Juniper Springs Rec Area

Welcome to Juniper Springs!
Historic Mill House
Picnic area
Rentable Pavilion
Natural Florida

Featured amenities

Showers Showers

Sites & Rates

Average nightly rates

76 total sites

RV Sites

57 sites

Tent Sites

19 sites

About Juniper Springs Rec Area

Juniper Springs Campground is one of the most popular campgrounds in the Ocala National Forest. The location offers deeply shaded sites within walking distance of some of Florida's most beautiful natural springs. The surrounding recreation area has plenty of activities to entertain visitors, including swimming, picnicking, canoeing, snorkeling, hiking, birding and wildlife viewing. This campground was named one of Reserve America's Top 100 Family Campgrounds in the United States.

Number of accommodations: 76

Seasonal information

2026 (Current year)

2026 Season availability

Current season
Upcoming seasons
Past seasons
Closed periods
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec

Open year round

This campground is open year round, providing flexibility for your stay.

365 Days

Campground Amenities

Most popular amenities

Showers Showers
RV Utilities and Hookups

RV Utilities and Hookups

  • Dump station on site
Water and Hygiene

Water and Hygiene

  • Showers
Missing information?

Rates, Sites & Availability

Select check-in and check-out dates to see real-time availability for each site.

76 Sites Available

Site
Price
🚐 001, Loop: TROP RV
No Hookups
Price not available
🚐 002, Loop: TROP RV
No Hookups
Price not available
🚐 003, Loop: TROP RV
No Hookups
Price not available
🚐 004, Loop: TROP RV
No Hookups
Price not available
🚐 005, Loop: TROP RV
No Hookups
Price not available
🚐 006, Loop: TROP RV
No Hookups
Price not available
🚐 007, Loop: TROP RV
No Hookups
Price not available
🚐 009, Loop: TROP RV
No Hookups
Price not available
🚐 010, Loop: TROP RV
No Hookups
Price not available
🚐 011, Loop: TROP RV
No Hookups
Price not available
🚐 012, Loop: TROP RV
No Hookups
Price not available
🚐 013, Loop: TROP RV
No Hookups
Price not available
🚐 014, Loop: TROP RV
No Hookups
Price not available
🚐 015, Loop: TROP RV
No Hookups
Price not available
🚐 016, Loop: TROP RV
No Hookups
Price not available
🚐 018, Loop: TROP RV
No Hookups
Price not available
🚐 019, Loop: TROP RV
No Hookups
Price not available
🚐 020, Loop: TROP RV
No Hookups
Price not available
🚐 021, Loop: TROP RV
No Hookups
Price not available
🚐 022, Loop: TROP RV
No Hookups
Price not available
🚐 023, Loop: TROP RV
No Hookups
Price not available
🚐 024, Loop: TROP RV
No Hookups
Price not available
🚐 025, Loop: TROP RV
No Hookups
Price not available
🚐 026, Loop: TROP RV
No Hookups
Price not available
🚐 027, Loop: TROP RV
No Hookups
Price not available
🚐 028, Loop: TROP RV
No Hookups
Price not available
🚐 029, Loop: TROP RV
No Hookups
Price not available
🚐 030, Loop: TROP RV
No Hookups
Price not available
🚐 031, Loop: TROP RV
No Hookups
Price not available
🚐 032, Loop: TROP RV
No Hookups
Price not available
🚐 033, Loop: TROP RV
No Hookups
Price not available
🚐 034, Loop: TROP RV
No Hookups
Price not available
🚐 036, Loop: SAND RV
No Hookups
Price not available
🚐 037, Loop: SAND RV
No Hookups
Price not available
🚐 038, Loop: SAND RV
No Hookups
Price not available
🚐 039, Loop: SAND RV
No Hookups
Price not available
🚐 040, Loop: SAND RV
No Hookups
Price not available
🚐 041, Loop: SAND RV
No Hookups
Price not available
🚐 042, Loop: SAND RV
No Hookups
Price not available
🚐 043, Loop: SAND RV
No Hookups
Price not available
🚐 044, Loop: SAND RV
No Hookups
Price not available
🚐 045, Loop: SAND RV
No Hookups
Price not available
🚐 046, Loop: SAND RV
No Hookups
Price not available
🚐 047, Loop: SAND RV
No Hookups
Price not available
🚐 048, Loop: SAND RV
No Hookups
Price not available
🚐 049, Loop: SAND RV
No Hookups
Price not available
🚐 050, Loop: SAND RV
No Hookups
Price not available
🚐 051, Loop: SAND RV
No Hookups
Price not available
🚐 052, Loop: SAND RV
No Hookups
Price not available
🚐 053, Loop: SAND RV
No Hookups
Price not available
🚐 054, Loop: SAND RV
No Hookups
Price not available
🚐 055, Loop: SAND RV
No Hookups
Price not available
🚐 056, Loop: SAND RV
No Hookups
Price not available
🚐 057, Loop: SAND RV
No Hookups
Price not available
🚐 058, Loop: SAND RV
No Hookups
Price not available
🚐 059, Loop: SAND RV
No Hookups
Price not available
🚐 060, Loop: SAND RV
No Hookups
Price not available
061, Loop: FERN Tent
5 guests · Campfire · Pet Friendly
Price not available
062, Loop: FERN Tent
5 guests · Campfire · Pet Friendly
Price not available
063, Loop: FERN Tent
5 guests · Campfire · Pet Friendly
Price not available
064, Loop: FERN Tent
5 guests · Campfire · Pet Friendly
Price not available
065, Loop: FERN Tent
5 guests · Campfire · Pet Friendly
Price not available
066, Loop: FERN Tent
5 guests · Campfire · Pet Friendly
Price not available
067, Loop: FERN Tent
5 guests · Campfire · Pet Friendly
Price not available
068, Loop: FERN Tent
5 guests · Campfire · Pet Friendly
Price not available
069, Loop: FERN Tent
5 guests · Campfire · Pet Friendly
Price not available
070, Loop: FERN Tent
5 guests · Campfire · Pet Friendly
Price not available
071, Loop: FERN Tent
5 guests · Campfire · Pet Friendly
Price not available
072, Loop: FERN Tent
5 guests · Campfire · Pet Friendly
Price not available
073, Loop: FERN Tent
5 guests · Campfire · Pet Friendly
Price not available
074, Loop: FERN Tent
5 guests · Campfire · Pet Friendly
Price not available
075, Loop: FERN Tent
5 guests · Campfire · Pet Friendly
Price not available
076, Loop: FERN Tent
5 guests · Campfire · Pet Friendly
Price not available
077, Loop: FERN Tent
5 guests · Campfire · Pet Friendly
Price not available
078, Loop: FERN Tent
5 guests · Campfire · Pet Friendly
Price not available
079, Loop: FERN Tent
5 guests · Campfire · Pet Friendly
Price not available

