Last updated on November 26th, 2024 at 12:00 pm
As cold fronts ease into the Sunshine State during October, conditions are ripe for fall camping.
Fall doesn’t bring a lot of tree color to Florida, but it’s possible to see a smidgen of reds and yellows the closer you get to the Florida-Georgia state line.
Even without color, fall brings relief from the excruciating humidity we suffered this summer, and that alone is good reason to get outdoors.
North Florida offers the best taste of the season with temperatures dropping into the 70s most days during October, dipping as low as the 50s at night. Those cold fronts become “cool” fronts as they sweep down the peninsula to Orlando — just enough to break the humidity.
As a long-time resident of tropical South Florida, I watch anxiously as those fronts stall near Orlando, at least until they ease further south in November.
Unable to wait, my anxiety gives way to lust for the outdoors. I pack up my travel trailer, load the kayaks and bikes on racks — and off we go north.
Camping season is back! :-)
Three Rivers State Park
SNEADS, Florida — The Chattahoochee and Flint rivers meet here to form Lake Seminole on the Florida-Georgia state line.
We visited in late October, and the trees were showing a little color. It wasn’t dramatic, but specks of color were visible, and the weather was cool and humidity-free.
Three Rivers State Park has seven miles of paved and unpaved bicycle trails and five miles of nature trails through the park’s rolling hills and upland forests, which are experiencing a regrowth in the wake of a few brutal hurricanes in recent years.
Conditions are ideal for boating on the lake and up both rivers, offering access to world-class fresh water fishing for hungry bass, catfish, bluegill, speckled perch and bream. You can fish in Lake Seminole with either a Florida or Georgia fishing license.
And where would a bird lover rather be than in the path of the fall migration fluttering down the Chattahoochee River from the Smokey Mountains?
In November, the average high temperature here drops into the mid-70’s — and night-time temperatures dip into the 40s. Just the thought of it pumps my adrenaline.
Read more: Losing track of time at Three Rivers State Park
OPEN Three Rivers State Park, 7908 Three Rivers Road, Sneads, FL. Ranger station: 850-482-9006. Camping in one of the 30 shaded sites is $16 per night plus a $7 daily utility fee. Taxes and booking fees are additional. (Utility fee does not apply to tent camping.) The park’s single cabin is $65 plus utilities. Reservations: Accepted up to 11 months in advance for Florida residents, 10 months for non-residents. Go to reserve.floridastateparks.org or call 800-326-3521
Torreya State Park
BRISTOL, Florida — Because of its elevation, a high bluff overlooking the Apalachicola River, temperatures dip into the high 70s in late October at Torreya State Park (high 50s at night).
Torreya’s bluffs are encircled by deep ravines in a deciduous forest with a scattering of evergreens, including the dainty and very rare Torreya tree.
The park has 16 miles of challenging hiking trails, dipping in and out of steep ravines, a landscape contour not often encountered in the pancake state.
Overall, this may be the best place to find fall color in the entire state. The park’s 30 campsites sit high on a bluff with fabulous views of the surrounding countryside.
Torreya’s high perch also offers some of the best bird-watching in the Florida Panhandle.
Fair warning: there are snakes in these dense woods. “We have cottonmouth, copperheads and rattlesnakes,” a ranger warned us on arrival. Watch your step, stay on trails and avoid loose rocks, blankets of fallen leaves and high grass.
Read more: Torreya State Park: Florida as you never knew it
OPEN Torreya State Park, 2576 NW Torreya Park Road, Bristol FL. Park office: 850-643-2674. Camping Fees: $16/night plus $7 daily utility fee. Yurt, $40/night. Cabin, $50. Backpacking campers, $5 per person. (Utility fee does not apply to tent camping.) Taxes and booking fee additional. Reservations: Florida residents can book up to 11 months in advance, 10 months for non-residents, at reserve.floridastateparks.org or call 800-326-3521.
Stephen C. Foster State Park
WHITE SPRINGS, Florida — Situated “way down upon the Suwannee River,” the Stephen Foster Folk Cultural Center is a monument to what never was, which is frankly not unusual for Florida.
