I went to Falling Waters State Park campground 🌞 Florida Panhandle travel blog

Hi there!

 

So you can go camping in Falling Waters State Park!

This is one of the campgrounds in the Florida Panhandle.

 

 

 

Why go camping in Falling Waters State Park?

 

Falling Waters State Park is best known for being where to go to see Florida’s tallest waterfalls.

So if you’re looking for a quiet camping spot as you’re driving between the Florida Panhandle and Orlando, you can stop by to see the waterfalls (hopefully!) and then spend an overnight too.

The waterfalls aren’t always flowing.

When I went, there was a sign at the entry of Falling Waters State Park that said there was “moderate” water flow. But it looked like a trickle to me!

In any case, Florida is also known for sinkholes. You can also see a number of sinkholes at Falling Waters State Park, including where the water of the waterfalls flows into!

 

 

There is also a trail from the campground that will take you to a small beach called Turtle Lake.

There is a designated swimming area at Turtle Lake.

 

 

So if it’s summer, you can go swimming in Falling Waters State Park. (You can go swimming even if it’s not summer, but the water might be cold!)

Falling Waters State Park is one of the many Florida state parks that have alligators.

 

 

The alligator warning sign at the Falling Waters State Park beach is more or less just to be aware.

Since there’s a designated swimming area, the chances you will see an alligator at the beach are probably low.

But if you do see an alligator, immediately get out of the water, and as the sign indicates, let a park ranger know you saw an alligator in the swimming area!

 

 

If you want to go for a nature walk, then you can also walk from the campground to the waterfalls, but that will be a little bit of a longer walk.

 

 

Otherwise, from the campground, you will be just a short drive of a few minutes to the start of the waterfalls overlook trail! 

 

 

And finally, Florida Caverns State Park is 30 minutes away from Falling Waters State Park.

If you are unable to get a camping reservation at the Florida Caverns State Park campground, you can try the Falling Waters State Park campground. And if that fails, then you can try the Three Rivers State Park campground or Torreya State Park campground!

 

 

 

How do you reserve a campsite at the Falling Waters State Park campground?

You reserve a campsite at the Falling Waters State Park campground through the official Florida state parks camping reservations website.

Finding open campsite availability at state park campgrounds in the Florida Panhandle has been known to be difficult, but being an “inland” state park campground, you may have an easier time finding an opening.

If the camping trip to Falling Waters State Park that you want to do is just a few months, weeks, or even days away, and you find no camping availability, cancellations do happen.

You just have to get lucky and search for campgrounds immediately after someone cancels.

Your “luck” will increase the more you search, and the closer you are to your travel date.

In general, you will find the greatest difficulty in finding open campgrounds for Saturday nights.

Naturally, you will also find more difficulty also during busy season… like winter months and spring break season.

But still, searching over and over (and over 😜) really can work.

It did work for me at other Florida state park campgrounds that are known to be difficult to find campsite availability, including the Florida Caverns State Park campground and Henderson Beach State Park campground in Destin.

I was going to try the Falling Waters State Park campground if I wasn’t able to get camping reservations at Florida Caverns State Park, but luckily I found an opening!

So, while it’s not something to necessarily depend on, it’s something you can look for.

1 night stays will generally be easier to find than multi-night stays.

 

More below about the Falling Waters State Park Campground!

 

 

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Here are some pictures from Falling Waters State Park Campground

When I went to Falling Waters State Park in March 2022, I did a quick drive through the Falling Waters State Park campground.

 

👆 When you enter Falling Waters State Park, you can let the park ranger know that you are there for camping and they will instruct you what to do next. They might check you in as you sit in your car, or they might have you park and enter the ranger station.

 

👆 To get to the Falling Waters State Park campground, be on the lookout for the camping sign after you pass the entry station.

 

👆 Campsite #5, front right.

 

 

The Falling Waters State Park campground has electricity and water.

There are regular bathrooms at the Falling Waters State Park Campground.

There are hot water showers at the Falling Waters State Park Campground.

 

 

More about Falling Waters State Park camping

See more about camping in Falling Waters State Park from Florida State Parks:

Located on one of the highest hills in Florida, Pine Ridge Campground in Falling Waters State Park has the highest elevation in the state at 324 feet above sea level.

Nestled among the longleaf pine and dogwoods are 24 campsites, each with a picnic table, water, 20/30/50 amp electric service, and a burn ring for a relaxing campfire at night.

There is also a full-facility bathhouse and a dump station for your convenience.

Last checked: Florida State Parks, July 2022

 

And that’s a bit about the Falling Waters State Park campground!

 

More for your trip to Falling Waters State Park and beyond:

• Florida Caverns State Park
• Driving from the Florida Panhandle to Orlando
• Best campgrounds in the Florida Panhandle
• Best state parks in the Florida Panhandle
• Best beaches in the Florida Panhandle

 

More Florida state parks for camping:

• Florida Caverns State Park campground (Florida Panhandle)
• St Andrews State Park campground (Florida Panhandle)
• Grayton Beach State Park campground (Florida Panhandle)
• Henderson Beach State Park (Florida Panhandle)
• Gilchrist Blue Springs State Park campground (camping between Florida Panhandle and Orlando)
• John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park (Florida Keys)
• Sandspur Campground in Bahia Honda State Park (Florida Keys)
• Oleta River State Park camping cabins (North Miami)

 

HAPPY CAMPING IN FALLING WATERS STATE PARK!