Reviews (594)

What Guests Are Saying

Juniper Springs Recreation Area is a beautiful natural destination, ideal for summer visits with its refreshing springs and scenic kayaking on Juniper Run. Campgrounds are generally well-maintained and offer a peaceful atmosphere, with friendly staff enhancing the experience. However, some facilities, like the wooden boardwalks and bathrooms, require repairs, and visitors should be cautious of ticks and occasional overcrowding in popular areas.

Review Summary

4.1
594 reviews
5
50.5%
300
4
23.7%
141
3
14.5%
86
2
7.7%
46
1
3.5%
21

Katherine M

Verified

January 2, 2023 Stayed at: 028, Loop: TROP

3

Overall, the Juniper Springs campground is well-maintained and sites are of a reasonable size. Unfortunately, during our first night in the campground there were extremely loud people at a nearby site - hooting and hollering until about 3 a.m. No one came to enforce quiet hours. Oddly, the bathhouse had no outlets to plug in a hair dryer, which is a first in all the years I have been camping. (Also, there are no electrical hookups at this campground.) There is no heat at all in the bathhouses in the event of freezing weather. (In contrast, a state park in Georgia placed space heaters in the bathrooms during cold weather.) To make matters worse, the bathhouse fans at Juniper Springs blow cold air down into the shower areas and cannot be turned off. Shower sprays can't be directed, and the slope of the floors causes water to drain improperly - showers soaked everything, including clothing on hooks and shoes placed beyond the edge of the shower area.

Stuart K

Verified

January 5, 2023 Stayed at: 078, Loop: FERN

2

While the campgrounds themselves were quite well laid out, the actual park itself is in such dire need of repair and refurbishment, you should really consider either closing down the park entirely and updating everything or at least charge folks a discount for choosing to visit this park. Had I known that basically all of the pathways were going to be closed, in addition to the kayak launch, I wouldn't have chosen to stay here. Plus, the spring itself is barely a spring. Overall, I was quite disappointed with my stay and as an outdoors enthusiast and influencer, I will do my best to broadcast that folks shouldn't visit this park until it has been updated.

Erik B

Verified

January 6, 2023 Stayed at: 070, Loop: FERN

5

Great experience. Clean and quiet campground even when full. Easy access to great hiking in the FL Trail. 5/5 Stars!

Sarina R

Verified

January 6, 2023 Stayed at: 010, Loop: TROP

5

Small but absolutely beautiful spring! Nice to swim in. Unfortunately all the walking trails were closed and blocked off.

johnny j

Verified

January 9, 2023 Stayed at: 011, Loop: TROP

5

Always a great place to camp and hang out with family been coming there over 20 years. Only thing this trip was some unruly boys who kept flooding bathroom floors all weekend other than that always clean and peaceful.

