Springs country, north Florida
RV Park Near Ichetucknee Springs, Ginnie Springs and High Springs
Homebound McAlpin is a full-hookup base on US-129 between Live Oak and Branford: 15 minutes from the Suwannee River, 30 from Troy and Peacock Springs, 40 from Ichetucknee, and 55 from Ginnie Springs and High Springs.
- ~40 Min to Ichetucknee
- ~55 Min to Ginnie Springs
- 15 Min to the Suwannee
- Full Hookups & Free Wi-Fi
How close is Homebound McAlpin to the springs?
Close enough to visit a different spring every day for a week, far enough that the park stays quiet. Homebound McAlpin sits on US-129 in rural Suwannee County. The Suwannee River is about 15 minutes away at Branford, Troy Spring and Peacock Springs are about 30, Ichetucknee is about 40, and Ginnie Springs, Gilchrist Blue and the town of High Springs are just under an hour. Every drive time on this page was measured door-to-door from the park’s address, not from the nearest town.
North Florida has one of the densest concentrations of freshwater springs anywhere, and most of the big ones sit within an hour of this park. What you get here is a full-hookup site with room around it, complimentary Wi-Fi, and a country road back to camp after a day in 72°F water.
Which springs are near the park?
Eight of the best, ordered by drive time. Facts, fees and hours are from each park’s own page, linked on every card.
Troy Spring State Park
~30 minutesA 70-foot-deep, first-magnitude spring at a constant 72°F, with the remains of the Civil War steamboat Madison, scuttled in 1863, lying in the shallow spring run. Swimming, snorkeling and scuba.
$5 per vehicle · 8 a.m. to sunset · near Branford
Official page → (opens in a new window)Wes Skiles Peacock Springs State Park
~30 minutesTwo major springs, a spring run and six sinkholes over one of the longest underwater cave systems in the continental United States, with nearly 33,000 feet of surveyed passages. Swimming at Peacock Springs and Orange Grove Sink; the caves are for certified cave divers only.
$4 per vehicle · 8 a.m. to sunset · Live Oak
Official page → (opens in a new window)Ichetucknee Springs State Park
~40 minutesA 2,669-acre park around a six-mile spring-fed river that stays 72°F all year. Tubing from late May to early September; swimming, snorkeling and paddling the rest of the year. The park fills on summer weekends and closes its gates at capacity.
$6 per vehicle · 8 a.m. to sunset · Fort White
Official page → (opens in a new window)Suwannee River State Park
~40 minutesWhere the Withlacoochee meets the Suwannee. Trails along the bluffs, paddling and fishing on both rivers, and Civil War earthworks built to defend the river against Union gunboats.
$5 per vehicle · 8 a.m. to sunset · Live Oak
Official page → (opens in a new window)Lafayette Blue Springs State Park
~45 minutesA first-magnitude spring on the Suwannee with a natural limestone bridge across the spring run, 72°F water year-round, and rental cabins on stilts above the river bank.
$5 per vehicle, honor box · 8 a.m. to sunset · Mayo
Official page → (opens in a new window)Ginnie Springs
~55 minutesSeven privately run springs on the Santa Fe River at 72°F year-round: tubing, paddling, snorkeling, and the cavern and cave diving that made Jacques Cousteau call the visibility 'forever'.
Private park · day-use fees and hours on its own site · High Springs
Official page → (opens in a new window)Gilchrist Blue Springs State Park
~55 minutesThe newest state park in the system, built around a second-magnitude spring that pushes out about 44 million gallons a day into a quarter-mile run. Swimming, snorkeling and paddling, with rentals and a concession on site.
$6 per vehicle · 8 a.m. to sunset · High Springs
Official page → (opens in a new window)Madison Blue Spring State Park
~1 hourA first-magnitude spring about 82 feet wide and 25 feet deep in a limestone basin on the Withlacoochee River. Swimming and cave diving. Large RVs and truck-and-camper rigs are restricted in the park, so take the tow vehicle.
$4 to $5 per vehicle · 8 a.m. to sunset · Lee
Official page → (opens in a new window)Drive times are approximate and traffic adds to them. Fees and hours were checked in September 2026 and can change; the linked pages are the source of truth.
Which spring should I pick?
Tubing
Ichetucknee, late May to early September. Rentals and the return tram run from the south entrance. Ginnie Springs floats the Santa Fe year-round.
Swimming and snorkeling
Troy Spring for depth and the steamboat wreck, Lafayette Blue for the limestone bridge, Gilchrist Blue and Madison Blue for wide, clear basins.
Cave and cavern diving
Peacock Springs is the destination, with nearly 33,000 feet of surveyed passages. Ginnie Springs and Madison Blue also open their systems to certified cave divers.
Paddling and fishing
Put in on the Suwannee at Branford, 15 minutes away, or at Suwannee River State Park where the Withlacoochee joins it. Big Shoals, upriver near White Springs, has Florida's largest whitewater rapids.
History
The Madison at Troy Spring, scuttled in 1863. The Civil War earthworks at Suwannee River State Park. The 97-bell carillon at the Stephen Foster Folk Culture Center in White Springs, about 45 minutes away.
A quiet weekday
Any of them from October to April. The springs hold 72°F year-round, so the water feels warm against a cool morning, and the summer crowds are gone.
When is the best time to visit the springs?
The water never changes; the crowds do. The springs hold a constant 72°F, which feels cold against a 95°F August afternoon and warm against a 60°F January one. Summer is tubing season at Ichetucknee and the busiest time at every spring: the state park warns that it fills on weekends and holidays and closes its gates at capacity, so arrive early or go midweek.
From October to April the same springs are open, clear and close to empty. That is why the park’s seasonal and snowbird rates suit spring people so well: a winter here is springs weather without the summer lines, at a monthly rate with electric included.
