Best Campgrounds near Hilliard, FL

Should you find yourself near the FL / GA line and are on the lookout for a classic natural surrounding that is unique to Georgia, check out Charlton Co Traders Hill Recreation Area & Campground for ample Ancient and Live Oaks dripping with Spanish Moss. As my post from a bit more than a year ago provided quite a bit of detail on this campground, I’m following up on that review by sharing more fotos as well as providing a topline update: 

Highlights: (1) Great boat dock with EZ boat / kayak access; (2) Substantial peace & quiet;(3) Nice level ground to park an RV; (4) This place is very affordable for both residents and visitors; (5) Excellent boat ramp with quick & EZ access to dark frackish waters; (6) Decent fishing pier and solid nature trails; and (7) Small CG market 

Lowlights: (1) The restroom and shower facilities are some of the worst I’ve ever seen; (2) You will be covered by so much shade you will be convinced that the sun isn’t out; (3) The grounds could have been better groomed – there were a lot of downed tree branches, leaves and other debris; (3) You will want to drive very slow and cautiously on the roads here as you will be greeted by some serious potholes; and (4) Apart from the little CG market, which doesn’t have a whole lot, there’s nothing around this area if you need to load up on supplies or food, so bring what you need with you 

Happy Camping!

For SP's like this, there should really be a 6 star rating for this park to be properly ranked! I don’t think I’ve ever come across anything quite like Crooked River State Park located in SE Georgia – and the more I poked around as I explored the massive grounds of this gem and asked from the local rangers, the more and more impressed I became.  Whether driving an RV, toting a 5th Wheel or looking to pitch a tent, either in an established, traditional campground setting or in a primitive hike-in oasis, you won't have any issues finding the perfect spot to get lost in nature here at Crooked River SP.

While this SP lends itself moreso to the RV’ing crowd (the # of RV spots seriously outweighed the # of tent campsites), there are several very decent options for tent campers like myself, who either want to drive in or, for those who prefer to add a bit more struggle and discomfort to their nature experience, they also offer primitive or pioneer tent camping as well. Bordering the, um, well, crooked river, the campgrounds have a fantastic river view (as well as excellent water access points, for those hauling boats, flotillas and yachts behind their vehicle) – and check this out: there’s even a bait shop near the boat launch run by the SP, so no need to dig up your own bait before arriving here.

Surrounding you throughout the entire park are fantastic amounts of vegetation, trees accompanied by plenty of four-legged furry critters, high-flying foul as well as even a honey farm, where the rangers make and sell some of the most amazing honey on-premises. When is the last time you were able to buy honey from a park ranger at any state park?!

Oh, but it gets better – especially if you’re coming here in a big group: (1) You can rent the entire pioneer camp area (that’s 3 sites somewhat removed from the general population, that can easily accommodate up to 5 families; (2) There’s 5-6 group shelters (and by shelter, I don’t just mean an open-walled shelter with a few picnic tables) that look brand spanking new and come complete with a ton of amenities, including 4 walls, their own bathrooms and meeting rooms; and (3) Group activities, like visiting the Nature Center (yes, they have one of these too), the Bird Outlook Landing (for those folks that like to use their binoculars) and Miniature Golf. Wait, did he just say, Miniature Golf?!  In a State Park?!  Why yes, I did.  And the ranger I spoke of previously will rent you clubs and a golf ball at a price that is so incredibly cheap, you’ll be tempted to rent them throughout your entire stay.

For those families or groups who like the idea of going camping, but who actually don’t want to camp, but receive all of the benefits of camping and being in the middle of nature, but who want all of the uncomfortableness removed from the equation, then the SP rents either stand alone houses (I almost called them cabins, but they’re not - they’re actually houses) or duplexes. Both have access to a screened-in lanai (you know, to get away from those pesky bugs you might actually encounter out in the wild) as well as a brand new playground for the kiddos.

