Are you planning a tent camping trip to Live Oak? We've got you covered. Find the best information on tent camping near Live Oak, including sites, reviews, and tips for getting the most out of your camping experience. Each tent site offers quick access to one or more of Live Oak, Florida's most popular destinations.
The Woods Ferry tract features a canoe launch and the first river camp on the Suwannee River Wilderness Trail. The river camp provides 5 sleeping platforms, a picnic pavilion, restrooms with hot showers, and a tent camping area. The Jerry Branch tract is a primitive recreation site. Visitors may enjoy biking, fishing, hiking, horseback riding, and wildlife viewing on administrative roads.
On the Holton Creek tract, visitors may enjoy fishing, as well as biking, fishing, hiking, horseback riding, and wildlife viewing on administrative roads. Hunting is for persons who are mobility-impaired. The Holton Creek River Camp is the second river camp between White Springs and Branford and provides 5 screened shelters, a picnic pavilion, restrooms with hot showers, and a tent-camping area.
CABIN LOOP
$100 / night
The Dowling Park River Camp is the third river camp between White Springs and Branford and provides 5 screened shelters, a picnic pavilion, restrooms with hot showers, and a tent-camping area.The Christian tract north river access point provides a canoe launch, and the south parking area overlooks Shirley Springs.
Visitors may enjoy fishing, as well as biking, hiking, horseback riding, and wildlife viewing on administrative roads.
On this primitive site, visitors may enjoy biking, hiking, horseback riding, and wildlife viewing on administrative roads. The Peacock Slough River Camp is the fourth river camp between White Springs and Branford and provides 5 sleeping platforms, a picnic pavilion, restrooms with hot showers, and a tent-camping area.
Located on the historic Suwannee River with Many Springs and historic areas to enjoy. Canoe, Kayak, fish, hike. Bring your horses and ride miles of trails on Water Management property.
$50 / night
Adams Tract is just a few miles upriver from Troy Spring State Park. It is located within a Suwanee River Water Management District Tract and provides ample hiking trails to explore throughout a longleaf pine community. There are some open, treeless areas of the camp that are ideal for stargazing with the nearest city lights miles away.
From Adams Tract, a 9.3 mile paddle will bring you to Branford.
We are a 12.5 acre campground on the Sante Fe River.
We have cabins as well as primitive car campsites directly on the river as well. See the following distances:
Ginnie Springs - 6 miles
Blue Springs - 9 miles
Ichetucknee Springs - 4 miles
Gainesville - 38 miles
Rum 138 - 8 miles
Lake City - 27 miles
White Springs - 38 miles
Branford - 13 miles
High Springs - 12 miles
Dollar General - 3 miles
Publix - 15 miles
Bobs River Place - 20 miles
$45 - $105 / night
Primitive camping area on the north edge of the Big Gum Swamp Wilderness.
$10 / night
Scout
First time, only been here a couple of days because of evacuation from Milton. Sites are nice size and some include a cabana. I suspect gets pretty busy during season. Strange there is no office.
Guide
I love KOA because they are consistent… And I have a membership that gives me a bit of a discount. I find they are a good value as a rule. This one was really a surprise for the area which did not look that special but the KOA was so bright and cheery and wonderful. We’ve enjoyed it. They had great pull through a dog park lots of amenities and a super great park.
LegendI have camped at many KOA campgrounds, and periodically, I've come across a shining star. This is one of those times. The staff at check-in was terrific, friendly, and just loved what they were doing. The campsites are well-spaced. The facilities are clean. My site A9 was a back-in site, newly added, with a gravel base, perfectly level, full hookups, and 96 channels of crystal clear cable TV. The internet speed was over the top. I was there for two nights and even got to spend time at the local bluegrass festival.
Legend
I imagine that Suwannee Music Park Campground was borne out of the wonderful brainchild idea of someone who was fortunate enough to attend the original Woodstock back in ’69 and after leaving the upstate NY experience, woke up 3,000 miles away here on the shores of the Suwannee and said to themselves,“hey, why not try to create that experience here in NW Florida?!” And thus, this nature-embracing outdoor musical playground was given birth.
Let’s begin with the sheer size of this place: with 800+ acres and over 600 campsites to choose from, this thickly wooded sprawling campground expanse is massive. And when it comes to the camping itself, no matter what type you might be thinking of - from RV and 5th Wheelers to those towing Horse Trailers and, Primitive Camping and Treehouses as well as Cabins for lease, every type of outdoor camping is offered here.
