Deep Creek Preserve
Southwest Florida Water Management District
Write a Review 10797 SW Peace River St. Arcadia, FL 34269 352-796-7211 800-423-1476 Official WebsiteGPS: 27.0609, -82.0218
Overview of Deep Creek Preserve
A free Special Use Authorization reservation is required and must be displayed. Visit the website to make reservations. Requests will need to be submitted 2 weeks prior to visit to allow for processing and will be issued on a first-come, first-served basis.
Accessibility is not guaranteed, always scout ahead before driving down dirt roads. Learn more: Boondocking 101.
Last Price Paid: $0
Reported by doug on 8/19/2023
Longest RV Reported: 41 feet
Reported by Hebardstravels on 12/31/2018
Reservations yes
Elevation 0 ft / 0 m
Max Stay 7
Tent Camping Yes
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Q&A - Ask the Community about Deep Creek Preserve
To ask questions of the owner or manager please contact the campground directly. 352-796-7211
PhotogWithAdog asked on 1/21/2022
Does anyone know if this place will open again? Shows no availability for all of 2022 - Thanks!
FrankyQuebec asked on 11/25/2019
As a canadian, I am not able to reserve on their website because I do not have a US address. Do you know if this camp...
Reviews of Deep Creek Preserve 17 people have reviewed this location.
Cell Phone Coverage
Confirmed by 10 Users
Last reported 6/22/2021
Confirmed by 5 Users
Last reported 6/22/2021
Confirmed by 5 Users
Last reported 8/19/2023
“Camping NO LONGER AVAILABLE”
Reviewed 8/19/2023
| Nightly rate: | FREE! |
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| Days stayed: | 0 |
| Site Number: | 0 |
Overall Rating
I camped here for a few nights back in 2020. However, since then the sight is no longer available for camping. For a while SWFWMD had the site available for group camping, now it is only a day use equestrian site. That is unfortunate. This was a nice place to camp with the peace river and a cool little river front restaurant/bar do... more
I camped here for a few nights back in 2020. However, since then the sight is no longer available for camping. For a while SWFWMD had the site available for group camping, now it is only a day use equestrian site. That is unfortunate. This was a nice place to camp with the peace river and a cool little river front restaurant/bar down the street.
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T-Mobile 5G
This review is the opinion of a Campendium member and not of Campendium.com
“Free with Easy Access to Port Charlotte and I-75”
Reviewed 6/22/2021
| Nightly rate: | FREE! |
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| RV Length: | 36' (Fifth Wheel) |
Overall Rating
Free camping in Florida at Deep Creek Preserve is administered by the Southwest Florida Water Management District. The free camping area at Deep Creek Preserve near Port Charlotte, Florida is both big rig and solar friendly. A free online permit is required. In this video, I provide a walking tour the the free camping area and highl... more
Free camping in Florida at Deep Creek Preserve is administered by the Southwest Florida Water Management District. The free camping area at Deep Creek Preserve near Port Charlotte, Florida is both big rig and solar friendly. A free online permit is required. In this video, I provide a walking tour the the free camping area and highlight points of interest for both RV and tent campers; video uploaded here on Campendium for your immediate reference. Non-potable water and a portable toilet are available on-site within the camping area. There are no trash receptacles, so pack out all your trash. Verizon cellular service clocked in at 60.9 Mbps download speed and 2.87 Mbps upload speed. AT&T cellular service clocked in at 10.9 Mbps download speed and 0.28 Mbps upload speed. T-Mobile cellular service clocked in at 0.14 Mbps download speed and 0.81 Mbps upload speed.
