Camp for FREE in Florida: The Ultimate Guide
Yes, you read that right – free camping is all over Florida and I’m showing you how to take advantage of it!
Contrary to what Jonlee and I first thought, Florida is a paradise for campers looking to explore the outdoors without breaking the bank.
In this post, I’m showing you how to reserve these free campsites and other free resources to make road tripping Florida easier (and cheaper) than ever.
Whether you’re looking to tent camp, park your RV, or even just car camp as you’re passing through, these sites are a great place to stop for a peaceful and safe night.
The entire state offers free campgrounds via water management districts (WMDs) and public lands broken into 5 regions total:
But first, let me explain exactly what public lands and water management districts are.
Water management districts are responsible for managing water resources – as in waste treatment, water quality, flood control, etc., while public lands refer to land that the government owns and leaves for public recreation.
They allow camping, hunting, fishing, canoeing, horseback riding, and cycling, among many other things. You can only reserve sites online and no later than 24 hours before the date you want to show up.
The land is always free to use but some of the districts require Special Use Permits so be sure to read each camps special considerations carefully before booking.
NORTHWEST
Starting at the top of Florida in the panhandle region, the Northwest WMD is divided into three subregions – East, Central, and West.
HOW TO RESERVE
Head to their website https://nwfwater.com/lands/recreation and click ‘Camping Reservation System’ highlighted in blue above the text titled “How to search for and reserve a campsite”.
From here you will see the 29 different locations throughout the region on an interactive map.
Click the ‘more details’ button for more information about the area surrounding the sites and to see additional pictures.
You can browse through the list and reserve the site you’re interested in right from this page.
Special considerations for ALL sites within the Northwest WMD: A reservation can be made for up to 7 nights at a time. No more than two reservations can be booked at a time or within a 30-day period. Reservations cannot be back-to-back. Check-in is at or after 3:00 p.m. and check-out is by 1:00 p.m.
Jonlee and I stayed at Dead River Landing and woke up to a beautiful morning on the river. We actually filmed our van tour and a panhandle road trip video there if you’re interested in seeing the area!
SUWANNEE RIVER
Suwannee River WMD is in the northern part of Florida but situated between the Northwest WMD to the west and St. John’s River to the east.
This one is a bit different from the Northwest District in that it only has one campground and you will need a Special Use Permit.
HOW TO RESERVE
Go to https://sua.mysuwanneeriver.com/. Find ‘Filter: By Activity’ on the right side and select ‘camping’.
From there, select the Goose Pasture Campground and fill out the Special Use Authorization.
While this WMD doesn’t have much to offer in the way of established campgrounds, there are tons of cool places to boondock within this particular region.
Boondocking around the Suwannee River, in the Osceola National Forest, or just at a random pull off with a great view are all possible using the free iOverlander app.
If you don’t already have the iOverlander app, I highly recommend downloading it right now and seeing what’s available to you for free camping! Jonlee and I use it almost every single day while traveling the country.
SOUTHWEST
Moving down the state a little bit, we get to the Southwest WMD. This region is situated around the middle of Florida but focused on the western half.
Similar to the Northwest WMD, there are 24 places to camp for free and the sites are easily reserved through their website without Special Use Permits.
HOW TO RESERVE
Check out https://www.swfwmd.state.fl.us/recreation/sites and navigate to the sidebar on the left and select ‘camping’ to filter the recreation sites.
From this page you can see more details about each site or “tract” such as the exact address and campground maps.
There is also an interactive map in the left sidebar for easier viewing based on the area you’re looking for.
Click on the site that interests you and fill out the free reservation form for your dates.
*Pro Tip* Just because a campsite or tract is listed as “equestrian” doesn’t mean you can’t camp there! Double check the guidelines for each campsite but Jonlee and I have stayed on a handful of equestrian campgrounds and they were some of the most beautiful and peaceful places. All are welcome with no horse necessary!
We stayed in the Green River – West Tract and the Flying Eagle Preserve. We filmed another weekly vanlife video at Green River and had an awesome experience. Watch it here!
ST. JOHN’S RIVER
Now for the Northeast region of Florida – St. John’s River WMD. This area is located to the east of Suwannee WMD on the northern coast of Florida.
HOW TO RESERVE
Go to https://www.sjrwmd.com/lands/recreation/camping/ and scroll down to the blue button that says “Camping reservation system” toward the bottom of the page.
After clicking the blue reservation button, you will be brought to a list page much like the Northeast and Southwest WMD sites.
You will be able to view more details about the 34 campsites like information on the surrounding area, amenities offered, and more pictures.
Some of the campsites are hike-in only and some are drive-in only so be aware of that when making your selection.
Find the site you like best that meets your location needs and click reserve.
Special considerations for ALL sites within the St. John’s River WMD: Camping is for TENT ONLY. No RVs, trailers, vans, or truck campers permitted. If you do plan on camping with any of the aforementioned vehicles, use the iOverlander app for alternative free camping spots in the area.
SOUTH
Last but not least, the South WMD is located in the bottom half of Florida, including the areas with Biscayne and Everglades National Park and the Keys.
The campsite options will vary based on the specific type of camping you’ll be doing. Some sites do require a Special Use Permit and others do not – check your sites details closely before booking.
HOW TO RESERVE
Head to https://www.sfwmd.gov/recreation-sites and select which type of camping you’ll be doing under ‘Activities’. There are four different options: Equestrian, Group, RV/Travel trailer, and Tent.
This will filter the available sites based on your selection.
Remember: you can choose ‘Equestrian’ as a filter option to see what’s available regardless of how you’re going to be camping (van, tent, truck, etc.).
For sites that don’t require a Special Use Permit, click on the ‘Recreation Area Map’ link to see where the campsites are located exactly within your selected area.
We stayed at the DuPuis Equestrian Campground and had a great experience. It was quiet and had beautiful scenery – including watching people ride their horses!
OTHER FREE CAMPING OPTIONS
Some of the campsites listed within all five regions are on Wildlife Management Areas (WMAs). These exist all across the U.S., not just in Florida, and you don’t need a specific website to find them. They appear on Google Maps and the iOverlander app or wherever you get GPS information.
You are allowed to camp pretty much anywhere within a WMA as long as it’s off the road and at least 100ft away from a water source.
You can camp in one spot for up to 14 days without any kind of permit or fee.
During hunting season, some areas, if not all, of a WMA may be closed or require a permit so check the specific WMA for details before going.
National forests are also great places to boondock and free camp. We’ve stayed in tons of these all throughout the country and never had an issue.
And of course, there are always Walmarts, Cracker Barrels, and Planet Fitness’ but those aren’t nearly as beautiful or peaceful.
I hope this guide to Florida’s free camping helps you in planning your next Florida road trip. If you have any questions don’t hesitate to reach out – I’m happy to help! Submit a comment below or send a private message here.
If you’re interested in more travel hacks, check out Our First Month on the Road for a list of things that help us while traveling all 50 states.
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Thank you so much for reading! See you guys in the next one😊