The major attraction here, apart from the live music performances that get booked very frequently in this camping outpost, is the direct access you’ll have to the historic Cypress tree-lined Suwannee River, which is nothing short of fantastic if you enjoy paddling a kayak or canoe. If you are looking for something just as active but different, there’s a dedicated disc golf course as well as endless miles of trails, perfect for hiking and biking.
Other amenities include: horse stables, children’s playground, covered pavilions, a bird sanctuary, chapel, small lake with fishing dock (catch & release only), bat house (apparently the largest in the US), tree house, craft village, boat launch, barn museum, drum circle, horse wash / manure disposal, arcade game room with pinball machine, live music pavilions, shelters, potable water stations, karaoke, riverside beach, viewable bee hives, golf cart rental, designated dump stations, WiFi, on-site cafe and general store (firewood, ice, beer, T-shirts, hats and caps), bar and music hall, pickin’ shed, geocaching, rock waterfall, first aid stations, swimming pool (that also serves up ice cream and pizza poolside), multiple music stages, restrooms and shower facilities and Suwannee River dock. For the RV crowd, Suwanee Music Park offers 20 / 30 / 50 amp electric, water and sewage hook-ups.
Insider’s tips? Here’s a handful: (1) Despite being pretty far removed from civilization for those really wanting to embrace a nice chunk of untouched nature, I have to admit this place was overwhelmed with golf carts when we visited, which really takes away from the ambiance of being out in nature in the first place IMHO. Many times this place felt more like the Villages (the world's largest and most well-heeled retirement community located south of here in central Florida) than a remote camping outpost; (2) Should you need anything, the town of Live Oak is just a 20 minute drive south of here wherein you’ll find just about everything you are looking for, including a Busy Bee for excellent bathrooms, showers and laundry facilities, Walmart Supercenter and Publix for groceries as well as just OK restaurants like Beef ‘O’ Brady’s, Zaxby’s and a Waffle House, but for actual really good food, keep on heading south to the center of town where you’ll find Big Wood BBQ & Grill, The 406 or Brown Lantern; (3) If you were fascinated by the drama, murder and mayhem on the Netflix series Tiger King, then head south of Live Oak to Mystic Jungle where you can see all of their amazing wild cats that normally you would only be able to see while on safari; (4) For my primitive tent pitching bredren, of all the amazing places to consider here, I would strongly recommend those primitive camping spots that are either located near the Bat House over just north and west of Farm Field or the primitive camping sites just east of Spirit Lake; (5) Only downsides include: very overcrowded in some places, lots of bugs (so be sure to bring the Citronella!), uneven land to pitch a tent in the primitive camping area, RV sites are pretty close to one another, WiFi is intermittent and weak in many places, ‘golf carts gone wild’ scenarios, lots of restrictions and rules (destroys that Woodstock vibe I thought we would find here), dated bathrooms will take you back to the 1970s; (6) Upsides include: incredibly friendly staff, very close to Highway 10 making this spot very easy and quick to access, incredibly well-stocked general store; and (7) For best bat viewing, come at dusk to watch them leave by the tens of thousands turning the sky dark, and then come before dawn to watch them all return while sipping your Americano in a lawn chair.
Happy Camping!
Traveler
Nice quite campground. Well maintain. Clean bathrooms and working laundry machines (1 each) 1.75 for wash and 1.75 for dry. Lake and beach access are nice and maintained.
GuideStayed in key west area. You can tell it was just opened because grass is still growing in. Staff was wonderful.
GuideSecond time here. Will be back
Ranger
Site# 54 Check in: 1pm Check out: 11am Full hook- up Easy to level Gravel back-in (Most, if not all sites are Buddy sites - so be prepared to face a neighbor you do not know. -We were literally looking at each other for ten weeks - with us having two dogs and neighbors having three dogs-complete bark fest). We were so close our awnings would not go out all the way or we would touch.
Lot is Shaded with lots of trees. Not a big lot since you have to share space with your neighbor
Located in the middle of nowhere- Dollar General is four miles away and Walmart is 11 miles (doesn’t seem far but on all back roads, it takes a while) Closest highway (75) is 45 miles away & I-90 is an hour
Zero WiFi or Zero cell service (1 tiny bar but not enough to do a basic internet search) - once we purchased Starlink ($599), we were able to stream. No Cable TV- limited channels No Outdoor kitchen No Outdoor community sinks to clean big pots
They do not pickup garbage at site daily, Must walk to garbage dumpster - not too far
Allowed to ride personal golf carts
Not Able to rent golf carts or pedal bikes from them
Golf cart not really needed- smaller campground
Indoor heated Swimming pool
Natural Spring within park but due to rain & flooding of the Suwannee River over the ten weeks we were there, we were unable to access the spring or experience kayaking or the few amenities of the park. Very disappointing.
