Caverns to close campground for improvements

Florida Caverns State Park Host Frances Albritton fills in some of the potholes in the dirt road that runs through the campground Monday. The road will be paved during upcoming improvements at the camping area.

By: By ASHLEY McKEEN Floridan Staff Writer | Jackson County Floridan
Published: December 15, 2009

Marianna’s own Florida Caverns State Park will be getting better next year, after undergoing improvements set to begin at the start of the new year.
The improvements to the campground will result in a temporary closure from Jan, 1 to April 30 for construction.
The cavern’s Bluehole Campground will upgrade its facilities with sewer connections for each campsite, as well as a paved driveway through the campground.
The sites themselves will not be paved. However the road through the campsite will now be asphalt.
“We think these improvements will bring in more campers and provide a more enjoyable camping experience for everyone,” Park Manager Chris Hawthorne said Monday.
Hawthorne explained that although the Bluehole Campground will be closed, visitors will still be able to camp at the Horse Campgrounds, which will remain open during the construction.
“Although we will have the other campgrounds open, winter time is generally our slowest portion of the year,” Hawthore said. “That’s why we chose this time to do our renovations.”
The total cost of the project has yet to be determined. Hawthorne explained in a phone interview Monday that he was unaware of the funding and budgeting information.
“I was just told to go ahead and begin preparing for the construction and temporary closure,” he said.
Currently, the pavement work is already under way. However, the bigger construction items, such as the sewer connections for each site, will wait until the closure at of 2010.