Mike Roess Gold Head Branch State Park
Also known as Gold Head Branch State Park
- Status
- Open (per official listing)
- Entrance fee
- Statewide rule — see below
- Day-use reservations
- None mentioned
- Dogs
- Not stated — check with park
- Camping
- 73 campsitesAlso cabins
- Official site
- floridastateparks.org(352) 316-4286
Official page last checked Oct 29, 2026. How we keep this current
Overview
Mike Roess Gold Head Branch State Park is a 2,367-acre park in Clay County, about 11 miles southeast of Starke.
Popular activities here are horseback riding, canoeing and kayaking, swimming, fishing, and wildlife watching. Facilities for water recreation include a swimming beach. Camping is available: 73 campsites across 5 camping areas, including RV sites with full hookups, tent sites, primitive or hike-in sites, and group camping. Roofed lodging includes cabins.
Fees and passes
Varies by park (mostly per vehicle; some per person/pedestrian/cyclist; some free).
Statewide fee rule from Florida's park system; this park’s page doesn’t list its own fees.
Reservations
- Day use
- No day-use reservation requirement mentioned
- Booking system
- Florida State Parks Reservation System (UseDirect / Tyler 'RDR' platform)
We link to the official booking system rather than showing live availability, which changes minute to minute.
Camping
| Campground or site type | Sites | Hookups / features | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Volunteer Restricted use: Volunteer | 2 | 2 with water, 2 with sewer | — |
| Primitive | 2 | 1 with water | — |
| LAKE | 33 | 33 with water | — |
| SAND | 18 | 18 with water | — |
| TURK | 18 | 18 with water | — |
Camping details from the park
Volunteer: 2 site(s) (2 with water, 2 with sewer) — Volunteer Primitive: 2 site(s) (1 with water) — Primitive LAKE: 33 site(s) (33 with water) — RV/Tent, Tent, Back-In, Pull-Thru, Tent, Trailer, Bus, Caravan/Camper Van, Fifth Wheel, Large Tent (9x12), Pop up, RV/Motorhome, Tent-Trailer, Truck/SUV/Van, Tent SAND: 18 site(s) (18 with water) — RV/Tent, Back-In, Tent, Trailer, Bus, Caravan/Camper Van, Fifth Wheel, Large Tent (9x12), Pop up, RV/Motorhome, Tent-Trailer, Truck/SUV/Van TURK: 18 site(s) (18 with water) — Tent, Back-In, Tent
From the official park page, checked Oct 29, 2026. Site counts and prices can change; confirm when booking.
Cabins and lodging
- cabin: 23 unitsFlorida Outdoor Recreation Inventory, as of 2017-06-02
Things to do
CampingCanoeing and kayakingHikingHorseback ridingFishingWildlife viewing and birdingPicnickingSwimming
Trails
| Trail | Length | Difficulty | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Florida Trail-Loblolly | 5.36 mi | — | HikingNatural surface |
| Loblolly Loop Trail | 7.78 mi | — | EquestrianNatural surface |
| Sheeler Lake Trail | 0.12 mi | — | HikingNatural surface |
| Fern Loop | 0.14 mi | — | HikingNatural surface |
| Mike Roess Gold Head Branch State Park Trail | 0.34 mi | — | length summed over 2 GIS segmentsHikingNatural surface |
| Loblolly Connector | 0.41 mi | — | HikingNatural surface |
| Ridge Trail | 0.41 mi | — | HikingNatural surface |
Trail descriptions from the park
Florida Trail-Loblolly (Hiking) — 5.36 mi, Natural Loblolly Loop Trail (Equestrian) — 7.78 mi, Natural Sheeler Lake Trail (Hiking) — 0.12 mi, Natural Fern Loop (Hiking) — 0.14 mi, Natural Mike Roess Gold Head Branch State Park Trail (Hiking) — 0.34 mi, Natural Loblolly Connector (Hiking) — 0.41 mi, Natural Ridge Trail (Hiking) — 0.41 mi, Natural
Swimming
Swimming Area
Boating and paddling
Canoe Rack
Fishing
Fishing Area
A state fishing license is usually required.
Amenities
Facilities
- Restrooms
- Vault or pit toilets
- Picnic areas
- Picnic shelters
- Playground
- Parking
- Group facilities
Water
- Swimming beach
Camping
- Tent camping
- Sewer hookups
- Primitive or backcountry camping
- Group camping
Lodging
- Cabins
Recreation
- Horse trails
✓ listed by the park · ✕ the park says it is not available. Anything not shown here isn’t mentioned by the official source — that means unknown, not unavailable.
Getting there
- Address
- 6239 State Road 21
Keystone Heights, FL 32656 - Nearest town
- Starke — about 11 mi southeast (straight line)
- Coordinates
- 29.8474, -81.9613
- Phone
- (352) 316-4286
Entrances
- Main Entrance
Nearby state parks
Sources and freshness
- Florida State Parks (Florida Park Service) — park page — last checked Oct 29, 2026
- FDEP Open Data ArcGIS: Florida State Park Boundaries (PARKS_BOUNDARIES layer 0), dataset modified 2026-09-10 per the DEP open-data hub
- Wikidata
- USGS PAD-US 4.1 (boundary and acreage)
“Last checked” is when our system last read the official source. No change has been detected since this page was first published. Hours, fees and rules can change without notice — confirm with the park before you go. Methodology