Government shut down and camping

[scrubjaysnest]

Originally Posted by TravlinOn

Scrubjaysnest - I am looking to go camping in the next couple of weeks in FL and have found some of the state parks with trailer campsites available. I'm not sure where you are located but two parks that I found were west of Tallahassee: Falling Waters and Blackwater. There are more around the state, but these are a couple.

Let the "children" play their games (as long as they don't get too loud) and hopefully they will go back to sleep soon.

http://floridastateparks.reserveamer...ex=CampingSpot

http://floridastateparks.reserveamer...psiteSearch.do

Blackwater is great, you may also like Three Rivers which is closer to Tally.
Falling Waters is small and usually has overniters from I-10, some sites there will be awakward for the TM. Those CG's are about 1 to 3 hours from us but closer to 12 for are daughter. She is maybe an hour from the Everglades.
Another one that is low usage west of Tally is Torreya SP. Some nice hikes there with the elevation changes.

Originally Posted by scrubjaysnest

Blackwater is great, you may also like Three Rivers which is closer to Tally.
Falling Waters is small and usually has overniters from I-10, some sites there will be awakward for the TM. Those CG's are about 1 to 3 hours from us but closer to 12 for are daughter. She is maybe an hour from the Everglades.
Another one that is low usage west of Tally is Torreya SP. Some nice hikes there with the elevation changes.

Thanks! I'll add both to my list of possibles and Torreya especially looks like fun.

Just be sure to have what you need at Torreya, it is quite a ways out of town. That is the advantage to Falling Waters and Three Rivers (tho I admit that Sneads doesn't have much shopping compared to Chipley).There is also the Florida Caverns at Marianna but it is so close to us we haven't spend the night there so I can't say about camping.

Originally Posted by TravlinOn

Thanks! I'll add both to my list of possibles and Torreya especially looks like fun.

[scrubjaysnest]

Got to the Everglades to find Long Pine Key CG closed. Its being repaved. This forced us to go all the way to Flamingo CG. A,B, and C loops are closed because they are repaving loop A. I guess the shut down delayed the start of these projects. Flamingo is supposed to be completed first.

Also ran into something new to us.....they charge 3 bucks per canoe/kayak to use them in the park for 7 days. 1/2 off with the inter agency pass. This appears to be the only charge as there is no boat ramp launch/parking fee.

Getting expensive for those without the pass. $10 bucks to get in, $3 bucks per boat, and $30 in you want an electric site; $16 if you don't. Need the A/C with temp in the mid 80's

What is the inter agency pass, Scrubjaysnest? Is it a discount for govies?

[scrubjaysnest]

That's the new name for the golden age pass.


Everglades up date: They opened the a loop at Flamingo CG at about 8:30 pm the night before Thanksgiving. That was about 5 minutes after the paving crew finished. Had a park employee out Thanksgiving morning painting site numbers in loop A. I wonder if the paving work was originally scheduled during the gov'ment shut down and how much it cost us to reschedule?


Plenty of wildlife to see. Had some nice hikes and canoe trips. Rode the Rowedy Bend trail on the mtbike. Bad idea, trail was still in summer conditions. Grass height in some sections up my shoulders when seated on the bike. We had a great 12 days there though.

[Logman]

I'm planning a camping trip to s Florida last week in March. I have reservations for 3 days at Pennecamp St Park to go snorkeling and have never been to Everglades. Do you have a preference for campsites or activities? I am a hiker and biker. ALso an active senior citizen, and sometimes lazy bum fisherman. My two thirty yr old sons will be with me some of the time.Appreciate any ideas. Logman Bill

[scrubjaysnest]

Originally Posted by Logman

I'm planning a camping trip to s Florida last week in March. I have reservations for 3 days at Pennecamp St Park to go snorkeling and have never been to Everglades. Do you have a preference for campsites or activities? I am a hiker and biker. ALso an active senior citizen, and sometimes lazy bum fisherman. My two thirty yr old sons will be with me some of the time.Appreciate any ideas. Logman Bill

It will be starting to get warm in the Everglades by the end of March so you may need the A/C. That leaves you only half the T loop sites at Flamingo CG. We actually prefer Long Pine Key CG in the Everglades but there are no hook ups. There are a lot of short hikes in the Everglades that will give you an over view. There is a ranger led canoe tour at nine mile pond but at that time of year water levels are still pretty low and its the start of gator mating season.

Flamingo is at the very end of the park road, supplies are limited and pricey. It's an hour drive to the nearest supplies in Florida City. Long Pine Key CG is 5 miles from the entrance and about 15 minutes to Florida City.

Most of the fishing is out of Flamingo.