Juniper Springs, Florida: Camping & Nearby Activities @kodaandcourt

https://atravelpath.com/

 

Hey Pathfinders, join us as we welcome back Dakota and Courtney to the show. After hearing about their inspirational story of travel nursing and doing two van conversions, they sat down with us to share on of their favorite destinations. We chatted about Juniper Springs Campground in Florida and some of the nearby attractions. Learn all about:

 

·        What makes Juniper Springs such a great destination

·        Paddleboarding and kayaking in the area

·        Nearby airports and transportation

·        Destinations within an hour including Kings Landing, Devils Den, and Daytona

·        Swimming with manatees

And more!

 

Chapters

·        00:00 Introduction

·        01:15 What makes Juniper Springs such a great destination?

·        04:00 How far away are nearby attractions?

·        04:45 How long should someone stay there for?

·        06:30 How was it bringing your dog?

·        08:30 Juniper Springs campground amenities?

·        09:45 Nighttime activities?

·        11:45 How was the overall cost in Juniper Springs?

·        12:30 How was the food scene?

·        14:00 What are three things you need to pack when visiting Juniper Springs?

·        15:30 What are two complaints someone might have about Juniper Springs?

·        17:00 What is one thing you can’t leave Juniper Springs without doing?

 

Links

·        Ocala National Forest: https://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/florida/recarea/?recid=83528

·        Juniper Springs Recreation Area: https://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/florida/recarea/?recid=83676

·        Ian and Ana’s video (featuring Devils Den, 3 Sisters Springs, and Kings Landing): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9L2ZK09Jd5g&t=1057s

·        Lectric eBikes: https://lectricebikes.com/

·        iOverlander: https://www.ioverlander.com/

 

Nearby Attractions

·        Kings Landing (1 Hour): https://www.kingslandingfl.com/

·        3 Sisters Springs (1.5 Hours): https://www.threesistersspringsvisitor.org/sisters

·        Devil’s Den (1.5 Hours) https://www.facebook.com/DevilsDenSpring/

·        Daytona (1 Hour: https://www.daytonabeach.com/

·        Disney World (1.5 Hours): https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/

 

Podcasts Mentioned

·        Disney World: https://atravelpath.com/disney-world/

·        Florida Keys: https://atravelpath.com/florid-keys/

 

Nearby Airports

·        Orlando International Airport (about 1.5 hours): https://orlandoairports.net/

·        Gainesville Regional Airport (about 1.5 hours): https://www.flygainesville.com/

 

 

*All content from atravelpath.com, including but not limited to The Travel Path Podcast and social media platforms, is designed to share general information. We are not experts and the information is not designed to serve as legal, financial, or tax advice. Always do your own research and due diligence before making a decision.

 

Transcript

Host: Hi Guest and Guest, welcome back to the travel tips segment of the Travel Path Podcast. So for those of you who missed part one, Guest and Guest came on. They're on Instagram as Kota and Court. They've done two van conversions now. Um, Guest works as a travel nurse. We got into very specific details about getting into travel nursing and also their van build. Um, so if you haven't listened to that one, definitely check it out. But for part two, travel tips, where are we talking about today?

 

Guest: We're talking about Florida, specifically Juniper Springs area in the Ocala National Forest, and um, some of the stuff is kind of a broad range of surrounding areas, yes. So surrounding areas, there's a lot to do in Florida, there's a lot to do in that area.

 

Host: Awesome. Now, what made you guys want to share about Florida and the Juniper Springs area today?

 

Guest: So, we watched it. It was always like a bucket list trip for me. Um, I watched a video on it from Ian and Anna, and at the time theirs was called the other side, and uh, it looked really, really cool. It just looked almost like it was out of this world. So it was always a bucket list trip for me, and um, you know, we finally got to do it and so it was, it was really fun.

 

Host: What makes Juniper Springs such a great destination? Like, what type of activity should go there?

