Best Dispersed Camping near Starke, FL

Several dispersed camping areas are available in the Osceola National Forest near Starke, Florida. Hunt camps form the primary options, with 17 Mile Hunt Camp offering the most secluded experience on maintained but rough forest roads. Cobb Hunt Camp provides more accessible sites but has been periodically closed for maintenance. West Tower Hunt Camp stands out with basic amenities including toilets, cold outdoor showers, and a water spigot.

The primitive sites require self-sufficiency as services are minimal. A visitor commented, "Roads are a little rough, yet passable, it was a little wet because of rain a day earlier." Ground conditions can become muddy after rainfall, potentially creating access issues for non-high-clearance vehicles. Most locations have trash receptacles and portable toilets during hunting season. Fire rings are not provided at most sites, though fires are generally permitted except during restriction periods. Cell service varies by location, with 17 Mile Hunt Camp offering little to no coverage while other areas maintain basic connectivity.

Best Dispersed Sites Near Starke, Florida (5)

    1. Cobb Hunt Camp

    8 Reviews
    Olustee, FL
    27 miles
    Website
    +1 (386) 752-2577

    "Trash and porta potty’s provided by National Forest."

    "Free no water or electricity, porta-potties . Most campers stay to themselves and there's room for privacy"

    2. 17 Mile Hunt Camp

    7 Reviews
    Osceola National Forest, FL
    31 miles
    Website
    +1 (386) 752-2577

    "Nice primitive campground with well maintained dispersed spots. No picnic tables or fire rings but plenty of space. Nice and quiet. Lots of space for RVs as well."

    "This was our first time boondocking and it was the perfect site to try it out. We have a 26’ travel trailer and we did a few loops looking for a good site."

    3. West Tower Hunt Camp

    5 Reviews
    Osceola National Forest, FL
    37 miles
    Website
    +1 (386) 752-2577

    "Camp host was nice and they have a 14 day stay limit. Verizon service was pretty spotty. Having a host with no charge threw me for a bit of a loop."

    "Lots of dispersed camping spots throughout, some right out in the open, and others are private. Campsites are scattered with nicely cleared areas within bush palms."

    4. Davenport Landing

    7 Reviews
    Welaka, FL
    39 miles
    Website
    +1 (352) 236-0288

    "Pprimitive, no reservations, gets some traffic visiting historic site."

    "Pulled in around 9:30 pm. Big open spot. Last 100 yards driving back in were very bumpy but no problem with our van. Not sure about a larger RV. But great Tent/van spot."

    5. Sandhill Hunt Camp

    Be the first to review!
    Osceola National Forest, FL
    38 miles
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Recent Free Dispersed Camping Photos near Starke, FL

6 Photos of 5 Starke Campgrounds


Dispersed Camping Reviews near Starke, FL

27 Reviews of 5 Starke Campgrounds


  • BThe Dyrt PRO User
    Nov. 14, 2023

    West Tower Hunt Camp

    Great spot

    This place was very clean and most spots were very well spaced out. Porta potties and trash bins. Camp host was nice and they have a 14 day stay limit. Verizon service was pretty spotty. Having a host with no charge threw me for a bit of a loop. I only did an overnight, but it was a great place and had a nice feeling of seclusion without being too far from civilization. Also very clean.

  • Stuart K.The Dyrt PRO User
    Dec. 25, 2024

    Davenport Landing

    Magnolia-Shaded Cul-de-Sac Primitive Camping

    Located a hefty trek down a winding gravel road west of Route 19, you’ll have to maneuver around divots and potholes along this narrow gravel, dusty roadway for the better part of 2 miles before arriving to a small sign on the left-hand side of the road that indicates you’ve arrived at Davenport Recreational Area – so finding this place is relatively easy. Unless you make the unwise decision to turn into one of the small handful of options beforehand that would have you drive down a patch of road that likely you are not authorized to, my only advice would be not to exceed 15 MPH on this road as the poor condition of the road could do damage to a lower-lying vehicle. Once you come across the Davenport Recreational Area sign, take a right and slowly (as the road conditions worsen as you get off the main road) follow the narrow tire-rutted pathway to a fork, where on the right you’ll see TRAILHEAD marked on a tree to your right– here you want to turn left instead and follow the pathway to its conclusion, which is a round-about that you will have no other alternative but to stop and park your vehicle.

