Video still thanks to LivingOurDreamNow
DuPuis Campground
Free dry camping on South Florida Water Management District land east of Lake Okeechobee, with hot showers, a dump station and miles of trails. Bring a free Special Use License.
Indiantown, Florida · DuPuis Management Area, about 7 minutes from the lake at Port Mayaca
Season
Year-round
Hosts on site; check hunt dates
Elevation
Near sea level
21,875 acres of pine flatwoods and wetlands
Hookups
None
Dump station and potable water on site
Big rigs
No length limit
Grass sites; 40-ft fifth wheel reported
Updated October 12, 2026 · Details checked against the South Florida Water Management District’s website
East of Lake Okeechobee
The DuPuis experience
Free camping on 21,875 acres of South Florida Water Management District land, with a hot-shower bath house, a dump station and potable water, and miles of hiking and horse trails. There are no hookups, and you need a free Special Use License.
Free campingWith a free Special Use License
Room for big rigsNo length limit; grass sites
Hot showers & flush toiletsBath house at the Gate 3 campground
Dump station & waterPotable water; dump for registered campers
Generators allowedExcept 11 p.m. to 7 a.m.
Picnic tables & fire ringsAt marked non-equestrian sites, reportedly
Campground hostsOn site year-round
Dogs welcomeUp to two per license, leashed
22 miles of hikingIncluding the Ocean to Lake Trail
About 40 miles of horse trailsPlus 30 stalls and 15 paddocks
Fishing pier & boardwalkA cypress boardwalk too
Birding & dark skiesWildlife by day, stars at night
Life at camp
What campers say
The campground report card
We don’t recycle other sites’ reviews, but the published scores tell a clear story: campers love that it’s free and quiet, with clean bathhouses and helpful hosts. The complaints are mosquitoes and fire ants in warm months, gate confusion and road noise from Kanner Highway.
How RVers rate it
Category scores from Campendium reviewers, out of 5
Field notes from RVers
Longest rig RVers report40 ft Feb 2020
Cell signal reportedVerizon 4G/5GAT&T 4G/5GT-Mobile 4G
Last reported nightly rateFree Feb 2026
As reported by Campendium users; many of the reviews date from 2018 and 2019. Confirm the rules and which campgrounds are open with the District before you go.
Gate 3 on Kanner Highway (SR-76)
Getting there
RVs camp only at the Gate 3 campground on Kanner Highway (SR-76), between the Beeline Highway (SR-710) and US-441, about 7 minutes from Port Mayaca on Lake Okeechobee.
From Stuart and I-95: SR-76 (Kanner Highway) southwest through Indiantown to DuPuis Gate 3From Okeechobee: US-441/98 southeast along the lake to Port Mayaca, then SR-76 (Kanner Highway) northeast to Gate 3
SR-76 · KANNER HWY GATE 3
Set your GPS
Gate 3, SW Kanner Hwy (SR-76), Indiantown, FL 34956
To Port Mayaca Lock (Lake Okeechobee)*About 7 min
To StuartAbout 40 min
To OkeechobeeAbout 40 min
From Palm Beach Intl AirportAbout 60 min
Get your license first. Apply for the free Special Use License online before you go and carry it (paper or on your phone). Sites are first come, first served.
Bring bug spray. Winters are mild (January highs average about 74°); summers are hot and humid, with July highs near 92°, and mosquitoes and fire ants are fierce in warm months.
*Drive times are from OpenStreetMap routing and are approximate. Locator map is approximate, not for navigation.
Around Port Mayaca & the east shore
Around Port Mayaca & the east shore
Hike the Ocean to Lake Trail, bird the wetlands and catch dark-sky stargazing. Port Mayaca Lock and Pahokee’s marina put you on the lake, and the coast is an hour east.
Photo thanks to Idawriter (CC BY-SA 3.0)
Port Mayaca Lock
Where the St. Lucie Canal leaves the lake: watch boats lock through, then walk or ride the dike trail for wide-open lake views.