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AT&T 4G
Verizon 4G
T-Mobile 4G
LivingOurDreamNow would stay here again
This review is the opinion of a Campendium member and not of Campendium.com
“Obscure and quiet”
Reviewed 3/8/2020
| Nightly rate: | FREE! |
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| Days stayed: | 1 |
| Site Number: | N/A |
| RV Length: | 36' (Class A) |
Overall Rating
This is a no cost SW Florida Water Management District property that requires reservations and is behind a locked gate. It lies on the north edge of a large parcel of land that is the preserve on which we enjoyed long bike rides. I am guessing it would host 10-12 camping units without crowding. This is controlled by the WMD. There w... more
This is a no cost SW Florida Water Management District property that requires reservations and is behind a locked gate. It lies on the north edge of a large parcel of land that is the preserve on which we enjoyed long bike rides.
I am guessing it would host 10-12 camping units without crowding. This is controlled by the WMD. There was one portable toilet. I saw non-potable water but no potable water. This is just comfortable grass and weed ground cover under sprawling trees. Both full sun and shaded parking is available. Don't park in the SE corner where we first set up until told to move by a Water District employee who claimed that we were blocking the road to the south into the preserve. Make sure you've got the right combo for the lock (provided in your email confirmation) and then be prepared to just work at it. We tried some WD-40 on it as we left to try to make it easier for us to get out and the next guy to get in. Close to a Walmart and other services. Stayed here 2/18/20.
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Verizon 4G
isoseeker would stay here again
This review is the opinion of a Campendium member and not of Campendium.com
“Free and peaceful”
Reviewed 2/26/2020
| Nightly rate: | FREE! |
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| Days stayed: | 5 |
Overall Rating
It was a nice place. No designated spots. Porta potty available. No potable water. Plenty of shaded and sunny areas. Fire rings and picnic tables available. No generators after 8pm. Road noise died down at night. Trails to walk. Stores about 5 miles away. You need to have a code for the lock at the gate. Go to watermatters.org.
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Verizon 4G
Tim would stay here again
This review is the opinion of a Campendium member and not of Campendium.com
“Noisy but free”
Reviewed 11/25/2019
| Nightly rate: | FREE! |
|---|---|
| Days stayed: | 5 |
| RV Length: | 28' (Travel Trailer) |
Overall Rating
Very nice for free. You must have a reservation to get the gate code. (Google: Southwest Florida Water Management District camping. They offer many other sites as well.) No designated sites but a few fire rings here and there. Nine tables so I think that is how many sites there are supposed to be. The port-a-potty was pretty full. Oth... more
Very nice for free. You must have a reservation to get the gate code. (Google: Southwest Florida Water Management District camping. They offer many other sites as well.) No designated sites but a few fire rings here and there. Nine tables so I think that is how many sites there are supposed to be. The port-a-potty was pretty full. Other campers told us it was cleaned on TH’s. One spigot of non potable water that smells very sulfur-y. The campground itself was pretty clean. Nice options for either shade or sun. All sites are on the grass. Loved the Spanish moss. There is 6-8 miles of hiking trails. We saw a tortoise!
We had 2-3 bars of Verizon LTE but slow speeds.
Right off a main road. Less than half an hour to the gulf.
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Verizon 4G
JoyFull Coyote would stay here again
This review is the opinion of a Campendium member and not of Campendium.com
“Great location! ”
Reviewed 4/11/2019
| Nightly rate: | FREE! |
|---|---|
| Days stayed: | 4 |
| Site Number: | 1 |
Overall Rating
Just off the main road, you can hear the noise but that's better than miles of potholes to me. It was within an hour of every beach from Bradenton to Fort Meyers. And it was within 10 minutes of a Walmart, that's luxury. Just a spigot of non-potable water and a portapotty that was serviced during our stay and stayed clean. It is a ... more
Just off the main road, you can hear the noise but that's better than miles of potholes to me. It was within an hour of every beach from Bradenton to Fort Meyers. And it was within 10 minutes of a Walmart, that's luxury. Just a spigot of non-potable water and a portapotty that was serviced during our stay and stayed clean. It is a good, safe, locked place that is convenient and free! There are lots of shady sites but it's hard for a big rig to find just the right place unless you park in the wide open backlot. It was pretty level, a few ruts, but it's so close to the entrance you'll be fine. The left side may become troublesome after torrents of rain, but I don't foresee it being a problem unless it does nothing but rain during your stay.
