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Tate's Hell State Forest High Bluff Primitive Campsites, FL

Within Tate's Hell State Forest, the High Bluff Primitive Campsites offer dispersed camping across three separate locations accessible by sandy gravel roads. Managed by the Florida Forest Service, these isolated sites at Dry Bridge, Rake Creek, and Pidcock Road sit far enough apart that campers experience complete seclusion from neighboring sites.

Each location provides basic amenities including fire rings, picnic tables, and grills, though facilities vary by site. The Rake Creek location includes nearby boat ramp access with restroom facilities, while other sites require campers to pack out all waste. Road conditions can present challenges, particularly after rain, with reviewers noting bumpy surfaces and large pits that require careful navigation even for smaller RVs.

Water access defines much of the camping experience here, with sites positioned along creeks and wetlands. Several locations sit surrounded by water on multiple sides, prompting campers to keep pets leashed due to alligator presence. Cell coverage remains spotty throughout the forested roads but typically improves at the cleared campsites themselves. "Site wasn't totally clean but definitely not the worst we've seen," notes Laura M., reflecting the primitive nature of these remote spots.

Reservations are available through the state system at $9 per night plus fees. Follow confirmation email directions rather than GPS routing to avoid navigation issues through the dense forest roads.

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Warning 1 Alert is In Effect

There is 1 alert for this campground. Camp safely!

Drought conditions continue to worsen, and numerous Florida counties have implemented burn bans. State Forest campgrounds within counties under a burn ban are subject to the same restrictions, which may affect your camping experience. Please check the Burn Ban Public Dashboard and plan accordingly before making a reservation.

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Location

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Tate's Hell State Forest High Bluff Primitive Campsites, FL is located in Florida

Directions

**GPS Info** 49 Pidcock Road: 29.8196, -84.8250 50 Rake Creek: 29.8264, -84.8461 51 Dry Bridge: 29.8436, -84.8751 49 Pidcock Road: From SR 65, turn onto North Road and travel 1.75 miles; turn right onto Dry Bridge Road and travel about 1.2 miles; then turn second right (onto Pidcock Road). The campsite is about 1.3 miles ahead on your right. 50 Rake Creek: From SR 65, turn onto North Road and travel about 1 mile; turn right onto campsite road. The campsite is 0.35 mile ahead at the end of the road. 51 Dry Bridge: From SR 65, turn onto North Road and travel about 1/2 mile; turn first left (onto Tucker Road) and travel about 2/3 mile; turn first left (onto Dry Bridge Road). The campsite is about 1.3 miles ahead.

Address

#31, Dry Bridge and Pidcock Rd.
Carrabelle, FL 32322

Coordinates

29.8285363 N
84.86072874 W

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Connectivity

T-MobileLTE
Some Coverage
VerizonLTE
Some Coverage
Verified by 2 users
Last on 4/2/26
AT&T
No Coverage

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Connectivity

T-MobileLTE
Some Coverage
VerizonLTE
Some Coverage
Verified by 2 users
Last on 4/2/26
AT&T
No Coverage

Access

Drive-In
Park next to your site
Walk-In
Park in a lot, walk to your site.
Hike-In
Backcountry sites.
Boat-In
Sites accessible by watercraft.

Site Types

Tent Sites
RV Sites
Standard (Tent/RV)
Group
Tent Cabin

Features

For Campers

Picnic Table
Reservable
WiFi
Electric Hookups
Alcohol
Pets
Fires

For Vehicles

Sewer Hookups
Water Hookups
30 Amp Hookups
50 Amp Hookups

Contact

General Info

Reservations

Make reservation

Drive Time

1 hr 23 min from Tallahassee, FL
1 hr 28 min from Panama City, FL
2 hrs 2 min from Dothan, AL
2 hrs 34 min from Valdosta, GA

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5 Stars

4 Stars

3 Stars

2 Stars

1 Star

4.0

out of 5

8 Reviews

Multiple campers commented on the exceptional seclusion and scenic waterfront locations at affordable rates. Access roads can be challenging to navigate, and one safety incident involving late-night intruders was reported.

Zach L.

