Florida Jeep Camping - Ep.19 Hopkins Prairie
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 2 ต.ค. 2024
- Follow along as Nicole and I embark on an adventure deep into the Ocala National Forest. We met Justin from Runawaycampers.com and rode to a section of the forest called Hopkins Prairie. There we were met by Ron in his Toyota Tacoma and Michael with his Ford Expedition with new overland trailer he built. as soon as the sun started setting the temperature dropped. Thank goodness, the high Saturday was about 86 degrees. For dinner Michael cooked steaks, sweet corn and mac n cheese. around this time Kevin showed up to camp with us in his Ford Ranger. a few of us stayed up around the fire until 1-2am before calling it a night. The next morning Michael cooked, potatoes, eggs and bacon. Right after breakfast Kevin took his Mavick Pro for a flight and ended up losing it. We packed up camp and drove to the last known location to search for it. After walking almost a mile into the woods we were unsuccessful. Everyone drove to Kings landing to finish off the day kayakingmexcept Kevin. But, luckily we received a good news text that Kevin found his Mavic Pro.
So in ONF is car camping allowed outside of designated campgrounds? From what I can find online it sounds like pulling off of a forest road or jeep trail and setting up camp next to the car is not allowed? Looks like the order went in place in Feb of 2014?
Very cool. I'm about to go check out Hopkins Prairie.
It's my favorite part of the forest.
Omw tomorrow.
Nice video, like the Expy, I drive one that is not quite as modified but its got lockers and ControlTrac with RSC makes for some fun for the family. Glad to here he found his Mavic, had someone walk off with ours after a crash while filming practice videos, in the high desert plains, I lost control, believe it was wind but not for sure, time to save up for a new one. Thanks for the adventure guys have a great week.
That's sad about your Mavic. Luckily Kevin's still works and he could find it. Another video comes out on Saturday.
Really nice. I used to Camp at Hopkins every free moment I had when I was growing up and off on my own. It was a really beautiful place and, far enough that you didn't hear traffic noise at night. You'd see some of the most magnificent animal life out there on the prairie in the mornings. Sadly, after I was away for a few years while I was in the military, I went back to find they had made "Improvements" to the camp area and ruined it. My favorite spot was the area, just after you get into it, that now has a large concrete pad poured. Now, like you discovered, there really aren't many places you can really setup a trailered camp site and have more than one person there.
Good video. I'll be watching more of your adventures and hope to check out some of your other sites later.
I dont remember seeing concrete pads out there. It's still a beautiful place to camp. Thank you for your service.
@@OverlandFlorida Just after you enter the main camp area. Last time I was there, they had a lot of camp parts and pieces piled up in there. Lots of old Campfire rings and Tables. They'd built an actual Block structured Bathroom there too, but it was locked.
@@johnmcdougald1238 oh. I've actually never camped at the campground. I go right to the edge of the prairie.
@@OverlandFlorida Oh OK. That explains it. From some of the views there, I thought you were in the back end of the camp ground area but I didn't see any of the barrier poles they've installed throughout to keep people from pulling through the designated camp site spots either so I wasn't sure where you ended up exactly when you stopped.
Do you Geo locate your areas when you go out on these camping jaunts so you can mark them down for future reference? I really haven't been camping in years but really kinda miss it. I had a map that I kept points on, but nowadays, there's an App for that.........
@@johnmcdougald1238 I don't geo locate anywhere I go to. I just remember in my head.
Ouch. Glad he found the drone. I have a Mavic Pro as well. It's a pretty big investment to loose filming a prairie! Haha.
I was out in that area several years ago. Just after dark we started hearing these loud sounds in the distance. At first I thought it was an airboat somewhere. Then we saw - and heard what it was. A couple of military helicopters ducking under and above the treelines firing some sort of really fast chain guns! Probably something to do with the bombing range out there.
Pretty cool though.
I have yet to hear anything going on at the bombing range while I camp there.
@@OverlandFlorida
Oh yeah. I've been floating around on Grasshopper lake and had 2 jet fighters zing past just a couple of hundred feet above my head. And when they drop the big 500 pound bombs on the range it shakes the ground for miles around. You might as well stop fishing at that point because they won't bite for a couple of hours. Kinda ticks ya off!!
I wonder how many people know what happened at Hopkins Prairie a 1/4 of a century ago. Might spook some!