Photo thanks to Ebyabe (CC BY-SA 3.0)
Pahokee Marina
One of the few places on the south shore where the lake comes right up to town: a marina, a boardwalk and big sunsets.
Photo thanks to SwampElitist (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Lake Okeechobee Scenic Trail
A path on top of the dike that circles the lake for about 110 miles. Ride or walk a stretch for big-sky views of the water and wading birds.
Photo thanks to Stephen B Calvert (CC BY-SA 3.0)
Jonathan Dickinson State Park
Paddle the wild and scenic Loxahatchee River, climb Hobe Mountain’s tower and hike pine scrub near the coast.
More places to stay
Other parks worth a look
Three more places to stay near DuPuis, by drive time.
Photo thanks to Water’s Edge RV Resort
Water’s Edge Motor-Coach & RV Resort
A 30-site boutique resort on the Rim Canal with paver sites, a pool and a chickee hut.
Photo thanks to Lake Okeechobee RV Park
Lake Okeechobee RV Park
A 43-site canal-side park under big oaks, with 50-amp full hookups and its own boat ramp.
Video still thanks to Taylor Creek RV Resort + Marina
Taylor Creek RV Resort + Marina
A creekside RV resort and marina with boat slips, a pool and quick access to the lake.
Before you book
Plan your stay
Everything that decides whether DuPuis fits your rig, your dates and your budget, in one place.
Our take: one of the best free campgrounds in South Florida: hot showers, a dump station and potable water, wide-open space for big rigs and miles of trails, all for a free permit. There are no hookups, stays are capped at 8 days, sites are first come, first served, and the bugs in warm months are no joke.
Camping feesSFWMD · checked Oct 12, 2026
Camping (Gate 3 RV area)Free /night
Special Use LicenseFree /permit
Longest stay per visit8 days /permit
Total on District lands30 days /year
There’s no fee to camp at DuPuis, but every stay needs a free Special Use License from the South Florida Water Management District; apply online at sfwmd.gov/sul or by mail. Stays are limited to 8 consecutive days, and you must leave for at least a day with all your belongings; the yearly cap is 30 days on all District lands.
Prices are subject to change at any time and may vary by date, season and availability. For the latest pricing, check the SFWMD Special Use License page or call (561) 924-5310.
Typical January afternoon
Canal Point74°
Chicago32°
Snowbird winters: 42° warmer than Chicago in January; July highs reach about 92°.
Is it right for you?
Who it suits, what to consider, and why campers keep coming back.
Open
Site types
Free camping with a free permit; 8-day stays.
Open
Rates & policies
The license, stay limits, quiet hours, generators and pets.
Open
Before you book
Questions to ask before you go.
Open
DuPuis Management Area is 21,875 acres of public land run by the South Florida Water Management District, with hunting managed by FWC. RVs camp free at the Gate 3 campground on Kanner Highway, a simple dry-camping spot for self-contained rigs that want trails, quiet and dark skies.
Best for
- Budget travelers: camping and the permit are both free.
- Self-contained rigs of any size: there’s no RV length limit, and the dump station and potable water are on site.
- Hikers and riders: 22 miles of hiking, including the Ocean to Lake Trail, and about 40 miles of horse trails.
- Equestrians: 30 horse stalls and 15 paddocks at the Gate 3 campground.
Consider this
- No hookups at all; generators must be off from 11 p.m. to 7 a.m.
- Stays are capped at 8 days in a row and 30 days a year on District lands.
- Sites are first come, first served; a license doesn’t guarantee a spot, and winter sites go fast.
- Mosquitoes and fire ants in warm months, plus road noise from Kanner Highway.
Winter in Canal Point
Typical January afternoon
74°
Canal Point
Canal Point (NOAA)
32°
Chicago
Chicago O’Hare
42 degrees warmer than Chicago, with nights near 57°. Normal January highs, 1991–2020.
