We're here to help you find where to go horse camping in Apalachicola National Forest. Equestrian camping is the best way to experience nature. With our help, you'll find the best Florida equestrian campsites from scenic to easily accessible.
$8 - $10 / night
Explore a range of different ecosystems and enjoy the stunning views of Lake Talquin on the 1242-acre Fort Braden Tract. This recreation area features two designated Trailwalker trails and one Trailtrotter trail.
Three hiking trail loops range from 3 to 5 miles in length and are moderately strenuous, with steep inclines and narrow footing in some areas.
Two equestrian trail loops each extend 5 to 6 miles in length. Riders should expect an amazing trail that will include low-water crossings, inclines and winding trails. NOTE: All horses must have proof of current negative Coggins test results when on state lands. All children under the age of 16 are required to wear a protective helmet while riding on state lands.
Primitive campsites for both individual and group camping are available. Campers must obtain a State Forest Use Authorization for overnight camping from the Lake Talquin headquarters on Geddie Road.
Facilities include picnic pavilions and a trail head restroom.
$10 - $30 / night
Scout
Nothing fancy, but a nice spot to stay. They do have bathrooms and shower which are clean. They also have FHU, W/E and primitive. It is located on a busy HWY 98 so there is traffic noise during the day. St. Marks wildlife refuge is right across the street and Wakulla Springs is about 10 minutes down the road.
Guide
A fantastic stay over all. About a mile hike in. Primitive, which is exactly what we wanted. Fetch your own water from the lake. No modern amenities. Brilliant view of Lake Talquin, right on the water. Thickly treed so hanging hammocks and bear lines was no problem. Brilliant quiet spot, mostly, I’ll get to that in a bit. Even got a visit from your friendly neighborhood alligator in the middle of the night, which when I realized after the fact what the sound was was terrifying. Lol. Steep bank on this sight though so fewer worries about him actually visiting camp. Fabulous spot for fishing and camping. But, and this is the one star off, the camp sites are about 30 feet off the trail. So there is virtually no privacy. Makes… let’s use the euphemism “#2”… a bit challenging. The trail wasn’t heavily trafficked but it was travelled so we had maybe 9 or 10 people pass the site over the course of the weekend. If you can tolerate that I’d say put it on your list.
Traveler
We primitive camped at Tates Hell for 4 nights at the end of March 2021. Our campsite was awesome! We could drive right up to it, it was clean with no junk in the firepit & it was good, level ground, & very private & inexpensive. The bathrooms/showers were less than 6 months old & were very clean. The caretakers were close to the bathroom & were very kind & attentive but very non-intrusive. The water was just a few yards away with a boat launch so we could launch our kayaks. If you like seafood & oysters, there are a few really good, reasonably priced restaurants just a few miles away, along with grocery shopping. Highly recommend & we are planning to return.
ScoutBooked for one night at Tate’s Hell Womack Creek, and we will be back! This is a great location for people who truly love nature, and the water. Don’t take the dirt road all the way there, keep going on hey 68 until you get to Rock Landing on the right, then take that road down to Jeff Sanders, take that left, it’s easier that way rather than taking the dirt road all the way. Campsites are not that big, and moderately close together. However, the facilities were immaculate, and the campground hosts were beyond hospitable, and friendly. Would recommend for people who like to tent/car camp, kayak, fish, boat, anything truly nature related!
RangerAt over 200,000 acres, Tate's Hell is the second largest State Forest in Florida, second only to Blackwater River State Forest in Santa Rose County. That's Hell is located off of U>S> Highway 98 in Franklin County, between the Apalachicola and Ochlockonee rivers. Check out The Ledgend of Tate's Hell on the State Forest webpage, https://www.fdacs.gov/Forest-Wildfire/Our-Forests/State-Forests/Tate-s-Hell-State-Forest.
For roughing it in the woods, nothing I have found beats Tate's Hell. With 36 primitive campgrounds (tent space, fire ring, and picnic table) with multiple campsites and 4 campgrounds with facilities (restrooms and some RV sites) there is plenty of room to camp and explore Tate's Hell.
The Womack Creek campground, where I spent one night, has both RV and tent campsites and a boat ramp with access to Womack Creek.
Recreation opportunities include the High Bluff Coastal Hiking Trail which is part of the Forest Service's Trailwalker Program.
LegendCalled ahead and booked a tent site at this county campground.
Brian and Betty were the hosts (BnB!). Brian was very nice on the phone and didn't even come around to collect $!
In fairness, I was there for a short time and dropped the appropriate fare by the door of their RV on my way out.
