DuPuis Campground at Gate 3
Meandering Life
Reviewed Jan. 18, 2019

Free Florida Camping

This campground is a large field where you can pick any spot and is managed by the SW Florida Water Mgmt District. We were able to get a nice spot near the camp host that was perfect for solar. This is an equestrian campground, but there is a section for non-equestrian campers. You do have to get a permit (called a Special Use License) ahead of time to stay. It is a very easy process on the website https://www.sfwmd.gov/community-residents/recreation/sul. The approval will come within minutes. You don’t have to have the permit printed, but make sure you have electronic access to it to show it to the camp hosts. I also wrote the pertinent information on a sheet of paper to leave in the truck, but we never had it out and nobody asked about it. I believe the max stay is 8 days. Make sure you check the website for closures due to hunting and other reasons before you book. We stayed 5 nights in early January 2019.

There are no hook-ups at this camping area, but there is a dump station near the entrance and there are potable water spigots placed around the camping area. Upon arrival, the camp host informed us not to drink the water. I found that advice ironic since this is managed by the water district. There was a sign near the front of the campground that said the water was fine to drink and did not need to be boiled, but we heeded his advice and only used the water for showers and used bottled water to drink. It did have a sulfur smell and a tint to it. 

The campground is at Gate 3. There is a gate with a chain at the entrance, but there is no lock. You just move the gate and close it behind you. Most of the area is level and like I said, you can pick anywhere to camp. There are several trees that provide good shade if you want that. We have solar so needed fully sun and were able to find a great spot for that. We didn’t check them out, but they do have restrooms and possible showers. Overall the campground was well maintained and there was no trash. It did get busy for the weekend with locals and got a bit louder, but overall it was nice and quiet. You are close to a highway that large dump trucks drive down so there is some road noise, but nothing too bad. It quiets down at night. There are several walking trails next to the campground and there is a driving nature trail at Gate 1 and more walking trails at Gate 2. The campground is also close to Lake Okeechobee.

We had no trouble with connectivity as we had 3-4 bars on Verizon and AT&T hotspots without booster. The camp host said there was a small town nearby, Indiantown, where you can get a few essentials and bottled water. We ended up going to Walmart because we needed specific items. There are several about 40 minutes away. 

Overall it was a nice place to stay for a few days. Great service that the FL Water Mgmt District provides, and we are thankful for it. If ever in the area, we would stay here again.

Month of VisitFebruary