Looking for a rustic and comfortable horse camping experience near Osceola National Forest? It's easy to find Osceola National Forest campgrounds for horse camping with The Dyrt. Search nearby equestrian campsites or find top-rated spots from other campers.
DOG1
$18 / night
Located just north of Live Oak, Fla, the Spirit of the Suwannee Music Park is a one-of-a-kind music park and premier campground nestled on the shady banks of the historic, tea-colored Suwannee River in North Florida. The Spirit of the Suwannee is proud to host a variety of events throughout the year. In addition to these events, the park offers live music during the week in the Music Hall and a natural amphitheater for outdoor music festivals.
$25 / night
9acres of horse field. I can rope off a few acres for you.
1acre w/ modular home. Park near home? OK too!
Can park in horse's field or near house to camp 🏕
RVs Must be self contained.
2 bathrooms in the house for tenters.
Unlimited stay.
Pay $500/month.
Dogs welcome!
Equine welcome!
8miles North of Ft.White.
8miles South of Branford.
1.5miles North of Ichatucknee River (tubing/canoeing)
I have 5MFT Horses, 5Chickens, 2Roosters, 2Turkeys, 1Rabbit, 8Aussies & 1Pomeranian! 😉
Soon, Getting a Donkey!
(I Share 2Goats w/ neighbor!)
$5 - $20 / night
CABIN LOOP
$100 / night
Private Ranch offering long term or short term, full hookups or boondocking minutes from town
$25 - $50 / night
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
Humble and super hospitable super friendly people they've got baby goats donkeys horses chicken that roam free during the day and at night the donkey keep predators away so it's super safe and quiet if you don't mind the roosters😆
It's 2 nights free $10 after with no electric or stay primitive for however long and 15 a night electric I believe we stayed in primitive but my brother helped do some construction for them helped finalize a house they started working on too long ago so they could sell and make a profit
Guide
We enjoyed our stay even though it rained. We went to see the springs and it’s was gorgeous!
Guide
Camping area has only 6 spread-out spots that are pushed back off the road, so privacy is good. Site 6 is quite large with table, and fire pit with benches.
Note the roads are hard-pack and it is a Florida pine forest so it gets a bit muddy (and mosquito-y) on rainy days. Dump station is not fully paved so it too, gets muddy.
TravelerI love everything about this place. The trails & the river are amazing. Very laid back vibe.
GuideBeautiful campground. Very rustic. Unpaved roads with potholes that may not be bad at other times but we were there on a rainy day so it was a bit of a rough ride getting to our site. Probably a bit tight getting in if you are in a big rig but it was no problem in our van. Sites are natural but maintained and not terribly overgrown. The park itself is absolutely lovely.
Scout
Camping on the lawn was our choice. We grabbed a shady spot! Property 100% Fenced in... dogs can Run!
ScoutThis place is amazing she helped get my family on our feet amazing place to stay
GuideA fun state park to visit. The river was over the banks so we couldn’t tune in the river but there was so much to do and see that we didn’t even care. So much history to learn.
Guide
Great little park with walk-in tent camping, all sites have power and water which is an awesome bonus! Beautiful spring for swimming featuring a limestone bridge way you can snorkel under. If you're into diving they also have an underwater cave, just make sure to check in with the ranger station 2 miles north before diving. 5 two bedroom cabins are also on site for rental. Super clean bathrooms and an outdoor rinsing station/ shower (no indoor hot showers available unless you book a cabin). Rangers & volunteer staff are awesome! If your main purpose for visiting is to swim in the spring make sure to call ahead or go online and check water conditions as this spring is attached to the Suwanee river and can sometimes be "browned out" due to river levels. (*handicap friendly)
GuideVery large well kept site. The sites are not Level and are grass but firm enough to not get stuck. Full hookups lots of activities. Sites are close to each other. Friendly staff. WiFi available. Easy access from the freeway with good signage.
TravelerLoved this primitive tent camping site. The sites are under the most beautiful live oaks and swimming in crystal clear spring water just steps away. Super pet friendly and clean bathhouse.
ScoutI haven’t been here during a festival but this laid back camping experience is my favorite in the south so far. Friendly people, loud music blasting from bedazzled golf carts, lots of the things you need but definitely not for everyone. If you’re looking for a stuffy campground with rules on how new your camper must be, this place is probably NOT for you. I love the atmosphere, though!
ScoutThis campground is fun but is very busy and has a lot of golf cart traffic until about 1030 at night. Bathrooms are dated and lack hot water most mornings. But sites are good and lots of trails to explore on the golf cart.
TravelerWe were at site 5. When we arrived and hooked up the 30amp breaker kept flipping. We had just left crooked river and hadn’t had any issues. We told the camp host and she moved us to site 4 for the night. After 2 nights they told us the 30amp breaker was replaced and we could go back to site 5. Site 4 had someone coming. When we went back and began hooking up the breaker once again flipped. We contacted reserve America to see about a refund. It’s over 100 degrees and we aren’t willing to camp without ac. We told the host and ranger that we had contacted them and that we were leaving. The ranger said they didn’t replace the breaker (even though the host text us that they did). They were very friendly and tried to accommodate as much as they could. They did say they will have it checked out again, so hopefully future campers won’t have the problem.
