Juniper Springs Rec Area

Juniper Springs is our favorite camping destination. We have been camping there for over a decade. However, the sites (our group had 6 of them) were not cleaned when we arrived, I found trash in the trees next to our site & the bathroom/showers are really in need of a renovation.

Every employee was wonderful and knowledgeable. However, the security at night on the weekend before thanksgiving was not present as a large loud party disturbed the peace until after 1 a m. NOT cool,

Nice clean campground. Nice tables, grills and fire pits. Large bear proof boxes and a lantern post. Juniper Run is very pristine. I only saw one very old beer can and one candy bar wrapper in 7 miles of paddling. Challenging paddle for even intermediate paddlers. Never ending obstacles. Lots of logs to get stuck on. Low trees, prepare to lay all the way flat on your kayak to get under them at least five times. Swift current last 1/3 of paddle. We saw two large gators but the real treat was when we came around a corner and saw a Buck standing chest deep in the water with a steep embankment behind him so he had nowhere to run. He just stared at us as we floated by and then swam across the river behind us.
My only complaint is the boardwalk and footbridge is still closed and in disrepair.
You can still see some of the Fern Hammock Springs Though if you walk to the end of the Fern Hammock Camp area near site 73 and find the trail marker there.

Overall it’s not a bad campground but I have no plans to ever return.

The good: clean bathrooms with running, hot water; wild Florida flora; starry night skies.
The spring run is one of my favorites. It’s difficult and technical and challenging and I just love it.

The bad: the worst part of my experience was other campers being loud after quiet hours and the camp host doing nothing about it. While most people kept it down after 10 (as stated in the rules) one group of partiers was up til 3am, blasting music and hootin’ and hollerin’. I know the park can’t control individual’s behavior but, again, the camp host was on site and did nothing about it. I talked to other campers the next day who all lamented at their lack of sleep because of this one group. It was so bad we only stayed one night. We left the next day after kayaking the run.

Also, there’s a general lack of information available for visitors. There are no maps available, for the campground or the run. I had to take a picture of an employee’s personal map of the grounds which ended up being inaccurate because it listed a shower facility that doesn’t actually exist. I asked the staff at the spring run for a map and they didn’t have one I could look at. I asked “how do I know I’m at the end of the run for pickup?” She said “it’s right after the bridge.” Which was true, but it’s not labeled in any kind of way so if I hadn’t asked, I would’ve just kept on paddling forever. Their website has limited information and the confirmation email I got after booking had incorrect information. It said to call if I’d arrive after hours starting in November, so I did, and was told that policy wasn’t in effect for a few weeks. None of these things are a big deal on their own but when they’re all together it becomes a pattern.

Nice campground. Sites are pretty private and it was very quiet.

Usually a quaint nice campground and fun spring. However, there is absolutely no enforcement of the two tent, 5 person per site max. We stayed and there seem to be a reunion with drinking until 3am in a main site. Chainsaws could be heard well after hours. Later they brought a trailer and ATV through and were riding it around. We reported it the next day, and found there is no one to contact after hours. There is no host. We won’t return now. We left a day early even.

There were large groups that were very loud!

Great

Kayaking the Juniper Springs run was magnificent. Seven miles of pristine, crystal clear, 72° water winding through a silent and unspoiled landscape. We were there when the water level was high and there was a nice current to push us along, with even a tiny rapid near the end of the trip. There are trees down on, in, and under the water which keeps your head in the paddling. They made the paddle even more interesting. It was fabulous.

The campsite was reasonably secluded with a nice firepit and table. The bathrooms were clean and the showers had great pressure and plenty of hot water. Top notch. I highly recommend.

Absolutly loved it there, beautiful Campground with clean restrooms and showers. Springs were amazing and nice to swim and to walk around.