Camp Paquette Youth Group Camp Blackwater River State Forest

Open — Open year-round. Reservations required and available up to 11 months in advance. The facility closes if Santa Rosa County is placed under a Tropical Storm or Hurricane Warning by the National Weather Service.

About

Camp Paquette Youth Group Camp is located within Blackwater River State Forest in Santa Rosa County, Florida's largest state forest with over 210,000 acres. Situated next to a 5-acre lake, this facility is designed exclusively for organized youth groups with adult chaperones. The camp features 4 primitive group campsites, each capable of accommodating up to 50 people, with group fire pits at each site. A communal open-air pavilion with a fireplace serves as a central gathering space. The facility includes bathhouses with showers, restrooms, and 110-volt electrical receptacles, though individual campsites do not have electricity. Potable water is available at the bathhouses. The 5-acre lake is the centerpiece of recreational activities, featuring a swimming dock for supervised swimming with strict lifeguard and adult supervision requirements. Outside the roped swimming area, visitors can enjoy fishing and canoeing. The camp is located in a non-hunting zone and offers access to hiking trails through the longleaf pine and wiregrass ecosystem. Blackwater River State Forest is part of the Florida National Scenic Trail and the Great Florida Birding and Wildlife Trail. Combined with adjacent Conecuh National Forest and Eglin Air Force Base lands, this area represents the largest contiguous longleaf pine-wiregrass ecosystem in the world. The camp is reservation-only and operates year-round, with nightly rates ranging from approximately $13-$22 depending on season and group size.

Directions

From I-10 take Exit 22. Turn north on Avalon Boulevard to Highway 90. Turn right onto Highway 90 and travel to Highway 87 (Stewart Street) at the Burger King restaurant. Turn left and travel 0.8 miles to Milton High School. At Milton High School, turn right onto Highway 191 (Munson Highway). Continue 19.5 miles until you reach Highway 4. At the stop sign, travel straight across Highway 4 due north for 1 mile to the intersection of Highway 191 and Belandville Highway. Continue straight. Travel 5.2 miles north on Belandville Highway to the Camp Paquette sign. Unlock gate with combination provided.

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