Best Cabin Camping near O'brien, FL

One of 5 river camps along the Suwanee River and one of the nicest. This system of river camps currently is first come first served with no fee - but that could change soon and screened sleeping platforms may require reservations. Reservations can be made for groups and are suggested. Suwannee River camps are spaced a days paddle apart and are wonderfully convenient (especially in summer when afternoon rains come daily and bugs are everywhere).

Most of the time you will have a camp host on the property.

River camp has bath house with water and electric, grills, fire pits, tent camping area and screened sleeping platforms with electric, lighting and ceiling fans. Many units also have hooks to hang you hammocks. There are 5 sleeping pavilions typically will hold 6-8 persons and have small corner tables with small bench. Each has picnic table and fire ring. You will find a broom in each shelter - please sweep out and leave clean for next group. Camp host oftentimes has firewood available for sale.

There are trails to explore around springs and sinks. You can learn a lot about Florida's Aquifer and more staying at this and other camps. Spring fed pools around take out area are a refreshing 72 degrees year round!

Tent camping area has fire pit and picnic table to share with others

At high water access to stairs to take out and to camp can be difficult.

Note: Always take paddles, PFD's, fishing equipment, food items and valuables to your camping area - do not leave in boats. There are raccoons and other nocturnal creatures and an occasional bear passing through.

Ranger Review: Wild Zora Bars and Paleo Meals to Go at Hart Springs, Fl

Not far from the city of Gainesville sits the town of Bell, Fl home of many small springs. The spring we visited was Hart Springs. Hart Springs was just the right temperature on a hot summer day and a perfect location to enjoy Wild Zora Bars.

Camp Ground Review:

The Hart Spring has one of the largest swimming area with year-round 72-degree Fahrenheit water temperatures. The spring has an over bridge and concrete steps that lead down into the springs. Plenty of shade and Pavilions with grills close to the springs, playground, bathrooms and camp store. This park also has a splash pad, volleyball and basketball court. Beautiful ½ a mile-long boardwalk along the springs and the Suwannee River. Rentals of canoes and Kayaks available and cave diving is allowed for certified cave divers. The campground is located about 1 mile away from the spring accessible by a paved walking, bicycle or golf cart trail which is shaded by cypress, oak and pine trees. Campground has 71 sites (one loop), full hookups, and bathhouse with hot shower, washer and dryer. Each site has a picnic table and fire ring (no grill). Our site was #8 this site was deep, shaded and close to the bathrooms. Nice pool with bathrooms and a big pavilion with picnic tables and two grills for cooking at the pool. No alcohol. No pets (except at the RV campground) Reservations thru Reserve America website.

Product Review:

As a ranger for The Dyrt, I get to test various products. At Hart Springs I tested two products from Wild Zora: Wild Zora Bars and Wild Zora Paleo Meals to Go.

What I thought about Wild Zora Bars and Paleo Meals to Go:

1. Convenience- when spending the day at the springs, pool or on a hike it is nice to have a healthy snack with balanced nutrition without having to compromise on flavor.
2. Very tender and easy to eat- Having children it is often difficult to find jerky or nutrition bars that are soft enough to chew, these bars are tender and eaten without difficulty. This is also beneficial for my older father who finds it difficult to chew most Jerky.
3. Good balance of nutrition- it is nice to have a snack for both myself and my children that contains some vegetables. Unfortunately, we do not always get enough.
4. The Paleo meals are easy to transport, requiring no refrigeration and very simple preparation. When you are ready to eat you simply add water, stir and allow the food to cook. Prep for camping and hiking can be very time consuming. Having meals that are ready to go when you are is not only a time saver but, in some cases, can make the difference between a hot meal and a cold sandwich.
5. The texture of the Paleo Meals to Go was a bit softer than I would have anticipated, possibly I let it sit to long when preparing, but the flavor was very good, and the meal was filling.

I would recommend Wild Zora bars to anyone that is looking for a snack for camping, hiking, or just an all-around healthy snack. I would recommend to anyone who likes camping, especially where space is limited, to try the Paleo Meals to go.

Electric and water hook ups. Camping sites are large enough for 2 tents. Shaded well. There’s a decent boat ramp with over flow parking for the truck and trailer. Great for kayaking and Small boating. Trails are great for hiking and a few for mountain biking. Neat cemetery back in the grass lands near ranger station, lots of tortoises to see. Pet friendly for domestic pets. Ranger station was very helpful and knowledgeable about trails for longer distance biking. Wood for sale. Hot water bath house as well. Site has picnic tables. Very clean area.

The place is a nice hole in the wall on the side of the road, just past the north entrance of the Springs. They offer canoes, kayaks, rafts and tubes for rent and shuttle you to and from to take all of the work out of it. We paid a reasonable $85 for six of us in two canoes. The service was great, with two different people taking us and picking us back up. The shuttle was an old school van, similar to the Home Alone airport shuttle. 

The canoes were good, but one did take in a little bit of water. Not enough to cause concern. 

The sites are pretty primitive without hookups and they do offer some with electric/water closer to the front. The small cabins are basic, but do offer heat or AC, so are a step up from real camping. The only concern I would have would be toilet use if the park was busy. I would personally plan a visit back during the off season.