    Here at literally ‘the end of the road,’ you’ll be greeted by a dozen or so medium-sized Magnolias that blot out the sun’s rays and cast an unusually spooky shadow on this area, made even more dramatic by all of the Spanish moss falling from the tree limbs of these magnificent trees. While the ground here is flat – welcome to Florida, where for the most part, that’s par for the course – but barren and comprised of a combination of dirt and sand silt, which isn’t so bad when it’s dry, but when there’s rain, we’re talking some pretty messy mud-like conditions. As for what you’ll find here at this natural cul-de-sac, there isn’t anything. Literally. No picnic tables. No fire ring. No stand-up grill. No potable(or for that matter, non-potable) water spigot. Nothing. There is what looks to be a small wooden sign that likely was filled with information at some point in time that might have educated you about your stay here, but even that had nothing on it, apart from a single hand-made sign above it, indicating: “You are trash, if you leave trash,” which I wholeheartedly agree with. In all, perhaps there’s 5-6 individual spots that you could make a campsite from.

    If you are a true primitive camper who really wants NOTHING to complement or aid their outdoor survivalist experiment, then you have hit the primitive camping jackpot! Apart from the solid peace & quiet you’ll experience here, there’s an amazing little access point here to the Ocklawaha river that runs through this neck of the woods – which used to be a riverboat stop where steamboats would stop to fuel or disembark enroute to Silver Springs via the St. Johns which this tributary eventually connects to. Apart from being a scenic access point to the river, if you are looking to catch and eat your meals, then this will certainly be an added bonus. The steps down the ravine to the river basin are somewhat steep, but for anyone towing a light-weight kayak or paddleboard, me thinks you could likely manage to bring your watercraft down here and easily access emerald-green waters shouldered with an abundance of spade-shaped lily pads to grab some great oaring.

    When we stopped by, there was a team of fisherman there – not camping, mind you – but having a great afternoon nonetheless of ‘hooking‘ em’ and according to these local anglers, the fishing was great. Apart from this and the shade that the mighty Magnolias provide, the only other amenity that exists out here are the few trails that you can jump on to get a bit of hiking in. One word of caution, from my fishermen friends, is to be on the look-out for ‘Coyo-Dogs’ (a cross between canine species where a dog mates with a coyote) and black bear, both of which have been known to frequent this area, especially at night.

    Insider’s tips? Here’s a few: (1) There’s a 1.2 mile interpretive hiking trail called Davenport Landing Trail that will take to you to the former steamboat landing, which makes for a medium-grade hike with some interesting history; (2) If you have an explorer’s mindset, you’ll be richly rewarded here as there is a small gravesite from the Civil War that you can find along with middens along the Ocklawaha River hiding traces of the Timucuan Indians that once populated this area; (3) For fellow arborists, in addition to finding these amazing Magnolias that seem to be especially planted here for you, additionally there’s sweetgum and red maple trees; and (4) You definitely want to keep your eyes peeled for alligators in this area, where while we didn’t see any right at the ravine’s base, we were told that plenty were sunbathing right around the bend in the river from where we were.

    Happy Camping!

  • N
    Nov. 2, 2021

    Cobb Hunt Camp

    Easily accessible

    Depends on what you’re into. Great if you’re here as a hunt base camp maybe, but Cobb is not the idyllic peaceful personal campsite. I camped there with my boys in a tent, and they had a blast just playing in the dirt, but I had to figure out how to explain to them why someone had been there for the last 11 months and why we had to sleep through a running generator all night.

    We hiked in a few miles on the Florida Trail, so we had all our water supplies on our person. There’s a little pond there that we were purifying water out of with no issue, but if you drive in and car camp you can easily bring water with you.

    Not great for the backpacker, but probably pretty great if you’re driving in and hunting out of your tent or camper.

  • Chrischelle N.
    Oct. 8, 2020

    17 Mile Hunt Camp

    Simple but neat

    Nice primitive campground with well maintained dispersed spots. No picnic tables or fire rings but plenty of space. Nice and quiet. Lots of space for RVs as well. Just make sure to check the ground before you park. Very muddy, could get stuck.

  • Will J.
    Jan. 18, 2021

    17 Mile Hunt Camp

    Peaceful, relaxing, easy.

    This was our first time boondocking and it was the perfect site to try it out. We have a 26’ travel trailer and we did a few loops looking for a good site. It was pretty easy to see where the areas for camping are but it’s not as clear as a paid RV park. We ended up loving the site we picked. We were able to pull through instead of backing in (although a lot of the spots looked like you would need to back in), the ground wasn’t too muddy so we didn’t get stuck, and we didn’t even need to level the camper - it was naturally flat. As far as our actual stay - It was really peaceful. There were only a few other people there and we hardly ever saw them. We did have to be extra careful with our little dog tho because we did get the sense that something could try to eat it since the sites are in the middle of the woods. We generally felt safe tho and just made sure to take beat spray when we went out into the woods. There’s a trash receptacle (albeit small and easily filled) and a porta John at the entrance. All in all would definitely recommend this either as a quick overnight stop or to stay a week or two.

  • M
    Nov. 9, 2023

    Cobb Hunt Camp

    Campground Closed But Camping Allowed Just Past Entrance

    We arrived late and saw the campground was taped off and a sign read closed indefinitely. However, we drove just past the campground and found many others camped on the side of the road. Trash and porta potty’s provided by National Forest.