 

Guest: Just being outside. So, it's really cool. It's in the middle of the Ocala National Forest, it's a campground. Juniper Springs is a campground. And so, they've got like a neat little area that you can pull in and um, they got like a fire pit and tables, but it's really neat because they have the spring area and it's just really beautiful. It's blue water, it's clear, and it's close to Three Sisters, was the other part of that trip that I wanted to take, uh, so you can go and swim with the manatees. It's certain times of year they have them, uh, over there where you can swim with them, uh, swimming, kayaking, yeah, kayaking, hiking is a big one. There are lots of trails, um, actually when we checked in, there was somebody who was lost in the forest and emergency vehicles were pulling up and someone's like, yeah, somebody's like lost or hurt or something, we were like, oh my, so you know, hiking is a big one. I think probably backpacking, there's a lot of land over there to cover but we didn't go backpacking really or hiking, I don't think. We rode our bikes around a lot, um, just explored the area, but definitely like outdoorsy things. And I mean, there's, I think there's off-road trip around there too if you want to take like a dirt B, horses, ATVs, all different, it's really broad, you know, spectrum of things to do.

 

Host: So a lot of outdoor stuff though, that's perfect, and pretty much anyone going with their camper or their van, that's what they're going for is that outdoor experience. So that sounds awesome. Now did you guys bring your own bikes or did you rent them when you were there?

 

Guest: Um, we brought our own. We have, um, the electric e-bikes, so we brought those. We brought, um, I don't know if we brought our paddleboard, but we brought our kayak, um, which we used at King's Landing, a little like river flow type thing, um, so yeah, we brought, we did bring our own bikes, and the bikes we bought, they were like, she said the electric e-bikes, so they folded up and they fit in the back underneath the bed, so they're pretty compact and we could get them out and unfold them and ride around nice.

 

Host: Do you know if you saw anywhere around that you could rent like paddleboards or kayaks or bikes from?

 

Guest: So like when we went to King's Landing, I know that they had rentals there, you could take your own and that one was a really, really cool place to see as well. It's spring-fed and all the water's super clear, you can walk through lots of it, um, there are gators and stuff so there's like two different parts of that where you can go up one, um, just to see, you know, the scenery and then there's like a wildlife part of it where you're going to see more, um, like gators and stuff like that.

 

Host: Now, the campground Juniper Springs is in the National FL, and then in these other little areas, how far away are they? How far are you driving?

 

Guest: Oh, I mean, I think, like, I think like an hour or I think, yeah, yeah, 30 minutes to an hour, um, not super, not super long, all in our opinion, maybe an hour, yeah, which we're used to driving a lot. I mean, right now we're driving 1,500 miles a week and so I mean, our not very far to us can be a lot further to other people.

 

Host: But I think it's nice especially for the RV community to have somewhere that you can go that does only take, you know, an hour and a half to get to because then you can either just bounce the next day or stay over there. Um, or you can go and enjoy stuff and then head back to that campground if that's really where you just want to be staying now to get the full experience. How long did you guys stay there for?

 

Guest: We stayed, I think it was a week and, um, I mean it was more than enough to kind of see what was in the area but we moved pretty fast so, um, I mean there's plenty to do for longer than that. Uh, we kind of went in the off-season. Even when you're heading down, there's stuff to do along the way, like Devil's Den is, um, you know, along the way but there's a lot, there's a ton of springs, ton of places to kayak and stuff like that. There's a lot to do around the area.

 

Host: You said you went in the off-season, when was that? Like early March?

 

Guest: Yeah, so it was before, you know, all of the, before the summer crowd really. They were just kind of getting things started, even like the spring break crowd. Like I don't even think that we saw a lot of like, but Al weren't by the beach either so, um, we didn't, you know, it was, it was really pretty chill. We went to the beach but it was closed down, like not closed down but there wasn't like a whole lot of stuff going on.

 

Host: And in March, did you guys have good weather in this area?

