7 campgrounds with availability this weekend
Tent campgrounds near Interlachen, Florida offer a mix of primitive and established sites within several nearby state forests and conservation areas. Etoniah Creek State Forest Green Camp provides tent camping sites with picnic tables and fire rings about 4 miles in on bikeable hard roads from the Palatka-Lake Butler Bike trail. Lake Delancy East NF Campground, located in the Ocala National Forest, offers primitive tent camping with vault toilets and some basic amenities for those seeking more secluded experiences.
Most tent sites in this region have minimal amenities but often include fire rings with cooking grates and picnic tables. Campers planning overnight stays should bring their own water or purification systems, as drinking water is scarce at many locations. Several campgrounds feature vault toilets that are maintained regularly but lack shower facilities. The terrain typically consists of flat, sandy soil with pine needle ground cover, providing reasonable drainage during Florida's frequent afternoon thunderstorms. Summer camping requires preparation for heat and insects, with most experienced campers recommending battery-operated fans for tents.
Walk-in tent locations throughout the region provide more isolation from vehicle traffic and crowds. A recent review noted that at Etoniah Creek State Forest, "Campgrounds are about 4 miles in on bikeable hard roads. Six sites have picnic tables, lots of room, fire ring with grate, bbq grills, a latrine nearby." The Florida Trail passes through several of these camping areas, making them popular with hikers seeking overnight stops. Bayard Conservation Area offers riverside tent campsites that can be accessed via a 3.3-mile hike, featuring fire pits with cooking grates and picnic benches. Wildlife viewing opportunities are abundant, with campers regularly spotting deer, osprey, owls and other forest inhabitants. Fall through spring provides the most comfortable tent camping conditions, with temperatures and bug pressure significantly reduced compared to the summer months.
"Just off the Palatka-Lake Butler Bike trail. Campgrounds are About 4 miles in on bikeable hard roads. Six Sites have picnic tables, lots of room, fire ring with grate, bbq grills, a latrine nearby."
"Located just about 20 minutes due northwest of Palatka – dubbed ‘Florida’s State Farmers Market’ where you will easily discover that this north central town is teeming with fresh agriculture every which"
from $9 / night
"Very nice Primitive campground . Great shade trees and tent spots. Has vault bathrooms that are kept pretty clean. No running water but has a hand pump well."
"The Florida trail is close by."
"This very unassuming county-run wildlife area sits on 13,000+ acres of thick wilderness and wetlands offering a number of different hiking trails, like Outhouse Hammock Loop, which is medium-grade level"
from $10 - $60 / night
"We hiked the beach pioneer trail and really enjoyed ourselves. The campsite is about a mile in and has a picnic table and fire ring. There is a stream nearby for water."
"With 16 campsite each being semi private you will love the sounds of t h e wind in the trees and hawks flying over. Each has tent pad, In ground grill and picnic table."
Available this weekend
from $9 / night
"It is a track of land that has many hiking trails that traverse through shaded pine forests, hammocks, marsh, and river areas. "
"Hiked in about 3.3 miles, but OnX user beware, trust the trail’s red marks, not the trail marked on most maps! Part of the trail was reblazed to go around a washed out section."
from $9 / night
"There are multiple hiking trails, and plenty of places to fish. Dock Site 2 had water on 2 side of the site, and had a steady breeze during our whole visit."
"You’ll see from the photos (all taken from my site) that the sites are expansive and beautifully shaded."
from $20 / night
GuideA “real Florida” campground originally built by the CCC. Sites are decent size with typical Florida flora between the sites for some privacy. 30 amp/water hookups on site. Roads are hard pack sand/gravel and not real smooth. A nice family campground for smaller size rigs. A playground accessible to most sites and classic bathhouse with showers is conveniently located. Lots of hiking trails. There’s an orange tree on my site!
GuideI liked this park it is large, lots to explore. We took our dog on her first camping trip and she was fantastic. I would like to go back without her though because I think I could hike better without her. There are a number of trails, but it rained for some of our stay so we getting get away from our camp too much. It was still lovely. I think a trip back is in order because we definitely didn’t experience all we would like to have experienced. We had our kayaks but since we had the dog we didn’t go. But I can see us returning for more adventures. We did walk over the suspension bridge, that was beautiful, a nice after the rain thing to do.
GuideMy husband and I went here for a long weekend, it was a really nice park we saw a lot of deer. There is 4+ miles of the Florida State Trail that runs through this park that we hiked. The terrain changes multiple times giving you a nice change in scenery. There is a ravine there too. The staff was great, and the facilities were clean. You can buy patches there too if you like to collect patches (or stickers) from the State Parks. And if you have the Florida State Park passport they have a stamp. It’s a good sized park and kept us busy.