Had a Playground
No Bocce ball, shuffleboard, There was basketball court and volleyball court.
Good general store with basics No Activity Center for kids Unsure if there are activities for kids (there were not from January-March). There is not a snack bar/restaurant . Not a Game room, putt putt, or jumping pad for kids No Workout room
Streets are gravel/sand -not great for riding bikes in campground Great places to ride bikes outside of campground (not near this campground) though- look for Nature Coast State Trail
Lots of cabin and tent space Individual bathrooms with own sink, shower, toilet & clean
Laundry machines (one washer & one dryer) per bathhouse- only two bath houses
Dog area - not fenced in - they have a huge field behind the campground that they keep the outside mowed & is a great place to walk dogs
There were not bugs/flies initially but as it has started warming up, it has slowly gotten worse
There were trails to hike off of the campground.
The most disappointing aspect is that they were selling presidential hats in the general store. One - politics and recreation don’t go together and two- if you’re going to sell one candidate but not the other, you’re a biased business
LegendSuch a fun time at the Forest Festival. Walked to it from the KOA. Didn’t use laundry but nice facilities and pool & hot-tub are clean and nice! Cute playground! Our site was my favorite yet! Cows and horses are on the property behind the KOA & come up to site 27! The site also has a swing and sunrise and sunsets are so beautiful across the pasture. The bench, table, fire ring at the site, is amazing! Staff is friendly and the store is stocked and cute. Mosquitos are bad so we had to use lots of bug spray.
Traveler
This is the second time that we've been back to the state park and we love it more every time. Bath houses are clean, lots of wooded spaces, plenty of trails for biking or hiking. Appreciated the history of the old town which is within walking distance of the campsites. We also enjoyed the geological mystery of a river vanishing before our eyes!
There are signs at the bathhouse about ticks. Take heed of them! I am sure we are in the height of season, but it was really bad if you went on any of the trails. Thankful the dog is on tick meds!
We cycled from OLeno to Ichetukee Springs. 30 miles round trip! Next time we will leave early, bring swim gear and enjoy a float trip in that area.
Ranger
Selected campground based on proximity to interstate. Loud traffic drove us to stay inside our camper instead of enjoying outside.
Site was unlevel and took three boards to fix side to side, disconnected from TV to fix fore/aft. Concrete pad was all the way forward on the site while connections were over midway back making it so we couldn’t use both easily. Had to park father back to reach connections which was where the site dropped off (causing us to use extra boards to level). We moved the picnic table back towards the camper, otherwise it would have been by our truck’s doors.
Bathrooms were clean, but dated with rusty stall doors. Be aware there are speed humps throughout the campground. No fire pit on our site, but other sites had them. Not sure if we were allowed a fire as such.
For overnight guests, I would recommend asking for sites up near the front of the park, as they appeared newer and more level, although less trees. I would avoid the row next to the bathrooms on the far side of the lake as they appeared to be the most unlevel, like the one we chose based on the website (site 41). Be aware that some of the outer ring sites in the wooded area on the far side are pull-in sites, not pull-thru or back-in, which could make it challenging if you want to drop your trailer and leave.
We would stay again in a pinch, but this isn’t a destination.
Guide
Nice place and nice people. Lucky for us it wasn’t that busy. Otherwise you would be packed in. Over all a nice place. Lots of road noise from the interstate.
GuideBeautiful site plenty of camping spots
Scout
Had an enjoyable weekend tent camping here and small game hunting in the forest.
Bob the volunteer host was super nice, and the bathrooms were very clean.
The mosquitos were a little annoying right after sundown, but quickly left once we had a fire going.
Definitely camping here again and bringing the kayaks next time.
Guide
Beautiful but not appropriate for kids. High alcohol and drug use and high crime rate at times. Only electric golf carts no side by sides.
RangerA perfect spot to camp and swim with your friends!!! This spot isn’t far from st Pete and is great for group camping! There is alot of space too!
Traveler
We stopped at Lucky Charm for 2 nights! What an awesome spot. There are large beautiful trees with Spanish moss all over the property. Every site is a Pull-thru and very long. Can easily fit Class A's or Big 5th wheels. Full hook-ups. They have a pool, bathhouse, and laundry facilities. The owners were great. We arrived in the dark and they guided us by flashlight to our spot. We would stay there again and highly recommend Lucky Charm RV Park.
Legend
Roomy sites. Full hookup. Plenty of room for the kids to play.
Traveler
6 of us tent camped at site 1, Host was really nice and we stayed 2 nights. Bathhouse was really clean and served it's purpose. Wonderful place to get away and relax.
