My lil furry sidekick Auryn and I took Bodacious Betsy (my 1985 Rad Toyota Van Wagon Camper) for some camping in the Florida boonies this week. We needed to do a small test run on boondocking before we venture too far from “home”. With the painting mostly done (I think I’ll be slowly adding “designs” to what I have) I packed her up with the necessities and hit the road!
Using the website freecampsites.net I learned about all the free camping available in the Southwest Florida Water Management District. Having camped in the Green Swamp a few years ago I wanted to make it a point to check out all the sites. To camp all you have to do it register online for a permit. You can stay for up to 7 days. It’s easy but can take up to a few days to process so make sure to book ahead of time. It’s a great recreational resource but it’s main use is conservation.
Right now it’s pretty busy in Florida… (cause the weather is amazing!) but I was able to find a spot for 4 days at the Oak Ridge Equestrian area in Thonotosassa. It’s nearly 1,000 acres of raw Florida nature with 16 miles of hiking/horse back trails winding through wetlands, forests and flatwoods. When you get approval you get a code for the lock at the gate, easy cheesy.
The camping area was clean, quite and even had a porta-potty, nonpotable water, picnic tables, fire rings and a pavilion. Not too shabby for FREE!