Composer Stephen Foster never really set foot in White Springs. In fact, Foster had never seen any part of the Suwannee River before (or after) he wrote his classic ode to the South, “Old Folks at Home.”
Yet, here we are. The park’s museum features exhibits about Foster’s most famous songs, and his music flows from the park’s 97-bell carillon throughout the day.
The campground has 45 oak-shaded sites with water and electric hookups, picnic table and fire ring, and all of the sites are ADA accessible. A dump station is on premises. There are five riverside cabins with two bedrooms with a fireplace, screened porch and kitchenette.
The scenic Florida Trail passes through here, adjacent to the Suwannee River, but the big draw is paddling the river and savoring the wildlife.
For bikers and hikers, the parks eight-mile Hammock Loop is a single-track mountain bike trail that weaves along high river bluffs and through scenic swamp forests.
Do the leaves change colors here? Perhaps. You’ll just have to find out for yourself.
Daytime temperatures in October hang around 79-80 degrees, while lows can dip to 60, dropping another 10 degrees in November.
Read more: Glorious river; great cabins, odd old museum
Closed post-Helene Stephen C. Foster Cultural Center State Park, 11016 Lillian Saunders Drive/ U.S. Highway 41, White Springs FL 32096. Ranger office: 386-397-4331. Camping fees: $20 per night plus $7 daily utility fee. Cabins are $100 per night. (Taxes and booking fee not included.) Reservations: Florida residents can book up to 11 months in advance, 10 months for non-residents, at reserve.floridastateparks.org or call 800-326-3521.
Gold Head Branch State Park
KEYSTONE HEIGHTS, Florida — Ancient sand dunes far from the sea with rolling hills and deep ravines populated with springs dominate this 2,000-acre state park developed in the 1930s by the Civilian Conservation Corps, making it one of Florida’s original state parks.
Canoe or kayak on Little Lake Johnson, or hike a 5.5-mile section of the Florida National Scenic Trail.
As Florida goes, this is high country.
Three campgrounds offer 74 campsites for tents and RVs. Each site includes a picnic table, grill and water. Electricity is available except at Lakeview sites 57 and 60 through 67.
Each of the three camping areas has a centrally located restroom with hot/cold showers. Dump station available. Pets are allowed in the campgrounds but not in the swimming area or buildings. (Maximum RV length is 65 feet).
Read more: Gold Head Branch: Unsung treasure with cabins, camping
OPEN Mike Roess Gold Head Branch State Park, 6239 State Road 21, Keystone Heights, FL 32656. 352-473-4701. Camping Fee: $20 per night plus a $7 daily utility fee and a one-time, non-refundable $6.70 booking fee. There are 16 cabins available for $65 per night. Reservations: Florida residents can book up to 11 months in advance, 10 months for non-residents, at reserve.floridastateparks.org or call 800-326-3521.
Suwannee River State Park
LIVE OAK, Florida — We sensed autumn’s promise in the air when we visited in late fall, and by our second night, temperatures had dipped to a refreshing 50s and 60s.
Suwannee River State Park is at the junction of two rivers — the scenic Withlacoochee River joining the Suwannee, which continues its lazy journey to the Gulf of Mexico.
Explore both rivers in a kayak, canoe or small motorboat.
The campground’s 30 oak-shaded campsites have full hookups, a picnic table and fire ring. Three campsites and the restrooms are ADA accessible. A dump station is available.
Read more: Suwannee River State Park
Closed post-Helene. Suwannee River State Park. 3631 201st Path, Live Oak, Fla. 32060. Phone: 386-362-2746. Camping fee is $22 per night, half-price for Florida seniors, plus a $7 daily utility fee and a one-time, non-refundable $6.70 booking fee. Reservations: Florida residents can book up to 11 months in advance, 10 months for non-residents, at reserve.floridastateparks.org or call 800-326-3521.
Looking for a beach?
These five beach campgrounds can get chilly in the dead of winter, but they offer top-tier camping in fall. Here are five recommendations for outstanding beach camping in northern Florida this autumn:
- Huguenot Memorial Park in Jacksonville
- Grayton Beach State Park: One of America’s top beaches
- Anastasia State Park near St. Augustine
- Henderson Beach State Park near Destin
- Fort Clinch: Explore Amelia Island
