Westgate River Ranch is the top Glamping Spot in America while Camp Margaritaville is No. 2 among the nation’s best luxury RV Resorts in USA Today’s annual 10Best Readers’ Choice Awards.
AUBURNDALE, Fla. (May 24, 2023) – Two of Polk County’s most popular tourist destinations have been named among the best in their categories in the annual USA Today 10Best Readers’ Choice Awards. Westgate River Ranch, in River Ranch, Fla., was named the No. 1 Glamping Spot in the nation while Auburndale’s Camp Margaritaville was tabbed the No. 2 Luxury RV Resort in America.
The largest dude ranch East of the Mississippi River, Westgate River Ranch is rooted in the history of the nation’s first cowboys and lies on 1,700 lush acres in the heart of Florida’s cattle lands. The location offers cowboy-themed accommodations ranging from tent camping and a lodge to luxurious two-bedroom cabins, Glamping tents and Luxe Teepees. Luxe Conestoga Wagons and Signature Glamping tents were added in 2021.
Recreational activities include horseback riding, airboat and swamp buggy rides, zip-lining, swimming, golf, a petting farm, nature hikes, trap and skeet shooting, a mechanical bull, hayrides, cookouts, and a full-service marina complete with boating and fishing. The resort also features an award-winning Saturday night rodeo, showcasing trick riding, bull riding and barrel racing in a 1,200-seat rodeo arena – and the River Ranch Saloon that opens for dancing after the rodeo.
Glamping, or “glamorous camping,” has received a lot of attention in recent years. This form of campground lodging combines the minimalistic nature of camping with modern amenities and creature comforts. The list includes the top 10 glamping spots and offers some of the best locations and amenities in the United States, topped by Westgate River Ranch.
Camp Margaritaville RV Resort & Cabana Cabins made its official debut in January 2022. Guests can enjoy a margarita down by the tiki bar, stay in a premium-equipped RV space or motorhome suite by the lake, or bring the family to stay in one of the cabana cabins. The resort has many amenities including two swimming pools (one with a 147 ft. spiral waterslide), Parrot Island Mini Golf, dog parks, a dog spa and two Tiki Bars.
USA Today’s 10Best Readers’ Choice Awards highlight the best of the best in contests covering categories such as destinations, food and drink, hotels, and things to do. Nominees in all categories are submitted by a panel of experts. The final set of nominees is selected by 10Best editors before being presented to the public. Readers can vote once per category, per day. New contests are launched every Monday at noon ET. After four weeks of voting, each contest closes, with the winners announced the following Friday.
About Polk County Tourism and Sports Marketing:
Polk County Tourism and Sports Marketing (known nationally as Visit Central Florida) is the official destination marketing organization for Polk County, Florida, and specializes in helping visitors plan a fun-filled Central Florida vacation. Click here for the Visit Central Florida website.
