Spirit of the Suwannee Music Park & Campground

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!

Arrived here for a three-night tent stay in early October after staying at the George L. Smith State Park in Georgia. This place has soo much potential. It was quite deserted. Switched from spot 324 to 375 next to the lake where it was more level. What's up with the restrooms though? There are a couple of spots where port-a-potties have been set up. They are ventilated and well lit, but they have no water though they have what are supposed to be running toilets and even sinks. There's a raised platform with shower stalls, but there's no running water?

The place is otherwise very beautiful and peaceful, but that is also because it's absolutely empty. Haven't seen any other tents here, just a couple of small campers in this section. One the other side of the lake there were about 12 big rigs, far from here. This place is enormous. Lots of bugs. Never seen these many flies in all 13 camps visited in Florida, Georgia, or South Carolina so far.

Very well stocked Country Store within the park, and Walmart is five miles away.

Spring can be different every year in Florida - always come prepared for bugs. This year it was the gnats if you were near the water - pretty bad. Up in the bank where our site was they were not so bad. Because these sites are way back in the woods primitive - previous campers did not practice LNT toilet behaviors - but we let mgmt know and I believe they were going to address. If you stay here during one of their famous music event this place can get insanely busy. Even the back trails in this are are heavily driven by golf carts (and many times drivers under the influence) Keep kids close while walking the dirt roads/trails. Mid week is best time to camp here to avoid crowds of party goers.

 Product Review

On this kayak camping trip I had the opportunity to test out the Stream2Sea Sunscreen, Shampoo, Conditioner and the bonus is they are all eco friendly! I received the Conscious camper Kit the day before I headed out on the river and for 2 days in the FULL sun I did not get a burn. The sport sunscreen is very thick and takes a bit to rub in till absorbed but I can verify it works great! The shampoo, conditioner & Body Wash were fabulous and left my hair feeling silky smooth. Packing sizes were prefect for my dry bag. They included a very informative card about the products and why they are eco-conscious and coral safe! REMEMBER – a little bit goes a long way with this product! Pick up your  Conscious Camper Kit  before your next day out this summer at https://stream2sea.com/product/conscious-camper-kit/

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This campground just has so much to offer. All throughout the year you can catch various musical fest. At Christmas the park host a spectacular light show. During the music festivals camping is offered for more than 600 hookup sites and 800 acres of primitive camping. The park also host a canoe outpost so you can boat or paddle into the park. The camp outpost people are one of a kind. They are super friendly knowledgeable and helpful. They will shuttle you to your destination or come pick you up. The park has a restaurant that on Thursday’s you can join in on some kareoke or catch a band. The park is horse and golf cart friendly. Not only is this a great park to stay with loads to do but they are also environmentaly conscious. The park works extremely hard to recycle and reuse. They have a whole team dedicated to just that. We have been down the Suwannee many times and always take out at this awesome park. On the way down there are numerous campsites some with bathhouses potable water and electricity. They also have closed in shelters that are all free to use . It helps if you make a reservation otherwise it is first come first serve. We have always had a tremendous time kayaking down the Wannee!!

I stayed here for Wanee music festival in 2016 so the crowds were not representative of non-event camping, but whether for an event or simply a relaxed trip, this campground is huge and has a wide variety of camping options from cabins to hook-up sites to primitive field and forest camping.

The river was a wonderful way to relax and cool off. The shuttle to the river was great as it is quite a walk depending on where you're camped. From the outer reaches of camping to main stage for music (or the restaurant/store/etc) could be a 45 minute walk. I was maybe 25 minutes from main stage and less than 10 from showers. I sometimes lucked into free golf cart rides from passersby.

Facilities were relatively well-kept for such a large festival with constant demands on toilets and showers. It was very dusty and if it is dry when you're there you may want to cover your face with a bandana if you'll be walking down the dirt roads much. Staff were very helpful, friendly, and available.

Plan to explore! There is a small lake, various paths criss-crossing around, a bat house, the Suwanee river, and a disc golf course among many other sites/activities. Will definitely return for other festivals but would also camp here when there isn't any special event for a quieter getaway.