O'brien, FL is a great camping destination for adventurers of all types. Camping, hiking, biking: however you want to spend your days near O'brien, you'll find great campgrounds with The Dyrt. Find the best campgrounds near O'brien, FL. Read helpful reviews and tips to find the perfect camping option for you and your crew.
$30 - $70 / night
"My sites didn’t have great level spots for a tent but it was right next to the spring and close to the river for fishing which is why we came."
"We stayed at site 105 (full hook-up, $45 per night) and it was perfect 👌 Neighbors only on one side, close to pool and a short walk to Convict Spring."
$55 - $70 / night
"This is clearly one of the best natural springs in all of Florida complete with 250 wooded acres of pure Florida wilderness."
"Favorite springs in Florida and one of my favorite places to camp and spend a few days in Florida or the country in general. Awesomely maintained, plenty of sites."
$18 / night
"The campsites are spacious, well shaded, and with in easy walking distance to the Bathhouse/Restrooms. The facilities are kept clean and neat."
"You know, like quintessential state or national park imagery where you would expect to see“Smoky The Bear” around the next bend."
"Speaking of NYE they had a Motley Crew cover band, social distancing and masks are not a thing in this part of Florida, like the posters from the health department don't even mention masks, so if COVID"
"Bathrooms within walking distance. Pool and hot tub are great."
$50 - $65 / night
"The main factor in deciding to stay here was the distance to Ichetucknee Springs. It's 3 miles from the south entrance and 4 miles from the north entrance."
"A but of a drive for groceries, which is no biggie. Close to springs which was what attracted us to this spot."
$20 / night
"So the layout is basically one small dirt road loop with rv parking/primitive camping around the center as well as cabins around the outside."
"The place is a nice hole in the wall on the side of the road, just past the north entrance of the Springs."
$25 - $220 / night
"With close proximity to several springs, we’ll definitely return."
"Fishing, canoeing, kayaking, swimming, boating, bike riding, walking, and some activities that they have at the place."
$20 - $100 / night
"Overall: Excellent campground with close access to the Suwannee River, not far off I-75 near White Springs."
"We stayed here a couple of years ago while visiting family and friends in Lake City, about 20 miles away. I was very impressed with the facilities, very clean and well kept. "
"Amidst Florida pines and oaks, you will find, the suwannee river. Follow a trail from your campground to the beautiful and dark waters of the Suwannee."
"The people are friendly, there's plenty to see, and it's just an all around great place. I can just image the festivals are even more killer. It's close to many of Floridas springs as well."
"This spring is one of the newer State parks in Florida. The bathrooms need updating. The sites are small. The electrical boxes are limited to amp hookup. The spring is AMAZING!!!"
"While 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"
RangerImmediately off of the highway. Very easy in and out. Full hookup, narrow, pull thru spots. New change to not include cable. There were lots of gnats around our site and some fire ants. Sites were almost all empty when we stopped over. Friendly staff. Next to a Shell station. Good phone signal.
TravelerGreat RV Park with full hookups , on the suwannee with kayak and canoe rentals. Super nice shower room witha shampoo, conditioner and body wash dispenser available for free in each stall. A salt scrub exfoliator for your hands. Private docks some with deep water access. Different rates for each lot and extremely reasonable.
LegendWe were heading westward down the very long straight eastward-westward line that is Highway 10, which connects the first coast of Florida in Jacksonville to the complete opposite side of the state in Pensacola, and had no idea where we were going to ‘drop anchor’ as it was getting close to dusk. On our way to the Suwannee River to get some great kayaking in, we found ourselves looking for a spot to lay over for the night and while we were heading to this northern Florida natural treasure, we came across a small sign that was somewhat hidden from site, which lured us to Long Branch Rest & Ride RV & Horse Park. Following Highway (really, a country road) 129 towards Suwannee, we were running out of both time and options, so decided to follow the long winding country road known as 48th street until it dead-ended into a cul-de-sac.
What I loved most about this camping outpost was that it was completely surrounded by rich pastures with lots of livestock including cattle and horses, so immediately, we felt the Old Floridian country vibe out in these parts. Located just 3 miles or so north of Live Oak, we arrived to find a yellow farm house at the fork in the road where because the place operates on an honor system, you simply have to take out the waiver that’s under the white mailbox, sign it and place it back in the mailbox along with either cash or check. I mean, just how cool is the honor system?! Especially among campers like us? Fantastic- the rest of the world should follow suit. After we left our envelope with cash (and admittedly, some coins), we moseyed on to find a suitable place to ‘hole up for the night.’
After you complete the administrative task of checking in, then you are at liberty to basically park wherever you’d like, although drive thrus are encouraged to head to the left, along with anyone hauling their noble steeds (note: absolutely no stallions BTW) with them, as there are areas where you can let your horses out to graze while parked or leave them in the paddock for an extra$10 per night. If like us, you just have a standard RV that isn’t too large, you can head to the more scenic spots that are more heavily forested and encircle a small pond. All the RV hook-ups offer up 30 / 50 electric amp along with water and sewage.
Note that this place charges $50 per night for 50 amp or $40 per night for 30 amp, which I have to be honest I’ve never seen before. I mean, electricity is electricity right? Seems a little discriminatory IMHO - at least charge $30 for 30 amp if you’re going to charge $50 for 50 amp, right?! Oh, and if you want to tent camp primitive style here, good news is you can, for just $25/ night, which seemed like a great option to us.
