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!

I love everything about this place. The trails & the river are amazing. Very laid back vibe.

Very 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.

I 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!

This 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.

Big beautiful park, restored bathrooms were fantastic, and the well stocked country store has friendly people.

This 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!

I'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...

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.

We like this campground because you can rent a golf cart and drive around and explore a ton. We went in Dec 2018 and March 2020. We were the last tent campers they allowed there. Hopefully they are renovating the restrooms. They are truly awful, but we made it work. We love the little beach on the river, the treehouse and the bat house. Our evening entertainment was driving up to the bat house to watch them all come out at sunset. It’s super cool to see. Never made it before sunrise to watch them return. I look forward to them allowing tent campers to return... hopefully they will have done some work on the restrooms.

This is a great family park. Swimming pool, outdoor park n play yard. Lots of sites, gets a bit crowded when there is a festival

This is a great music venue. The sites are extremely close together and very open. They do have equestrian camping. Our site had full hookups water electric and sewer. There is a bar and restaurant on site with live music which was great. There is a swimming pool, a treehouse and cabins you can rent, a fully stocked camp store, golf cart rentals. There are some permanent units for full-time living in this park. Park is very large and known for music festivals.

The campground was laid out very nice and was very large. They are very pet friendly and have an area to even board your horse. Everything was really wonderful and the café had decent food. My only complaint is that it looks like it is sort of run down and some things need fixing. There are several bat houses throughout the park. Most weekends there is live entertainment. We will most definitely go again.

Awesome park with 800 acres to hike, horseback, or take a golf cart thru the trails.

Over 800 acres to explore on a golf cart or hiking. We go every time We want to go camping. Has secluded areas to camp and no one bothers You

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/

Check them out on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/stream2sea/?hl=en

Two reasons why I rated this campground a 4 were the nasty women’s showers and the uneven dirt spaces. If it had rained, we would have had a serious problem getting out of our space! Otherwise, the campground was very beautiful and the staff was very friendly!

Great music great people,,been a while since I was there but the staff is very professional and accommodating with everything,,I'd recommend this place to anyone

As my inaugural trip with the new camper, things went pretty smooth, only stayed two nights as a test. Septic hookup was too faraway for my standard hookup to reach, and even though i had the right collar for their septic intake, it would not stay. So I had to resort to using the holding tanks. The Campground shop had a good selection of items for just about anything you would need. Although I had no need to use them, the bath house was not the cleanest I have seen, and this was mid week so nothing was going on. The grounds were well maintained and they had carvings throughout the grounds. They were all very beautiful.

Camping for events here is awesome- the ground is mostly white sand and the vegetation is lush so you can have a fire pretty much anywhere. Spanish moss draped from all the oak trees adds to the enchanted forest feel. When there are music festivals here the amphitheater kind of stage area is really killer concert infrastructure. Nighttime shows here get extra points for steamy/smoky ambience. There's a pool and a cool beehive with one wall that's a window so you can watch the little guys. Bathrooms had electricity and warm showers. We usually go here in October/November- It has almost always been mild (t-shirt weather during the day), with one crazy cold year where it got down to the 20s at night. We love coming here for music- I imagine we'd have fun here without music, but it's a loooong drive so never made the trek when there wasn't a fest.

This place is amazing. Aside from the occasional music festival, which also is jam packed full of camping and other amenities, you will gain an experience for sure. Amidst Florida pines and oaks, you will find, the suwannee river. Follow a trail from your campground to the beautiful and dark waters of the Suwannee. If your a fan of wildlife, they also have bat houses aplenty to keep your eyes high with the treeline.

Looking for some after hour drinks? Well this place also has a bar and music hall.

Ever wanted to feel like your in a fantasy book? Well the spirit of suwannee park has a beautiful treehouse close by. Come rent this tall fairylike beauty! I fell in love with this place as it very local to me. People in these parts know what it's like to be here, if your not from around here, we welcome you to come experience north Florida. :) it's not all beaches here.

This place was amazing! It just has this magical vibe about it. The people are friendly, there's plenty to see, and it's just an all around great place. I can just image the festivals are even more killer. It's close to many of Floridas springs as well. Definitely a must see

There are backcountry tent sites to full hookups; or if you prefer you can rent a cabin or tree house. There's a pool and game room if you like, or if you want to rent a canoe and float the beautiful Suwannee River, that's available at the canoe outpost. Horses and riding lessons are available at the stables.

Live Music is a presence at the park which hosts weekend shows at the restaurant and bar, and the Spirit of the Suwannee Music Park is host to several big music festivals of all genres.

Little known secrets ... find the tree with all the Bras and Panties

Locate the Bat House

Weekend Music and Karaoke

We adore this place!!! We have been during Wanee Festival and just for regular camping. We can not wait to take our kids here. There’s just something about it that’s magical!

There is no place like Suwannee! Whether you go during the insanely spectacular music festivals (such as Hula or Wanee) or you just go during the off times to camp, this place is pure magic. The old oaks and Spanish moss make the place appear to have a mystical aspect to it. The tree houses are totally worth renting if you can and the primitive camping is convenient to all of the amenities. There is floating on the river, music performances all the time, and some of the best trails for a nice stroll. I LOvE Suwannee!

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!!

there is just so much to do at this park music festivals disc golf canoeing kayaking trails. We usually kayak down to the music park the canoe outpost will shuttle you to your put in and you can stay in one of the fantastic campsites with bathhouses electricity potable water and covered shelters.

Spirit of suwanne is a favorite campground for our family! Always fun things going on for adults and kids. Weve visited during holidays and their music festivals. They have a pool, a river with a beach and acres and acres to explore. They also have a bat house and you can watch the bats fly in and out twice a day. There is primitive camping, electric/water sites and even cabins for rent. I would highly recommend!

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.