Best Equestrian Camping near Starke, FL

Recent Equestrian Reviews in Starke

94 Reviews of 13 Starke Campgrounds

• 

  Lorilee S.

  Ranger

  

  Jul. 6, 2024

  Paynes Prairie Preserve State Park Campground

  Pretty and quiet

  This campground is really dark, quiet and pretty. The bathhouse was always clean. You can smell the well water in the bathhouse. Brings me back to my childhood memories. We rode our bikes to the observation tower, but we were not lucky enough to see any bison or wild horses. Still nice to see the open prairie. We had a big rainstorm and the back of our site did become a lake, but it was gone overnight. The bugs lit us up all hours, so make sure you different bug sprays.

• 

  Jeff E.

  Guide

  

  Jun. 26, 2024

  Paynes Prairie Preserve State Park Campground

  Immersed in Nature.

  Quiet, lots of wildlife (wild horses, bison, alligators, deer, birds, turtles); plenty of hiking and biking trails with beautiful sunsets on the lake. Restroom facilities are showing some age but clean.  Walk-in tent sites are pretty close to the Restrooms.

• 

  Eleanor the Airstream R.

  Ranger

  

  Jun. 18, 2024

  Paynes Prairie Preserve State Park Campground

  Wooded and quiet

  Great state park well off the main road. Quiet and wooded with limestone pads.

• 

  Erin M.

  Traveler

  

  May. 26, 2024

  Paynes Prairie Preserve State Park Campground

  Fantastic camp sites

  There aren’t many bad sites. Great trails and walking. BRING BUG SPRAY. I wish I had time to stay longer to see everything the park had to offer. I will be back!

• 

  David G.

  Traveler

  

  May. 5, 2024

  Paynes Prairie Preserve State Park Campground

  Great park!!!

  This is now my top 2 in parks for camping. The tent only spots are nice and secluded. You do have to walk maybe 100-200 ft from your car to the campsite. I was in site #24. Nice and open with a lot of trees for protection. Great fire pit. No power or water at this site… site #25 has those. The whole grounds were well kept and the trails were easy. At the observation tower you can see a lot of the prairie and if you’re lucky you can see wild horses.

• B

  Brian K.

  Traveler

  

  Feb. 26, 2024

  Etoniah Creek State Forest

  Very Nice primitive camping

  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

• E

  Elie D.

  Traveler

  

  Feb. 24, 2024

  Collins Farm

  Quiet and relaxing

  Great hosts; their farm animals are friendly and delightful to watch.

• 

  Stuart K.

  Legend

  

  Jan. 1, 2024

  Etoniah Creek State Forest

  Equestrian Trail-Riding w/ Primitive Camping Options

  Located 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!

• 

  Stuart K.

  Legend

  

  Jan. 1, 2024

  Trails End Outdoors RV Park & Cabins

  Hidden Equestrian Campground Gem

  Should you find yourself in north central Florida where the sun melts the unrelenting scorching hot humid days into a bright inferno dusk before sprinkling the night sky with shining bright holes to heaven in a moonlit nocturnal ceiling of utter darkness and are looking for the perfect spot to experience what the great Sunshine State has to offer, then I would recommend a nice little respite called Trails End Outdoors RV Park& Cabins. But be forewarned, if you are driving just a bit faster than one ought to on Highway 20 just west of Palatka between the drive-by towns of Hollister and Interlachen, you might just miss this hidden gem. 

  To access Trails End Outdoors, you will head north on Willis Road and follow a series of quick turns and curves on this slow-moving jagged gravel road, but no worries, the good folks of this campground outpost have cunningly placed a sign to guide you along your way at any single point that you might drive in the wrong direction. After a few minutes of navigating what looks to be somewhat hidden residential areas with large country farm lawns and plenty of pasture for cattle and horses, you will eventually arrive at what looks like at first a country western ranch, where you’ll turn into the property. 

  Heading straight ahead, you’ll come across a massive open air hall-like structure that offers up an outdoor living room complete with chairs and lawn furniture, grills and BBQs as well as some rocking chairs. Just beyond this informal community gathering area to the left, you will see a raised pool that is quite inviting and has a nice wooden deck all the way around it- just the perfect escape from the blistering heat that this part of Florida is known for. The next two buildings will make you reminisce about the Wild West with its wooden facade country store-looking main office building, followed by a‘his and hers’ outhouse, the former of which is where you will check-in. And just beyond the main office to the north, you will glimpse vast open pastures full of farm animals hiding beneath the shade of ancient Oaks dripping with Spanish moss as though these trees had been growing long white beards for hundreds of years. 

