In March we did our yearly five day Florida camping trip to be near Gainesville for the Gatornationals. It is the only long (for us) trip we do because we have cats and they have to come along if we are gone more than a couple of days. Every year we have stayed at Mike Roess Gold Head Branch campground in Keystone Heights, Florida. It is a Florida State Park campground.
Ridiculous Heat – Surprise #1
This year we stayed in a new campsite (to us) and it wasn’t as great as I had hoped. In fact we checked out a day early. Not because of the site. It was mostly because of the weather. You never know what you’ll get when it comes to March in Florida. It can be cold, hot, rainy, stormy – or a little of all of it. The month of March is full of surprises and this time the beginning of March was simply hot – very hot. I do not camp well in the heat.
Even though we traveled north from our house, the weather got hotter. I don’t even know how my son handled standing out in the sun all day long at the racetrack. He was born in Florida and has lived here all of his 43 years – and he likes the heat – but he admitted it was too hot.
A Review of Our Campsite
I’d always thought that site #17 would be awesome. We stayed in the Sandhill Loop and site 17 is at the end of the one way road. Sites along this loop tend to be quite spacious, and this one is. But site 17 turned out to be very sandy.
Our view toward the back was of the bath house and some shrubs. While sitting in front of our camper we were looking at other campsites. it wasn’t awful, but I prefer to look at nature.
It will be the last time we can book site 17, as it is going to become a Camp Host site. I discovered this when I was called and asked to change my upcoming Thanksgiving reservation – which was for site #17.
Florida Camping Takes Me Out in Nature
Except for a few squirrels, I saw no wildlife on this trip. I heard birds – lots of woodpeckers. And, I took a walk on one of the cooler mornings hoping to see deer, or a gopher tortoise, but no luck.
However, we took a ride in the truck and I spotted some really cool roadside flora.
My son and I took a drive – because this campground is very large and spread out. We went to check out one of the lakes – and the water was very low. We are having a drought.
This thistle was growing along the side of the road in a remote area. It was stunning! I made him stop the truck so I could get out and photograph this beauty. From what information I have seen online, this is the Florida purple thistle.
As we headed back to the campsite, I spotted an “island” of blooming plants. I had no idea what it was. Later as I looked at my photos, it reminded me of lupins that grow in New England. Sure enough this one is a Skyblue Lupin. How gorgeous is this patch of flowers?
If you are Florida camping in Spring, keep an eye out for wildflowers bloom. The lupins are mostly found in north Florida it seems, while thistles grow all over the state. Look for them in undisturbed, natural settings in March.
Of course, you may never see these plants unless you venture into the wilderness. It’s the wonderful thing about Florida camping – we get a closer look at how nature is really supposed to be – or how things were before the state became overrun with people.
Maybe next March will bring nicer weather. Mike Roess campground has many trails along the lakes and in the woods. I’d love to explore, and search for more unique flora if the weather is cooler.
The Cats and the Heat
My cats mostly stayed inside the camper. Fontana is old and just likes to sleep. She gets nervous when taken outside the camper. Skittle is not one to sit happily indoors, so she got to walk on her leash and spent time in her crate in the shade. But we had the AC running most of the time, and the cats were inside. I had to sit inside too, which is not what I like to do when camping. Read more about how we do camping with cats.
Exploring the Tent Camping Area
Skittle (photo above) likes to have a view, and this is the view out the backside of the camper. Down over that little hill, is the loop road and across that road is where the tent camping area is. The whole tent section was closed at this particular time, so it was a great place to walk and explore. It’s also mostly shaded.
I discovered that the tent sites each have their own water and electric hookups. This is pretty sweet because I believe that most tent camping areas do not have water at each site. I’m not sure about electric. I also don’t have a clue as to why the tent section was closed. I saw no work taking place, just empty campsites.
If you camp in a tent, I wrote a post about tent camping in Florida.
Mike Roess Gold Head Branch Turkey Oak Loop – Tent camping only
This was one of the few times I really didn’t enjoy myself while camping. My son went to the races and loved that, but next year we plan to do it differently. Maybe book a site down at the Lake Loop, where we have never stayed. There seems to be more shade.
Thanks for reading…. Do you have any camping stories to share? Have you stayed at Mike Roess Gold Head Branch Campground? Please leave a comment.
