CRYSTAL RIVER, Fla. — A new business opened its doors in Crystal River late last summer.

What You Need To Know

  • Crystal River KOA Journey opened its doors late last summer to campers, welcoming them to the Nature Coast

  • The business venture is staffed entirely of women, including maintenance personnel
  • Opening in late summer meant hurricane season was right around the corner
  • Recent cold weather has both been a blessing and a curse, seeing visitors in town to see manatees

The Crystal River KOA offers visitors a place to connect with the outdoors. This business venture, staffed entirely by women, is helping visitors grow acquainted with the Nature Coast.

On the outskirts of downtown Crystal River, you’ll find a slice of nature in the form of campgrounds and RV sites.

They’re part of the new Crystal River KOA Journey, which opened its doors last July. They’re now in the midst of a busy winter season.

“A lot of people come to Crystal River to swim with the manatees and even though the water is 72° year-round, that’s the main thing to come here for,” said Lenea Myers, campground manager at Crystal River KOA. “It’s a little cold to hop in the springs right now, so we’ve had a few cancellations, but it’s not horrible.”

Cold weather is both a blessing and a curse, Myers says. Visitors typically don’t camp when the weather drops, but it’s also a familiar sign. The sign of the arrival of manatee season.

“The city has been amazing to work with,” said Jennifer Grissom, co-owner of Crystal River KOA. “Discover Crystal River has been amazing to work with. We feel like the local community has been extremely supportive and even other campgrounds. I don’t think we could be any happier with where we chose to open.”

Opening in late summer meant hurricane season was right around the corner. A challenge, Grissom says, they were prepared for. They offered their 68 RV sites to government workers and stranded locals in the aftermath of the storms.

“We were able to offer monthly rates to some of FEMA and some of the locals who had lost some of their homes,” said Grissom. “It kind of helped everyone out, right? We were able to have business in a time when, maybe, we wouldn’t have otherwise and they were able to have a place to stay at a good rate.”

Already it’s been a busy first year. But one, Grissom says, she could not imagine having anywhere else.

“The city does a great job in maintaining the old Florida feel and that’s what we love about Crystal River,” said Grissom. “I don’t think even though it has developed, you don’t feel that sprawl. It still feels small and quaint.”