Nice bathroom facilities gave me the chance to clean up.
There's a boat ramp within walking distance if you've got one!
GuideWomack Creek Primitive Sites- Some have electricity hook ups, and some do not. Only one site on the whole property has water. If you want to get away from it all, this site is for you! Just note that "non-potable water" means that there isn't any, not that you cannot drink it. There is one road in, and its the same road out. Beautiful untouched nature. The bathroom is small but adequate and there is a boat ramp. They are clearly doing some work to upgrade picnic tables and sites.
You'll see lots of stars on a clear night and will not be disturbed by the rest of the world!
GuideWe stayed at Tate’s Hell for a night after spending time at the Saint George Island beach.
We got lost driving in! When going to the dwarf cypress boardwalk, google maps routed us through a swamp! It was helpful to grab a map. Roads can be bumpy so take it slow!
We stayed at pidcock 49 and it was lovely. Beautiful sunset. Grill, table and just the sights!
It was hunting season so we did see/hear hunters! It came out to be a total of ~$15 including transaction fee.
Legend$33 for one night, $22 plus reservation fees & taxes. Hard to find on gps, use directions from your reservation confirmation email. Moving on. Lovely site, this has electricity but fairly rustic apart from that. Would return.
Coordinates are
30.001026153564453, -84.53910827636719
Guide
Marcie is the owner of this rescue ranch. She’s just starting out having RV’s come in (we were her 4th). There’s power and water hookups, but no dumping stations yet. She runs a quaint rescue ranch for various animals. At the time we were there (8/14/20) she had 21 horses, a Bantam rooster, two pot bellied pigs (one that looks pregnant), a pregnant goat, a bull and a dairy cow (also pregnant ) and three dogs; one if which was an adorable Great Pyrenees puppy that she saved from deaths door). She also offers guided trail rides in the adjacent state park (we only spent the night, so we did not do that). You really can’t beat it fir $25.00 a night!Note: the road into her ranch is pretty rough and beat up, so use caution and go slowly. Make sure you bring plenty of carrots and apples for the animals! Feeding them was a big highlight of our stay!
TravelerThis is the area where Tarzan was filmed and located across the street from St Marks State Park and on the St Marks RV with boat ramp. Sites run around $17 and there is centrally located bathroom and shower facilities. Less than 100 sites and away from the rush of humanity.
ScoutTate's Hell State Forest is a primitive dispersed camping area slightly north the Gulf of Mexico in the Florida Panhandle region. Instead of a single campground with multiple sites, Tate's Hell provides individual camps sites through out the forest, many of which are along the Carabelle River. Sites offer fire ring, picnic table and cleared tent area. All sites are accessed by dirt roads that are fairly well maintained. Many of these sites can accommodate a popup or RV, but there are no electrical, water or sewage hook ups in the state forest. If you are looking for an authentic backwoods, roughing it camping experience - this is your place!
Sites can be reserved 1 877 879 3859. The regional ranger station is located at 290 Airport Rd, Carrabelle, FL 32322.
LegendThree wonderful loop trails 2 primitive camp sites and a great view through the trees. Camping was in the Center and West loops with 2 of the 3 sites being near the lake (the third site was in the center of hte Center Loop and for groups). Nice elevation changes (refreshing for Florida hiking)
It took us an extra try to find this location - first our directions lead us to the Lines Tract - great for biking and bike camping - but not so much for hiking and camping. Make sure you review your directions because there is not much of a signal out there. There are 5 separate tracts to this forest.
When we finally got to the correct location the hike was beautiful. We chose the 2 campsites that were near the water for our stay (but a bit of a steep drop off (you do not want to fall in - we were told lots of gators hand along the shore). The shore was fish-able though. Lots of frogs to sing us to sleep. There was some boat activity on the lake, but not as much as I expected. You do have to watch your step - this is prime copperhead territory.
Primitive campsites were small and cozy. There was a group site in between that was very nice and we were told was often used by youth groups. Was worth the hike in and we had a lot of down time to relax even hiking all 3 loops. Was nice to have sit down quiet time. only saw 3 other people in the 3 days we were there.
Call ahead for your camping permit!
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular equestrian campsite near Apalachicola National Forest?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular equestrian campground near Apalachicola National Forest is Tate's Hell State Forest with a 4.4-star rating from 7 reviews.
What is the best site to find equestrian camping near Apalachicola National Forest?
TheDyrt.com has all 4 equestrian camping locations near Apalachicola National Forest, with real photos and reviews from campers.
