Rerouted by Snow: Two Weeks in the Florida and Mississippi Forests

We had a plan. We always have a plan. And just like so many times before on the road, the plan changed before we even pulled out of Hilton Head.

Hot Springs, Arkansas was supposed to be our next stop after wrapping up our time on the East Coast. We had been looking forward to it, a change of scenery, something new to explore. But a few days before we were set to leave, Ethan started watching the weather the way he always does before a big drive, and what he saw made it pretty clear that heading northwest wasn’t going to work. A snow storm was rolling through, and we weren’t about to drive Charlotte into that. So we did what van life has taught us to do: we pulled up The Dyrt, started scrolling, and looked for somewhere south.

We ended up finding not one, but two spots that turned out to be exactly what we needed.

First stop: Apalachicola National Forest, Florida

Our first find was a hunting camp inside Apalachicola National Forest, just outside Tallahassee. We pulled in on January 24th and settled in for about a week. It had the same kind of energy as a lot of dispersed camping spots we’ve loved, open, quiet, and free. The one unique twist was that we happened to arrive right at the tail end of hunting season, so there was a pretty steady flow of people coming and going throughout the week. It gave the place a lively, transient feel that we actually didn’t mind. We even made friends with a neighbor who had a dog, which Rooster appreciated.

The cold front that was sweeping through the US at the time hit us hard there though. Nights got cold enough that we had to break out sweaters for the babies and pile everyone into bed together to stay warm. We even picked up a Heat Buddy gas heater to get us through the week. Cozy chaos, honestly. By the time we packed up and headed toward Mississippi, we were ready for a change.

Second stop: Big Foot Horse Camp, De Soto National Forest

That’s how we found Big Foot Horse Camp, and we are so glad we did.

Big Foot Horse Camp sits inside De Soto National Forest in Mississippi, and when we rolled in that weekend, we honestly weren’t sure what to expect. What we found was a wide open, quiet campsite with one restroom building and a whole lot of space. True to its name, the camp is a popular destination for horse riders, so yes, there is horse poop around. We’ll be upfront about that. But it genuinely didn’t smell, and after about five minutes we stopped noticing it entirely. If that kind of thing is a dealbreaker for you, it’s worth knowing ahead of time. For us, it was a non-issue.

We set up, settled in, and almost immediately felt ourselves exhale.

A week well spent

We ended up staying at Big Foot for the whole week, through February 6th, and the honest answer to why is simple: it was exactly what we needed. It wasn’t too busy. The space felt open and calm. We could actually breathe out there. When you spend as much time in the van as we do, finding a spot that feels genuinely comfortable, where you’re not on top of neighbors and the dogs can actually move around, that’s worth holding onto.

Remote work was manageable. Cell service wasn’t perfect, but it was enough, which mattered more than people might realize. We rely on our Tile trackers to keep tabs on the babies, especially Goose, and having some signal meant those were actually working. That peace of mind is huge when you’re in a new place and your cat has a history of finding creative escape routes.

Speaking of the babies, they were in heaven.

Rooster discovers horses

Here’s the thing about Rooster: he is eleven months old, full of energy, and absolutely convinced that every living creature on earth is a potential best friend. So when he saw horses for the first time at Big Foot, his reaction was exactly what you’d expect from him. He lost his mind, in the best possible way. All he wanted to do was go say hi. He could not understand why these enormous animals were not running over to play with him. As far as Rooster was concerned, they were just very large puppies who hadn’t realized yet how fun he was.

We set him up with his long leash staked out in the middle of the campsite, about 40 feet of freedom, and he ran circles for hours. Mav and Goose did their thing at a more relaxed pace, as they tend to. But Rooster was in full sprint mode basically every day we were there. After months of navigating house sits and urban stops where exercise requires more planning, having that kind of open space for him felt like a gift.

Making the best of a detour

We want to be honest about something, because we think it matters: this wasn’t a hardship. Mississippi was actually a welcome relief after the cold snap in Florida. During the day it was sunny and pleasant, and even the nights were much more manageable. Compared to what we would have driven into in Arkansas? A snow storm would have been a whole different level of mess. We’ll take a week in the Mississippi forest over that any day.

We worked. We hung out. We played with Rooster. We watched the horses. We kept things simple. There’s a version of van life content that makes every detour look like a thrilling adventure full of dramatic revelations, and that’s just not always how it goes. Sometimes a detour is just a quiet stretch of time in a forest where nothing particularly exciting happens, and that’s okay. More than okay, actually. Those stretches are part of why we do this.

A surprise send-off in Hilton Head

Before we get too far ahead, we have to mention something that happened the morning we left Hilton Head, because it was one of those small moments that just made us smile.

We took Rooster to the dog park for a last run before the drive, and by complete coincidence, there were two other Brittanys there. We got to chatting with the owners, and it turned out they used to breed Brittanys and they knew our breeder. In a dog park on the coast of South Carolina, we ran into people connected to the same small world that brought us Rooster. Van life does this sometimes. It puts you exactly where you need to be.

Finding free camping with The Dyrt

We’ve mentioned The Dyrt a few times across our posts, but it’s worth saying again here because Big Foot Horse Camp is a perfect example of why we rely on it. When the Arkansas plan fell through and we needed to find something quickly, The Dyrt is where we went first. The combination of user reviews, photos, and practical details like cell service ratings, amenities, and road conditions makes it genuinely useful in a way that a lot of camping apps aren’t. Free camping inside national forests like De Soto is one of the best-kept secrets of van life, and having a tool that helps surface those spots when you need them most is worth its weight.

If you’re not using it yet, it’s worth downloading before your next trip.

Up next

We left Big Foot on the evening of February 6th, loaded up after work, and pointed Charlotte west. Next stop: Houston, with a little detour on the way for something sweet.

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What’s your go-to resource for finding free camping when plans change last minute? Drop it in the comments, we’re always adding new tools to the rotation.