As far as amenities go, here’s what you’ll find in this incredibly spacious, beautiful farming landscape: super clean bathrooms and showers, fire rings, picnic tables, gazebos, hammock, silo bathroom, catch & release pond, stand-up grills, brand new horse paddocks with individual stalls, tons of hiking, biking and riding trails, free kennel accommodations for the K9s in your life, which also include a nice doggie park - but to be fair, the whole place is like one giant doggie park! One amenity that comes free of charge, apart from the simply amazing 360 degree landscape that you would be lucky to call home for the night is the magnificent shade that this place provides with its endless array of ancient and live Oaks dripping with Spanish moss so long that you’d think you were in a fairy tale where the trees have suddenly sprouted beards.
Insider’s tips? Here’s a few: (1) Although the waiver and release form was quite cumbersome as well as all of the various surcharges for things that normally one would take for granted and / or simply think that they should be included in the price of what you are paying for each individual night, we got to a point where this place definitely feels like they are ‘nickel & diming’ you for every single little thing that you don- so using the honor system, we included extra for what we thought was fair and didn’t add extra for what we believed should have been included in the price (like the fire rings - c’mon!);(2) Don’t forget to add 10% to the cost of your overall stay, which covers both 7% state and 3% county tourism taxes; (3) If you come with horses, they offer 3 different paddock sizes here, so you’ll want to look at these closely to figure out what’s right for your steeds, but we were impressed by all of the amenities horses are afforded here, from hay, wash rack, wheel-barrows for manure disposal, hitching posts, etc. This place is definitely geared to the equestrian camper!; (4) If you are looking to grab a slice of nature beyond the amazing patch of countryside you find yourself camping at here at Long Branch Rest & Ride, then head north on 129 and make your way to Suwannee Springs where there is no shortage of great paths to hike and of course, the amazing Suwannee River to drop in a kayak or canoe; (5) If you would like to see what is reminiscent of the Lion 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 on safari;(6) Should you need anything, again, the town of Live Oak is just a 10 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 where you’ll find Big Wood BBQ & Grill, The 406 or Brown Lantern.
Happy Camping!
ScoutI love being at this park, it’s such a family atmosphere, playing with the animals is a therapeutic part of the park. And I love how the pool is heated during the colder temperatures! Overall great park to stop and visit. A true hidden gem
LegendThis was our fifth year staying at this campground(CG) for a two-month stay at site 60A. For the monthly rate, you pay electricity, which was not bad. We even got a bit of snow in January—a surprise for the area! Another unexpected change was the sale of the golf course and CG to Jennings Communities, which also owns two other CGs along the I-75 corridor in Florida. Senior management was on-site frequently during our stay, discussing upcoming improvements and anticipated price increases. They also introduced new on-site CG managers, while the current work campers continue handling grounds maintenance and activities. We’ll see how things evolve moving forward.
ScoutThis was our favorite campground to spend the winter months until new owner and managers took over in 2023. Jon has anger issues and no respectful communication skills. If he doesn’t like you, he trumps up an excuse to evict you. We have seen this many times. It’s like walking on egg shells all winter. Jon and Vickie are not consistent on their new rules, which change all the time. And, they don’t follow through with new improvements. They advertise a heated pool. However, it was inoperable one whole winter season with them saying,“it will be fixed in a few days”. The following winter season it worked but was not warm when it was getting nice to swim. The workers have no respect for campers and their personal property when they are mowing or blowing leaves. Snowbirds can no longer secure a reservation on their preferred site for the following season upon departure. Now we are put on a waiting list until November with the hopes we’ll get a phone call saying our preferred site is available. November is too late in the season to try to secure a site at another campground in the event a space isn’t available. How is this a respectable way to treat loyal, recurring snowbirds?!?! This new policy has caused them to lose multiple recurring guests. Sadly, a former beautifully maintained and friendly campground in a nice town is going downhill fast. Too bad there isn’t an option for negative star ratings.
GuideCrime scene tape Has been removed since last visit so that's a plus. Lots of wide open area where if you have a trailer you can park. Not much privacy. Has the feel of a regular campground but its free. Small pond in the middle of the campground seems to have a few swirls. Can't drive thru the campground expect in a lifted truck due to water hole but main road access is available to the other side.
GuideNo frills federal campground. Offeres Doscounts for America the beautiful. Rates start at $12 nt for primarive sites. They have a bath house. All sites have concrete pads. There is a tiny human area with a swimming area and some swings.
GuideCamp has trash cans. There are several areas where you can be separate which is nice. There is no cell service. Tower is open where you can climb it if you want. Dollar general is only about 15 mins away. Its a no frills free campground from the federal govt. There are no sites or reservations its just all dispearsed camping with in the boundary.
Camping near O'Brien, Florida, offers a mix of beautiful natural springs, friendly campgrounds, and plenty of outdoor activities. Whether you're looking to pitch a tent or park your RV, there are great options to explore.
Camping near O'Brien, Florida, has something for everyone, from families to RV enthusiasts. Just remember to plan ahead and enjoy the beautiful surroundings!
Frequently Asked Questions
What camping is available near O'brien, FL?
According to TheDyrt.com, O'brien, FL offers a wide range of camping options, with 149 campgrounds and RV parks near O'brien, FL and 4 free dispersed camping spots.
Which is the most popular campground near O'brien, FL?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular campground near O'brien, FL is Suwannee River Rendezvous Resort with a 4.6-star rating from 20 reviews.
Where can I find free dispersed camping near O'brien, FL?
According to TheDyrt.com, there are 4 free dispersed camping spots near O'brien, FL.
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