Best Campgrounds near Olustee, FL

Recent Reviews near Olustee, FL

769 Reviews of 157 Olustee Campgrounds

• 

  Stuart K.

  Legend

  Nov. 8, 2025

  Osceola National Forest Ocean Pond Campground

  Rustic Charm Meets Sandy Beach at Ocean Pond

  In general, I try to stay away from terms like ‘rustic,’ which honestly, usually just means ‘old’ (read: and in dire need of repair or refurbishment), but this place actually lives up to the word 'rustic' – so, take it from me, nothing needs fixin’ here. Everything is functionally sound. Maybe what you’ll discover is somewhat dated, but embrace it. Around here, it’s all good. All of the time. Ocean Pond Campground sits on the north shore of Ocean Pond, which is a striking 2-mile-wide lake within Osceola National Forest. The name is a bit of a misnomer as it’s more lake than pond, and trust me, the water that you will experience here isn't Ocean … but all of this confusion is actually part of the appeal. As you drive in, you’ll pass a fairly well-paved serpentine-like forest roadway lined by pine flatwoods and cypress wetlands. The lot layout is heavily forested and incredibly quiet, with a mix of shade and sun, and a natural, mellow campground vibe rather than resort polish.

  Ocean Pond offers a total of 67 campsites in three tiers: 19 with electric+ water hookups, 27 with water only and 20 primitive sites. That’s right, if you read between the lines, there’s no sewage hook-ups, but that’s OK, as there’s a proper sewage dump area as you exit the premises (free to registered campers; small fee for non-registered). The hookup sites are on paved spurs and rated up to about 50 feet capacity. Every site comes equipped with a picnic table, fire ring / grate, lantern post and access to restrooms, which honestly, are very well taken care of and, again, quite functional. Nothing to write home about, but it will get the job done. The campground includes flush toilets, hot showers in the electric & water sections, and more basic restroom access for primitive sites (in fact, these particular facilities were the only low point). For lake access, there’s a boat ramp, sandy beach swim area reserved for campers, fishing pier and a public boat launch. Camping is year-round, but there’s a 14-day stay limit within any 30-day span. Check-in is 2 p.m., checkout at 11 a.m.

  The real star here is Ocean Pond itself. It’s a playground for anglers, boaters, swimmers and paddlers. Expect to fish for largemouth bass, speckled perch, crappie and catfish. The Florida National Scenic Trail passes through here and you can take a 3-mile out-and-back hike from the campground along forest roads and a boardwalk for swamp views. Wildlife is abundant: expect herons, egrets, turtles, occasional alligators, birds in the wetlands and forest edge, where all around you, you’ll encounter the quiet hum of frogs and chorus of insects at dusk. Nearby, you’ll find Olustee Battlefield State Park just 4 miles away, an historic site with ties to the Civil War, plus various springs, state parks and rural roads to explore.

  Insider Tips? Yup, let’s do that: (1) Arrive early to snag one of the few electric + water sites as they’re HOT and in high demand and, well, because this place is ‘first-come, first-served’ let’s just say that ‘the early bird gets the worm’ here; (2) If you want more shade, pick a site tucked under the pines away from the beach; (3) Launch your kayak or boat in the early morning when the lake is calm and the mist lingers over the water; (4) Use bug spray especially near dusk and in the swampier sections; (5) Hike sections of the Florida Trail nearby with the swamp boardwalk segments being especially scenic; (6) While Ocean Pond CG is definitely pet-friendly, you’ll need to keep your domesticated furry friend on a leash at all times and not bring it swimming with you – and please do everyone a favor and don’t leave your pet tied up to a tree as this basically amounts to a ‘gator snack’; (7) Effectively there’s 3 loops here at Ocean Pond CG that I’ll refer to as Lakefront (Sites#1-19), Mosquito Hell (Sites#20-45) and Primitive Back-Country (Sites#46-67) and they are all priced ($30,$20 and $12 respectively) and preferred in that order, so IMHO the best spots are: #10, 12, 13, 16-19; and (8) Please say ‘hello’ to Katie who is absolutely one of the most amazing SP campground managers who helms the front gate with a big smile and an incredibly warm welcome.

  Happy Camping!

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• 

  Stuart K.

  Legend

  Nov. 8, 2025

  Cary State Forest Group Camp

  Where Family Reunions Meet Mosquitos

  Tucked deep into the pinewoods of Cary State Forest, the Group Campground isn’t your average weekend getaway, but more like a full-blown opportunity to gather the family together for a reunion, a game of flag football and potluck under the pines. Picture this: aunts swapping recipes over the campfire, uncles arguing over who forgot the marshmallows, and about ten tents forming a perfect (if slightly lopsided) circle of chaos and laughter. If your clan believes bonding means battling mosquitoes the size of chickadees and trying to keep toddlers from feeding raccoons, then this is your kind of paradise.

  This group campground site - and to be clear, there is ONLY one - is designed for tent camping only, so no RVs, trailers or plug-in (although, there's an easter egg hidden below) luxuries here. Amenities are basic but functional, including potable water, restrooms with showers, a group pavilion complete with a half dozen picnic tables and an old-fashioned crank BBQ grill (which is EASILY the greatest amenity I have ever encountered at ANY campground), which if you are familiar with this style of BBQ grilling, then educate yourself before arriving here and you will become legend around the campfire. The group campground here at Cary SF is rustic, peaceful and wrapped in tall pines that whisper 'you are somewhere far from civilization, so enjoy the silence (nod to DM).' Roads into the area are sandy and can get sloppy with the rain, but once you’re in, you’ll appreciate the sense of seclusion that makes it feel like your family owns the forest.  There is literally no one else around you here.

