Ginnie Springs Outdoors

Having camped here for 30 years or so we have progressed from tents to pop-ups to RVs. Over the years the property has improved and they have kept the park clean and nice. Not sure if COVID is the only reason that the park has been overcrowded the last two times we have been there, but it is not as laid back as it used to be. The off-season and mid-week camping is much better.

First of all, I'll say that I love Ginnie but it can be anything but a quiet camping experience. I love floating the river and swimming in the springs but this is definitely a party atmosphere. If you are going to be there on the weekend be prepared for blaring music at all hours, lots of drunk people, messy bathrooms, and sadly lots of litter. I've stayed over Memorial Day which is anything but a peaceful and serene experience (DO NOT bring children, unless you want them having a quick College Frat party indoctrination) but I know this going in, so it just is what it is. I have also stayed here right after the 4th of July during the week and it was lovely! On the weekends the wildlife stays away but during the week we saw deer and racoons drinking from the river during our floats and lots of wading birds. In the summer the sunset floats are the best because the day-trippers have left and you feel like you have the river to yourself (lots of others are back at camp getting set up for dinner). As far as site 18 goes, it is nice and big, well shaded, but you are close with your neighbor at 20, but nothing different than many Florida campsites. There is also a little trail out the back out of the campsite that links up to the tube trail. The camp store is great and has about everything you may have forgotten. There is also a little restaurant if you want to grab a quick bite or some coffee. I would recommend coming to the store early in the am to grab ice etc. as it gets really busy as the day-trippers start rolling in. Also, be sure to fill out all of your forms online before you get there to check-in. This can save you a bunch of time because the store can be pretty busy. Last bit of advice. Get up early and leave your site to head to one of the springs. Devils Eye in the morning is my favorite. Lots of times I'll have it all to myself and it's just absolutely beautiful.

Do not camp here unless you don't care about Covid, you're on Spring break or you plan to party well into the night! We were really disappointed with our experience here. We should have known when reading the site rules. It said kegs aren't allowed, which we joked about at the time. The gatekeepers refused to wear masks when we entered, even after we asked politely. As we made our way to the site, we saw that not one person was masked, and large groups of people (teens and adults alike) were gathered together tightly. Music was blasting everywhere, and the smoke from the campfires was oppressive. There was no enforcement of any of the long list of rules. The springs themselves were lovely but surrounded by maskless, partying teens. We had a hard time sleeping due to the noise and smoke. We left after the first night and will not be back.

With this campground, you pay per person, and then only pay about $15 for the electric/water. There is no sewer hookup, and only one dump station.

Heads Up - NO PETS ALLOWED. Strictly enforced.

Phone and internet coverage is almost non-existent. There is good Wifi by the camp office, but you must be within 100 feet of the office to get it, it does not reach any sites.

The camping was nice and rustic. Multiple trees. I was able to get my '43 Diesel Pusher into a spot without much difficulty. Although, the site was not level, and my front wheels were off the ground.

This place is a party town on the weekend, and is very sleepy during the week...so take your pick! The primary attraction is floating down the river in a tube while enjoying your favorite beverage. Being close to UF, there are many college kids here on the weekend. There are also many parties, reunions, family gatherings, etc. Most people come and set up a tent near the water. The Campground is not by the water, but has fewer party people running through it.

We enjoyed our stay, but it's not for everyone.

We arrived on Thursday and found our site very quickly. The staff is very friendly and always ready to help. Thursday and Friday were very nice, easy access to everything. Friday night and Saturday, totally different experience. LOUD MUSIC until 3:00am, it was horrible!!! Saturday morning the area was so crowded with people you could not move around the campground. You had to walk everywhere. I have issues with my legs, so walking distances if difficult for me. On Thursday and Friday, we parked the truck at our chosen exit and then walked to where we wanted to get in. Saturday, that was not an option and the springs were so crowded it was like bumper boats. We will visit again, but only on a Monday-Thursday timeframe. Bugs were really bad, so just sitting outside around the site was not as relaxing as usual, so need to be prepared for that. Understand where you are, there are snakes around, so be cautious and alert, I almost placed my hand on one.