TravelerWe are in the tent section and the site is secluded with a forest feel. Rustic. The comfort station is clean and could use a little updating but works fine
LegendWhat you will enjoy most about the Pellicer Campground is that it is the tiniest of all the camping areas here at Princess Place Preserve, offering up just 2 campsites. That said, IMHO Pellicer is the best of all the camping options here, for a few reasons. First of all, it’s size alone gives it a real sense of privacy along with that comes next to no noise (unless you count the constant drumming of the choir from the cicadas noise). If you don’t keep your eyes peeled, you will drive right by Pellicer Campground, so once you’ve entered Princess Place Preserve proper, meaning that you will have passed through an actual gate (likely open if during day hours) and you’ll go around the bend past the horse staging area on your left and just when you see the covered bridge, you will want to hang a left (if you cross the covered bridge, you’ve gone too far).
Camping here is fairly basic and primitive with just water spigots, fire ring and designated trash receptacles as well as a duo port-O-potty. Also, there is an eerie feeling of desolation when we visited as this part of the preserve had recently undergone a controlled burn, which simply adds to the mystique and uniqueness to the place in my mind. What I absolutely loved about Pellicer Campground is that either site#1 or #2 comes with its very own kayak / canoe launch and offers a really exclusive access point to the waterways you’ll discover here – whereas the main kayak / canoe launch across the bridge and closer to Moody CG will dump you out in the largeness of the Matanzas River, But here at Pellicer, you’ll slowly slip into one of the many small tributaries that zig zag throughout Princess Place Preserve like a water snake. The other upside locating yourself here at Pellicer Campground is that you will be centrally located to everything that Princess Place Preserve has to offer, so nothing is too far out of reach.
As far as Princess Place Preserve itself is concerned, there are more than 1,500 square acres to explore that will offer the best of both surf (with 3 conjoining rivers) & turf (which is simply fantastic marsh). On the surf front, you’ll have the trifecta of salt marshes from the Matanzas River, slow-moving currents of the Moody Creek and abundant fishing of the Pellicer Creek to contend with – all three of which make for perfect kayak, canoe and paddleboard exploration (just be on the watch for alligators!). Back on land, there’s plenty of hiking trails that provide a bevy of well-cleared fully-functioning foot paths … while on the other hand, you will discover trails that are in dire need of some decent pruning as well as those, due to recent rainfall, will be either flooded or too muddy to trudge through.
History sidebar: the name Princess Preserve comes from the widow Angela Cutting who remarried a Russian prince and assumed the title of princess (although there was no coronation). The entire park is managed by Flagler County Parks & Recreation, which I have to say (apart from the bathroom / shower facilities) have done an outstanding job at not just preserving this amazing nature destination, but the county is in overdrive in its restoration efforts of the place, as you will see with the main lodge and nearby buildings and horse stable that have recently received a very nice refurbishment.
Insider’s tips? Here’s a smattering: (1) Here at Pellicer Campground, you will not be impressed by the port-O-potty bathroom options, but if you cross the covered bridge, you can either head towards the main lodge where to the left is a fairly decent restroom facility, but if you’re looking for a nice hot shower, you will have to make your way over to the Equestrian Campground, so this is the one (fairly massive) downside to Princess Place Preserve – just one shower facility in the entirety of the Preserve, which I score just a 5 out of 10; (2) Everywhere you go the water is non-potable, so be sure to bring your own fresh water to drink; (3) Interested in taking advantage of the historic tours that are offered here? Just note that they are first-come, first-served, so upon arriving here, be sure to ask a Park Ranger for first availability – typically, the tours are offered each day around 2pm; (4) If you are a biker, like I am, you will definitely want to bring your wheels here, where all of the main roads and even most of the trails are simply perfect for riding on and the expansive nature of Princess Place Preserve will give you miles and miles to explore without biking on the same trail twice!; (5) When you want to get cleaned up and venture out to visit some of the nearby haunts, be sure to check out Rodie’s Place in Hammock Beach, which is a funky local cooking institution that has an amazing upscale menu of which I highly recommend the skillet baked brie, Nashville hot chicken sandwich and the homemade coleslaw; and (6) My pro-tip for Pellicer CG is this - call ahead to verify that the road into this CG or the surrounding roadways aren't flooded - I've been here half a dozen times and at least half the time, the roads are inundated with water from the rivers, so tread carefully (or wear boots!).
Happy Camping!
ScoutWe are in a travel spot. Lots of highway noise. Pretty area mostly owners only
TravelerRoads are rough, Bathrooms are clean, host seemed like a good guy. Here during off season but the beach looked like fun
GuideSites have full hookups which is awesome for a state park. Also picnic tables, grills and a fire pit. The sites are big and relatively private. To visit the spring you can hike or drive. Being you camping receipt to get in free. Glass bottom boat tour is $15 for adults but there is a nice walking path and you can see manatees in the spring from the shore. The restaurant was nice, good pizza!
GuideSpent two nights here again. Sept. 27th and 28th. During the day time there were a lot of Love Bugs. My camping kitty loved chasing them. At night or at sun down I was bombarded with bugs. Even if I tried to attract them to a higher light and I was in the dark, didn't help. So this time of the year, sunset = go inside.
Also, the description above is wrong.
This dispersed camping area within Ocala National Forest DOES NOT provide water hookups, restrooms, and picnic tables along with standard amenities like trash service and campfire permissions.