 

Guest: Yeah, I mean for the most part. There were some days where it was kind of cloudy and I mean the, the April-May showers type of thing but it cleared up pretty fast. I mean I think it's not uncommon for it to rain and then be sunny in Florida so, it was, it was good. It was decent.

 

Host: And how was the temperature of the water in March?

 

Guest: It was cold. We put our feet in, let the little fish bite our toes but, um, I think it stays around the same temperature most of the year or if not all the year so it, I mean it's pretty chilly but it's not like you can't enjoy it, yeah, absolutely.

 

Host: Now, you guys do have a dog, did you have your dog when you went?

 

Guest: Yes, yeah, he was a puppy, trying to think. I was like, yes, we were afraid that the bears, we had to walk out in the dark a few times and we were afraid that the bears were going to come in, which I mean we're not from an area that there are bears, yeah, so like every sound we heard or even like in the van sleeping, we're like, do you hear that? Which now, you know, we're a little bit, since we've traveled more, yeah, it's not like as intimidating and they don't, we didn't see a single bear while we were there, nobody had any issues with a bear. I mean we had bear spray just in case, needed it but, I mean people were out at night, you know, cooking stuff on a campfire and all sorts of stuff. I mean nobody had any issues with a bear, I think it was just because we were new travelers, better to be cautious. They have like warning signs, like lock up all your belongings and so the, they do have, uh, warning signs when you come in, trash cans and stuff are all, you know, and in lock down bin. Yeah, yeah, Hank loved it, he, he was just a puppy we had just, we got him in January of that year and we went in March so he was only like two months old so he had a blast. We were still actually trying to potty train him at the time too so he was still doing really good.

 

Host: So, obviously, you drove there but how does transportation work like where is this National Forest in relation to some of those major airports if someone doesn't have a van and wants to fly and enjoy the campground in the National Forest?

 

Guest: Yeah, I mean there's, there's airports you can fly in, you can rent cars and get to all those places. Um, say we, the closest we were Orlando, yeah, it wasn't far from Orlando, it wasn't very far from there, maybe some closer options but I know that there, you know, it's not very far from a lot of those airports that are, you know, down there in that area. I think there's quite a few of them, um, I'm not sure right off the top of my head which ones exactly they are.

 

Host: Why don't you, um, tell us just a little bit about the campground and kind of some of the amenities that they had there?

 

Guest: Yeah, um, I mean they had biking trails, uh, they had walking trails, you could go backpacking in, uh, that specifically that area, they had like, um, they, a shower room, they had like a little room, um, beside the showers so you could go like with a sink and I think and you could go and wash your dishes, um, the Ocala National Forest is huge so, um, I think there's a lot of stuff just right there by it, there's different lodging and and stuff like that.

 

Host: Awesome, we love National Forests because a lot of times you can do dispersed camping there so it makes it nice where you can just kind of explore, pull off, find an area that doesn't have a no camping sign and you're usually good to stay there for the night and that's some of the best spots that we've found so it's nice that you have the option for the campground but you're also in the National Forest, you could probably drive out and stay somewhere for a night and you know, feel like you're really in the middle of the national forest.

 

Guest: Yes and things, I think things are a lot harder, you know, when you get, I think somebody said east of the Mississippi is a lot harder to find, you know, dispersed camping but it's definitely doable. I mean you, we use apps like iOverlander and stuff like that that help out too so, yeah.

 

Host: We've used eye Overlander a lot, and that has almost always pointed us in a good direction. So in this area, what is there to do at night?

 

Guest: We did a lot of just, you know, camping stuff. I mean, we just, you know, make s'mores or roast, you know, hot dogs, have a campfire. I think it's just mostly like outdoor stuff. A lot of the stuff seems to kind of close down at night. I mean, you can travel into some of the other places like Daytona Beach. There's a lot of stuff to do around there, so it just kind of depends on what you're looking for and what you like.

 

Host: Yeah, definitely. In Florida, there's something for everybody.

 

Guest: It's not too far from other things to do at night, but where we were at mostly, it was just, you know, kind of campfire activities, hanging out with each other, relaxing.

