Columbia County Florida Parks and Recreation Departmenthas an open and available workamping position beginning May 4, 2020. They are not sure of the exact date the park will open but it will be soon. Alligator Lake Recreation Park in Lake City Florida is a great spot to spend some time and the county offers it’s volunteers a primo camping spot with water, sewer, and electric onsite both 30 and 50 amp service on the box as well as basic cable and Comcast internet. They include extra storage in a metal 10×10 shed right next to the campsite that has a small fence, fire pit, and picnic table. They wouldn’t allow us to install a washer or dryer on the site though but you can put in another larger refrigerator in the shed. You will be given the use of a 4-Wheel Drive Gator. That’s a fun gasoline-powered cart. Very rugged and has a bed in the back for hauling all that trash to the dumpster.
You will be asked to go to the Columbia County Florida Sheriff’s Office for a Fingerprint card and background check. Janice Smithey, the CCPR Secretary, will be happy to email you an application and talk to you about the position. Please know that Alligator Lake Recreation Park is a large park open 6 days a week and very popular every single weekend. There are picnicking pavilions, barbecue grills, a large playground, volleyball court, a new 9 hole frisbee golf course as well as over 600 acres of trails, fishing, and boating. The position requires that you open and close the park each day, clean the bathrooms every night, empty the 55-gallon trash barrels when appropriate, and ride the trails picking up trash and emptying the bins. They also rent a screened-in pavilion for large family groups so that has to be cleaned and prepared before the renters come and after they leave. There are no dogs allowed anywhere in the park areas or trails. Workampers are allowed to have pets within their RVs and just around the maintenance area as well as their campsite.
This position does require quite a lot of physical activity but if you like walking trails, fishing, hiking, birding, and talking to people then this might be the place for you. The biggest problem I had was lifting the full garbage bags out of the 55-gallon drums and the people who just don’t think closing time pertains to them. You will have to run through the park a couple of times a day, mostly on the weekends though, to remind people not to have pets in the park, no alcohol, occasionally you will need to remind people that the parking lot is not the place to make out with your mate. You DO NOT HAVE TO REGULATE boaters or fishermen. The Florida Wildlife Enforcement officers come through occasionally to check their fishing licenses and stuff. Every once in a while you will have to run somebody off that have taken their cars down the trails or are riding around on an ATV (Strictly a no-no). You will need to replenish the map holder at the kiosk and once a quarter go around and wash all the signs in the park. I just put a large bucket of water, pine sol, and bleach in the back of the gator along with a long RV cleaning brush and down the trails you go.
And another word about dogs in the park:
NO DOGS ALLOWED as alligators do like to eat them!
SERVICE dogs are allowed but must be on a leash, with their vests or collars visible and next to the person they are supposed to be serving. (No training, no off-leash and they must have their papers with them) Then you can warn them that alligators do love to eat dogs. Alligator Mating Season is really not the time for them to visit either.
Being in a county park in Florida is somewhat different from a State or National park. There is no time limit to your stay. So long as you are doing your job properly and happy in your place then you can stay as long as you and the park director desires. You can even swop off with fellow workampers in that you take 6 months and they take the other 6 months. Lake City is a pretty nice area to be in throughout the year. Not too far from the beaches on either coast, springs all around the area, state parks, and even the National Forest right down the road. The local library will allow you to have a library card with a letter from the secretary. If you need to take a couple of days off just schedule it with the secretary and she will make arrangements for someone to cover for you. For veterans, they have one of the first Florida Veterans Hospital right down the road from the park.
Please contact Janice – Monday through Friday – 8:00 am to 4:00 pm. She does leave the park for lunch every day so leave a message and she will contact you as soon as possible.
Janice Smithey
341 SE Charmont Lane
Lake City, FL 32025
Email: janice_smithey@columbiacountyfla.com
Phone: 386-719-7545
Fax: 386-719-7544
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