Great place to spend some time. Nice shady spots, excellent trails, and the owners are sweet and…read moreaccommodating. Highly recommende.

We had the pleasure of visiting Kate's Fish Camp around Thanksgiving and have to say that owners…read moreMike & Monica were open, welcoming, & helpful throughout our visit. FYI- Monica,...not "Kate", is the current "proprietress", chuckling as folks tend to still address her as "Kate". Being Nature Lovers ourselves, we fully acknowledge the rationale for not having an on-site dump station, with such close proximity to natural waterways, and such. This information is freely shared when calling or upon arrival with the additional info provided of access to dump station at local Love's Travel Center in Hawthorne. Knowing this, arrive with empty tanks in your camper unit, to give you peace of mind & extra time. The water provided is great; Wifi Access -Kudos!; and the shower facility offers a wonderful, strong, steamy, hot-water flow with the added treat of seeing the moon & night sky above! The shower area and bathroom were always kept clean, well-stocked, and well-lit for evening visits. Our stay also followed the passes of both Helene & Milton...so things may have been looking a little rough... It was truly a pleasant surprise to have such easy access to the paved Gainesville-Hawthorne Trail, of which we made frequent use for biking; hiking; and all-around wild-life strolling....while greeting local fisherman along the way. Lots & Lots of wildlife!!...Actually saw 21 wild turkeys one morning, that came out of hiding right after Thanksgiving passed!! The entrance from the main road may be a bit bumpy from the pavement change, and possible weather impact, just be alert & as always,.. take your time. There are traffic sounds heard, due to easy access to & from the campground,...however, it served as white-noise during those times when we were inside the RV. The benefit of having a taste of "Old-Time" Florida with such ease of access to Restaurants; Services; Healthcare; Parks/preserves; Entertainment/Sports/Art venues; & shopping , pretty much gives the best of both worlds. Be sure to take a stroll to the Campsite Office be fore you depart & treat yourself by picking out one ( or more) of the many hand-made soaps; lotions; balms; shampoos; & "Swamp Juice" that Monica creates!....Don't forget to pick up a few extras for gifting those worthy friends & family members!!

Called ahead and checked hours for rental operations, return time,etc. when we arrived we were told…read morethat whoever we spoke with was incorrect and that they stopped renting at 2pm!? This wasn't what we were told nor is that posted on any website or anywhere. Very random and wanton hours that must depend on the day or whims of operators.

1. Took several phone calls from two of our staff to secure our reservation. We spent time on the…read morephone when we did get through to Jay explaining that we had a group of seniors and we wanted an easy kayak for them. 2. When we needed to alter reservations, we received no return phone call. 3. When we arrived and asked for a change to the reservation we were told absolutely not. We pointed out that we called the number given to us to try and do this in advance, but were told that didn't change anything as we left a message when the outfitter wasn't open. 4. When we launched, no one explained safety gear, paddling procedures, that the kayaks had foot pedals, or where we would take out. When we asked for a map or chart, we were told to find one on our phones. 5. When kayaker had medical issue (heat exhaustion, accelerated heartbeat, and leg cramping), which manifested in the 1/4 mile before the spring run at at Gilchrist Springs, Deacon (the bright spot of the entire trip) tried to get someone to pick him up and was told we should switch his kayak and that no one would come get the person. 6. Deacon (again, the bright spot, perhaps put this kid in charge) tried, without success, to fix the broken seat for the kayaker in distress. He also showed him how to use the foot pedals to help keep the seat from sliding. He did offer to switch kayaks, putting the distressed kayaker in a tandem with one of the group leaders. He clearly wanted to do more and had empathy, but anything else was clearly above his pay grade. This brought the total of boats on the water down by one (which will come into play in a moment) 7. No one mentioned the rapids. Fairly mild for seasoned and competent kayakers, but for a group of seniors who stated they were seeking an easy paddle, a mention of this when Jay told us which would work would have been advisable. 8. When we reach the take-out, one of the men working commented that he thought the seat of the kayak in question (distressed kayaker) might have been broken when he set out the boats at the launch that morning. If so, why did no one attempt to remedy this at the time? 9. In response to this, I explained we had switched two kayakers to a tandem at Gilchrist, (at this point, the trip is over) to which he replied, "Oh, so that's why there's one less kayak coming back. I wondered about that." So... he noticed we were short a boat but didn't wonder or question as to what happened to the boat? What if someone had gone missing? Does this outfitter have any sort of safety protocols in place? 10. We called after roughly 30 minutes waiting to get picked up at the end of the run. That appears to be when someone send the van to get us, even though staff assured us when we took out of the river someone was already on the way. We will not use any AOA services again.

