If you are planning a camping trip to the Florida panhandle, then staying at Three Rivers State Park is one of your options. Yet, you are probably wondering about the conditions of the park after being hard-hit by Hurricane Michael in 2018. In this article, I summarize what you can expect camping at this Florida State Park, so read on!
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A word about Hurricane Michael Damage and Recovery Efforts
I will say this right off the bat: the damage left by Hurricane Michael is quite extensive. About 80% of trees in the region were lost to this powerful storm. It was, indeed, a rather sad sight.
Three Rivers State Parks and other parks have been putting in major efforts to help these parks recover from the damage. The efforts show, but the parks are certainly not in the splendor they used to be. Knowing how slow forests bounce back, it will be years before these forests return to the new normal.
Yet, even with the widespread damage, we witnessed, signs of new life abound. It is almost poetic! Wildlife is teeming in this park, so bring your binoculars, cameras, and even fishing poles to enjoy the wildlife in Lake Seminole!
Camping at Three Rivers State Park
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<p><strong>Please include attribution to A Pragmatic Lens with this graphic.</strong><br /><br /><a href='https://apragmaticlens.com/three-rivers-state-park/'><img src='https://ml0cur3zhy5j.i.optimole.com/w:791/h:1024/q:mauto/ig:avif/f:best/https://apragmaticlens.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Three-Rivers-State-Park-Info-1.jpg' alt='Three Rivers State Park Infographic with summary of camping information and amenities' width='700px' border='0' /></a></p>Arrival and Checking in
Arriving at Three Rivers State Park was quite easy. The address is 7908 Three Rivers Park Road, Sneads FL 32460, and Google Maps will take you right in. I know this should be obvious, but sometimes Google takes you to the wrong park entrances!
When you arrive, the ranger at the entrances will provide you with a map and information to go in. However, this is not where checking-in takes place. The office to check-in is actually in the middle of the campground! The office is only open during certain hours, so you may end up setting up your site before you even check-in.
The Roads
The road from the entrance to the campground is, as of Spring of 2020, in BAD conditions. Between hurricane damage and heavy logging trucks, the roughly two miles between the entrance and the campground will seem like an eternity. You will need to go slow in order to maneuver around the potholes.
The good news is that you will not need to worry about the top of your rig hitting anything. This is because there are no low branches or low canopy, especially with tree coverage now being so low due to the hurricane.
The Campground Loop
Although the campground was redone, it is certainly not the prettiest. Despite the park’s efforts on recovery, the widespread damage from the storm still shows.
30 sites total make up the loop, 21 in the outer loop, and the rest in the inner loop.
The office for checking in is in the middle of the loop. They offer certain programs there, and you can buy firewood from the camp host for $5.
Campers without reservations can stay on any site that does not have the “Reserved” sign displayed, although their time will be limited. There are also two walk-in only sites (Sites 1 and 2) that cannot be reserved.
The Campsites: Best and Worst
Most sites are packed dirt and gravel, and we did not have issues with it. Indeed, our site was quite level, which was really nice. Walking around I noticed most people did not seem to need much to level their campers either. A few sites had a concrete slab for the camper, although these were in the inner loop. That means you will not get much of a view there.
Because of the lack of vegetation, there is no shade or privacy between sites. Some sites are certainly much better than others. We went during the colder “winter” months, so the lack of shade was not too bad. Still, we had to use our fan a couple of times outside. Make sure your awning is working or that you have a nice canopy. With the lack of shade, I would suggest avoiding this park during the summer months.
30 amp and 50 amp electricity are provided at all sites. The water had great pressure, so no complaints here! There are no sewer hookups, but there is a single-lane dump station in good condition. Not much more to add here.
Sites 1 and 2 are for walk-in only. No reservations required there!
Related: Little Talbot Island State Park Campground Review
Best Sites
We stayed in site 7. It had nice access to a Lake Seminole viewpoint, and overall we were happy with the location. Site #8 right next to us was probably the best one in the terms of privacy and views of the river.
Sites #9 and #10 are pull-throughs with direct views of the lake and pier. Site #10 is a bit less private because it is right in front of the pier, so you will see people walking by.
Sites #23 – #25 are wheelchair accessible and have a concrete slab, although they are in the inner loop. Not much privacy or views here, but they are the closest ones to the bathrooms.
Sites to Avoid
In general, you want to avoid inner loop sites. The least favorite sites are 5, 26, and 27. They have no privacy, no views, and no shade in the afternoon hours. Site 12 has some views, but obstructed by sites 9 and 10.
Sites 13-15 face the lake, but there is vegetation obstructing the view. There is some privacy, though.
Sites 17 – 30 are more private because they face the woods. However, the woods right now are not great and do not offer much shade. The afternoon sun can be quite intense there.
Cabins
There is only one cabin on site 16. It is nice, private, and with some shade. As far as I know, it is fully furnished. I have a full guide on Florida State Park cabins if you want to learn more about his option.
The Bathhouse
The bathhouse is new and very clean. Plenty of hot water with great water pressure. There is no separate family room, though.
Laundry
There is no laundry, which was a bit of an issue for us. We had just spent three days in another park, and so we needed to do some laundry. There is a large sink that they provide behind the bathhouse for washing dishes and for laundry. The park also provides a clothesline in most sites.
We ended up having to hand wash our clothes and hang them to dry. It was not a huge deal, but it certainly obstructed our view. So, if you are planning on visiting this park, make sure you bring enough clothes for your entire stay or plan to do your laundry elsewhere!