The town of High Springs (15 miles away) was quaint and very enjoyable. We visited many of the shops, got some ice cream at the Florida Creamery (well worth the visit) and had dinner at the Great Outdoors Restaurant. We thoroughly enjoyed our afternoon in town.

Although Friday night and Saturday were a bust for us, I must give props to the staff. I took our tubes back early Saturday morning as soon as we realized there was no way we would get on the river that day. They refunded our costs for the day without hesitation. EXCELLENT CUSTOMER SERVICE!!!!!

This is a wonderful place to come, if you come at the right time, which is not Friday-Sunday. We will definitely be back, but be more selective of the day of the week. I have seen other reviews that state "there or no sites, just first come first serve". That is not entirely accurate. The campground is broken up into two areas basically, open camping and reserved camping. If you have a camper/RV and need full-hook ups there are sites available that require a reservation. The cost covers your campsite and admission to the Springs. So the $48 per night, cover BOTH of those items. Also, if you are camping, come in the night before. For example, if you plan to be on the water on Thursday, come in on Wednesday night, relax, get up early Thursday morning and be on the water all day. Check-out time is not until 1 hour before sunset. So for us we came in Thursday midday, and did not have to leave until 8:00pm Saturday night. A normal stay in a State Park would have had us arrive late Thursday and be gone by by 11am Satuday morning. So your "on-site" time is much longer. So the extra cost is worth the time.

Cell service with AT&T was sketchy at times. We did manage some moments with 2 bars, but most was 1 bar or nothing.

I stayed here for one night on my way to Savannah. It was a Monday night and while there was still at least 1,000 people there, I was told that on weekends there can be as many as 20,000. I would recommend going and staying on a weeknight. Camping is primitive. There are no sites, so spots by the river are first come first serve. They are taken pretty quickly, I assume. To be honest, the night I stayed there reminded me more of my time camping at Bonnaroo than any typical camping experience. Older campers might have a hard time here. It’s loud all night. There’s a lot of young people. I heard people arguing about stuff being stolen off their picnic table. I was alone when I went there, so I am super excited to go back with friends someday. It’s a real party spot, for sure! The river is amazing. Bring your snorkeling gear!

I would rate my experience very highly, but cleanliness, site quality, and noise definitely would be a problem for some.

When I told a friend we were headed to Ginnie Springs for the week of New Year's Eve, she had nothing nice to say about it - expensive, crowded, no privacy, etc. With reservations made and nowhere else available, we went anyway and we are so glad we did.

Negatives out of the way first: Camping prices are per person and electric is an additional $10/night, which means we paid about $60/night for a water and electric site. Also, no pets, so if you're traveling with your dog, you're outta luck unless you have a registered assistance/service dog and proof of certification. No fire rings, but ground fires are allowed. Each site has a grill, which we had to clean out - it was full of leaves and wet ashes from previous campers. For $60/night, there should be full hookups, sites should be clean and there should be a fire ring.

A lot of the water/electric sites near the office were tightly packed together, but the sites on our loop were well spaced with foliage between sites. Sites are heavily shaded. Camping here in the off season is great - we had no direct neighbors at all. There's daily on-site garbage pickup. They even supply a bag. Bath houses were heated and clean. Showers were big and water was hot with good pressure. We were a very short walk from the river and all the springs. It takes about five minutes to walk from one spring to the next. Each has a deck and steps. The springs are 72 degrees year 'round. We rented tubes (can't remember the price but it was really reasonable) and did the tube run down the river, and swam in the crystal-clear springs. Snorkels, masks, fins, kayaks, canoes and paddle boards are also available for rental.

We did a lot of hiking and walking and thoroughly enjoyed visiting each of the springs. Each is pretty in its own way. There's a ton of tent camping along the river - first come/first served. It would be a great place to tent camp with a large group.

On spring and summer holidays and weekends, the line to get in for a day pass can be a couple hours long. Try to arrive on a weekday to avoid that craziness.

Overall, we really enjoyed camping here and would definitely do it again despite the cost per night.