  • Frank E.The Dyrt PRO User
    Aug. 28, 2019

    Davenport Landing

    Generally quiet primitive camping with water access

    Pprimitive, no reservations, gets some traffic visiting historic site.

  • DeziRay M.
    Jan. 9, 2022

    Cobb Hunt Camp

    Awesome

    Free no water or electricity, porta-potties . Most campers stay to themselves and there's room for privacy

  • BThe Dyrt PRO User
    Nov. 2, 2023

    17 Mile Hunt Camp

    Nice spot

    Sites are spread out and the road is rough getting in. No water or electric. Porta potty on site. No Verizon cell service.


Guide to Starke

Dispersed camping locations in Osceola National Forest offer free camping near Starke, Florida. The forest's flat terrain becomes particularly muddy after rain, sometimes requiring high-clearance vehicles. Most hunt camps provide primitive camping with seasonal amenities depending on hunting schedules. Cell service varies dramatically between locations, with some areas completely disconnected from coverage.

What to do

Fishing access: At Davenport Landing, campers can access the Ocklawaha River for fishing. Local anglers report excellent catches, with one visitor noting, "If you are looking to catch and eat your meals, then this will certainly be an added bonus."

Historical exploration: Discover Civil War history on the 1.2-mile Davenport Landing Trail leading to a former steamboat landing. "If you have an explorer's mindset, you'll be richly rewarded here as there is a small gravesite from the Civil War that you can find along with middens along the Ocklawaha River hiding traces of the Timucuan Indians," reports one camper.

Wildlife observation: The forest areas contain diverse wildlife including black bears and alligators. A visitor at 17 Mile Hunt Camp warns, "We did have to be extra careful with our little dog tho because we did get the sense that something could try to eat it since the sites are in the middle of the woods."

What campers like

Book exchange: West Tower Hunt Camp features an unexpected amenity. "Available is a bathroom and an outdoor cold shower. There is a book exchange in the bathroom," shares one reviewer who appreciated this unique feature.

Privacy between sites: Many hunt camps offer well-separated camping areas. At 17 Mile Hunt Camp, a camper noted, "We ended up loving the site we picked. It was really peaceful. There were only a few other people there and we hardly ever saw them."

Stable grounds during dry periods: While mud can be problematic after rain, campers report the terrain is quite manageable during dry spells. "The ground wasn't too muddy so we didn't get stuck, and we didn't even need to level the camper - it was naturally flat," reports a reviewer about their experience.

What you should know

Campground closures: Cobb Hunt Camp has experienced intermittent closures. "We arrived late and saw the campground was taped off and a sign read closed indefinitely. However, we drove just past the campground and found many others camped on the side of the road," explains one visitor who found alternatives nearby.

Limited or no connectivity: Cell service can be completely absent in some areas. A camper at 17 Mile Hunt Camp states, "Minimal, if any, cell service, so you will be disconnected pretty much."

Potential neighbors: At some locations, long-term campers may impact the experience. At Davenport Landing, a visitor observed, "There were obviously some long term residents that had set up shack here, and while they did not make the campground feel unsafe, they were trashing up the place."

Tips for camping with families

Location selection: Choose West Tower Hunt Camp for basic amenities. "Nice spots with a bathroom book exchange and power at the bathroom if you need it," notes one camper, making this location more suitable for families needing facilities.

Wildlife precautions: Teach children about wildlife safety protocols. According to forest campers, "You definitely want to keep your eyes peeled for alligators in this area" and be cautious about "Coyo-Dogs (a cross between canine species where a dog mates with a coyote) and black bear, both of which have been known to frequent this area."

Evening activities: With limited connectivity, prepare offline entertainment. One camper at Sandhill Hunt Camp suggests bringing board games, cards, and star charts for nighttime activities since electronic distractions won't be available.

Tips from RVers

Ground assessment: Check site conditions before driving in fully. "Just make sure to check the ground before you park. Very muddy, could get stuck," warns one RVer at 17 Mile Hunt Camp.

Daytime arrival: Plan to arrive during daylight for site selection. An RVer at Sandhill Hunt Camp suggests, "Big open spot. Last 100 yards driving back in were very bumpy but no problem with our van. Not sure about a larger RV."

Self-sufficiency preparations: Come prepared with all necessities. "I'm in a travel trailer so I had the chance to take advantage of all the amenities my camper has to offer," explains a visitor who enjoyed the experience by being fully self-contained.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is the most popular dispersed campsite near Starke, FL?

According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular dispersed campground near Starke, FL is Cobb Hunt Camp with a 4.1-star rating from 8 reviews.

What is the best site to find dispersed camping near Starke, FL?

TheDyrt.com has all 5 dispersed camping locations near Starke, FL, with real photos and reviews from campers.