Note that photo captions are not displayed in the email version of our posts, for a more complete viewing experience, click the post title to view it directly on our blogsite.

Campground Website: Lake City Campground

Getting Here: Easy access from and to the interstate. Just a mile north of I-10 (exit 303) on US 441. Close enough to be convenient to I-75 travelers also.

Date(s) of Stay: March 5, 2016 arrival; March 6, 2016 departure

General Information:
Located close to I-10 and I-75 and a stone’s throw from the well-known Suwanee River, this big rig friendly campground has 40 RV sites. Great place for an overnight stop. Some of the pull thru’s are up to 120 feet in length and include water, sewer, electric (30 are 50 amp), cable and wifi. In addition to the RV sites, they have a cabana, cabins, cottages and 12 tent sites (with water & 20 amp electric).

Rates:
Daily, weekly and monthly rates are available here. They offer several discounts (Good Sam, AAA, AARP, military, etc.) Base rate for a 50A site was $34. We paid $34.27 including tax and a 10% discount for our one night stay.

Overall Impression – 3/5
We were headed back to the Fort Myers area from the panhandle and were unable to make a reservation at one of our favorites, Stephen Foster SP, so we decided to give this campground a try. Very close to the highway so it was great for a quick overnight stop. The owner greeted us in a golf cart as soon as we pulled in, leading us immediately to our site (#4), stopped to explain all the hookups and requested that we use the provided wood blocks under our jacks to prevent damage to the asphalt pad.

I met his wife in the office when I registered – both were very friendly and helpful. Appeared to be a clean, well maintained campground although we didn’t get a chance to explore the entire park. One rule here we considered to be overly restrictive was no washing – not even windshields! Really? We can appreciate that they have some water supply issues here given the low water pressure (see below), but if done properly a windshield can be washed very economically with a quart of water and a sponge. We didn’t have an opportunity to discuss this with the owners but felt this rule was over the top. Luckily on this occasion our windshield did not need cleaning, but usually it is badly needed after a day of murdering bugs.

Sites

Size – 4/5
Some of the pull thru sites were very long with lots of space for both a big rig and a long tow. Our site was paved (driveway portion was gravel/dirt) and surrounded by grass on both sides.

Privacy – 2/5
No vegetation between sites so not much privacy but there was adequate spacing between sites at least in the section we were in.

Amenities – 3/5
Full hookups, picnic tables, firepits at each site. Pool, playground, rec room, 2 ponds (1 for fishing, the other for relaxing), nature trail and pet walk, bathrooms, laundry and propane.

Location:

Convenience – 4/5
About 10 miles to Lake City where services such as Walmart, grocery stores, other retail and several restaurants are available.

Physical Surroundings – 3/5
Moderately pleasant surroundings in a somewhat suburban area. Obviously not as “close to nature” as the state parks we frequent but at least the campground had lots of grass, some trees and what looks to be a lovely nature trail (see photos on their website).

Maneuverability and Roads – 4/5
Paved roads were fairly wide and easy to maneuver.

Peace & Quiet – 3/5
Even though it is fairly close to the interstate we didn’t notice any highway noise. There may have been some traffic noise from the nearby main road but it didn’t bother us.

Utilities – 3/5

• Sewer – Threaded cap, close to grade, positioned away from other utilities. If you pull too far forward in the site (at least site #4) you will need a long sewer hose run.
  
• Satellite – On site #4 we picked up all sats in the DISH western arc (110/119/129). Most sites should not present any issues.
• WiFi – Decent performing free WiFi (even in the evening) with good signal strength at site #4.
• Cellular signal – Marginal Verizon signal inside coach. Adequate outside, but tended to drift to 3G without a booster.
• Over-the-Air (OTA) TV – Poor. No channels received, but then again we didn’t try too hard since we had the satellite.
• Power – Good. 121+ volts on both legs, 50/30/20 outlets, no issues.
• Water Pressure/Quality – Pressure was very poor. 20 Psi approximately and very noticeable when showering or flushing. No off odors, good clarity. Campground rules say no pressure regulators are needed (that’s true) and should not be used because they may damage the water spigots unless the filter screen is removed. I believe this rule is in place because they may have had problems with some regulators damaging the pin on the back flow preventer. I checked our regulator and the screen is cupped and would not have damaged their back flow preventer.
  

What We Liked
– Easy access from highway
– Close to conveniences
– Friendly, helpful owners

What We Didn’t Like
– Lack of privacy between sites
– Very poor water pressure
– Totally unreasonable rule that forbids washing windshields