  After checking in, depending upon what set-up you’ve signed up for, you’ll be directed back the way you came, where a small singular loop will take you around the property, first to the handful of scattered wooden cabins(cleverly named after famous cowboys like Wyatt Earp, John Wayne and Doc Holiday) that make up their own small cul-de-sac with each log cabin unit offering up a porch with rocking chairs and/ or patio chairs with nice tall lanterns in front of each cabin. If you continue down the lane, you’ll pass a number of conjoined trees that have fresh-cut wood, perfect for a roaring fire to be set later in the evening. Beyond the handful of cabins, you’ll arrive to the rest of the property that is reserved for RVs and 5th Wheelers. All of these spaces have a simple but effective layout with very long slots that have been freshly laid with larger black stone gravel, with the entire area very easy to navigate and pull into. Standard hook-ups are available with 30 and 50 amp electric along with septic and water. There’s no real privacy between all of the slots, so no matter where you go, while some slots have better shade than others, there will be unobstructed views between you and your neighbors. 

  Beyond the mobile camping parking area, there’s 20 or so open acres where you can pitch your tent. From an amenities standpoint, there’s a very good community bathhouse, just OK WiFi, as well as the communal areas that I described at the start of this review. Trails End Outdoors offers up a number of activities from fishing($35 per day), turn-key campfire set up(in 2 hour increments), ability to interact with horses and cattle as well as a(very) small pond with its own pontoon boat. 

  Insider’s Tips? Here’s a few: (1) If you are looking for a nice slice of nature while at Trails End Outdoors, recommend heading north to Oak Hammock Camp / Rice Creek Preservation Area or Etoniah State Forest Campground, where you’ll find some pretty amazing paths to hike or some decent horseback riding trails to gallop on; (2) Should you be towing watercraft and are looking for some decent places to dip your canoe or kayak into, you’ll be delighted to know that you are surrounded by a number of small finer lakes, of which I highly recommend Lake Ida or Mirror Lake, both just due west on Highway 20 or Jewel Lake, just NW, which has a very good boat launch; (3) Should you be looking for some restaurants in the area, I suggest you try out Hog Wild Burgers& Shakes for a couple of scoops of great ice cream, Nanna’s Country Cafe for biscuits& gravy or True Grits, well, for grits, what else?!; and (4) Should you need just about anything while out this way camping, the small town of Interlachen should have you covered with a pharmacy, Ace Hardware, post office, Circle K gas station, CVS, Family Dollar store or groceries at Hitchcock’s Market. 

  Happy Camping!

• 

  Stuart K.

  Legend

  

  Dec. 3, 2023

  Cooper Lake RV Community

  Shaded Lake-Side RV Parking Bliss

  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!

• S

  Sarah S.

  Guide

  

  Nov. 25, 2023

  Dogwood Campground — O'Leno State Park

  Beautiful

  We enjoyed our stay even though it rained. We went to see the springs and it’s was gorgeous!

• J

  J V.

  Guide

  

  Oct. 4, 2023

  Cary State Forest

  Very Quiet, level and clean

  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.

• A

  Amanda W.

  Guide

  

  May. 1, 2023

  Paynes Prairie Preserve State Park Campground

  Dense woods, trails, boat ramp

  I love these big, well shaded spots. 30 or 50 amp depending on the site. No sewer but there is a dump station. Water pressure at the site was a little low. The bathrooms & showers were clean with super hot water. Tons of trails to hike and see the wild horses and bison. There’s a boat launch to the lake with tons of fish. Very nice rangers. Super dark at night & was very quiet when I was there. Lots of wildlife. Close to Gainesville shopping.

• 

  Kiva R.

  Guide

  

  Mar. 18, 2023

  Dogwood Campground — O'Leno State Park

  Really Pretty!

  Beautiful 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.

• 

  Cory P.

  Scout

  

  Mar. 3, 2023

  More Than Welcome

  Us27 X CR137 S.Lawn Site

  Camping on the lawn was our choice. We grabbed a shady spot! Property 100% Fenced in... dogs can Run!

• T

  Tiffany E.

  Scout

  

  Feb. 18, 2023

  More Than Welcome

  Wry nice place works with you

  This place is amazing she helped get my family on our feet amazing place to stay

• 

  Stuart K.

  Legend

  

  Jan. 1, 2023

  Welaka State Forest

  Solemn Equestrian Campground Experience

  As you approach Welaka State Forest, it feels as though you’ve arrived ‘at the end of the line,’ and not in a bad sense either. Here, you’ll feel as though you’ve escaped the crowds, left the commercial world only to discover a truly pristine natural jewel. You’ll be overwhelmed by the incredibly loud silence and solitude of this far-reaching outpost and the moment that you’ve crossed the threshold (or the gravel road) entering Welaka State Forest, you’ll be incredibly grateful for the wide open expanse of the place and the communion with nature that it provides. 

