Established in 1955, Three Rivers State Park borrows its name from the confluence of waterways that happens at Lake Seminole.
Covering more than 600 acres, it is one of the hillier parks in the Florida State Parks system, with a surprising steep drop to the lake as you drive downhill from the entrance station.
Split into two distinct areas – the campground on the west side and the day use area on the east side – it offers some pretty hilly hiking on its nature trails.
Southern magnolia in the slope forest at Three Rivers State ParkResources
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Overview
Location: Sneads
Trailhead: 30.739254,-84.93713
Address: 7908 Three Rivers Park Rd, Sneads FL 32460
Fees: $3 per vehicle
Restroom: At the day use area
Land manager: Florida State Parks
Phone: 850-482-9006
Open daily 8 AM to sunset. Leashed dogs welcome. While the day use area has accessibility, the nature trails are natural surface footpaths.
The park is immediately west of the line between the Eastern and Central Time Zones, so keep that in mind if you’re coming from the Tallahassee area.
Directions
From the junction of US 90 and SR 71 in Marianna, north of Interstate 10, drive east along US 90 for 15.6 miles to Sneads.
From the east, approach Sneads via US 90 west from Chattahoochee or by SR 286 north from Interstate 10 to US 90.
Follow River Rd north from US 90. The park entrance is on the right after 2 miles.
About the Park
Most visitors who come to Three Rivers are here to camp and go fishing, as Lake Seminole is known for record-setting bass.
Use the boat ramp to access the lake with your watercraft, and you’ll pull in both largemouth and smallmouth here along with bream, catfish, and speck.
Like many Florida lakes, this one is known for its large alligator population, so keep alert both on the water and when bank fishing or walking near the waterfront.
A large day use area along Lake Seminole offers views of the lake as well as scattered picnic tables and a pavilion that can be rented.
Picnic pavilion at Lake SeminoleHiking
When we explored Three Rivers State Park, we found it a pleasant place to take a hike. The rugged hills around the lake are a delight for us peninsular flatlanders.
All three trails afford excellent views during winter, when the leaves are off the trees. In the springtime, wildflowers add a carpet of color to the steeply sloped forest understory.
Slope forest along the Dry Creek TrailBecause of the microclimate created by these slopes, trillium, trout lily, and atamasco lilies thrive within the hardwood forests.
This park was heavily impacted by Hurricane Michael in 2018, so we know the trails no longer look like our photos from when we hiked them.
The orange-blazed Lakeview Trail connects the day use area and the campground that sits west of it with a scenic 2.5 mile loop that also includes the Ridge Trail.
On the east side of the day use area, the green-blazed interpretive Dry Creek Trail is a 0.8-mile loop that provides access to the much longer blue-blazed Eagle Trail.
The 1.5-mile Eagle Trail is largely on forest roads that interconnect to the group campsite. It is open to cyclists, and quite hilly.
Dry Creek Trail
In the folded uplands above Lake Seminole, the Dry Creek Trail leads hikers along an interpretive loop through rugged terrain where alluvial streams cut deep gashes through the slopes
Eagle Trail
A loop atop the ridges standing above Lake Seminole, the Eagle Trail offers a different perspective on the uplands of Three Rivers State Park
Lakeview Trail
Enjoy views of Lake Seminole from forested slopes on the 2.5 mile loop created by the Lakeview Trail and the Ridge Trail at Three Rivers State Park at Sneads
Camping
The campground is separate from the day use area, with the Lakeview Trail connecting the two.
Thirty campsites for tents and trailers are in a tight circle, with a boat ramp nearby.
There is one accessible cabin for campers, and a bathhouse shared by all. A separate group camping area is in the woods just south of the day use area.
Campsites at Three Rivers State ParkExplore More!
Slideshow
See our photos from Three Rivers State Park
Nearby Adventures
More worth exploring while you’re in this area.
Chattahoochee Nature Trails
Chattahoochee Nature Trails system treats hikers to an exploration of botanically-rich habitats along bluffs and ravines near the Apalachicola River and an archaeological site towering over the river’s edge.
Angus Gholson Nature Park
Above the Apalachicola River, the community of Chattahoochee hides a natural treasure in its deep ravines—a park named for its native son, botanist Angus Gholson.
Merritt’s Mill Pond
Fed by first-magnitude Jackson Blue Spring and nearly a dozen smaller springs, Merritt’s Mill Pond is a waterway unlike any other in Florida, its unusual hues trapped between rocky slopes and edged with moss-draped cypress trees.
Florida Caverns State Park
A dip into Florida’s only show cave at Florida Caverns State Park brings on an instant sense of cool.