the restaurant and bar there is absolutely ridiculous. The owner is rude and they will try to overcharge you and then treat you horribly when you question it. Be aware that they don't give any refunds. I accidentally put three adults instead of two and they would not refund me the $60 even though we were still spending a lot of money there. They also make you check in at the bar when you come in after 6:00. The bartenders are not very helpful. They circled the wrong site for us to go to in the dark. The signage is horrible and it is difficult to find your spot especially at night. This place has a lot of potential, but it's not run very well at all.

Jim Thompson

We are very happy with the campground. It is quiet, has easy pull through sites and is extremely pet friendly! They have the largest dog play areas I've ever seen! We are in the purple zone, which backs up to a large green space, nice and private. That zone has nice and level concrete pads, many of the other areas are not concrete. Restaurant/bar serves prime rib on Thursdays, which we definitely enjoyed. The Santa Fe River is beautiful, and the campground is right on the river. We will definitely return here!

Jennifer Sotomayor

We had a great long weekend at Ellie Rays. We had site G36 which was nice and big. Everyone there was so friendly. Pool area was very nice. Restaurant and bar overlook the river with huge outdoor patio. They also have pool tables inside. We will definitely be back!

Wanda Freeman-Pierce

I called them on Thursday January 7, to make sure if I arrived after 5:00 pm that I could obtain my key to the cabin I rented. I was to pick it up at the bar. So when I arrived the key wasn’t there because they claimed the cabin hadn’t been cleaned yet. So waiting 45 minutes to get the key, we walked into a room and it was below 65 degrees and the ac was still going and frozen over!! I unplugged it and it took 2 days to thaw out. It got down to 40 degrees on Friday the 8th but luckily I had brought a small space heater on the trip. Other cabin dwellers were not as lucky. Also there is a six Payne window on the cabin door with No Curtains! Who wants to be peered and when 😴 or changing clothes? The bathroom is hardly big enough to turn around in, much less change clothes in!! The place is very overpriced on weekends compared to week days. The sewage was horrendous smelling in the primitive campsites where we spent a lot of time with friends. We were told that the previous weekend the sewage was backing up into peoples RVs. The sites for the RVs to park are not very level and it took our friends three sites before they could get there’s leveled. The dock area is very hazardous and scary. We were told that the place was bought out by someone that was in the process of building more cabins that will be bigger and better. Also was told they will be installed over where the primitive campsites are now. If you want to camp out there are more and better places around Florida to do so. I will be finding a place soon because Ellie Rays it won’t be!! Don’t be fooled by their photos and their good reviews if there are any. Happy camping to all!! I wasn’t a happy camper 😞

Laura Bella

Nice campground! Enjoyed the live music, and visiting with the locals & other campers. The restaurant has decent food. Had a cozy camp spot on the river with serene views. Pool was dirty and the hot tub green; other than that would give it a 5 star.