Ichetucknee Springs Campground

I have really been enjoying my stay at this campground but I can see how it wouldn't be for everybody, mainly RVS.

The location to the State Park cannot be beat.  I stayed here for two nights and spent almost the entire day at the State park.  HOT TIP: Go to the South side for tubing and early as you can.  I got in right before the school kids came to ruin the fun.  The North side gate is right next to the campground and provides two swimming holes.

Ok, back to the campground: the main building is where they have the office, restrooms, game room and showers behind the building.  The camp offers firewood and ice deliveries to your camp for a fee.

There are animals of plenty in this campground.  They use animals to curb the bugs and overgrowth.  Most of them roam free for parts of the day.  And I do have to say that the animals are doing a great job.  So far I've seen pigs, goats, a donkey, chickens, guineafowl, cats and dogs.  When I was here they had just purchased a new flock of baby chickens and turkeys.  All of the animals are either friendly or a tad skittish, so respect their space.

Sites offered are either primitive, camping with electric or with water and electric.  There are two community sinks with potable water.  There is also a dump station if you're into that sort of thing.  There's only one toilet per gender and two showers out back.  I can see how that would be a problem at the height of the season but I had absolutely no trouble with it while visiting during the week in late May.

The only thing I didn't enjoy about this campground was the incredibly fine sand it has.  I've only been in Florida for two days so I don't know if that's common or not.  It's not a mark against the campground, cuz nature, just something to think about especially if it will rain during your stay or if you have a large RV.

I am excited to have added my first campground to the Dyrt Community, and look forward to many more. 

I will admit that booking this campground gave me anxiety. It was several hours from home, and a reservation guaranteed a site, not a specific site. Having a family of five and two in laws in tow, it is usually more reassuring to pick out your site. I had found this site simply from Kym (manager) responding to a post in a local Facebook camping group. I thought she seemed nice, and the campground seemed rustic and welcoming. I decided to book us in for two nights over the Veteran's weekend (Sunday/Monday). 

The booking process was very simple and old school. I emailed what we wanted, and they replied that they had availability and sent a link for the $20 secure site fee (we had electric/water, so this is required). It can be paid via Venmo or Paypal. They are old school and work via cash, so do not plan on using a card. Hit the ATM before you get close. We arrived a little later than we wanted (around 6:30). It was pretty dark. We followed the sign in the office to the host camp, right behind the rec hall. It was simple. The check in process took all of five minutes and we were sent to our site, which was 17 and right next to the rec hall and bonfire pit. We also ordered up two piles of firewood to start. They charge $5 (cash) and deliver right to your site. 

We couldn't see the site well since it was dark, but it was clearly huge. We had no issue setting up our 12 man and 4 man tents with plenty of space to spare. When we woke up in the morning, we realized that we could have easily slept 50 people or more at our site. The site was private (cars provide a nice wall from the single opening) and wooded. They provided two tables (not crappy ones) and a big fire ring. The site had several trees that were good for hammocks or clothes lines. The water and electric were in a pretty logical spot and could easily reach anywhere in the site with a long enough hose or cord. 

The campground itself is really no frills. They have a rec hall with OLD arcade games (this is a good thing), pool, foosball and air hockey. They have a jukebox with some country and rock choices to get your bones moving. The bathrooms are single person, one for each sex. They are kept immaculate. I ran into the grounds woman, and noted to her that I had never seen a place kept so clean. She told me that she is a retired nurse, so it makes sense. They also have two single showers. This is camping, not the Ritz. It is exactly what is needed. 

We did not run into any wildlife issues. We did have a lot of bees, but they were not too bad. Ants were abundant, but again, this is Florida. The hosts were very nice and humble, and provided local recommendations for tubing and canoeing. The roads are well maintained and the place shows an overall sense of love. They are located just a minute down the road from the North entrance of the State Park.  We look forward to coming back here in the future.