RV Rental Suwannee River State Park, FL

Hiking is one of the main activities at Suwannee River State Park, with over 18 miles suitable for walking and running. State park RV camping is one of the best ways to explore. Each route has its own character, passing through distinct wildlife habitats. The short Sandhill Trail is a shady 0.8-mile loop that passes Florida longleaf pines and also the Columbus town cemetery. The cemetery is the only thing left of the once thriving town with over 500 inhabitants, a stagecoach stop and railroad station.

The shortest trail is the 0.25-mile Earthworks Trail, but don’t skip it because of its length. It leads to the most historic sites in the park. You’ll see the remains of ferry boats that once plied their trade along the river and the earth-works that the Confederate Army constructed to defend the railroad bridge. Luckily for the soldiers, the battle never took place, and the bridge remains intact.

If you want a longer hike, the Big Oak Trail takes you on a 12.5-mile route through the park and is part of the longer Florida National Scenic Trail.

Of course, not everyone wants to go on long hikes, and there are plenty of other things to do in the park. Bird watching is one of the most popular, as the park is home to a great variety of species, such as herons, egrets, various species of hawks, woodpeckers owls and many more.

The Suwannee River offers excellent fishing, whether from the bank or by boat. There is a boat launch for easy access with your boat, canoe or kayak. If you don’t have a boat, maybe a paddle will suffice to cool you off.

For a more leisurely time in the park, there is a large picnic area with two pavilions, picnic tables and BBQ’s. Located on the river bank, the picnic area offers great views, and there is a playground nearby for the children.

Within the park is a small campground, just perfect when you are looking for state park RV campgrounds. Offering just 30 RV sites, all with full hookups and all under the shade of trees, it could be the ideal getaway from it all. Not all the sites are large, and the maximum RV length is 45 feet, so it’s advisable to check before arriving, plus the camp gates close at sunset so call ahead if you will be late.

The site has plenty of facilities to make your stay comfortable, including washrooms with hot showers, picnic and BBQ facilities and vending machines if you have forgotten some essentials.

Pets are allowed on the park campground, but there are strict rules, such as animals being inside your RV during the quiet hours of 11 pm to 7 am. Your pets must be vaccinated in accordance with Florida Law and dogs must be kept on a leash at all times. You must, of course, pick up after your pets and any that become a nuisance, the owners will be asked to take them off the campground to avoid disturbing other campers.

A short distance southeast when you are camping at Suwannee River State Park is the Mystic Jungle Educational Facility. The facility is a non-profit conservation and preservation establishment that is open to the public, providing education on exotic animals. The main focus is the Asian Leopard, whose numbers are reducing rapidly, but they offer a lifetime home to any animal that enters the facility.

In the nearby city of Madison, is the Treasures of Madison County Museum. Along with exhibits of religious, medical and military items from years gone past, the building itself is of interest. The facade of the museum is a classical Mesker metal front, made popular during the 1880s until the mid-twentieth century and one of only three still in existence in Florida. The facade is manufactured in ornamental sheet-metal and cast iron and were generally used on the front of stores. Eventually, there were Mesker storefronts in every state with Indiana alone having over 4,000.

For essentials such as gas, you will need to leave the park and head to one of the nearby towns while RV camping at Suwannee River State Park, but the closest are only around 20 minutes away.

Apart from some vending machines at the campground, you’ll need to drive to one of the local towns to collect provisions, so it’s advisable to collect these on the way when you will be RV camping at state parks.