Guide
Welcome to High Springs RV Resort under new ownership!! This park has been transformed into a beauty. Conveniently located just a quarter mile off interstate 75, but nestled into the nature, hidden jem. Everything from the heated/airconditioned private bathouse to the concrete slabbed sites. This resort is a must see
ScoutThe campgrounds Unfortunately don't accept any form of online payments which caused a delay in setting up but other than that the amenities are endless great price for what you get from My camping experience!
Guide
We loved this park. Our site was level and somewhat secluded with heavy vegetation between sites where we were. Site 6 is a pull-thru, level, 50 amp and water. No sewer. The park has great museums with very interesting history about Stephen Foster and the park itself.
Our primary reason for staying here was to paddle the Suwanee River. There is a local outfitter that will provide shuttle service if you have your own boats or they do have rentals available. We did the short trip due to time considerations, but thoroughly enjoyed the paddle.
We did eat at Fat Belly's in White Springs. It was good, reasonably priced and convenient.
We only stayed two nights, but would plan to stay longer if we get by this way again.
Guide
We enjoyed our stay even though it rained. We went to see the springs and it’s was gorgeous!
LegendAnother KOA on our trip to circumnavigate Florida. Another KOA recovering from hurricane damage. But, they do have some things open: the rv sites are open, the dog park (a nice large dog park), the hot tub. They have propane and a limited store. There are also tent sites and cabins. Lots of large live oaks with Spanish moss survived the storm as well. It is about an hour from the Suwannee River State Park where you can see Manatees in the clear waters of the spring.
Traveler
This state park is booked out almost every weekend for months in advance, but it is definitely worth visiting. Sandy campsites are perfect for smaller RVs and tent camping. The sites are a close together, but everyone was respectful of each others space. Facilities are average, but clean. Easy walk to the spring and boat launch. Sites are right next to the day use area so it can be a bit loud by mid-morning. I’d recommend coming during the fall or on a weekday to avoid some of the crowds.
LegendWhile quite a few of the natural springs you’ll find here in Florida contain a Disneyworld-like level of crowds and subsequent infrastructure, here at Gilchrist Blue Springs State Park, you’ll discover a nice intimate and charming little natural springs environment. Add to this the campground options that it provides, you’ll find that here you can actually ‘have your cake and eat it too.’ Unlike many SPs with natural springs, more than nought, one needs to find campgrounds that are nowhere near the springs themselves, so Gilchrist will deliver in spades here, although, not without some compromises (more on this shortly).
As for amenities, first and foremost, this open campground spans about 2 football fields with shrubbery and most of the trees on the periphery – and nothing on the interior, apart from a few scattered trees. Of course, you’ll find the requisite fire rings, scattered BBQ grills, picnic tables and standard hook-ups for RVs (electric, water and sewage). But this place offers up so much more from bicycle paths, boat ramps, geo-seeking, mountain biking non-paths, both traditional and primitive camping options, tons of birding, hiking paths, tubing, star gazing, scuba diving, boat tours, picnicking, horseback riding and watercraft rentals (which were very affordable by the hour and full day). There’s a beach, campfire circles, concession stand, on-site restaurant, fort, wheelchair accessibility, gardens, water fountains, restrooms and shower facilities (very basic and not terribly clean), swimming pool, nature trails, etc. OK, I think that this was pretty exhaustive, yes?!
Here at Gilchrist Blue Springs State Park, you’ll actually feel like you are out in the middle of nature. Its rustic charm, combined with spacious campsites helps one sit back, relax and exhale a bit easier. One fairly huge downside though is that this campground does not offer much privacy between campsites – so you will literally see any and everything from ALL of your neighbors, no matter how close or far they may be. While a bit irksome, if that doesn’t totally bother you, then everything else is pretty much amazing. The greatest advantage, of course, is planting your tent just a stone’s throw to the actual spring, where you can either go for a swim, snorkel or dive and for those bringing kayaks, canoes and other light watercraft, it’s so easy to access the spring, that if you’re not careful, your paddleboard might just sneak off without you!
Insider’s tips? Here’s a few: (1) As with most popular (and even unpopular) natural springs in the state of Florida, it can get quite jam packed here on weekends as well as with major holidays, so get here early – but note: if you are a registered camper already, then you will be admitted entrance no matter how busy it gets; (2) Recently this SP has removed its dump station, so be prepared to carry out whatever you bring in; (3) While you’ll certainly want to spend a decent amount of time at Blue Spring itself, be sure to get out beyond this shallow spring to float among the currents of the Sante Fe River; and (4) Don’t be fooled by the amazing spring you are swimming in – there’s four other nearby springs to explore: Johnson Spring, Naked Spring, Kiefer Spring and Little Blue Spring.
