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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
This conservation area’s importance is magnified by its closeness to the St. Johns River and the Jacksonville metropolitan area. Its riverine bottomland hardwoods, pine flatwoods and sandhill communities protect approximately seven miles of the St. Johns River, which borders the east side of the property. In addition, the property provides storage of flood waters and preserves water and natural resources in the Lower St. Johns River Basin. One of the special highlights of this property is its two campsites within area 1 in the northern section of the property. Both are special spots. The Hammock campground is tucked back into the flatwoods with an ephemeral stream directly to the east of the camp site. The Riverside campsite is located directly along the St. Johns River with fantastic views of the cypress trees that flank the banks of the river. The Riverside campsite and the trail leading to it can be wet due to seasonal flooding.
Guide
Older Florida park with roots in the CCC and Forestry Service. Large park with hiking, bike and equestrian trails. Along the Santa Fe River there is a swimming hole, suspension bridge, old buildings and a small museum. Magnolia loop would be the best loop for RVs, but spots can be had. Facilities are clean, albeit old. Camping loops and pads are hard sand. Sites vary in size and level. Separation between sits is not bad but suffered in hurricane damage. Some sites appear a bit tight with overhanging trees.
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
Just off the Palatka-Lake Butler Bike trail. Campgrounds are About 4 miles in on bikeable hard roads. Six Sites have picnic tables, lots of room, fire ring with grate, bbq grills, a latrine nearby. Etonia Creek is a couple miles from camp but a beautiful destination on its own
LegendLocated just about 20 minutes due northwest of Palatka – dubbed ‘Florida’s State Farmers Market’ where you will easily discover that this north central town is teeming with fresh agriculture every which way you look – Etoniah [pronounced: ET-oh-NI-ah, not E-TOE-nia] Creek State Forest is a little known gem(which is actually inaccurate as far as descriptors go as this State Forest is nearly 9K square acres) that many folks will bypass enroute to Gainesville, without even noticing the secrets that this pine tree lined park paradise has to offer. With tons of hiking trails and a nice southwest access point for some great fishing at Georges Lake (just further north is Mike Roess State Park, which is nothing short of amazing itself, but see my reviews on this SP elsewhere for the details) offers about 500 feet of lake frontage.
Named after the Etoniah Creek that runs through the northeast of this state forest, to discover the lone primitive campsite that is available, you’ll actually have to head clear to the southeast corner of the forest. You’ll discover all sorts of wildlife here from white-tailed deer and a dozen or so different hawk species, wild turkey and eastern diamondback rattlesnakes, to name a few. If you are into hiking and longing for some serious P&Q, then Etoniah has you covered with 3 different trails: (1) George’s Lake hiking trail, which is about a mile rountrip and will place you at an observation deck overlooking the lake; (2) Lake Blossom Trail is an even shorter½ mile loop around the tall grass marshes; and (3) Longleaf Pine Trail, which is part of the Florida National Scenic Trail and takes you to the southern end of the park, which is where the primitive camping spot is located.
As for the primitive campground itself, in order to stay in the stand-alone Iron Bridge shelter, you must book this really unique free-standing camping spot WELL in advance. This enclosed camping shelter is one part simple 4-walled wooden framed open-air lodge that is one half (lower) wood and one half (upper) metal screen encased unit all with a fortified roof and solid foundation. There is even a wooden loft built inside the structure that allows for 2 people to sleep comfortably well-above the floor as a well as a proper porch. We weren’t lucky enough to book this unit, so we set up our tent camp adjacent to the Iron Bridge shelter, which served us up just fine.
Insider’s tips: (1) Day use is from sunrise to sunset here and they’re pretty stringent upon locking the gates before and after these times; (2) Etoniah is part of a wildlife corridor that offers up safe passage for the black bear, so be sure to read up on how to prepare to encounter black bears in these parts(although none were spotted during our particular outing); (3) If you have horses and are interested in taking your steed for a nice ride, there is a fantastic horse trail that runs the circumference of this park and the sandy-dirt trails are perfect for horseshoes!; and (4) When you get tire of thinking about that next meal and don’t want to build a fire to cook something, then check out the local scene just due east in Palatka, where I would recommend you check out mi Jamaican bredren at Caribbean 450 for some nice jerk chicken, grilled mojo chicken, oxtail and some coconut water to wash it all down with.