 

Host: Yeah, so that's perfect. That's what, you know, being in nature is all about. How was the stargazing? Were there open areas for that?

 

Guest: There were, for sure. I mean, you could get out of the campground and drive kind of through the forest, and there's places to pull off on the sides of the road and stuff, and you can get out. I mean, it's really dark, easy to see stars and stuff like that, but where we were at, there was a lot of coverage.

 

Host: Yeah, very good. Sunset or sunrise locations, did you get to see any good ones?

 

Guest: Yeah, more towards like the beaches. So, good pictures at Daytona Beach of our van with the palm trees and stuff in the back. So, in the Ocala National Forest is, you know, mainland, I guess you would call it, or inland, I think that's the word I was looking for. So if you travel more towards the beaches, I mean, that's not to say that there could be other places that we didn't see, but a lot of the sunset pictures at the beach and stuff like that were really, really cool. I mean, it's, there's not really anything like seeing a sunset at a beach.

 

Host: So, as far as overall cost for this trip for you guys, was it more expensive or less expensive than you expected?

 

Guest: I think it was less expensive than we expected, just because we had budgeted more just for activities and stuff, but a lot of the stuff wasn't very expensive. Like, we brought our own inflatable kayak to go on King's Landing. It was less expensive than renting a kayak there. And a lot of the amenities were just free, you know? I mean, we had to pay for our campsite, but it was fairly cheap. The biggest expense was gas to get there, actually.vSo under budget that we decided after we left that we were going to go up to Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, and see that too.

 

Host: That's always nice when you have extra money in your budget and you can just add something else in.

 

Guest: For sure. We did that. Yeah, it was fun.

 

Host: Awesome. Now, did you guys have any good food spots in the area that you were in, or did you have to really pack everything in and cook at your campfire?

 

Guest: That's, we kind of packed everything in and cooked everything, you know? We made sandwiches. At the time, she was T of money. She was a staff nurse and I worked at the school, so it wasn't like we had a ton of money. We were kind of on a budget then, so we just ate, you know, sandwiches and cooked cheap stuff and really just traveled to see the place, you know, and experience it, not necessarily spend a bunch of money. We've never been, you know, huge on like going and doing all these attractions and stuff. Ours was just really to see the environment, get to say we've been there, and just enjoy it for what it was, you know, what it had to offer. And I think we were excited to cook and do everything for the first time in our van, too.

 

Host: Absolutely, just really be in the van and experience that, of course. Plus, with the new puppy, you probably didn't want to venture out too far from him. Very cool. So if you haven't mentioned it already, are there any other nearby attractions?

 

Guest: Yeah, there's lots. I mean, there's, um, Orlando's not like crazy, crazy far, so you can go to, you know, Disney. We went to Three Sisters, we went to King's Landing. I mean, there's a lot to do.

 

Host: Perfect. And on your way, I guess you can stop and listen to our podcast with Eric Adventures. She did on Disney. Stop there and do that, and then head to the national forest and listen to your guys's podcast. That's perfect.

 

Host: All right, guys, well, it's time for the final three questions, the 3-2-1 countdown section of the podcast. So, what are three things you have to pack when you go to this Juniper Springs area?

 

Guest: Bug spray, yeah, bug spray for sure.

 

Host: I was gonna ask.

 

Guest: I think another one would be, if you can, like a bike or a kayak or something to kind of entertain yourself outside. So, I mean, you don't even have to have those, just like some sort of outdoor activity, whether it be like frisbee or ball, or you know, I guess you don't have to do that kind of stuff, but, you know, that was something that was important to us. And then with staying at the campground, it's not like it's super, super close to town. I think it's like 15 or 20 minutes to the town. So, you know, pack your food in there and then, you know, take your trash and dispose of it on the way out.