Rob took such great care of us on the Santa Fe River. Five Star service sharing his knowledge and…read moreguidance on the river ...very relaxing, peaceful time...The Real Florida is waiting for you and he would love to share it with you! He provides tour with Kayaks or BYO, shuttles and more to come, check out his website for all the facts! He is on Hip Camp too!

Lake Wauburg is a cool lake that sits just south of Paynes Prairie and is located in Alachua…read moreCounty, Florida. It is a pleasant enough lake and while not big, it is a nice place to chill for a bit.

Beautiful lake offering an array of nature activities, including boating, canoeing, kayaking,…read moremountain biking, sailing, stand-up paddle-boarding, wake-boarding, water skiing, and more. Life jackets are available for wear and must be buckled. Different policies are authorized for each activity. Grills, pavilions, and picnic tables are also available for use. UF students, with a Gator 1 card, have the ability to sign out the following: Canoe (seats up to 3 persons) Kayak (seats up to 2 persons) Paddleboat (seats up to 2 or 4 persons) Rowboat (seats up to 3 to 5 persons) With the nature atmospheric feel, Lake Wauburg is certainly worth checking out, especially if you are a nature and outdoor lover.

The little waterfall and serene bench to sit made the hike all worthwhile. Don't get me wrong, the…read moreactual hike is really just an easy stroll through some trees but without the "destination" of the waterfall we would have been a bit bored and it definitely wouldn't have been worth the drive. The waterfall is located near the leaf icon on the white trail. The east side of the blue and white trails were drier than the west half. I do hope to come back and try out the longer trails. The other added benefit of being out of town a bit is that there seems to be much less people on the trails compared to the trails inside the Gainesville city limits.

Great place to take a nature trail walk. I have walked out here many times. Nice area and quiet.read more

I caught the tail end of the larger museum setup, but that was a sight! I miss it :)…read moreThey still have some samples of old English long bows and arrows. Ooh, and only some of the stuffed hunted animals remain. Eric is still there and as awesome as ever!! I've brought some friends in who were interested in beginning archery and Eric had been nothing but a rock star - uber knowledgeable, helpful and understanding, and uber welcoming to the sport. This place has outdoor targets in varying yards ranging from a now unofficially marked 10 yard distance to 70 yards. Outdoors, plenty of trees, and free. Only caveat to being outside is.. If you shoot an arrow into the woods you gotta go and fetch them yourself. In my opinion, that just adds to the experience :). A little crazy during the summer with all the bugs haha. Very nice during the winter. Also, I have yet to see more than three target range taken, so I would almost day you're guaranteed a range everyone! If you wanna pay a little extra, there are reserved areas inside the building for members, and reserved parking too!

**Extremely Disappointing Customer Service - KaNisha Meriwether**…read more My experience dealing with KaNisha Meriwether was incredibly frustrating\. I made an honest mistake when ordering my compound bow and contacted customer service willing to pay the difference to get the correct package\. I offered several reasonable solutions, including paying through an invoice, purchasing the missing accessories separately, or exchanging the bow through an authorized local dealer\. KaNisha repeatedly dismissed every option and insisted that my only choice was to return the bow, wait for a refund, reorder, and wait another two weeks for the replacement\. I understand that company policies exist, but I was disappointed by the lack of effort to explore alternatives or escalate the situation to someone who might be able to help\. The difference was only around $20-$25, and I was willing to pay it\. I wasn't asking for anything free\. I was simply asking for a reasonable solution to an honest mistake\. Instead, I felt like I was being brushed off rather than helped\. What makes this especially disappointing is that my family has supported this company for generations\. My great\-grandfather, grandfather, father, and I have all been customers, and I was hoping to pass that tradition on to my daughter\. I even still own my grandfather's Alaskan bow from the 1970s\. To have that kind of family history with a company and then feel completely dismissed over a relatively small price difference is disappointing\. **KaNisha, customer service is about more than repeating what a customer cannot do\. It's about making a reasonable effort to find out what can be done\.** Even if company policy ultimately prevented an exchange, I expected more effort, communication, and willingness to escalate the issue\. I hope management reviews this interaction and considers whether this is the kind of customer service experience they want representing their company\. After generations of loyalty, this experience has seriously damaged my confidence in the company\. **A very disappointing experience that could have been handled with much more care and effort\.**

The Nature Coast Trail is 33 miles of paved & mostly canopied rail trail. I've ridden on it 3 times…read more& have enjoyed the experience. Each time, I've started at the Fanning Springs Trailhead. You can go in 3 directions from that point: south to Chiefland, east to Trenton or west to Old Town. The Old Town route takes you over an old railroad trestle that spans the Suwannee River. On 2 occasions, I saw sturgeon jumping! My most recent trip included a stop at Fanning Springs State Park, which is adjacent to the trailhead. I saw 4 manatees enjoying the spring! Unfortunately, no swimming was allowed due to the height of the Suwannee River. The trail is very well maintained and makes for a great day trip.

