Parker Place Campsite 8

There is a lot to like about this campsite, but our experience was not great and it has to do with a number of factors. Note that we were there over this past Christmas break and it rained all day on Christmas Day.

Pros:
- Large campsite
- Secluded
- Quiet - whilst we were there - every now and then dogs barking, but it was OK.
- Access to the river was great
- Sufficiently good Verizon LTE coverage, although not great.
- Whilst we were there, New River Rd was not heavily trafficked. But the day we left (day after Christmas) trafficked picked up significantly, making us glad we left then.

Cons:
- Unpaved roads were not great, but may be a whole lot better in drier conditions
- Littered with gun shell casings - a little disconcerting for us
- Other than gun shells, there were also trash left behind
- Not much hiking due to the wet condition some parts of the unpaved road were completely flooded, especially during high tide
- The 2 campsites (#6 and #9) about 1/2 mile and 1 mile away were a little sketchy. At both these campsites, there were 2 large travel trailers parked there with no cars, both times we drove by. They looked abandoned and perhaps some folks use it to store their RV's?

Google maps took us up CR 67 from 98, followed by a left into Gully Branch Road and then another left taking us South on New River Rd. Most of Gully Branch Rd was good, but New River Rd got pretty bumpy and after the rain, had sections of it completely covered in water.

Unfortunately, this site was littered with trash when we arrived. It was clear there has been some type of party there with food, wrappers, and clothing strewn about. It was also pretty damp despite no rain. The boat ramp was awesome! We put our 17 ft Ranger in and out without issues. The biggest drawback for us was the complete lack of privacy. The site is right off the main road. We are tent camper and value space, peace, and quiet. Lots of headlights at night and road noise. There is also a natural well or spring that bubbles up at the edge of the site. Apparently this is a draw for locals and they like to visit with friends. We had people pull up with their buddies in 2 vehicles, post up,and drink beers. We had to leash our dogs and wait for them to leave as they were basically hanging out at the entrance to the site.

Tate’s Hell is a lovely place to camp and this spot should not be a reflection of the whole. Just choose your spot wisely. Would avoid this one unless you don’t care about privacy and want to have a convenient boat ramp.

This was the best site I have stated at by far in my travels around Florida camping about 3 weeks total. Just beautiful, right on the river, some shade with the pines. Take River Rd in from the south- google maps had me coming from the North, but that road is a much longer dirt road. With all the rain and washouts I would come from the south as River Rd is paved until the last mile or so and then turns to dirt. A few ruts in the road, but still doable even with low-clearance, 2wd. I am sure all the campsites on this road are really nice.