Cell Phone Reception and Connectivity
There is no WiFi in the campground, as it is typical for State Parks. We had no issues with cell phone reception with AT&T and Sprint. My Verizon hotspot provided great internet while we were there. With the low tree coverage, you can probably get an antenna to work fairly easily.
Communal FirePit
There is a communal fire pit that overlooks the lake. It was also a nice spot to see the birds and the osprey hunting down the lake.
Things to Do at Three River State Park
Hiking
During our visit, there were only two hiking trails open. We only explored the Lake View trail, which is accessed directly from the campground.
While the hike was easy and short, it was not the prettiest. As mentioned, there are still tons of downed trees, which is understandable because they should not be removed. Also, as a result, there is no shade either.
Biking
There are no dedicated park trails, but you can bike on the road. However, the road has lots of hills and it is still quite damaged by the storm. We did not attempt to bike while we were here for those reasons. If you have an electric bike or a really good mountain bike, then this is something you can add to your activities.
Fishing/Kayaking/Boating
These water-related activities are big here! You can fish right off of the pier, or get on your kayak or boat. This should be obvious for most Floridians, but please do not swim in this lake. We spotted multiple alligators in the water, which is expected.
There is a separate boat ramp in the park that is specific for day users. Better yet, there is a dedicated boat launch and a separate kayak launch right on the campground. There is also a fish cleaning table, and canoes and kayaks for rent.
Wildlife Viewing
Make sure you bring your binoculars, your camera, and your telephoto lens! There was quite a bit of wildlife in this park. This was unexpected for me and made this amateur wildlife photographer very happy.
A quick list of what we saw: lots of ospreys hunting, coots, gallinules, alligators, pileated woodpeckers, cottonmouth snakes, common loons, cormorants, and great blue herons.
Related: Silver Springs State Park – A Unique and Wild Florida Experience
The Views
Both sunrise and sunset can be quite spectacular. Make sure you walk to the pier during those times to enjoy the wonderful views over the lake!
Kids Activities
This is not the best park for kids as far as kid-specific activities go. The playground is located by the day-use picnic pavilions, which is a bit far from the campground. You would probably need to drive or plan on a somewhat long walk to get there. For that reason, we did not go to the playground. Other than the kids going on a scooter ride in the paved portion of the loop, there isn’t much else for them to do.
Our kids still had a blast in the open spaces, and if your kids enjoy fishing then they will love this park. There is a fishing pole loaner program for kids in the campground office, so make sure you talk to the camp hots about that!
Make it clear to your kids to stay away from the water, and to watch for snakes. My 5 year old spotted a cottonmouth crossing their play area.
Outside the Park
Because the trails in this park are limited and, sadly, not the prettiest, we did venture out of the park to explore other places.
Despite visiting during “cooler” spring months, the days got fairly warm. For that reason, we went to Wakulla Springs State Park one morning. It is about 50 minutes away, but it was a great place for the kids to play and for all of us to cool off.
We also visited Falling Waters State Park to see the waterfall. It was a 40-minute drive from Three Rivers. This park was not nearly as affected by the hurricane. In addition to the falls, it has a nice boardwalk, a large playground, and a swimming area that the kids enjoyed. There is camping here, but the campground is small and fills up quickly.
Another option is to visit Florida Caverns State Park. This park was also heavily affected by the hurricane, but that certainly did not affect the caverns. It is certainly worth the 30-minute drive if you are already in the area!
To wrap it up
Three Rivers State Park was severely affected by Hurricane Michael. While the campground was recently finished, it is still not the prettiest due to the lack of vegetation.
Other than river-related activities, there is not much to do in the park at this point, but it is in close proximity to many other places. This allows you to visit and explore other attractions in the area.
To summarize:
- The parks roads are in poor condition
- Much of the tree canopy was lost in the campground, leading to limited privacy and shade
- Avoid sites in the inner loop
- Two trails are open, although not very shady due to the loss of trees
- Bring fishing, kayaking, or boating gear
- Do not bother with bikes, unless you have electric bikes or thunder thighs…
- Gorgeous views of the Lake Seminole
- Tons of opportunities for birding and wildlife viewing
- There are decent grocery stores and gas stations within 10 minutes of the park
- Many other parks in the vicinity to explore the area further
We visited the park in early March 2020. The park closed a couple of weeks later due to the COVID-19 pandemic. I would be curious to see if they are using this time of closure and no visitors to continue the restoration process! If you visited this park AFTER reopening, let me know of the conditions by leaving a comment below!
Additional Resources
Official Three Rivers State Park Website
It is September 4th 2020 and we are here now. The park is pretty much how you described.
We gave camped here several times prior to the hurricane and what a shock. I will still camp here but not in the summer lack of shade is a problem.
It was really sad to see! I never got to see it before the hurricane, so I could only imagine how different it probably was. So sad! Nature is resilient, though. We just have to give it some time to bounce back 🙂
We are excited to camp more in Florida, and this is an area that we’ve never visited! I will have to add this campground to our list of places to stay.
I am a local and can see the park from my back porch, thanks to hurricane Michael. Although I’d rather have the trees back.
If you like wildlife and hiking or biking, just a couple miles north of the park on river road, is the appalachee wildlife management area. It’s 8,000 acres of hunting land with dirt roads and hundreds of acres of ponds, not to mention that it borders lake seminole. It’s open to public all year as long as you have a management area stamp($25 fee). After the 1st of the year until November 24th, the area is free of hunters so, no worries.