Chickery's Travels

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    • Alabama
      • Gunter Hill Campground (Montgomery, Alabama)
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      • Downtown Riverside RV Park (Little Rock, Arkansas)
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      • Sea Breeze RV Park (Seal Beach Naval Weapons Station)
    • Delaware
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      • Jonathan Dickinson State Park (Southeast FL)
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      • MacDill AFB FamCamp (Tampa, FL)
      • Military Camping in Key West
      • Patrick AFB FamCamp (Cocoa Beach, FL)
      • Rainbow Springs State Park & Campground (Ocala, FL)
      • Walt Disney World’s Fort Wilderness (Orlando, FL)
        • Halloween at Disney’s Fort Wilderness
        • Chickery’s Travels Podcast Episode 5: Fort Wilderness Campground Review
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      • Cherry Hill Park (College Park, Maryland)
    • Michigan
      • Port Huron KOA (Kimball, Michigan)
    • Nevada
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      • Las Vegas RV Campgrounds: Nellis Air Force Base and Lake Mead RV Village
      • Boondocking Near Las Vegas
    • New Hampshire
      • Lincoln / Woodstock KOA (New Hampshire)
    • New York
      • Round Pond Recreation Area (West Point, NY)
    • North Carolina
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    • Oklahoma
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      • Alsatian RV Resort (Castroville, Texas)
      • Maverick Ranch (Lajitas, Texas)
      • Texas Wine Country Jellystone (Fredericksburg, Texas)
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      • Crossville I-40 KOA (Crossville, TN)
      • Midway RV Park (Memphis, TN)
    • Virginia
      • Complete Guide to Camping at Shenandoah National Park
      • Cape Charles / Chesapeake Bay KOA (Cape Charles, Virginia)
      • Fort Belvoir Travel Camp (Alexandria, VA)
      • Harrisonburg / Shenandoah Valley KOA (Broadway, Virginia)
      • Shenandoah Views Campground (Luray, Virginia)
      • Lynchburg / Blue Ridge Parkway KOA (Monroe, Virginia)
      • Shenandoah River State Park (Bentonville, Virginia)
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      • Harper’s Ferry KOA (Harper’s Ferry, West Virginia)
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      • Lost Dutchman State Park (Phoenix, Arizona)
      • Phoenix Faves: Best Activities to Enjoy on Your Arizona Vacation
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      • Complete Guide to Redwood National and State Parks
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      • Best Walt Disney World Festivals For Adults
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      • Get Back to Nature in Tampa Bay
      • Florida Freshwater Springs on the Nature Coast
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      • Kennedy Space Center – Cape Canaveral
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      • Must See Sights in St. Augustine, FL – America’s Oldest City
      • Rainbow Springs State Park & Campground (Dunnellon, Florida)
      • Take Me Out to the Ball Game – Spring Training in Tampa, FL
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      • What Not to Do When Kayaking on the Weeki Wachee River
      • Why We Love Tampa
      • Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure
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      • Visiting Atlanta? Don’t Miss These Civil Rights Museums
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      • Everything You Need to Know About Camping in a Jeep Wrangler in Hawaii
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      • One Day In The Windy City – Chicago Itinerary
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      • Discover the Beauty of Monhegan Island, Maine
      • Acadia National Park: Highlights You Can’t Miss
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      • Explore Las Vegas – It’s More Than Just Gambling
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      • Experience the Magic of New Hampshire’s White Mountains
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      • Complete Guide to Great Smoky Mountains National Park
      • Uncover the Coastal Charm of North Carolina’s Outer Banks | A Guide for Visitors
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      • Navigating Oregon’s Natural Gems
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      • The Best Things To Do In Lancaster Pennsylvania
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      • National Civil Rights Museum – Memphis, TN
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      • Best Restaurants in Fredericksburg
      • Enjoy a Bird’s Eye View of Texas Hill Country
      • Explore Nature’s Untamed Beauty at Big Bend National Park
      • Top 10 Activities in the Dallas – Fort Worth
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      • Discover the Best of Zion National Park
    • Virginia
      • Explore Great Falls Park, Virginia
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8:30 am by Julie Chickery

Free Camping in Florida

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Last updated on September 22nd, 2023 at 08:22 pm

Not many people know this, but you can camp for free in Florida. And I’m not talking about in the Walmart parking lot. I’m referring to several peaceful, dry camping and boondocking areas in natural surroundings found across the state of Florida. Most of the websites refer to it as primitive camping which means they offer very limited (if any) services. However, these campsites are located across the Sunshine State and the price is right!