  Wildlife sightings are part of the fun here with plenty of deer, owls and the occasional armadillos wandering close to camp (likely curious about all that bacon grease). A short walk leads you to Thomas Creek, perfect for a quick morning stroll or some quiet birdwatching along that new boardwalk that was recently cleared and built. As for the patch of land that you’re big group – whether a family reunion, scout troop outing,10-year old birthday celebration sleepover or men’s church group celebration weekend – it’s about half the size of a football field with enough space for about 20 or so medium-sized tents, 5-6 wooden benches encircling a large community firepit / bonfire and a half dozen or so stand-up BBQ grills scattered throughout the area.

  The best bit about this slice of nature is that adjacent to this wide-open patch of grass is a back-in RV slot (the mysterious site #7) that has a perfect level slab of concrete along with a picnic table and access to electric outlets and running water – so even though you didn’t bring an RV here, this spot will give you those 'back-at-home' amenities that you likely thought you'd have to go without. You’ll also discover that besides the 5-story tall ranger viewing tower on the north of the site, there’s solid shade around the perimeter of this place, although little to none on the interior, so I would still encourage you to bring your own portable shade with you.

  Insider Tips: (1) Set up tents before dusk as mosquitoes clock in at exactly 6:01 PM; (2) The pavilion is your best friend during Florida’s afternoon storms and spontaneous family talent shows; (3) The restrooms are incredibly clean but rustic (but for once, in the good sense of the word), but you’ll want to bring your own TP just in case; (4) Thomas Creek is great for spotting herons and otters, just keep little ones at arm’s length; (5) Cell service is limited, which is ideal if you’ve ever wanted to see teenagers panic without Wi-Fi; (6) Stock up in nearby Bryceville or along US-301 before heading in here as there’s no store for miles, and Uncle Jim will absolutely forget the coffee; and (7) In the event that you grow weary of cooking yet another meal over the open fire, nearby there's a few modest offerings like Everybody's Restaurant serving up Southern fire in a diner-like environ or Cousin Willie's Smokehouse for some very authentic Que like smoked turkey with a side of fried pickles dipped in a cup of Brunswick stew.

  Happy Camping!

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• 

  Tisch B.

  Scout

  Nov. 6, 2025

  Osceola National Forest Ocean Pond Campground

  Great camphosts Friendly and helpful

  Im a road biker and there is almost no traffic on the roads outside of the campground. You can go for miles and miles.
  Campground quiet. Beautiful sunrise and sunsets and the full moon was amazing

• 

  Curtis D.

  Guide

  Nov. 5, 2025

  Osceola National Forest Ocean Pond Campground

  My go-to campground.

  Ocean Pond really took a turn for the better. The campground host, Kate, is truly a wonderful person. The campground itself has been updated to 5 stars. The people doing the work have done an outstanding job. Thank you all. When I first got here, there were deep potholes in the primitive camping area(gravel road). The worker came in with a milling attachment attached to a skid loader and fixed every hole. Thank you for that, sir. I could go on and on, but come stay here and find out.

• 

  Jennifer M.

  Traveler

  Nov. 2, 2025

  West Tower Hunt Camp

  Spacious dispersed scrub / shady forest area

  We weren't sure what to expect considering the ride in past some shacks and few and far-between homes but the forest itself is incredibly spacious and shady with the campsites pretty far apart from each other (at least 4 sites that we saw) and each able to accommodate 5+ tents plus cars or trucks. Our site had three full-size picnic tables plus a fire grate on the ground if you chose to grill. It seemed like each site had an animal-proof trash bin, which was really handy. There were two porta-potties at the entrance to the camp area. This site was easily found on Google maps.

  It was a half-moon so scattered moonlight but otherwise, no light pollution. There were a pack of dogs barking throughout the night, but not too loud or close to keep us awake. We saw them being picked up in the morning (at least 5 or 6) and loaded into a truck.

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• R

  Randal B.

  Traveler

  Oct. 20, 2025

  Woods Ferry River Camp — Suwannee River Wilderness Trail

  Access from River ONLY

  Would have been great to know this is NOT accessible via a vehicle.

• 

  Krystal T.

  Guide

  Sep. 24, 2025

  Ocean Pond Campground

  Great for a weekend getaway

  We stopped here as the last long leg of a 2500 mile journey. We checked in online so didn’t speak to the host as we got in after dark. We stayed in spot 39. The site is a bit of a squeeze for a bigger rig and full size suv. We were close to the bathrooms and beach access/gazebo. We were in the side closest to primitive camping so people were sparse but it had everything we needed. The washer and dryer came in clutch and we were the only ones utilizing the beach area which was super small. But worked great for a family of 3 such as ourselves. We didn’t use the shower house but they seemed clean and well maintained when checking them out. Our spot had water and electric with a fire pit and picnic table. Lovely grounds, would probably come back.

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• 

  Jerri K.

  Scout

  Aug. 17, 2025

  Black Creek Ravine

  Very nice

  Was a very nice and quiet place to camp

• 

  Amanda W.

  Ranger

  Aug. 10, 2025

  Jennings KOA

  Safe, convenient parking lot

  Immediately 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.