 

Host: Perfect. So bug spray, food, and something to do outside, some sort of activity, yeah, whether it's a bike or a kayak or a football. That's a good point. I feel like I've gone to the beach so many times and there you go to the beach, you lay down or you go for a walk or you go for a swim, but I remember thinking repeatedly, I wish I had like a football or just something to throw around, a frisbee, football, you know, whatever.

 

Guest: I'm the same way. I'm not much of a lounger. I like to do stuff that's, you know, fun, whether it be ride a bike or a one-wheel or, you know, whatever. Yeah.

 

Host: Yeah, I like to lounge, but it's good to, like, work up a sweat, throw a ball around, and jump in the water and just repeat, right?

 

Guest: Right, for sure.

 

Host: What are two complaints that somebody might have about this area? And not necessarily complaints, but things people should be prepared for. And I feel like I know the answer to one already.

 

Guest: Yeah, so like driving would be one. The other would be maybe like cell phone signal and service. I don't... which one were you thinking that I was thinking?

 

Host: The bugs, but.

 

Guest: Oh yeah, yeah, bugs for sure. That's the first one that came to my mind.

 

Host: So, in terms of driving, it's just the drive to get there or are you driving kind of for long periods to get back and forth to the town or like a grocery store is a little ways away?

 

Guest: So, like, like I said, it's like 20 minutes. So, it's not like you're just driving right on into town to get something. You know, it's a little bit of a... get something. So that may be a complaint some people. The other one is like signal, you know? There's not... now there's Starlink. When we went, there wasn't Starlink. So you may be able to have something like that, but for us, we didn't have any cell phone signal. We didn't have any way to contact anybody if we needed to, which I, you know, that's a blessing and a curse, I guess.

 

Host: Well, whether it's a blessing or a curse, it's still something you should be prepared for, so that's a good tip to bring up.

 

Host: And last question, guys. We talked about a lot of things in this episode, but what is one thing if you had to pick that you cannot leave Juniper Springs without doing?

 

Guest: I'd say going to do King's Landing. It's just a lot of cool, like, photo-like opportunities, like it's just really that, like, photo-like that picture-perfect moment that not even, like, really even your camera can capture. Like, it's just so beautiful. And we have tons of pictures of it posted, I think on our Instagram or maybe our separate Instagrams, but a very beautiful place. I think that's one place that I would... Yeah, like if you look up like videos of it or whatever or see pictures, you know, when you show up to that place, it's going to be exactly if not better than what you've seen online. So, it was just really beautiful, clear water, it just felt like you were in, you know, an oasis, yeah, but the trees over top of you and yeah, it was just a unique experience that I don't think you would get anywhere else.

 

Host: Yeah, yeah, there's a lot of those places where, like, you know, photos, they're always going to look better in person, but oftentimes, like, a thing that looks really cool in person, it doesn't look that cool in a photo. But the King's Landing is one of those things that it's both. In person, it's amazing, I would imagine. I haven't been there yet, but the photos of it look amazing too.

 

Guest: You've been to places where it looks really cool, you know, and you get there and it's not quite as NE, yeah, but this one, yeah, it's everything that you would imagine. So, we even tried to paddle, like, when we were... I think when we were heading up, we were going like with the current. So, we were like trying to slow down just so that way we could like just take it all in a little bit slower. Maybe it was on the way back, I'm not sure. When you go up, you go against the current, on the way back, you go with the current.

 

Host: Sweet, guys. This was another super informative travel tips segment. One more time, listeners, if you haven't tuned into the first episode, they talked about their travel nursing and their van builds, so definitely check that one out. And yeah, Hope and I, we're excited. We're going to go to Florida over the next couple of months here and we definitely want to add this to our list too. So maybe Disney and then we've got Florida Keys and we'll have to stop in Juniper Springs too. Awesome, guys. All right. And one last question, where can our audience find out more about you?

 

Guest: We're on Instagram @Kodaandcourt is our name. And we have a YouTube channel. Maybe we'll start uploading to it. We'll just, you know, see what kind of happens.

 

Host: Sweet. All right, Dakota and Courtney, thanks again.

 

Guest: Thank you.