Scout
great all natural camp site with a toilet and shower tent.. Also fire rings and a screened gazebo with a picnic table
TravelerBig beautiful park, restored bathrooms were fantastic, and the well stocked country store has friendly people.
ScoutThis was my first time camping and I really didn’t know what to expect. I thought it would be awful. Camping at Suwannee was awesome! There was so much to do - swim, see the bat houses at night, and so much area to walk around and explore. The tree houses and some cabin had great lights lit up at night. We slept in a tent and had zero issues. Bathrooms were nice and was able to use the showers to clean up. Overall great experience, can’t wait to go back!
GuideHave waited six months into our RV life to start reviews for fair comparisons. Spent 7 nights. This is one of the oddest places we have stayed. On arrival we were thrilled. Less than 10 sites all tucked in the woods, seemed like paradise. Sites are huge and private. But the woods seemed….dead. In our week there we only saw a handful of birds and a squashed dead pygmy rattlesnake. There was something just a bit sad about it. Do have some hiking trails and short boardwalks.
RangerWe really enjoyed this campground and state park. Good hiking and also connects to good road bike rides. Dog friendly. We stayed in February 2021 at sites 34 and 45 on the Dogwood loop and the sites were nice, forested, and reasonably spaced out. Bathhouse was clean and phone service worked fine. There is a hiking trail that connects dogwood loop to other trails, but the magnolia loop is closer to the trail network. The river trail is really interesting - watching the river disappear at the sinkhole was mesmerizing. We enjoyed the campground so much that we extended our stay and also reserved for next year.
LegendO’Leno State Park Review| Site 50 Oleno State Park is the camping I always remembered. You know, like quintessential state or national park imagery where you would expect to see“Smoky The Bear” around the next bend. It was one of Florida’s original state parks being built by the Civilian Conservation Corps after WWI as part of the make work project by FDR. This is probably why it has that National Park Vibe… you feel immediately at ease and that you are outside in nature. The campground surely has that feel as well as the facilities down by the river.
There are still a few remaining buildings from the original town of Keno. This park reminds me of Hillsboro State Park with its suspension bridge over the Sante Fe River before it disappears into the ground only to appear another 3 miles downstream. The hiking in this park is OUTSTANDING. In addition, the campsites are really nice.
We camped in Dogwood Campground which is near the entrance of the park. Most of the reviews seem to indicate that people prefer Magnolia Campground which is about 1.5 miles down the road near the river and most of the activities but after riding through that campground we were happy we were in Dogwood with it’s narrow dirt road and very rustic primitive appearance even though the sites have power and water.
We would certainly return to this park when we can stay longer and visit some of the nearby Springs like Gilchrist Blue or Ginnie. We were in site#50. The bathhouse was clean as they are in all Florida State Parks and kind of cool that it is in the middle of the campground with small trails leading to it from a number, if not most of the campsites.
NOTE: Some of the photos were from a trip earlier in the year as we didn’t take many pics this trip. It may appear“greener” than it actually is in North Florida in February. By the end of March it will look like this again.
ScoutEverything was well marked, clean, and really have nothing negative to say. It was fully booked and crowded but didn’t feel crowded. Easy access to bathrooms.
TravelerI've coming to suwannee for 8 years now, for sure I'd rather go during festivals, but to camp and see the Christmas lights over the Christmas time was very nice and relaxing...
GuideWe stopped for just one night on our way to Georgia, it was very clean. They sold firewood by the entrance (cash only, keep that in mind). All sites have a little trail to the showers/restrooms. We did not get to do the trail to the bridge but that just leaves more stuff to do when we come back. We stayed at site 49. Dump station was clean and convenient since there are no sewer hookup.
GuideSmall charming campground along the Santa Fe River where it sinks into the underground system and rises at the next state park called River Rise. Sand/dirt roads to the RV/tent camping loop, with pretty tight turns and sharp entrances to rather short sites. Lots of screening trees between sites make for narrow parking of your RV with lots of branches to watch out for, but it is very deeply wooded and lovely.
It was during a cold snap in early December when we were there for 3 days, and it was packed with both tent and RV campers. There is a bathhouse with restrooms in the center of the loop. Note: some men tent camping used the bushes around their site for a urinal - we know this because when we pass by the one way loop to go sightseeing or hiking, they were using it in plain sight, more than once.
Very fine trail and very nice if primitive campground. Would stay again.
GuideThe camping is a little close but we still had a great time. I also liked how the bathrooms were pretty close. Electricity and water at the sites. Trails out there are awesome.
GuideJust before the Covid shutdown earlier this year we had the opportunity to visit O’Leno State Park. Had a wonderful time! Campsite we had was large and spacious with decent privacy. Bath house was very clean and spacious. We enjoyed the hiking trails that encompassed the park. Although it was super hot when we were there we made the best of it. Great location that we will definitely return to!
Horse camping near Osceola National Forest in Florida offers a unique blend of outdoor adventure and equestrian-friendly amenities, making it a perfect getaway for horse lovers.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular equestrian campsite near Osceola National Forest?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular equestrian campground near Osceola National Forest is Dogwood Campground — O'Leno State Park with a 4.7-star rating from 38 reviews.
What is the best site to find equestrian camping near Osceola National Forest?
TheDyrt.com has all 7 equestrian camping locations near Osceola National Forest, with real photos and reviews from campers.
