DuPuis Management Area is a 21,875 acre protected area in northwestern
Palm Beach County
Palm Beach County is a county located in the southeastern part of Florida and lies directly north of Broward County and Miami-Dade County. The county had a population of 1,492,191 as of the 2020 census, making it the third-most populous county ...
,
Florida
Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and to ...
and southwestern
Martin County, Florida
Martin County ( es, Condado de MartÃn, link=) is a county located in the Treasure Coast region of the state of Florida, in the United States. As of the 2020 census, the population was 158,431. Its county seat is Stuart. Martin County is in t ...
. Recreational opportunities include hunting, horseback riding, cycling, camping, hiking, auto touring, and fishing. During hunting periods it is closed to other use. The property includes a visitor center. Dogs are not allowed on the property. The park includes 22 miles of hiking trails, including a stretch of the
Ocean to Lake Trail Ocean to Lake Trail is a 63-mile greenway spur off the Florida Trail. It starts at Hobe Sound Beach and ends at Lake Okeechobee in Port Mayaca. The trail is under development as of 2012 and portions are open to the public in Jonathan Dickinson Sta ...
(a spur of the
Florida National Scenic Trail
The Florida Trail is one of eleven National Scenic Trails in the United States. It currently runs , from Big Cypress National Preserve (between Miami and Naples, Florida along the Tamiami Trail) to Fort Pickens at Gulf Islands National Seashore, ...
). There is also an equestrian campground and 40 miles of horseback riding trails. The park is located off
State Road 76. It is along the
Ocean to Lake Trail Ocean to Lake Trail is a 63-mile greenway spur off the Florida Trail. It starts at Hobe Sound Beach and ends at Lake Okeechobee in Port Mayaca. The trail is under development as of 2012 and portions are open to the public in Jonathan Dickinson Sta ...
.
Habitats
Habitats on the property include ponds, wet prairies, cypress domes, pine flatwoods, and remnant Everglades marsh. Its remote location provide a dark night sky well suited for
star gazing
Amateur astronomy is a hobby where participants enjoy observing or imaging celestial objects in the sky using the unaided eye, binoculars, or telescopes. Even though scientific research may not be their primary goal, some amateur astronomers ...
. Animal species include deer, turkey, quail, bobcat, alligator, hawks, owl, woodpecker, wading birds,
bald eagle
The bald eagle (''Haliaeetus leucocephalus'') is a bird of prey found in North America. A sea eagle, it has two known subspecies and forms a species pair with the white-tailed eagle (''Haliaeetus albicilla''), which occupies the same niche as ...
s,
sandhill cranes
The sandhill crane (''Antigone canadensis'') is a species of large crane of North America and extreme northeastern Siberia. The common name of this bird refers to habitat like that at the Platte River, on the edge of Nebraska's Sandhills on t ...
,
wood stork
The wood stork (''Mycteria americana'') is a large American wading bird in the family Ciconiidae (storks), the only member of the family to breed in North America. It was formerly called the "wood ibis", though it is not an ibis. It is found in ...
, and
eastern indigo snake
The eastern indigo snake (''Drymarchon couperi'') is a species of large, non-venomous snake in the family Colubridae. Native to the southeastern region of the United States, it is the longest native snake species in North America.
Taxonomy an ...
s.
Species inhabiting the property include the federally endangered
red cockaded woodpecker
The red-cockaded woodpecker (''Leuconotopicus borealis'') is a woodpecker endemic to the southeastern United States.
Description
The red-cockaded woodpecker is small to mid-sized species, being intermediate in size between North America's two ...
which are being reintroduced. There is also a butterfly garden.
History
The ranch land was acquired in 1986, and had been used by Dutch white-belted cattle, sheep and goats. Restoration work was done after it was purchased and linked it up with the
J.W. Corbett Wildlife Management Area J.W. Corbett Wildlife Management Area is a protected area of 60,348 acres of land in Florida. It is located east of Lake Okeechobee, 25 miles northwest of West Palm Beach. It includes Big Mound City and is connected to DuPuis Management Area.
It i ...
.
[ The area is named for John G. and Susan H. DuPuis Jr.
]
Hunting
Hunting seasons include a period for muzzleloading
Muzzleloading is the shooting sport of firing muzzleloading guns. Muzzleloading guns, both antique and reproduction, are used for target shooting, hunting, historical re-enactment and historical research. The sport originated in the United States ...
, mobility impaired, general, wild hog, small game, spring turkey, and archery. The property is closed to everyone except those participating in the hunt for all hunting dates except Small Game Season and Wild Hog Still hunts. Dupuis Management Area
South Florida Water Management District
Camping
There are three campgrounds located in the area - equestrian, family and group. There are also 3 primitive campsites located along the loop hiking trails (no permit is required for the hiking trail campsites). A no-cost Special Use License permit is required for camping. Permits are obtained online from the South Florida Water Management Districts' Recreation page. sfwmd.gov/sul The Family and Group Campgrounds are gated and have a combination lock. Gates must be closed and locked upon entering and exiting. The Equestrian Campground is gated but does not have a combination lock. The gate should be closed upon entering and exiting. Camping is limited to 8 consecutive days at a time and campers must vacate the property for one full day before an additional license can be obtained. Visitors are limited to 30 days of camping per year District-wide. The DuPuis campgrounds do not have electric or water hook ups. Quiet hours must be observed in all campgrounds between 11 pm and 7 am.
In the family campground there are 14 primitive campsites that surround a lake. There are two solar powered composting toilets (limited supplies furnished) and a shared single hose bib of potable water. Only tents and pop-up campers allowed. Some sites have fire rings and picnic tables. Generator use is not permitted in this campground. sfwmd.gov/sul
The group campground is for group camping and includes two picnic table pavilions, portable toilets, and a non-potable well with pitcher pump. This site is for groups of at least 8 and up to 25. There are two permits available per day. This site allows only tents or pop up campers. Generator use is not permitted in this campground. Camping also requires a Special Use License. sfwmd.gov/sul
The equestrian campground is for people who need accommodations for horses and trailers. It is open to all users and is the only campsite at DuPuis that allows RV's/travel trailers and horse rigs. Amenities at this campground include a bath house with hot showers and flushing toilets, potable water and a dump station. Generator use is permitted in this campground but may not be in use during quiet hours between 11 pm and 7 am. Strictly enforced. As of July 2016, a Special Use License is required to camp. sfwmd.gov/sul
The loop trail campsites are only accessible by hiking in on foot.
Off-road motor vehicles, such as ATV's and dirt bikes, are not allowed on the property. Only registered licensed vehicles are permitted and may only be operated on the named grades at DuPuis. No vehicle permit is required to access the named grades at DuPuis.
The property is closed during specific hunts dates during the Fall and Spring to all except those participating in the hunt. Please check for hunt closure dates at myfwc.com/hunting/wma-brochures or on the South Florida Water Management District Recreation website. sfwmd.gov/recreation.
Dogs are now allowed in the campgrounds as long as they are restrained and under the control of the owner at all times. Pet waste must be picked up and disposed of properly. The current permits have camping rules attached and the latest one shows "Dogs must be on a leash and under control within camping areas. Please consult the FWC hunting brochure regarding rules and regulations for hunting with dogs." Please take the time to read through these rules and information.
References
External links
Official site
{{Coord, 26.9722, -80.5563, type:landmark_region:US-FL, display=title
Protected areas of Palm Beach County, Florida
Wildlife management areas of Florida