Located in the town of Trenton, Florida is this gem of a spot loved by the locals and tourists alike. They offer Lodge Rentals, RV Sites, Tent Camping & Cabins, Heated Pool & Great access to Otter Springs and the Suwannee River. There is a day use area, canoe & kayak rentals, basketball and volleyball court, and canoe rentals available. You can fish in the spring run or on the Suwannee River. We chose to camp in site with water and electric so we were in an RV spot but they have a designated tent camping area with water access and no electric.

We enjoyed exploring the over 600 acres, river, springs, nature trails and loved getting ice cream in the store after! The camp store has just about all you might run out of. Be prepared with insect repellent at dawn and dusk. Sites are spacious enough - not too close together but not much privacy either. If you do not like noise choose a sight away from the pool! RV sites have Full hookup: Electric (30& 50 amp.), water, and sewer. Good Sams memberships are accepted.

This is a great place to host a local event and they are VERY Veteran Friendly offering 15% off on daily and weekly camping. There is Wifi is available in the Pool Pavilion. 

Though this place is not brand new and shows some age, it has a wonderful, welcoming feeling. We really enjoyed our stay!

One of 5 river camps along the Suwanee River and the 2nd camp from White Springs. This system of river camps currently is first come first served with no fee - but that could change soon and screened sleeping platforms may require reservations. Reservations can be made for groups and are suggested. Our outfitter American Canoe Adventures makes our reservations for us. The Suwannee River river camps are spaced a days paddle apart and are wonderfully convenient (especially in summer when afternoon rains come daily and bugs are everywhere).

Most of the time you will have a camp host on the property and MAY have firewood for sale. Their site is hte last site past the bathrooms(and they are past all the sleeping pavilions.

This river camp has lots of tent camping space, a small bath house with water and electric, grills, fire pits, and screened sleeping platforms with electric, lighting and ceiling fans. Many units also have hooks to hang you hammocks. Sleeping pavilions typically will hold 6-8 persons and have small corner tables with small bench. Each has picnic table and fire ring. You will find a broom in each shelter - please sweep out and leave clean for next group.

There is a nice beach at lower water levels to pull up your vessel or you can tie boat up under ramp. At high water this ramp can be tricky to unload from in a strong current (we have seen it with no beach visible) Always take paddles, PFD's, fishing equipment, food items and valuables to your camping area - do not leave in boats. There are raccoons and other nocturnal creatures and an occasional bear passing through.

Swimming and fishing are nice here. Lots of places to explore. Make sure you have some bug spray for evenings in summer months

Alright, it’s KOA, so if a fabricated outdoor ‘camping moment’ is what you are after and don’t mind the concocted grounds you are on and want an easy-breezy no frills outing underneath the stars you will encounter, then the KOA pitstop located in Starke (NE of Gainesville) has you covered. You’ll find this commercially-produced camping outpost right off the worn pavement of highway 301, which runs right through north central Florida is easy to find, conveniently sandwiched between the Murray Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram dealership to the south and the Tractor Supply Co due north (but don’t worry, there’s also an IHOP right across the street, completing this concrete jungle campground adventure). 

This camping depot is too well organized for my taste and has over 100 slots perfect for the RV and trailer parking crowd, 5 spots for tent campers (unfortunately, nearest the highway – so bring your earplugs!) along with 2 cabins and 2 studio lodges. The standard RV slots are on Elm, Oak, Pine, Maple and Hickory, while the more premium sites are located on Walnut, Chestnut, Magnolia and Spruce. Big Birch lane separates coach class camping from first class – but hey, we’re all out in nature, so is there really a divide? 

Amenities? And while this KOA is older and battle-worn more than most of the other properties I have driven by, this also has a ton of amenities, including: a heated pool, complete with lounge chairs and sun umbrellas, community fire pit, game room, dog parks(one for bigger breed and one for small pups), horse shoe pit, shuffleboard, playground and swings, sandbox, propane filling station, picnic tables, bocce ball, designated trash and recycling bins, nature trails, WiFi, Cable / TV as well as full RV hook-ups including water, sewage and electric (30 / 50 amp). For anyone that is in need of anything they may have forgotten or run out of (like all KOA’s) there’s a mini-mart on-premise that has ice, wood, sodas and just about anything else you could think of (and for anything they don’t have, there’s a Walmart and Ace Hardware so close you could just walk to either). And don’t worry if by chance you forgot your RV, trailer or tent – if you are in need of somewhere to call home for the night, this KOA has you covered as they rent a few studio lodges and rustic cabins. 

Insider’s Tips? Here’s a few: (1) If you are on the look-out for a REAL camping experience and don’t want to settle for this KOA manufactured experience … then don’t. There are options! Within a 30 minute drive of here, I would recommend Mike Roess Gold Head Brand State Park, which is simply FANTASTIC and provides more than 5 different campgrounds from primitive to RV-heavy and everything in-between; (2) When you get tired of foraging for the next meal from your onboard RV cooler, then head into the town of Starke for some local grub, wherein I highly recommend anything from the ‘Swamp Things’ portion of the menu at Cedar River Seafood, where afterwards you can finish the meal off with a scoop of the cold stuff at nearby Strickland’s; and (3) If you are looking to experience some of the best nature in the area, be sure to check out either Camp Chowenwaw Park and Black Creek Park and Trail, both conveniently located just due northeast of KOA Starke/ NE Gainesville. 

Happy Camping!