Primitive camping in Florida is an adventure waiting to happen, getting you off the beaten trail and allowing you to experience Florida's untamed wilderness. If you're looking for a way to have a healthy, undisturbed vacation, discover what this type of camping can do for you. With a few considerations and proper preparation, primitive camping throughout the state of Florida is a rugged, outdoor escape.
Locations
Several state and national parks in Florida offer primitive camping, including Everglades National Park, Cayo Costa State Park, Fort Cooper State Park and St. Sebastian River Preserve State Park. In the Everglades, it's known as backcountry camping and has various types throughout the park such as chickees, ground sites and beach sites. Throughout the state parks, the primitive sites are often located well away from the developed campgrounds, adding to the wilderness-retreat-like feel primitive campers strive for.
Activities
Primitive camping is an adventurous activity in itself, but consider the many available activities around you. Hiking is often dominant around primitive and backcountry sites. Enjoy the natural features on a self-guided nature walk, or if you're near the water, get in your canoe or kayak. Some campgrounds that offer primitive sites also offer canoe and kayak rentals, as well. Collier-Seminole State Park, for example, has a canoe primitive site which is only accessible by canoe, giving you the opportunity for seclusion and a waterway nearby to explore South Florida by water.
Effects
When camping in Florida's backcountry or in primitive areas, consider your effect on the environment. Adopt a "leave no trace" lifestyle for your trip. Anything you bring in you need to take out to reduce litter. Keep wildlife wild by not removing anything or disturbing it. Use only fallen wood for fires and create a safe fire pit or ring to prevent wildfires. During droughts, it is not uncommon for Florida state parks and other campgrounds to ban fires completely.
Preparing
Primitive camping takes more preparation than camping in developed areas. Depending on your location, you may not have access to such conveniences as modern restrooms, water or supplies. When preparing for your trip, make a checklist and ensure you are able to carry all of your equipment in your backpack. Many of Florida's primitive sites are in the backcountry and require you to either hike or take a canoe or kayak to the campsite. Preparation for this kind of camping experience requires taking the bare essentials: food; tent or sleeping bag if you're sleeping under the stars; bug repellent; enough water for cooking, drinking and cleaning; clothes; equipment such as a hatchet and rope, and other necessary items.
Warnings
Primitive camping in Florida puts you up close and personal with Florida's wilderness. Be prepared to see venomous and otherwise dangerous species that inhabit the state including snakes, spiders, alligators, pumas and black bears. Venomous snakes in the state include rattlesnakes, coral snakes and water moccasins (also known as cottonmouths). Several species of widow spiders also call Florida home, including northern and southern black widows, brown widows and red widows. Alligators inhabit bodies of water throughout the state. Black bears and pumas, also known as cougars, Florida panthers or mountain lions, also call the state hoe, but are normally wary of humans. When enjoying your primitive, rustic camping experience, treat all wildlife with respect by not disturbing it.
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