The campground DOES NOT maintain water availability throughout the site and DOES NOT HAVE ANY clean restroom facilities.
Other than that, I will be back.
Primitive camping sites near Interlachen, Florida occupy pine flatwoods and riverfront areas across several wildlife management areas and state forests. The region sits at approximately 80 feet above sea level with sandy soils that support longleaf pine ecosystems. Summer temperatures regularly exceed 90°F with high humidity, while winter nights can drop into the 40s, making fall through early spring the preferred camping season for most outdoor enthusiasts.
Hiking forest trails: The Jennings State Forest trail system offers approximately 30 miles of marked paths through diverse ecosystems. "There are many well marked trails that run through the site as well as a fishing area and grills near the parking lot. The camping is hike in," notes reviewer Jenn B. The trails feature sandy terrain with occasional creek crossings.
Kayaking and canoeing: Waterways near tent campsites in the Interlachen area provide excellent paddling opportunities. At Camp Chowenwaw Park, "There is a fun trail to hike with a wooden bridge over the swamp. The camp has access to black creek and is fun for kayaking," according to Sean B. Many locations offer creek access for small watercraft.
Wildlife observation: Early morning and dusk provide prime wildlife viewing times at most Interlachen area campgrounds. At Bayard Conservation Area, campers report excellent sightings: "On our way to our campsite we were able to spot many animals including: deer, otter, turkey, and wild pigs," writes Jenn B. Bring binoculars for spotting birds and animals from a distance.
Secluded campsites: Many tent camping areas near Interlachen offer significant privacy between sites. At Jennings State Forest, "The sites are all on one loop, but there are trees and bushes separating each one for some privacy," notes Lizzy. This separation provides a more natural camping experience away from neighboring campers.
Riverside tent locations: Lake Delancy East NF Campground offers natural settings with water access. "Very nice Primitive campground. Great shade trees and tent spots. Has vault bathrooms that are kept pretty clean. No running water but has a hand pump well. Florida hiking trail is about 200 yards away," explains Daniel S. These waterfront sites typically fill quickly during peak season.
Basic amenities: Most primitive sites include essential facilities for comfort. At Bayard Conservation Area, "The campsites include a fire ring and a picnic table. The campsites have several different settings, but we chose the river view." The riverside campsite "includes plenty of space, a fire pit with cooking grates, and a picnic bench," adds Nate D.
Limited water access: Most primitive tent campsites near Interlachen require campers to bring their own water. At Lake Delancy East, one camper noted, "We found the pitcher pump for water, but wouldn't bring up water. So come prepped with your own." Plan to carry at least one gallon per person per day during hot months.
Wildlife encounters: Caravelle Ranch Wildlife Management Area and surrounding forests support active wildlife populations. "This very unassuming county-run wildlife area sits on 13,000+ acres of thick wilderness and wetlands offering a number of different hiking trails," reports Stuart K. Black bears inhabit many of these areas, requiring proper food storage techniques.
Seasonal considerations: Summer heat makes tent camping challenging without preparation. Thunderstorms occur frequently in afternoon hours, particularly from June through September. Winter camping can see nighttime temperatures in the 40s, requiring appropriate sleeping gear.
Unique accommodations: Camp Chowenwaw Park offers treehouse camping popular with families. "The treehouses were so fun to stay in and being higher up gave us chances of a breeze—many in our group brought battery operated fans," writes Jeanene A. Reservations for these unique sites should be made well in advance.
Swimming options: Several campgrounds provide swimming facilities for children. "The pool is a nice feature, you just be over age 18 and have your license with you to swim, which is weird," notes Kandi G. about Camp Chowenwaw Park. Many families also enjoy wading in shallow creek areas during warmer months.
Kid-friendly trails: Select shorter trail segments for children under 10. At Jennings State Forest, the Beach Pioneer Trail offers accessible hiking with camping options: "We hiked the beach pioneer trail and really enjoyed ourselves. The campsite is about a mile in and has a picnic table and fire ring," notes Sean B.
Primitive RV access: Few primitive camping areas near Interlachen accommodate larger recreational vehicles. At Etoniah Creek State Forest, the roads leading to campsites can be challenging. "Just off the Palatka-Lake Butler Bike trail. Campgrounds are About 4 miles in on bikeable hard roads," explains Brian K., suggesting smaller or off-road capable RVs work best.
Generator policies: Most primitive camping areas restrict generator use to specific hours or prohibit them entirely. Check individual campground regulations before arrival, as noise restrictions are strictly enforced in wildlife-rich areas.
Site selection: RVers should carefully research site dimensions and access roads before booking. Many forest roads have low-hanging branches that can damage taller vehicles, and sandy soil can pose traction challenges for heavier units after rain.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular tent campsite near Interlachen, FL?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Interlachen, FL is Etoniah Creek State Forest Green Camp with a 4.5-star rating from 2 reviews.
What is the best site to find tent camping near Interlachen, FL?
TheDyrt.com has all 47 tent camping locations near Interlachen, FL, with real photos and reviews from campers.
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