Happy Camping!
LegendThis is clearly one of the best natural springs in all of Florida complete with 250 wooded acres of pure Florida wilderness. Not only does this site offer up more than 1 crystal-clear, freshwater spring to chose from(there’s a total of 7 for the singular admission price ($15-$20 for adults and$5 for kids (aged 5-12) depending upon season), but there’s also a lazy river to float down in an inner-tube, kayak or canoe. While I have been to plenty of springs all over Florida and Georgia, thus far, this is by far, the best run one.
One of the best bits of this privately managed natural spring is that they are true capitalists and offer just about everything you can think of to buy or rent, this includes: snorkeling gear (masks, fins, wetsuits, dive flag, etc.) diving equipment(cylinders, fins, BC, regulator, octopus, weight belt, dive light, etc.), single or double inner-tube, paddles, volleyball, football, canoes, kayaks, paddle boards (but note that there is no pick-up service). Beyond a massive retail operation, there’s also a decent deli here offering up breakfast, sandwiches, hot dogs, appetizers, ice cream, snacks and drinks.
Further afield, you’ll find a substantial number of river-front campsites seemingly spread out all over this entire water adventure land. You’ll see a decent smattering of covered picnic pavilions, sand volleyball courts, laundr-O-mat, country store, BBQ grills and some of the best kept restroom, shower facilities and heated, tiled bath houses of any campground I’ve been to (and I’ve been to quite a few). Another thing I really like – unlike any other campground is that check-in can be as early as 8am and you don’t have to depart until half hour before sunset the following day – that’s HUGE! You’ll want to note though that you have to be at least 18 to rent a campsite. You can only reserve specific sites for groups of 30 or more, otherwise, primitive campsites are first come, first served.
While there’s basically 3 different primitive camping areas to chose from – The Out Back, Turkey Roost and Beaver Landing – it’s important you know a little bit about each for an EZ selection. To begin with, regardless of which one you select, know that each has plenty of space for even the largest of tents and the space between sites is decent, although there is nothing separating one site from the next – it’s basically wherever you want to plop your tent, you’re good to go. There’s scattered picnic tables and BBQ grilles all over the place (not necessarily one set per campsite, so get what you want by arriving early) and all three locations will give you a front row seat to the Sante Fe River as well as direct access to a few nearby springs and of course, nearby restroom and shower facilities.
For those hauling their living rooms on wheels, there’s pull-through sites and a few back-in sites and all come with electric and water (requiring a reservation) – these sites are located just behind the main entrance / county store area. Upon exiting the park, there’s proper dump stations for disposal. For those not wanting to pitch a tent or roll-up in an RV, they do have cottage for let that sleeps up to 8 (3BR and 2 BA) where linens along with washer / dryer and fully-equipped kitchen are offered, along with A/C, central heat, large deck and charcoal grill – bonus: lodging fee includes daily park admission, but requires a 2-night minimum stay.
Insider’s tips? Here's a few: (1) For all of you traveling with your pets, you will want to take note that Ginnie Springs is NOT pet friendly, so keep your animals at home (or hidden); (2) Unlike the state-run parks which prohibit not only alcohol but all forms of water bottles or beverage containers, there are no restrictions to what you can bring with you on a kayak or inner-tube here, so that’s another HUGE bonus to Ginnie Springs, but please, don’t take this as your opportunity to litter – do the right thing and dispose of your cans and bottles in the recycling bins!; (3) If you get tired of the scene at Ginnie Springs and want to explore other nearby springs, I suggest Devils Ear or Dogwood Springs – and of course, there’s Gilchrist Blue Springs State Park (see my review for particular details about this campground), which is pretty amazing too; and (4) While there is not much (or anything) around Ginnie Springs from a foodie standpoint, apart from its own deli (and that will get old very quickly), if you are looking for something decent that is nearby in High Springs, I highly recommend the sweet potato basket and cheeseburger egg rolls (don’t ask, just order and be prepared to be amazed) at the neon-lit Pink Flamingo Diner with its amazing craft beer selection, mini golf and live music.
Happy Camping!
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular tent campsite near Live Oak, FL?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Live Oak, FL is Woods Ferry River Camp — Suwannee River Wilderness Trail with a 5-star rating from 4 reviews.
What is the best site to find tent camping near Live Oak, FL?
TheDyrt.com has all 14 tent camping locations near Live Oak, FL, with real photos and reviews from campers.
