Tillis Hill Recreation Area - Withlacoochee State Forest
Mandie Z.
Reviewed Jun. 11, 2023

3 stars isn't bad

I'm giving 3 stars because I was pretty satisfied and that's it. To me, 5 stars means spectacular. Here's what I can say, pro, con, and fyi. Pro - it's nicely tended, as a state campground it's got pretty nice amenities (electricity and water hookups, dump station is on site). The bathrooms are clean, except for the windows and ceiling. Broken screens have allowed insects (and probably other pests) to get in and the spider nests along the ceiling were - ick). But the facilities work, plenty of hot water in the shower, toilets clean etc. Horse stalls are in good condition as well. It's quiet and very dark at night. Great for star-gazing. Cons- Try to get a sense of the space before picking your site. The photos etc made it look like easy back-in but gets are some sites with trees very close and the lane is super narrow. I had a rough time backing in, even with help because there wasn't room to pull forward to maneuver. BUT I moved to another site and it was perfect. Close to the bathroom, easy back in and still had some shade. The more shade you get the more chance you'll have a tight squeeze backing in. I had a rough time coming in at night, the keypad for the gate isn't lit and it's very low (could hardly reach from my truck). Also, I found it odd that the camping area and approach is paved, but about 1-1/2 miles of the trail is gravel. So you go from paved to gravel to paved. Go SLOW on the gravel stretch, it's very bumpy and you'll raise a white cloud of dust. The dump station is near the gate, but it's narrow and the placement of the trees and gate can make it tricky to pull out. Hard to describe - just be cautious pulling into the dump station - plan your exit before you pull all the way in or you might have trouble (especially if someone is waiting and you can't back up. FYI Cell service is bad for AT&T. I'm told other carriers are better. It's a fairly remote public campground. Plan your trips, you won't want to get to your site and realize you should have picked up ice because it will be 20 minutes one way to get out. I'd absolutely stay there again, now that I know where the best sites are and that I should have a cell-signal booster. It really is a nice place - beautiful woods.

Site26 and 37
Month of VisitMay
  • Review photo of Tillis Hill  Recreation Area - Withlacoochee State Forest by Mandie Z., June 11, 2023
  • Review photo of Tillis Hill  Recreation Area - Withlacoochee State Forest by Mandie Z., June 11, 2023
  • Review photo of Tillis Hill  Recreation Area - Withlacoochee State Forest by Mandie Z., June 11, 2023