annecarol

We stayed here on the recommendation of a Campendium review and were glad we did! We arrived without reservations. The friendly host who checked us in made sure we had a site with shade and a view of the lake. As we explored the campground we could see that most of the sites did have nice views. The bathrooms were spotless and, as noted in the previous review, air-conditioned! Cell service (Verizon) was adequate for a hotspot. Our site was nice and level. We were right in front of a playground and swimming area. The swim area was shallow, very warm and had lots of vegetation on the bottom. I would suggest something for just floating. So the swimming wasn't great but the families with boats and jet skis were having a ball. Clearly many campers had boats. We really enjoyed the family atmosphere here. On a side note, a good day trip (about 40 miles) is Providence Canyon State Park known as Georgia's "Little Grand Canyon". Beautiful!

This campground is run by the non-profit ForVets, Inc. All the profits go to their Camp Valor Project for wounded and disabled vets. The campground is huge and the staff were very friendly. The roads are dirt/gravel. The sites are either dirt/gravel or grass but were very level. We didn't need to unhitch. However, most are very close together. On many sites, use of slide outs and awnings might be questionable if someone is parked in the adjacent site. The bath house was old and, when we arrived in the late afternoon, pretty messy. There is a large screen enclosed pool. Many families and groups of friends were camped here. The main attraction is Otter Springs which Is just a short walk from most campsites. It was small, but nice and cool. We took the handicap accessible trail to Little Otter Springs where there is a rope for swinging out to jump in the water. We didn't rent a canoe, but would if we had more time. Along with the campers there appeared to be a good numbers of day use visitors.

We were here at the end of July and the campground was almost empty. Very peaceful. We camped near the rest rooms (flush toilets!) and hiked the trail that starts right there. We enjoyed the hike, but failed to notice the poison ivy! Be sure to shower after hiking! I wish I had!

The previous review sums it up pretty well. The price noted reflects the senior discount. I gave site quality a three because there were quite a few sloped sites, but our site was nice and level. We enjoyed the hiking, and even though the trails are not very well marked we had no trouble finding our way. Also I would note that the shower drains in the ladies showers were not well designed and water spread to the floor of the other shower and to the changing area. That could prove to be a real mess when the campground is full and more people are using it. Otherwise it was spotless and there was plenty of pressure and hot water. All in all it was a lovely, peaceful stay.

We had a site that was right on the water and it was a lovely setting. There was a nice wooden deck almost on the water’s edge. However only a few sites are waterfront. Most are buried among the trees up a small hill. As with all Corps of Engineer parks, the sites are well constructed and level. There was a restroom right at the start of the camping area, but the attractive stone bathhouse with showers was way too far to walk from our site. The downside for us was location. This is a very remote campground. It was probably 45 minutes from the highway. There is nothing else nearby except a small convenience store, though we didn’t check it out. As with most Corps campgrounds, there was no real hiking. This is obviously set up for boating. There were more boat trailer parking places than campsites, not counting the separate day use boating area. However, if you like to get away from it all and have a boat, you would mostly likely enjoy a stay here. The quality was what you expect from the Army Corps of Engineers. Our rate reflects the Senior Access Pass discount.

Lots of shade here. Great to have full hookups, but some in some sites the sewer connection is almost too elevated. The bathrooms were in good shape. We had to cut our stay short, so we didn't have time to get out on the river, but there is a canoe rental outfit close by. We plan to come back for that. We did take the Suwannee River Trail to the Balanced Rock Trail, and came back by way of the Lime Sink Run Trail. It was a great hike: interesting and not too strenuous. This is a quiet little campground with easy access to I-10.

The other reviews here pretty well cover our thoughts. Site 70 backs to the highway, but the noise was muted by the hillside and vegetation. I would add that there is a lot to do here. Many bike/hiking trails, great canoeing and kayaking (rentals available), a guided boat tour to a restored trapper cabin, an education center (that we didn't have time to explore), and an observation tower with great views. During World War II this was Camp Murphy, a top secret radar training facility. You can see pictures of it on display at the base of the tower pathway. If you are looking for a dinner out, we highly recommend the early bird from 5-6 at Jetty's in Jupiter. It's only 10 minutes south with great food, reasonable prices (17.95 for a full dinner) and, if you sit outside, lots of boating action. A note on pricing at the park. The overnight fee is $26, but if you reserve ahead of time at any Florida state park, there is a $6.70 reservation fee.

This is a small, 30 site campground, set way back in the park. Vegetation provides plenty of privacy at most sites. There is a separate camping area for equestrian camping. The Little Manatee River runs through the park, and canoes and kayaks are available to rent. Unfortunately an ill-timed back injury prevented us from paddling, but a ranger told us manatees can be seen in warmer months. There are also several excellent trails which we were able to hike. The bath houses were dated, but spotless with plenty of hot water. We also took advantage of the laundry facilities. Shopping is an easy 5 miles away. Cell coverage was no problem. All in all a nice, quiet Florida state park.

Note that we paid the Senior Pass rate. We were here on the weekend at the end of October and the campground was full. It was a little noisy during waking hours, but it was happy, children at play noise. Things quieted down at night. There isn’t much privacy between sites and most are close together. We saw some that were not very level. None of the sites are waterfront, but at our site we could see a little of the lake through the trees. The bathroom facilities are a little unusual. The centrally located one consisted of 4 separate bathrooms each handicap accessible with toilet, sink and shower. They were very clean except that the floors were always wet - looking like they had just been mopped. A little awkward getting dressed after showers. There are two other bathrooms located at the ends of the park. We were only in one and it was clean, but very old and unpleasant. The hosts were very friendly. This was the 3rd year they have hosted at this campground. All in all we enjoyed our stay here and our walks around the hilly campground. A word of advice from our hosts: this campground is on road past the entrance to Silver Dollar City. If you leave the campground, don’t come back until after 2pm or you will get caught in the traffic. When we left in the morning it was backed up probably 2 miles or more. On the other hand, if you want to visit Silver Dollar City, you would be coming in from the opposite direction and would not have to deal with the traffic. We never actually made it to Branson. We went to the Dewey Short Visitor Center, hiked to Table Rock State Park Marina, and toured the fish hatchery. Our Verizon signal was weak, but adequate for phone and internet access. We didn’t do any streaming.

We agree with the previous review. This park is well maintained and very close to I-95. We chose this park because it was close to St. Mary's, which makes for an interesting day and a half of exploring. Add another day if you want to go to Cumberland Island. We did enjoy a hike through the park, and the sunset views from the open area near the cabins. We had no trouble getting a reservation, unlike the Florida state parks just across the border which were fully booked. As with all Geogia state parks you can reserve space, but not a particular site. You choose from among the empty sites when you arrive. The rangers and hosts were friendly and the bathrooms were clean. Most of the sites are gravel/dirt. When we had a heavy rain, there was some minor flooding, but it did drain fairly quickly. We choose a site in the more open loop and were glad because in the evening there was a lovely breeze. Our weekday stay was very quiet with only a few other campers. Note that our rate included a senior discount.