LOVE LOVE LOVE The Nature Coast State Trail! 37 miles of…read moreFlorida's Gorgeous unspoiled Nature Coast. It connects the cute little communities of Cross City, Trenton, Fanning Springs & Chiefland. It's a historic train trestle, built along former rail lines that meet at Wilcox Junction. It's a very neat old abandoned railroad trail that runs across the Historic Suwannee River railroad bridge near Old Town. We love to visit here, hike, bike, get hot & sweaty then go jump in the 72-degree water in nearby Fanning Springs State Park. One of my fave springs to swim.. I do not think people realize how incredible this area actually is, as the trails & parks are never crowded. From Fanning "SPRINGS" to Homosassa "SPRINGS" all the way down to "SPRING HILL," the historic "Weeki Wachee SPRING" one of the top 10 largest fresh water springs in America.. This spring is so deep that the bottom has never been found. That is another review me gotta get to.. Anyhoo, most of it is protected Wildlife areas & State Parks with incredible fresh water springs excellent for swimming. The Seminole Indians though this area sacred, as their are many Indian burial grounds, "Indian mounds" throughout this area. There are also bears & gators. Last time we were there, Sir Hubbers was riding along in front of me & decided to hit the breaks & I crashed right into him. Yep, rear ended Sir Hubbers. I almost lost a finger. Then, another time, we were around the "Andrews Wildlife Management Area" when a baby gator came running across the path, Sir Hubbers totally freaked out almost ran him over. Poor little guy, little baby gator was so cute. I also read a very sad report last week some old man, like in his 80's, was on the trail walking his dog & got eat by a bear! Not even kidding, google it. I mean you make it all the way to 80 something years old & you get eat by a bear? Supposedly, they killed the bear.. Watch for the bear signage & arm yourself with pepper spray, just in case. Although, it has some dangers, it's a very lovely paved trail, you will see tons of wildlife. You will also encounter people walking their dogs. "Leashed dogs only" and a lot of cyclists. Not like us, amateurish crashing into each other & running over baby gators, like professional cyclists. You know the ones that all dress up alike in padded spandex. I'm more of a casual beach cruiser with a wicker basket in a sundress type, i'm not into matching spandex & helmets, but to each his own. No one is strange, we all just have differed taste. Anyhoo, there is no dress code, however, it's the Nature Coast so it's hot & humid. You can also get rained on at anytime, so I always wear summer linen for this reason. There are also tons of mosquitos so be prepared for that. I eat tons of garlic and/or drink tons of lemongrass tea before I go.. Be stinky for the bugs, they won't eat you OuiOui. It is all part of Florida's Greenways and Trails System & has also been designated as a national recreation trail. It's open 8am till sundown, 365 days a year & the best part, it's completely Free. Go to "Nature Coast State Trail" Florida State Parks for the map & to plan your visit. Added to moi list of "Zen places, peaceful parks." Highest Recommendations.

This is another state park around Gainesville, and once you start walking the trail, you understand…read morewhy it is named the way it is. There are roots of sweetgum trees raised up and on the path, so it is not conducive for biking or even running. Walking through the path, (at least the part of the trail I was on) is very constricted. There is lots of foliage and thick vegetation. It is pretty because of the green lichens and moss that is growing on the ground. Tons of sable palms that contribute to keeping the trail isolated and hidden. There are no vistas, save one, that looked like it was swampy when the water levels are normal. There was a tree that fell across the path, so I had to dismount to get my bike across. I went through this part of the trail, but it did not inspire me to go search out other sections....at least not today. A path to take a slow walk with a friend or signif other, but other than being a botanist or just curious, this trail does not inspire a return trip.

Just across the street from the Newnan's Lake Conservation Area, the Gum Root Nature Park is tucked…read morebetween two major roadways and a landing strip. This means there is a lot of traffic noise, but a noisy trip into nature is better than none. The gorgeous tree canopy, meandering creeks and lake view make it totally worth checking out! Round trip was about 2.25 miles including an unmarked access road. There is also an unmarked spur trail heading east that possibly connects to Newnan's trails. The 2-3 benches along the loop make this a great trail for kiddos and those that might need to sit and rest along the way. Parking is only at the south trailhead, do not use the address in Apple Maps, it will take you to the North trailhead. No picnic tables/pavilions, and no water or restrooms.