  Just due south of Welaka – where there’s a minute scattering of local eateries and distractions, this spot is fairly off the ‘beaten path,’ a good half hour south of Palatka in central Florida, along the banks of the historic St. Johns River. This federal turned state park was founded in 1935 (under the Federal Resettlement Administration) and today is both a major conservation area as well as fish hatchery for the State of Florida. In all, there’s 4 miles of river frontage area on the east bank of Little Lake George, making for some decent kayaking and canoeing, although most of this is fairly difficult to navigate as it’s swamp-like, where overgrown Cypress and Pine trees provide a very thick canopy of forested shade throughout. 

  If you’ve got horses en towe, then you have hit the ‘lottery of equestrian campgrounds’ as Welaka State Forest is perhaps the most perfect place to camp if you’ve brought your four-legged steeds and looking for a place that offers up nearly 20 miles of equestrian trails for plenty of galloping, including the 6-mile Sandhill Horse Trail (part of the Florida Trailtrotter Program: www.fdacs.gov/Forest-Wildfire/Our-Forests/State-Forests/State-Forest-Recreation/Recreational-Activities/Horseback-Riding/Trailtrotter-Program)..) The campground here at Welaka State Park is made for you horse-loving outdoor enthusiasts and provides 2 – I repeat that 2 – 24 stall horse-ready stables, show horse stage, training area, along with 6 primitive campsites along with 5 full hook-up RV drive-through sites. 

  Insider’s tips? Here’s a few: (1) If you are looking to get some hiking in, there’s 2 decent trails (both integrated into the Florida forest Service’s ‘Trailwalker Hiking Program’ with the first, Spring Trail, offering a short 2-mile loop that ends in Mud Springs and the second, John’s Landing Trail, offering either a 3.5 or 4 mile loop; (2) Not interested in hiking? Not a problem, you can follow the scenic Indian Pond Road from the comfort of your own vehicle. Near here there are 2 primitive campsites that you can rent that places you right on the St. John’s River; and (3) While this SP doesn’t have much to offer apart from encounters with nature, if you find yourself missing civilization, in less than a 5 minute drive, you can join a sweltering crowd at either Shrimp R Us or, for amazing river-front gnashing, check out Welaka Lodge & Resort (for more details on this particular campground, check out my review on The Dyrt on this site). 

  Happy Camping!

• 

  Richard B.

  Guide

  

  Dec. 17, 2022

  Paynes Prairie Preserve State Park Campground

  Great CG lots of nature.

  Spaced out sites, long road in so no outside noise, bathrooms could use heat in the fall/winter time.

• 

  Michael H.

  Scout

  

  Sep. 14, 2022

  Welaka State Forest

  Campground is not closed

  Campground is not closed

• R

  Rhonda H.

  Guide

  

  Jul. 5, 2022

  Dogwood Campground — O'Leno State Park

  Awesome park!

  A 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.

• 

  Will C.

  Traveler

  

  Apr. 10, 2022

  Connors Family Campsite

  Overall as listed. Bill is great to work with

  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

• 

  Will C.

  Traveler

  

  Apr. 7, 2022

  Connors Family Campsite

  Great Experience

  Host did the best he could to make a wonderful vacation for our family site is exactly as advertised if not better

• 

  Lindsey H.

  Guide

  

  Apr. 4, 2022

  Paynes Prairie Preserve State Park Campground

  Gorgeous!

  Lovely Park with lots of wildlife!! La Chua trail was beautiful and we saw lots of gators. We did the Ranger led hike which was really nice, my 5 year old struggled to keep up with the Ranger and there are decent elevation changes.

• 

  Kathy L.

  Ranger

  

  Feb. 13, 2022

  Paynes Prairie Preserve State Park Campground

  Lovely state park & campground

  Beautiful park & campground. Sites were all lovely and well spaced out. Facilities were clean. Good walking trails right from campground. For distance bike riders, Gainesville bike club has good group rides (just sign up for a membership to join rides). Town of Micanopy is nearby and worth the visit. Gainesville also has a good lap pool and isn’t far. We’ve stayed here twice for a week each time and will definitely return.

• 

  Kelly S.

  Traveler

  

  Dec. 12, 2021

  Paynes Prairie Preserve State Park Campground

  Stacked Tent Campsites - No Privacy!

  When we arrived at tent campsite #32 we were shocked to see how close each site was to one another, with no trees or vegetation to create any sort of privacy. Our fire pit and picnic table were about 5 feet from one of the tents at the site next to our’s. When we noticed liquors bottles everywhere at our neighboring site, we packed up, knowing it would be a long, noisy night. We went to the rangers station to find another open site, but they required a fee. We left without a refund and probably won’t come back for camping, although the trails were beautiful.

• N

  Nate D.

  Guide

  

  Nov. 15, 2021

  Bayard Conservation Area

  Quiet, pretty, and peaceful

  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?

• H

  Hayley S.

  Traveler

  

  Aug. 31, 2021

  Cary State Forest

  Electrical Issues

  We 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.