Happy Camping!
Legend
This RV parking pad is located in north central Florida, just due southwest of Palatka (a.k.a. the Sunshine’s State Farmer’s Market) where you’ll find southern charm hanging from more than the moss off the ancient Oaks here, which underscores one of the best highlights of Cooper Lake RV Community: its abundance of shade. Conveniently located right off (and I mean in front of) Highway 20 about 4 miles just due west of Interlachen, you’ll discover the eponymous Cooper Lake (for which this RV stand is named after) is located just behind the small body of fresh water and offers up some decent catch & release fishing, albeit this lake is more of a pond. If you cross the highway, due south and just a couple of stone’s throws away, there’s much bigger Lake Galilee to contend with and is much better for boat fishing IMHO.
As for the pet-friendly campground itself, there’s about 50 or so pull-through and back-in RV slots complete with full hook-ups (50 amp electric at every site along with water and sewage) along with a gathering area complete with horseshoes, shuffleboard, community fire pit, frisbee golf, gazebos, picnic tables and BBQ grills. While the bathrooms are very well-maintained, when we visited there were no showers per se (although in speaking with the management, some are in the works to be built, so I would definitely call ahead if this is a deal-breaker). There’s WiFi here (but it’s not so good), designated dumpsters, vehicle storage as well as a fairly decent laundr-O-mat near the clubhouse. Rates for Cooper Lake RV Community: $45-$55/daily; $250-$300/weekly; and $650-$700/monthly.
Insider’s tips? Here’s a few: (1) While Cooper Lake RV Community is not a destination in and of itself, this is a really nice place run by very well-meaning folks and while this RV spot is definitely new it’s definitely worth the stop if you find yourself out this way; (2) When you get tired of staring into your onboard mini-fridge and/ or want to try out some of the local cuisine, head on over to True Grits, well, for the grits of course, Nanny's Country Café for simple breakfasts or Smokedogs Bar-B-Q for quite possibly some of the best brisket and homemade cole slaw in the world!; and (3) If you are looking for some great water to dip your kayak or canoe in, head south to Lake Ocklawaha where there’s a half dozen or so spots where you can launch from.
Happy Camping!
GuideWe 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.
Traveler
You can do anything from
buying an RV renting an RV a camper tent if you're not from around there bill will help you out overall great customer service
TravelerHost did the best he could to make a wonderful vacation for our family site is exactly as advertised if not better
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.
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.
Guide
Great riverside campsite. Hiked in about 3.3 miles, but OnX user beware, trust the trail’s red marks, not the trail marked on most maps! Part of the trail was reblazed to go around a washed out section.
Otherwise, the campsite itself was great. It’s right next to the river, and includes plenty of space, a fire pit with cooking grates, and a picnic bench. Tons of squirrels, osprey, an owl, and I’m sure more if you’re able to hike a little quieter than myself and my 7 and 9 year old boys.
Only problem we had is it was a little tough to find nice dry firewood. Most of the log sized potential firewood was pretty green, but there’s plenty of tinder and kindling to make up for it.
There’s a stop on the way near the other campsite that includes some picnic benches, a (non-potable) water pump, and a bathroom with a roof and toilet paper. What more could you want?
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.
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.
Horse camping in Florida offers a unique opportunity to explore the state's beautiful landscapes while enjoying the company of your equine friends. With a variety of campgrounds catering to horse enthusiasts, you can find the perfect spot to set up camp and ride the trails.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular equestrian campsite near Sanderson, FL?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular equestrian campground near Sanderson, FL is Dogwood Campground — O'Leno State Park with a 4.7-star rating from 39 reviews.
What is the best site to find equestrian camping near Sanderson, FL?
TheDyrt.com has all 7 equestrian camping locations near Sanderson, FL, with real photos and reviews from campers.