While we’re on the subject of "Wow, I can’t believe SP's actually have this!" line of descriptions, here I will add that the restroom facilities might be the most immaculate I have ever come aross (sorry, Van Damme in Cali, these guys here in Georgia have you beat, but just by a small bit, as they don’t charge you 5 quarters for a 5 minute shower – yes, the state actually gives you a free shower if you pay the price of admission).  

But the excitement and surprises don’t stop here.  No, things get even better!  This campground even offers a curated sunset cruise aboard one of their very own skiffs (comfortably accommodating families up to 6 people) and will let you actually bring a bit of booze on the cruise (6-pack or a bottle of wine – but I got a ‘wink wink’ when I asked about a flask of alcohol, so be discreet, homies), but be sure to tip your ranger captain, as these outdoor experts are truly in a league of their own.

From well paved roads, to immaculately kept grounds, this place has so much to offer just about anyone who is looking to do some 'outdoorsing,' but wants a premium, well-groomed experience. Here's the straight truth about this Crooked environ: I can’t wait to get back to this place soon. 

Happy Camping!

With an Australian theme (yeah, Walkabout didn’t initially impress upon me that Aussies were in our own backyard, silently and slowly planning to take over the country, one RV park at a time, but they’re here – and actually pretty nice!), complete with street names hailing aboriginal animal names, such as Kangaroo Lane, Kuala Bear Drive (OK, you get the picture), this place is very well kept, has decent open spaces and feels somewhat communal. 

You’ll go for a decent drive to the middle of nowhere to find this spot, but it’s pretty well worth it. Here you’ll find amenities such as a decent size pool that is very well maintained, an actual petting zoo complete with egg-laying chickens, 'all-eating' goats (that also serve as non-stop lawn mowers) and a raccoon dressed up like a Kuala Bear (OK, that last one isn’t true, but I wouldn’t have been surprised if I had seen one). For the kiddos, there’s a play area, slides, swings and a big tire hanging from the tree just begging to be pushed around.  There's also a beach volleyball, pickleball and basketball courts for fun diversions of any age.

The space itself is just a simple single loop with a couple dozen or so slots for the RV-minded camper offering all of the standard FHUs.  There's a proper clubhouse complete with stand-up bar along with excellent laundry facilities as well as a complete gym along with complimentary WiFi (that was spotty at best).  The residents were all very welcoming and get together just about every night for a proper sundowner near the pool where the Aussies who run the place, come out and tell stories from their fabled lands. 

Happy Camping!

This hike-in only campground is but one of two such campgrounds that you’ll find here at Phillips Branch Crossing in Jennings State Forest. To reach Mule Landing Campground, you’ll have to first park in the Phillips Branch Crossing parking lot and from there, you’ll just want to follow the Dunns Farm Trail, passing the first campground (Dunn Farms) after about 1/3 of a mile in, where you’ll need to keep hiking for another mile until you reach the banks of the slow-moving Black Creek. You’ll wind around and ascend a slight incline before reaching Mule Landing, but trust me, if you are looking for one of the best private hike-in campgrounds, you’ve just arrived.

Like every primitive campground I’ve ever experienced, this one is no different and offers very little in the way of amenities, but what this place lacks in accoutrement, it more than makes up for by the simply pristine slice of nature that you’ll find yourself surrounded by. There’s enough room here for 2, maybe 3 small-to-medium sized tents with fairly level ground that is softened by all the downed leaves. There’s a single fire ring with a fold-over grill grate and a handful of logs to use for firewood. You’ll discover that there’s also this really cool bartop table with a matching bench that is perfect for whipping up a cocktail or eating dinner from. You’ll discover what looks to be like a trail heading west and away from the campground, but when I took it, this deadends, which might make me think this was created as a latrine of sorts. There was also a large 10 gallon blue Lowe’s plastic bucket that had been strategically left behind in case you wanted to bring some water from the nearby creek up to cook with or even drink (providing of course that you treat the water first). Oh, and there’s this simply sterling wooden bench (that I think our friends at TheDyrt planted here) overlooking the Black Creek at a place called Osteen Overlook that offers a great vantage point, which reads: “Of all the paths you take in life, make sure a few are Dirt.”

