Lake Griffin State Park Campground

Cliff Notes: we liked Site 7 for our tent. We enjoyed the hiking trail, but VERY muddy. Bring a watercraft to explore more. Been there- done that- probably don’t need to go back.

The site: our campsite was small but sufficient for our use. We just had our large tent (8person) with us- no shade canopy this time. I liked the site because it was on a ‘dog leg’ and not on the main driveway. We had RVs on both sides of us, but we had sufficient privacy. Hiking: not much. We walked over to the second largest tree in Florida. It was maybe 1/2 a mile from the campsite. We climbed in the tree and took fun pictures of it. My hubs got bit by several ants, but nothing a little anti-itch couldn’t handle. According to the map, our next hike was about 1.3 miles. We saw a family with a few kids walking out as we started. They told us about a boardwalk. What we should have heard was BOARD WALK- as in walking on boards!!! For my husband and I, it was easy and fun. I’m not sure the same could be said for the dog. And it was muddy- very muddy. Thankfully, there was a hose at the boat ramp/ kayak launch to clean ourselves and the dog.

Overall, we had a nice weekend- great to get out of the house and see something new, but we don’t need to go back.

Lake Griffin State Park in Fruitland Park, FL is a small Florida State Park and small campground as well. There are only 40 campsites. The good part of the small number of campsites is less traffic through the campground. An interesting fact about Lake Griffin State Park is that it’s not on Lake Griffin. It has a boat ramp and kayak launch site on the Dead River which leads out to Lake Griffin.
There are so many Florida State Park campgrounds that we may not be back to Lake Griffin soon. But when we do come back, we will make sure we use our newfound knowledge to pick the right campsite. Two items are important when choosing a campsite at Lake Griffin State Park. The sun/shade factor and the slope of the terrain in the campground. All sites at Lake Griffin State Park have water and electricity. Some have 30 amp and some have 50 amp electric. A few of the sites have sewer.
The bathrooms and showers were clean and well supplied. The campground and park, in general, were also very clean and well attended. The Park Rangers at the gate were very friendly and helpful at check-in and thereafter. Once there, we added a 3rd night via the Reserve America website. The next day we told the Ranger on duty about it but that was not communicated to the Ranger on duty that 3rd night. But it was very nice that she called us as she thought we hadn’t checked in yet.
The downside of Lake Griffin State Park being small isn't that there is much to do. This is perhaps why we saw very few children here. There are just a few miles of hiking trails in the park. Other than riding around the campground itself and down to the boat ramp, there aren’t any accessible biking trails. The hiking trails are off-limits to bikes. 
A must-see is the 2nd oldest oak tree in the state of Florida. Estimated to be between 300 and 500 years old it is also massive. I walked off the trunk and estimate it to be about 15 feet in diameter.
Dead River kayaking, canoeing, and boating are the highlights here. There is a boat ramp and ample trailer parking so you can launch your boat into the Dead River and out to Lake Griffin. Kayak, paddle, and life vest rentals are available from the Park Ranger. The Dead River is black water. You cannot see below the surface at all. In the Reserve America description of the park, it warns against swimming as there is a “healthy alligator population”. My wife wasn’t comfortable with kayaking in this river, and it was close to 100 degrees, so we opted out of Lake Griffin State Park kayaking. But we did talk with other campers that had kayaked in the river and they didn’t see but a few gators.

To see our full review visit https://lifestyleover50.com/lake-griffin-state-park-camping-review/

Lake Griffin State Park is a classic case of under promising and over delivering. On the surface we didn't expect much of this park from size or the fact it was just off a major roadway but we were very pleasantly surprised. 

We arrived the first day after camping resumed after the Covid-19 closure. Everything was very normal and the staff, while probably more separated than normal, very welcoming. 

The campground is very compact and not too large, but the sites are mostly all very shaded and afford privacy. The real gem however is the adjacent park, boat/kayak launch and paddling run to Lake Griffin. Very beautiful. Amazing actually. 

In addition, there is a beautiful trail loop that is approximately 1.5 miles out and back and several spurs throughout the park. I give the trails an A+ for beauty. 

In addition, guidance suggested the bathrooms be cleaned regularly due to the pandemic and they were. I would have driven up to the park from our home in Sarasota, FL just for a shower in the bath house. We actually felt more welcomed, better service and cleaner accommodations in Lake Griffin State Park than we received at the Marriott on Hutchinson Island the week prior and that is not an exaggeration. 

Thank you for a wonderful weekend. This park makes me proud to be a Floridian.