Table of Contents
  • Public Lands in Florida
  • Free Camping on Private Land
  • So How Do You Camp Without Hook-Ups?
  • Are Full-Service Campgrounds More Your Style?

Public Lands in Florida

There are both federal and state managed public lands in Florida that offer camping. Examples of federally run dry camping are the National Forests such as Apalachicola National Forest where you can camp at the Wood Lake Campground. In Osceola National Forest, you can camp at the Ocean Pond campground for only $8 per night (for primitive sites) with access to the two-mile wide lake with a sandy beach, restrooms, fire rings and picnic tables. 

Camp at Osceola National Forest's Ocean Pond campground for a nominal fee.

One Florida state agency that manages free campgrounds is the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. Camping at any of their locations is free but does require a permit which can be obtained online.

Sales banner with RV outdoor mat, RV GPS, and storage bins.

Many of these campgrounds are based on local hunting seasons, but there are a few that offer year-round camping. In the southern part of the state, Dinner Island Ranch Wildlife Management Area’s Hammock Camp is named for the area’s oak hammock that provides plenty of shade for its 10 RV and 7 tent camping sites. Up in the panhandle, the Escribano Point Wildlife Management Area hosts the Bayside Campground (also known as Grassy Point). It has 12 sites, all free with no hook-ups.

Escribano Point Wildlife Management Area offers free camping in Florida at the Bayside Campground.
Photo by Exploring the Life

The bulk of the free camping in Florida is under the purview of the state’s five Water Management Districts. Each one runs its own website with camping information.

  • Northwest Florida WMD
  • Suwannee River WMD
  • St. Johns River WMD
  • Southwest Florida WMD
  • South Florida WMD

Just down the road from Tampa, in Thonotosassa, Florida is the Washburn Equestrian Areain the Lower Hillsborough Wilderness Preserve managed by the Southwest Florida Water Management District. Primitive camping sites with Sites picnic tables, fire rings and/or grills set among 16 miles of multiuse trails.

Free camping near Tampa is located at the Washburn Equestrian Area in the Lower Hillsborough Wilderness Preserve managed by the Southwest Florida Water Management District.
Photo by Our Epic Field Trip

One of the highest-rated free camping areas in the state is the Dupuis Management Area not far from Lake Okeechobee. It has a butterfly garden, a partially covered fishing pier, a boardwalk, and 22 miles of hiking trails. The DuPuis Nature Center and the Treasure Coast Astronomical Society host free Astronomy Nights to educate participants about stars, nebulas, planets, and neighboring galaxies.

Free camping is available in Florida at several wildlife and water management areas.

See more of this campground and others in the video below where our friends Liz and Dennis at Eat See RV share their quest to find free camping across the state.

Free Camping on Private Land

There are two different membership programs with plenty of sites in Florida to enjoy short stays. Our personal favorite is Harvest Hosts, which offers RVers a network of farms, breweries, wineries, and museums to overnight at for an annual membership fee. Harvest Hosts currently offers 18 locations in the state of Florida from Tallahassee all the way down to Miami and they are adding more all the time. Sign up here and use code HHFRIENDS15 at checkout for a 15% discount.

Camp for free at Florida's wineries, breweries and farms with a Harvest Hosts membership.
Photo by Harvest Hosts

Another option is Boondocker’s Welcome. This is also a membership program, but it is with private landowners that are willing to allow overnight stays on their property. There are currently 88 properties listed in Florida with several offering 3-5 night stays.

Learn how to camp for free at over 2500 locations with this amazing low cost membership!

So How Do You Camp Without Hook-Ups?

I know we first got our RV I never planned to dry camp. Even now, I’m more of a glamper than a camper, but I’ve learned to love boondocking too. Especially now that we’ve upgraded our power system and added solar to the mix. Here are some boondocking tips to help make your dry camping experience more enjoyable.

Are Full-Service Campgrounds More Your Style?

If you’re looking for campgrounds with full hook-ups and amenities, check out our article on the best campgrounds in Florida. We share our favorites and even include recommendations from our readers.

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Learn where you can camp for free in Florida. Save money on your next RV camping trip by staying in one of several free campsites across the state. There is plenty of room for big rigs and motorhomes, and the whole family will enjoy the space for their travel trailer and small campers.

Related posts:

Best Luxury RV Resorts For All RV Types

Aspen Campground (Payson, Arizona)

Filed Under: Campground Reviews

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