Insider’s tips? There’s just a few here:(1) You really want to stay on the trails at all times as there are both deer ticks and rattlesnakes in these parts that, trust me, you don’t want to come into contact with; (2) While you might be thinking about biking on this long trail to make quicker time getting to Mule Campground, you can’t bike on any of the hiking trails here – but even if you could, take my word for it, you wouldn’t want to as the terrain is tough with decent inclines and declines, on top of what can be some rough footing on account of the tree roots; and (3) From this CG to Black Creek is only about 60 or so yards that you’ll have to navigate a set of handcrafted stairs and while we couldn’t find a decent place for a kayak or canoe to land here, I’m sure that there’s a spot nearby if you looked close enough – so rather than hiking in, you might be able to simply float your way here, but I would definitely call the FL State Ranger and inquire about this.

Happy Camping!

Great view of the lake from Site 11. Office staff and hosts were all very pleasant and have done a good job keeping things clean. Bathrooms/Showers were clean if well-worn. We walked the reasonably short hiking trail to the boardwalk which crosses the lake. WiFi worked well.

I have stayed at this campground several times. The bathrooms are always clean and showers are great. It is bikeable with trails and road bike options to town.

This is such a beautiful park! The grounds were always clean. The trails were always clean. The boardwalk was significantly damaged by hurricane Helene, so part of that trail is closed. It’s quiet and dark at night. We loved sitting at the gazebo and just watching the water. It’s so nice to see the playground area for the kids. They even have an outdoor workout gym area. There are a ton of places to sit under pavilions. The outdoor areas are so amazing.

I wish I knew more about our site when I booked it. Our site was very unlevel thanks to tree roots. How dare they grow there. 🤣🤣 Our site did not have any room in the back and it was oddly placed with two other sites. Thankfully we had nice neighbors, so it wasn’t a concern. I felt bad sitting near our rug because we were looking into the back of another RV. I didn’t want them to feel creeped out by us, so we tried to put our chairs at the front of our RV. We also had a power line in our spot, so we had to go at an angle to stay clear of it. If we go back, I would definitely go for a spot on the outer ring. I do have to say, this is the only park we’ve been to where people just cut through sites to get over to the bathhouse. We were sitting outside and people were only a few feet away from us to cut through. I know it’s not a written rule, but just etiquette. They easily could’ve walked ten feet to the right to cut through the empty space instead of our site.

The bathhouse near our site is definitely on the older side (we didn’t investigate the other one since it wasn’t near us). The water pressure was on the lower end and one showers was missing a shower head. Yes, we use the bathhouse because there are four of us and our site did not have full hookups. We also prefer to stretch out in the shower versus the tiny shower in our RV. That is our choice. They do have washers ($0.75) and dryers ($1.00).

The camp hosts were nice. All of the state park employees were very nice and helpful.

First of all we stayed during thanksgiving week. The amount of families and kids having fun and exploring nature was so refreshing! The check in was quick and easy. Even though I messed up my reservation the campground made the accommodations available work for myself, my partner, and our dog. The walk from the camp to the beach was short and the bathhouse was close and clean as well! This was a great experience for us and a place every family should visit and try.

This campsite has it all. Full hookups, plenty of space, a gorgeous view, ample lounge areas, and a fantastic host. I have stayed here twice in girls’ trips and always felt incredibly safe.

I stopped here to stay overnight on a Thursday as I was passing through. There was only one camper but did not know that until I left the next morning. It was quiet and felt secluded. The sites were close as you would normally get in an established campground but there was plenty of brush to separate each site.

I tried to get reservations on the state park website and kept getting an error message. On further investigation it appears they closed in Feb 2024 because of erosion. I'll keep checking and will update this review if/when they reopen.