Stephen Foster Folk Culture Center State Park Campground

Definitely grab a map on your way in! It would be a bit confusing without one. We picked up our pass at the front - no one to check us in, which is fine. We stayed here at the beginning of May - price is averaged over the two nights. We were in site 5 in the Canebreak loop. Nice long & level site. The pull thrus are a bit more exposed. There are two bathhouses with laundry - the washer between Gopher & Canebreak loops worked, but the dryer had no heat (lady before me had to run things in it twice and the clothes were still wet). I carried my wet clothes to the dryer by Suwannee loop (which had an out of order washer...), but what else did I have to do :)
I enjoyed the walking here - easy to walk with the dog, the museum, the tower, the craft village & the river gazebo. We had stayed at Stephen C Foster State Park in Georgia - totally different feel - really enjoyed Stephen Foster's history here - had no idea he wrote over 200 songs! The old pianos were incredible. All in all, a very cool park!

This campground was quiet and the sites were very spacious. The playground kept my little one entertained and the showers and bathrooms were kept well cleaned. Cell service wasn’t spectacular but we were able to stream our favorite Netflix shows. The history of the park and the museum were fun to check out as well. The washer and dryer were out of service but there was a decent laundromat just up the road. No big deal at all. We would definitely stay here again.

Our first overnight stay here. Just a few miles off I-75 so makes a good overnight if traveling to/from Central or South Florida. The campground is quiet, sites are large, deep and well-spaced with lots of growth between sites so they are really private. I was able to park level without disconnecting from my tow vehicle. 30 amp and water on the sites.

The park is dedicated to American composer Stephen Foster (Oh! Susanna, My Old Kentucky Home, Old Folks at Home/Suwannee River, Camptown Races, etc.) who popularized the Suwannee River in one of his songs, the same river that flows through the park.

OK, so NO ONE mentioned the tight turn coming into the park from the north. We are a 36' class A with a tow dolly and we ended up going in through the exit side of the gate after making the right turn into the park. Suggestion: enter the park from the south if you are a long class A/towing.

No on site staff at the gate (I saw park rangers taking down holiday decorations). You pick up a tag with the gate code on it, maps of the park and trails if you like, and off you go. We dropped our toad at the gate as there was a RV parking area just beyond. However, there are other parking areas next to the museum that could also be used. As there was no on site staff, there was no firewood for sale. We found a place towards Lake City that sells firewood: Nature's Source Products 854 NW Guerdon St, Lake City - they are on google maps - and answered their phone and our questions. Picked up a few bundles for $5.99 each (those same red bags you see for sale at campgrounds).

Clean, quiet park (not much for staff or visitors) with lots of hiking trails. Site was clean and raked and private. Some of the center pull through sites have less privacy. Plenty of civilization down in Lake City if you need anything.

We did not use the bath house or washer/dryers ($1 each)

Local restaurant recommendation in White Springs - Fat Belly's for fried catfish

Overall this is a nice Florida State Park. Some of the amenities are in need of either replacement or at least repair. That being said there's a newly renovated pavilion on the Suwanee River, and the canoe launch was under replacement while we were there. There is an updated playground for the kiddos.

The campsite was nice, even after a rough start with a limb hanging over the site, and the electrical not working without some intervention. The staff was friendly and helpful, but not many. And there was no camp host at that park, although the camp host from another park was very helpful.

The museum is a step back in time, especially given its design and dedication prior to the Civil Rights Act. You need to be sure to put it into perspective, some people could be offended. There aren't many signs, so use your best judgment when entering and follow the loop until you see the campground sign. The park is only accessible from US 41.