Otter Springs

Otter Springs Park & Campground (formerly Otter Springs RV Resort) has been purchased by the Suwannee River Water Management District. In partnership with the District, Gilchrist County has assumed day-to-day operations.

More Than 250 Turn Out for Otter Springs Cleanup

Cleaning the Spring

High school and college students, Boy Scout troops and others helped make Otter Springs Park & Campground a better place to swim, fish and camp. On October 24, about 254 volunteers participated in a cleanup effort at the park. The event was organized by Current Problems in partnership with Gilchrist County, Karst Environmental Services/Karst Productions, WUFT and Suwannee River Water Management District (SRWMD).

A dive crew and several Boy Scout members worked to retrieve 35 large rocks from the bottom of Otter Spring. A group of college students helped clean out trash and other debris in and around a sinkhole on the property. Other volunteers paddled in kayaks and canoes to help clean the spring run. In all, an estimated 8,215 pounds of garbage – including concrete, tires and a dumpster filled with trash bags – was collected.

"We are thrilled with the job all the volunteers did. They pitched in and made a tremendous difference at the park," said Nancy Nieman, park manager for Otter Springs Park & Campground.

Cleaning the Sinkhole

Nieman said while staff at the park keeps the campground and hiking trails litter/free, volunteers at the cleanup took care of areas less noticeable. "They were going back in the woods, the bushes, the rough stuff," she said.

Current Problems, which headed up the event, is an environmental group that conducts cleanup efforts for Northeast Florida's rivers, lakes, springs and creeks.

Fritzi Olson, Current Problems executive director, said cleaning up waterways is important to protect the aquifer and ocean. "What goes into them (waterways), goes into our drinking water. What doesn't, will eventually float into the ocean," she said.

Olson said cleanup events serve as a teaching tool that demonstrates the effects of stormwater runoff and illegal dumping. "What we do on land affects our surface and ground waters," she said.

A Place for Retreat and Renewal on Florida's Nature Coast

RV under tree canopy

Experience 636 acres of natural Florida at Otter Springs Park & Campground.

Our centerpiece, Otter Springs, is a second magnitude natural spring with a constant temperature of 73 degrees and a flow of 10 million gallons of sparkling pure water daily. The spring creates a large clear pool and stream, which flows into the nearby Suwannee River.

The serene setting is perfect for fishing, bird watching, hiking and other outdoor activities. Indoors at the Little Otter Club we offer a gym, board games, foosball, and air hockey.

And when you want a little bit of both indoor comfort and outdoor beauty, relax at a poolside table or swim laps in our spacious, enclosed pool pavilion.

Features

  • 100 level pull-through RV sites, with full hook-ups (30 & 50 amp), at 30-degree angles for easy entry and departure.
  • Primitive tent campsites for small or large groups; approved fire rings allowed.
  • Cabins with air conditioning, equipped kitchens, full baths, and private front porches with swings.
  • Two bath houses with hot showers and laundry facilities.
  • Beautiful screened pool pavilion with large patio area and in-ground pool.
  • Two natural springs and a mile's frontage on the historic Suwannee River.
  • Beautiful Springhouse Lodge, with broad wrap-around porch, kitchen, and stone fireplace, is available for group events.
  • Screened picnic house with food prep counters, large sink, new picnic tables, electricity, and ceiling fans (holds 80 people).
  • Day passes are available at the front office for community members who want to enjoy Otter Springs' peaceful atmosphere.
  • Internet and fax available in office.
  • Pets are allowed under certain conditions; read our policy.

Driving Directions

From I-75 take Exit 387. Take ramp toward W Newberry Road (SR 26); go 0.2 mile. Turn west toward Newberry on W Newberry Road (SR 26); go approximately 30 miles. Exit soft right just past Wilcox & Otter Springs signs; go 0.2 mi. Turn right on CR 232; go 1.6 miles. Turn left on SW 70th Street; go 1.0 mile. Turn right into entrance at 6470 SW 80th Ave.

From Highway 19 (US ALT 27) in Fanning Springs, bear left on SR 26; go 1.4 miles. Turn left on CR 232 (on curve, just past Otter Springs sign); go 1.7 miles. Turn left on SW 70th Street; go 1.0 mile. Turn right into entrance at 6470 SW 80th Avenue.

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