Pictures: Suwannee River Camps on-land tour 2025-09-27

Many thanks to Edwin McCook, formerly of SRWMD, who invented the Suwannee River Camps, and Nic Brown, who is in charge of them at Florida Parks, as well as Shell Simmons for assisting.

Even more thanks to Lowndes County, Georgia, Chairman Bill Slaughter and Paul Batts of Valdosta-Lowndes County Parks and Recreation Authority (VLPRA) and his wife Melanie for attending.

Suwannee River Camps, on-land tour 2025-09-27, Dowling Park River Camp, Adams Tract River Camp

The visitors got to hear from the experts how Florida does it. Many topics were discussed, from access to finances.

Melanie and Paul Batts of VLPRA, Edwin McCook, Lowndes County Chairman Bill Slaughter, Nic Brown and Shell Cannon of Florida Parks, 2025:09:27 09:37:55 Dowling Park River Camp

FYI, there are no other river camps in the world. Two other river camps are proposed in Floyd County, Georgia, but they are no farther along than Lowndes County.

Dowling Park River Camp is completely in flood plain, like the proposed site of Troupville River Camp at the Little River Confluence with the Withlacoochee River just west of Valdsota, Georgia. So bathrooms on wheels and elevated sleeping platforms may be appropriate there, too.

Concept Plan by ASA Engineering (rotated and trimmed)

Adams Tract River Camp is built flat on the ground. Except there is a boardwalk to the Suwannee River.

Suwannee River, Adams Tract River Camp, 2025:09:27 11:27:24, 30.0350226, -83.0192175

Bill Slaughter thinks such boardwalks might help at Troupville.

Bill wants boardwalks like this at Troupville, 2025:09:27 11:28:06, 30.0352487, -83.0189883

This tour was un-announced and VIP-only, because people are supposed to paddle in to the river camps, not drive in.

Paddlers Only, Dowling Park River Camp

Adams Tract has hiking and horse trails, so that River Camp is not as isolated.

Adams Tract, 2025:09:27 11:15:23, 30.0352667, -83.0372260

It is more like the situation at Troupville, where the conservation easement the former landowner implemented before selling most of the land to Lowndes County requires hiking trails and an educational pavilion back in the woods away from the rivers.

Building Envelopes Map, Conservation Easement, 2021-12-19 –Helen Tapp
The red Residential Dwelling will not happen since Lowndes County now owns the property.
The Troupville River Camp dining pavilion, bathrooms, and sleeping platforms
will be inland from the orange Boat Launch and Storage.

Figuring out how to keep people from parking near the existing Georgia DNA Troupville Boat Ramp and hiking down to the River Camp platforms to party is an ongoing question.

Many other topics were discussed, of course including finances.

Funds are not a problem to build Troupville River Camp and the associated Nature Park. The Lowndes County Commission has put a million dollars in its SPLOST IX project list for “Improvements to land at the confluence of the Withlacoochee and Little Rivers for recreational and education purposes”.

Lowndes County Project List, SPLOST IX, 2025-08-04
PDF

The voters will decide on that this November, for Special Local Option Sales Tax (SPLOST), which is a penny sales tax.

There is also still the possibility of the county applying to the Georgia Outdoor Stewardship Program (GOSP) for a grant. With SPLOST or other matching funds, more than a million dollars could come from that source.

Finding the ongoing maintenance money has been handed over to One Valdosta-Lowndes (OVL). OVL has described “River Camp Project” as their number one BIG thing.

One Valdosta-Lowndes, River Camp Project, Dr. Carvajal, Origins

But it can’t hurt to find ways to minimize those ongoing costs. Many ideas were discussed yesterday.

Troupville River Camp and other public river access is in the most recent Valdosta-Lowndes County Comprehensive Parks & Recreation Master Plan 2021-08-31.

Collage

Budget discussion are in progress. We shall see what happens.

There are more pictures below.

-jsq, John S. Quarterman, Suwannee RIVERKEEPER®

You can help with clean, swimmable, fishable, drinkable, water in the 10,000-square-mile Suwannee River Basin in Florida and Georgia by becoming a WWALS member today!
https://wwals.net/donations/

Dowling Park River Camp, 2025:09:27 09:33:15 Gated