While visiting friends and family in the Naples area I wanted to check out a few of the FREE camping spots in the area. A quick, easy, online reservation and I’m set. I booked a few days at Dinner Island Ranch‘s Hammock Camp, which is about 25 miles east of Immokalee. It’s pretty far from everything, so make sure to pack what you need. There is a vault toilet but no power or running water. My Tmobile cell signal was sporadic at best.
“Originally, Dinner Island’s dry prairies, cypress domes, freshwater marshes, pine flatwoods and hammocks were a part of the Kissimmee/Everglades Watershed. Slow moving water flowed from Lake Okeechobee’s southern end and continued south and southwest down the peninsula, through the Big Cypress Swamp and eventually into Florida Bay. To satisfy the demand for flood protection and dry ranchlands, water flow across natural landscapes such as Dinner Island was altered by ditching and canal construction that began in the mid-19th century.
The disruption of natural fire cycles and planting of cattle forage, citrus and sugarcane further altered plant communities. Despite these changes, Dinner Island has continued to attract and sustain many resident and migratory wildlife species. Planned restoration will create habitat diversity and link the site to a growing mosaic of publicly-owned land that provides critical habitat for the Florida panther, Florida black bear and other listed species. Hydrological restoration in portions of the management area have been completed.” source
“Portions of the property are under contract with private companies to continue cattle grazing and citrus production. The long term goal is habitat enhancement and restoration for Florida panther and other listed species.
Cattle grazing is used as a tool to manage plant succession and maintain wildlife habitat diversity. To increase the value of this range for native wildlife, areas will be restored with pine flatwoods, wetlands, hardwood hammocks and other native plant communities where appropriate.
Prescribed fire is also used to manage existing desirable plant communities and increase the diversity of native groundcovers on flatwoods and wetland communities. Invasive exotics such as Brazilian pepper, tropical soda apple, wetland nightshade, Australian pine and smutgrass are controlled through chemical or mechanical means.
Feral hogs exist at low to moderate densities. This species causes great harm to vegetation when it uproots plants in search of food. Hunting opportunities help to control the population of feral hogs on Dinner Island.” source
When we pulled in we were greeted by a lovely woman and her pup. The pup showed us where the hog bones are tossed by the hunters and she told me about the 20 something mile road loop that covered the property. Auryn and I decided to take a sunset trip and it was magical. It’s like a Florida safari!
There is another camp, Kowechobe right next to Hammock which is better for bigger RVs and trailers but has zero shade.