Erik B

Verified

January 9, 2023 Stayed at: 001, Loop: TROP

5

Friendly staff, clean, quiet, great access to day hikes and the Florida Trail runs right through the front of the park.
I had a great stay. I was there for 3 nights during the holidays when it was at max capacity and even then everyone was considerate for other campers.
Clean showers and restrooms too.

Russell D

Verified

January 9, 2023 Stayed at: 051, Loop: SAND

1

The facility is not well maintained with the current management concessionaire. The bathrooms are filthy and the one worker we talked to tried to dissuade us from kayaking the Juniper Spring Run based on our age alone. This run is easily accomplished by novice kayakers. It may take a little longer if you are not very experienced, but it is certainly doable. The $10 fee is absurd for your own kayaks. I have never paid so much to launch my own kayak. The whole vibe of the campground is negative. DO NOT signs everywhere. The boardwalks are closed and there is absolutely nothing in the mill house. What a shame to waste such beautiful land and nature. I'm sure this is not what the benefactor envisioned for his land.

Ralph R

Verified

January 10, 2023 Stayed at: 067, Loop: FERN

4

Good times

Jonathan E

Verified

January 10, 2023 Stayed at: 030, Loop: TROP

3

This campsite offers very little privacy but it does offer plenty of shade, a nice large picnic table and fire pit. Good trees for hanging a hammock or setting up a slack line. Close to bathrooms with hot showers also. Just be prepared to bring tarps to create your own privacy.

Alec G

Verified

January 11, 2023 Stayed at: 060, Loop: SAND

2

We stayed at site 60 and they had a massive tree about to fall on the camp site. I tried to move my site and offered to pay money and they still refused, so we got forced into camping on the walk way almost. Claimed it is pet friendly and you arent allowed to bring your animals anywhere besides tied up in your campsite. Will not re visit this specific spring, but I will always travel the ocala forest.

Location Juniper Springs Rec Area

Address:
26701 East Hwy 40
Silver Springs, FL, 34488
United States

Highway access

Juniper Springs Recreation Area is accessible via Highway 40, which connects to I-75 and I-95. It is located approximately 4.5 miles west of the intersection of Highway 40 and Highway 19.

Elevation: 13 feet

Distance to downtown

23 mi drive to downtown Silver Springs (about 29 min)

Policies & Rules

Arrival & departure

Check in time

2PM

Check out time

11AM

General

  • Campground gate is closed and locked from to . Campers who check-in after the gatehouse is closed must visit the Gatehouse the next morning to complete their check-in to their site. Failure to do so will lead to a 'no show' charge to your reservation and potential forfeiture of site.
  • Camp sites must be occupied first night of reservation
  • Each campsite can hold a MAXIMUM of 2 tents and 5 campers. Maximum 2 vehicles per site (campers included); extra vehicles must park in overflow/overnight parking area and will be charged $9 per vehicle, per night
  • NO REFUNDS DUE TO WEATHER
  • Generators are not allowed to run during quiet hours.
  • No off-road vehicles allowed within the campground
  • Bears and raccoons frequent the area; all food must be kept in approved containers. Failure to comply with this regulation can result in immediate ejection from campground without refund. 
  • Dogs/pets are allowed in campground only and must be leashed and supervised at all times. No dogs/pets allowed in day-use area, bathrooms, boardwalk and canoe run.
  • Alcoholic beverages are not allowed in the day-use area.We ask that guests be courteous of one another and limit floats in the swimming area to under 60 inches across. Please be aware the boardwalk remains closed due to age and hurricane damage.
  • Children weighing less than 40 lbs are not allowed in rental canoes. No disposable items allowed on the canoe run (i.e., food wrappers, styrofoam coolers, cans, bottles, etc.) Only re-usable containers are allowed.
  • Private canoe and kayak launches are at a fee and limited to 30 total vessels per day. Vessels must be launch BEFORE 1:00 p.m. daily. JUNIPER RUN IS NOT FOR BEGGINERS. IT IS A WILDERNESS AREA AND MECHANICAL TOOLS ARE NOT PERMITTED, SO THE RUN REMAINS WILD. 
  • Click here for more information about Ocala National Forest
  • Don't Move Firewood: Help protect our forests! Prevent the spread of tree-killing pests by obtaining firewood at or near your destination and burning it on-site. Moving firewood is illegal in some states. Visit dontmovefirewood.org to learn more.
  • As per Forestry Department regulations, fines will result from the following infractions:    - Leaving unattended coolers and food. These items must be in bear boxes or fully shut vehicles    - Leaving burning or smoldering fires when exiting campsite.    - Improperly parked vehicles

Nearby Campgrounds

Nearby destinations


Last updated: September 6, 2026

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