Traveler

Reviewed Mar. 3, 2025

We were run off in the middle of the night by strangers

As the title states. At midnight on our second night at 50 Rake Creek, two separate vehicles raced right past our tent and parked down by the water access. When told that it was a reserved private campsite that I paid for, they became aggressive and argued that it was not private. Both vehicles did three point turns, narrowly missing our tent and shining headlights in our faces and spun tires out of the campsite. We felt unsafe and like they might return to retaliate so we had no choice but to break camp at midnight and make a 5 hour drive through the night back home.

During the day, multiple vehicles miss the small sign that says "primitive campsite" at the dirt road entrance and drive down the road looking to fish or explore. Most of them quickly turn around when they realize its a campsite.

I have emailed the state forest asking for better signage indicating that it is a paid for, reserved campsite or a gate with a code. If it weren't for the music blaring, tire spinning, aggressive individuals who argued that it was not private when I asked them to leave, I would not be making such a fuss about it. It seems that we campers with a reservation busted up their usual backroad drinking spot.

Lovely campsite that we had decided was the best place we had ever camped with a short 15 min drive to St. George Island until we were essentially run off in the middle of the night.

Site50 Rake Creek

Month of VisitMarch

(4) View All

Ray & Terri F.

Legend

Reviewed Apr. 19, 2024

Nice, quiet, well maintained, friendly, wooded CG

We have a 36 ft Class A with a Cherokee Trailhawk tow and stayed in site 64 for 4 days in mid April. This is a relatively small CG, with~15 wooded sites that are reasonably spaced. The CG is very clean, recently renovated, well maintained and relatively inexpensive. Most of the sites are water only, but there are a handful of them that also have 50A service. The roads and sites are sandy gravel. Our site had a little bit of slope side to side, but not too bad. There aren’t any hiking trails leading from the CG, but there are others in the area. There are no lights in the CG except the two on the bathhouse, which are unnecessarily as bright as the Sun

AT&T coverage was pretty dismal, with 1 bar of 5GE service and speeds only up to 0.9 MB/s. The CG has a lot of trees, but the pines only have top foliage, so access and coverage for DISH and Starlink was really good. Starlink was able to get speeds up to 20 MB/s with few if any dropouts. No CG WiFi.

Site64

Month of VisitApril

Laura M.

Legend

Reviewed Feb. 12, 2022

Great!

There are 3 separate High Bluff Primitive campsites, one at Dry Bridge, one at Rake Creek and one at Pidcock Road. Each spot is so far away from each other that you feel completely secluded, which is nice. We stayed at Pidcock Rd. Even though nobody was around we still kept the dogs on leash because the spot is surrounded by water on 3 sides, and we didn't want to risk any alligator attacks.

Site wasn't totally clean but definitely not the worst we've seen. There is a fire ring, picnic table, and grill. No toilet or garbage facilities so please pack out your waste.

Road in was bumpy with some huge pits but easily navigable even in our 26ft class c, just watch the road and take it slow. There was no cell service on the roads once we entered the dense forest but the spot itself was cleared of trees enough that we got service on ATT and Verizon.

We followed the step by step directions that were in the confirmation email and not google maps' directions and we had no problems.

Site was $9/night plus tax and fees which brought it to $16.79 for the one night.

SitePidcock Rd

Month of VisitFebruary

(4) View All

Lisa S.

Ranger

Reviewed Apr. 6, 2021

Too Bad

Apríl 6, 2021 Site:49 Pidock Rd. Remote, secluded, primitive camping Use GPS coordinants but still very Difficult to find w/o assistance from Park Service Office about two miles north of access road. Very pretty site is off a woods road on a river with wetland on two other sides

I have two dogs so worried about gators which are no doubt here.

Too bad that thoughtless,idiot campers left fair amount of used toilet paper and empty cans and bottles a few feet away from the picnic table. Not putting up with that. Booked three nights, stayed one.

(4) View All

Vince F.