DuPuis has several campgrounds, but RVs and travel trailers are allowed only at the Gate 3 campground on Kanner Highway. Everything is free with a Special Use License; the difference is who can camp where.
Gate 3 non-equestrian Free/night
The RV area for campers without horses. Florida Rambler describes marked sites with picnic tables and fire rings; Campendium reviewers describe grass sites.
Gate 3 equestrian Free/night
The open-field section for campers with at least one horse per license, near the 30 stalls and 15 paddocks.
Family campground (Gate 1) Free/night
Tent and pop-up camping only; the gate combination comes with your license.
Group & backpack sites Free/night
A group campground and three primitive backpacking sites for hikers.
Camping feeFreeNo charge to camp
LicenseFree SULRequired; carry it
Stay limit8 daysThen leave for at least a day
Yearly limit30 daysOn all District lands
RVsGate 3 onlyNon-equestrian section
Rig lengthNo limitPer the District’s FAQ
SitesFirst comeLicense doesn’t hold a site
Quiet hours11 p.m.–7 a.m.Generators off too
Pets2 dogsPer license, leashed
HookupsNoneDump and water on site
Checked against the South Florida Water Management District’s Special Use License page and camping guide on October 12, 2026. The District noted that some campgrounds and interior roads were temporarily closed. Call the site at (561) 924-5310 or the SFWMD recreation hotline at 866-433-6312.
Good to know before you pull in
Five things that change your booking
Ask these on the phone before you reserve.
- Is the Gate 3 campground open? The District says some campgrounds and interior roads are temporarily closed.
- Are there hunts on my dates? Check FWC’s DuPuis hunt brochure; reports differ on campground closures.
- Where do RVs park? In the non-equestrian section at Gate 3, unless you bring a horse.
- How do I get through the gate? Campers report confusion; ask how the gate works with your license.
- Is there room on a winter weekend? Sites aren’t assigned, so ask the hosts how full it is.
Know before you go
Frequently asked questions
A few details before you hit the road.
Season: Year-round
Ready for a free night in the woods?
Grab your free Special Use License, roll in to Gate 3, shower hot and fall asleep under dark skies. Apply on the South Florida Water Management District site.
Thank you to the people behind these photos and this video. Please support them by giving their work a look. Campground video stills: LivingOurDreamNow, Two Bears Trekking and Off The Grid & On The Fly on YouTube, with our thanks. Moon Lake sunset: RobertJBanach on Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0). Video: Two Bears Trekking on YouTube. Area photos via Wikimedia Commons: Idawriter (Port Mayaca Lock; CC BY-SA 3.0), Ebyabe (Pahokee; CC BY-SA 3.0), SwampElitist (Herbert Hoover Dike; CC BY-SA 4.0) and Stephen B Calvert (Jonathan Dickinson State Park; CC BY-SA 3.0); the images were resized. Other-park photos: Water’s Edge Motor-Coach & RV Resort, Lake Okeechobee RV Park and Taylor Creek RV Resort + Marina (see their pages for credits). Review-site logos are trademarks of their owners.
Disclaimer
RV-Roundup is an independent, community-based resource created to help RV travelers and to support and promote the parks we feature. RV-Roundup is not owned by, operated by, or officially affiliated with DuPuis Campground unless otherwise stated.
The information on this page was prepared using the most current details available at the time of publication, including the South Florida Water Management District’s published materials and publicly available sources. Pricing, availability, rules, policies, regulations, amenities and other details are set by the South Florida Water Management District and may change at any time without notice. Before you travel or book, please confirm all details directly with DuPuis Campground at sfwmd.gov or (561) 924-5310. RV-Roundup is not responsible for errors, omissions, or changes made after publication.
We will always do our best to keep this page up to date. Thank you to everyone who contributes; we truly appreciate your help and support.