Nestled among towering hardwoods and whispering pines, Campground 3 puts you at the heart of Florida's remarkable underground world. Your basecamp here means easy morning strolls to guided cavern tours, afternoon dips in the crystal-clear Blue Hole, and evenings spent under a forest canopy that feels worlds away from everyday life.
The main campground includes sites that accommodate RVs and tents, with three designated tent-only sites; a separate equestrian campground provides sites for horse campers.
Historical Significance
The park is one of the few in Florida with publicly accessible dry limestone caverns, giving it notable geologic significance; its creation and interpretive cave tours reflect mid‑20th‑century efforts to preserve and interpret natural landmarks. Specific archaeological sites are not emphasized in available sources.Weather and SeasonsPlan your visit for fall through early spring, when mild temperatures and crisp air make every hike a pleasure and campfires feel just right. Summer brings warmth and humidity along with more active mosquitoes, though the caverns offer a natural air-conditioned escape any time of year—maintaining a cool 65°F even when the surface sizzles.
Natural Features and SceneryStep into a landscape shaped by water and time, where ancient limestone has been carved into cathedral-like caverns adorned with delicate stalactites and massive flowstones. Above this hidden realm, your campsite is embraced by a diverse forest ecosystem—stately hardwoods mingle with longleaf pines while the spring-fed Blue Hole glimmers like an emerald jewel nearby. The Chipola River winds through lush floodplains just beyond, creating a patchwork of habitats from airy sandhills to mysterious cypress swamps, each supporting its own community of wildlife.
Geological RegionMarianna Lowlands (karst landscape: limestone bluffs, sinkholes, underground drainage along the Chipola River)
Scenic ViewsForest and bluff vistas along trails and roads, glimpses of the Chipola River floodplain, the clear Blue Hole sinkhole, and the dramatic interior cavern formations revealed on guided tours.