Traveler

Reviewed Mar. 7, 2021

Secluded sites, great night sky

We camped at Pidcock Road Campsite #49 during the 2020 Leonid meteor shower. Nice place for dogs (req'd on leash) as no other campsites nearby. Very quiet, no water or electricity. Don't trust google map for road directions, you have to approach from the east or north. Dirt roads could be an issue if wet and for larger RV-type set-ups. Marginal cell phone coverage (AT&T).

SitePidcock Road Campsite #49

Month of VisitNovember

(6) View All

Kung L.

Scout

Reviewed Jan. 15, 2021

Gorgeous and secluded

If you forget to reserve, there’s a sign reminding you to call. 2 sites on the cash creek boat launch, both clean and scenic. The boat ramp gets some use (4 kayaks total for the day) but otherwise it’s very quiet. Bathroom available because of the boat ramp. It says tent only but the sites are big enough to back in a 20 foot trailer.

Caitlin R.

Guide

Reviewed Jan. 4, 2021

Beautiful secluded rustic spot

We stayed at Tate’s Hell for a night after spending time at the Saint George Island beach.

We got lost driving in! When going to the dwarf cypress boardwalk, google maps routed us through a swamp! It was helpful to grab a map. Roads can be bumpy so take it slow!

We stayed at pidcock 49 and it was lovely. Beautiful sunset. Grill, table and just the sights!

It was hunting season so we did see/hear hunters! It came out to be a total of ~$15 including transaction fee.

über G.

Scout

Reviewed Jun. 12, 2020

True Outing

Grand Seclusion, quiet land. creek separating some sites.

Frequently Asked Questions

What trails can you hike in Tate's Hell State Forest?

Tate's Hell State Forest features the Dwarf Cypress Boardwalk trail, which takes you through unique swamp ecosystems. The forest has various walking paths that allow you to explore the natural wetlands and pine forests. When hiking, it's advisable to grab a map from the Park Service Office as some trails can be confusing to navigate. Roads throughout the forest can be rough and bumpy, so take your time when traveling between trailheads. For accurate directions to trails, don't rely solely on Google Maps, as it sometimes routes through impassable areas.

What do visitors say about camping in Tate's Hell State Forest?

Campers describe Tate's Hell as offering grand seclusion and quiet surroundings. The primitive sites provide a true wilderness experience, with some sites featuring creek access. The campground area is clean, well-maintained, and relatively inexpensive. Many appreciate the reasonable spacing between sites in the main campground. While the privacy is excellent, navigation can be challenging - the dirt roads require careful driving and GPS coordinates don't always lead to the correct location. Some visitors recommend contacting the Park Service Office for directions. The forest is noted as being pet-friendly, though dogs must remain on leash at all times.

Is Tate's Hell a state park or state forest and what's the difference?

Tate's Hell is a state forest, not a state park. The key difference lies in management priorities and facilities. State forests like Tate's Hell primarily focus on sustainable timber management, wildlife habitat conservation, and more primitive recreational opportunities. They typically offer more basic amenities and fewer developed facilities than state parks. State parks prioritize recreation and preservation, with more developed campgrounds, visitor centers, and programmed activities. At Tate's Hell State Forest, you'll find primitive camping opportunities, basic boat launches, and natural trails, but fewer amenities than you might expect at a state park.

Where are the best camping spots in Tate's Hell State Forest?

Tate's Hell State Forest offers several excellent primitive camping spots. The High Bluff Primitive Campsites include locations at Dry Bridge, Rake Creek, and Pidcock Road. Pidcock Road site #49 is particularly popular for its secluded setting along a river with wetlands nearby. Cash Creek boat launch has two clean, scenic tent sites with the added benefit of bathroom facilities due to the boat ramp. Each High Bluff site is positioned far from others, providing exceptional privacy. For those seeking more amenities, there's also a small campground with approximately 15 wooded sites that include water hookups.

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Description

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Location

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Is Tate's Hell State Forest High Bluff Primitive Campsites, FL sold out?

Connectivity

Access

Site Types

Features

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Contact

Drive Time

What trails can you hike in Tate's Hell State Forest?

What do visitors say about camping in Tate's Hell State Forest?

Is Tate's Hell a state park or state forest and what's the difference?

Where are the best camping spots in Tate's Hell State Forest?