What does the park itself offer?
A base, not a resort. Homebound McAlpin is a quiet rural park with oversized sites and year-round residents. It has:
- Oversized full-hookup sites (20/30/50 amp, water, sewer)
- Complimentary Wi-Fi
- Fenced Dog Park
- Pet-Friendly
- Community Gathering Area
- Easy access to US-129 toward Live Oak and Branford
Worth knowing before you book
There is no pool, no clubhouse and no on-site laundry at McAlpin. If those matter for your stay, Homebound Bushnell in central Florida has an indoor heated pool, a clubhouse and laundry, about 40 minutes from The Villages.
Rates
- Daily$39/nightElectric included.
- Weekly$250/weekElectric included.
- Monthly$595/monthElectric included. The best value for a longer stay.
Additional fees and taxes apply. Discounts available for Veterans, Good Sam members, and Escapees/Harvest Hosts members.
Staying a season or longer? The long-term RV living page covers what a month or a year at McAlpin looks like.
How do I get to the park?
From I-10, take exit 283 (US-129) at Live Oak and head south; the park is about 25 minutes from the exit. From I-75, allow 40 to 50 minutes: southbound, leave at exit 451 or 439 and go through Live Oak; northbound, take I-10 west at Lake City to exit 283. The RV parks near I-75 page has the turn-by-turn version and drive times from both parks.
Live Oak, about 20 minutes north, has groceries, dining and medical care. Branford, about 15 minutes south, is the river town with boat ramps and outfitters. Gainesville is about an hour and a half.
Good to Know
Springs & Suwannee River FAQ
About 40 minutes door-to-door. Ichetucknee Springs State Park is at Fort White, off US-27, and the drive from the park runs south on US-129 through Branford. Allow longer on summer weekends, when the park fills and closes its gates at capacity.
About 55 minutes to Ginnie Springs and about 50 minutes to the town of High Springs, which is the gateway to Ginnie, Gilchrist Blue Springs State Park and the Santa Fe River. It is a comfortable day trip, not a quick hop, so most guests make a day of it.
Troy Spring and Wes Skiles Peacock Springs, both about 30 minutes away, and the Suwannee River itself at Branford, about 15 minutes. Ichetucknee and Suwannee River State Park are about 40 minutes, Lafayette Blue about 45.
Not at Ichetucknee. Its tubing season runs from late May to early September. Swimming, snorkeling and paddling are open all year at most of the springs, and because the water holds 72°F, a January swim feels warm while an August one feels cold. Winter is also when the springs are emptiest.
Only for the caves. Anyone can swim and snorkel in the spring basins at Troy, Peacock, Ichetucknee, Lafayette Blue, Gilchrist Blue and Madison Blue. Entering the underwater cave systems at Peacock, Ginnie or Madison Blue requires proof of cave-diving certification.
No. The park is on US-129 in the countryside between Live Oak and Branford. The river is about 15 minutes away at Branford, with boat ramps, outfitters and riverside springs from there up to Suwannee River State Park.
Better to leave it on your site. Some spring parks, Madison Blue among them, restrict large RVs and truck-and-camper combinations, and summer lots at Ichetucknee fill early. Take the tow vehicle or the car and come back to a full-hookup site at the end of the day.
Oversized full-hookup sites with 20/30/50-amp electric, water and sewer, complimentary park-wide Wi-Fi, a fenced dog park and a community gathering area, at $39/night, $250/week or $595/month with electric included. There is no pool, no clubhouse and no on-site laundry. If you want those, Homebound Bushnell in central Florida has all three.
Keep Exploring
Explore more at Homebound
Everything else at Homebound McAlpin, plus our other two Florida parks.
More at Homebound McAlpin
- Long-Term RV LivingMonthly stays with utilities included on oversized sites in Suwannee County.View
- Affordable RV LivingWhat you get for the money at McAlpin, and how it stacks up against renting nearby.View
- RV Park Near Live OakTwenty minutes south of Live Oak on US-129, with the town's groceries, dining and medical care within easy reach.View
- Seasonal & Snowbird StaysMild North Florida winters, quiet springs, and monthly winter rates for a long stay.View
- Pet-Friendly RV ParkBring the dog. Room to walk, country quiet, and the pet rules up front.View
- Photo GalleryOversized sites, open skies, and the grounds at McAlpin. See the park before you book.View
From the blog: McAlpin
- Things to Do in Live Oak, FL: Springs, the Suwannee and a Music ParkTen things to do in Live Oak, FL with drive times: the Spirit of the Suwannee Music Park, two state parks 20 minutes out, Peacock and Troy Springs, Big Shoals.Read
- Do RV Parks Have Monthly Rates?Yes, and usually 40 percent or more below thirty nights at the nightly price. How monthly RV park rates work, what they include, and how to book one.Read
- How Much Does It Cost to Live in an RV Park?Site rent is the big line: $525 to $700 a month at Bushnell, $595 at McAlpin with electric included. Add electric, fees and the RV. Three budgets.Read
Our Other Florida Parks
Homebound Bushnell
Bushnell, FL
A welcoming 124-site RV park in Bushnell, FL featuring an indoor heated pool, clubhouse, game room, and full hookups. Conveniently located near The Villages and central Florida attractions.
Explore Bushnell
Homebound Interlachen
Interlachen, FL
A new Homebound RV Park location in Interlachen, FL offering full hookups in a pet-friendly setting. Contact us for availability and rates.
Explore InterlachenMake McAlpin Your Springs Country Basecamp
Full hookups and free Wi-Fi, 15 minutes from the Suwannee River and within an hour of Troy, Peacock, Ichetucknee, Ginnie and Gilchrist Blue. Book your site online or call today.