Loving the videos man. I gotta get out there asap! Needing an adventure bad.
Thanks for watching!
What no ally gators? Looks like it could be a nice area to camp if cleared up a bit. The little camper trailers look like they work out well for maneuverability. Thanks for the vid.
Gotta camp there, looks ok for a trailer and stock 4 wheel drive.
It's my favorite place to camp. But it might be closed due to bear activity.
Your camping is to civilized for the likes of us Paddle Me Silly primitive campers. LOL. Looks like you are living the dream!!
Haha, I'm all about primitive camping on the peace river too!
Hi Kevin and Nicole. Another great video. I like those LED rear lights. Did you install them
or did it come that way? Glad the drone was found!! Can't wait for the next video. Thanks.
james durbin
Which LED lights? Thanks for watching!
They were on the rear of one of the vehicles. I thought it was your jeep.
I may have not have looked closely enough. I'll go back and look again.
at about 3:30 in the video????
james durbin
Yes those are my jeep tail lights. They are really bright and work well. About $65 on ebay.
i hate watching your videos because it makes me super home sick, but i continue to watch them because you have good content. it's a vicious cycle.
Thanks for watching!
You make a solar shower for the top of your trailer you can make it out of 4 to 8 in PVC pipe put caps on each in and you put a valve stem from like a car on the end and a waterspout on it and you could use the valve stem to put air pressure into it he painted flat black the sun will heat it and then you have a solar shower they're pretty cheap to make look up solar showers on TH-cam
Thankyou for the info. I've been looking into making one. Thanks for the comment.
Nice! Can’t wait to check it out myself. Hope to meet you sometime on the trail!
For sure! I'm always out and about. I'll be at krawlin' for the fallen in November.
might have missed it but what trailers were all of y'all running?
Michael and I have home made trailers and Justin has a runaway camper. You can check them out at Runawaycampers.com
@@OverlandFlorida was wishing to see more of the Runaway V series. In the market for a trailer/camper. V series seams good and affordable
Lived in the Ocala National Forest Near Alexander Springs for a couple years right after college. Isolated living and inconvenient at times but I miss it even 13 years later but my wife's an MD so we're destined to be city dwellers for now...
Where do you go for permit to camp at Hopkins prairie??
You don't need one.
Just curious, I'm going this weekend and .gov website says closes June 1st till October, can you confirm that? Says 'open' on the website
@@NotTrav I know it's about two years too late but they're not camping in the actual Hopkins Prairie Campground they are on the outskirts it's off of Forest Road 33 are you can get there off of Forest Road 50 I live on the other side of Hopkins Prairie area where they are camping the locals call it Isle of Pines because it's a really cool section of pine trees no permit needed people can't there every weekend it's a lot of fun sometimes on a clear night I can see the campfires from my property 6 miles away!
I think some of those white boxes out there could be weather stations. I’ve walked to several of them in the past and I’ve found they’re birdhouses and bat houses mixed in with them. At the RV side there’s a large bat house that is active and filled with several hundred bats.
Yeah, I'm pretty sure they ar weather stations.
I'm diggin Michael's Expedition
It was pretty awesome. He's setting up an Explorer right now. He'll join us for some camping soon.
@@OverlandFlorida Can
't wait to see it. Not a lot of Explorer adventuremobiles on TH-cam.
The space coast adventure sticker you put on What is that about. Tried googling it and came up with nothing. I live in the space coast and just what that was about.
They are on Instagram. They scuba dive and all sorts of water activities. Tell them you saw that sticker in the video. Nice people.
Overland Florida I will. Thanks for putting out the info you do. Looks like you guys have fun.
Nice video. Yea, there's some narrow sections along that trail. Thanks for sharing!
Thanks for watching.
Looking into going there, did you just find a place to set up shop around the prairie? I'd rather do that then use the sites they have
There's a site right on trail 25 that's right on the edge of the prairie.
Where fire road 33 and 90 intersect. Go east into the prairie.
Sweet! Thank ya
Snake boots???
Yup. Snakes everywhere in Florida.
Oh hell no !
love the show guys
Thanks!
What is the spring run you guys are in at the end?
Rock springs at kings landing.
@@OverlandFlorida I've been to Rock Springs at the park. But I don't know anything about Kings Landing. (But I'll Google it now.)
awesome video cant wait for the next adventure
Yeah, I try to make a video every two weeks.
Fun Times :)