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AT&T 4G
The AlterNatives would stay here again
This review is the opinion of a Campendium member and not of Campendium.com
“Great free campground”
Reviewed 3/1/2019
| Nightly rate: | FREE! |
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| Days stayed: | 4 |
Overall Rating
Stayed here 4 nights, nice and quiet and cooler than staying in a Cracker Barrel parking lot 🤣
Caladinsere would stay here again
This review is the opinion of a Campendium member and not of Campendium.com
“Very nice spot close to Port Charlotte, FL”
Reviewed 2/22/2019
| Nightly rate: | FREE! |
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| Days stayed: | 2 |
| RV Length: | 29' (Travel Trailer) |
Overall Rating
This was our first "Dry Camping" experience. Really enjoyed the SWFMA property and the other campers that were there (about 4-5 other rigs). The reservation permit process was easy...
Telling stories around the fire was a great way to make friends.
The Nav-A-Gator Grill is a fun restaurant/bar just down the road on the Peace River
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T-Mobile 4G
JohnD would stay here again
This review is the opinion of a Campendium member and not of Campendium.com
“Big Rig Friendly Close to I-75”
Reviewed 2/7/2019
| Nightly rate: | FREE! |
|---|---|
| Days stayed: | 0 |
| RV Length: | 36' (Fifth Wheel) |
Overall Rating
Big rig friendly with picnic tables and fire rings scattered throughout the camping area. One portable toilet was on-site and was serviceable. Verizon cell service was 25.1 Mbps download and 1.77 Mbps upload. AT&T cell service was 2.44 Mbps download and 0.00 upload. The campground has a mix of open sun sites, partial shade, and shade.
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AT&T 4G
Verizon 4G
LivingOurDreamNow would stay here again
This review is the opinion of a Campendium member and not of Campendium.com
“Peaceful Shady Boondocking”
Reviewed 12/31/2018
| Nightly rate: | FREE! |
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| Days stayed: | 5 |
| RV Length: | 41' |
Overall Rating
Deep Creek is a primitive camping area with lots of space, and shade. The Spanish moss hangs over the campsites and provides a very nice view! There are normal chain shopping areas nearby which makes reprovisionig very easy. Cell service on TMobile was not as great but AT&T was better, we did not have Verizon while here. Great... more
Deep Creek is a primitive camping area with lots of space, and shade. The Spanish moss hangs over the campsites and provides a very nice view!
There are normal chain shopping areas nearby which makes reprovisionig very easy.
Cell service on TMobile was not as great but AT&T was better, we did not have Verizon while here.
Great place to relax and have some peace!
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AT&T 4G
T-Mobile 4G
Hebardstravels would stay here again
This review is the opinion of a Campendium member and not of Campendium.com
Page 1 of 2
11 reviews
“No longer open”
noted 1/21/2022
Site says "Due to site conditions and carrying capacity concerns the Deep Creek Equestrian/Primitive Campground is closed" and the reservation system shows no availability for the rest of 2022. :-(
noted 3/8/2021
Called to find out why they are closed and unable to reserve. They said they closed due to vandalism. They might open up to group camping in the future but as of 3/8/2021 they are closed. :(
31 reviews
noted 12/4/2019
I found this contact information for the SW Florida Water Management District which is the one for Deep Creek Preserve:
Southwest Florida Water Management District
(352) 796-7211, ext. 4470
373 reviews
39 reviews
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Amenities
Hookups
- dry camping
Recreation
- fishing
- picnic area
- recreation trail
Site Amenities
- fire ring
- picnic table
Facilities
- restrooms: onsite
Pets
- pet restrictions: 2 pet limit
- pets
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