Buttonwood Campground — Bahia Honda State Park

Great campground within a state park offers lots of biking and beaches to choose from.

This campground has great reviews and we were looking forward to our visit.  Our site was right on the water, facing the overseas freeway.  We loved the location but we could not sleep, it was so loud with the traffic, trucks and cars.  Our site was 15 and faced the highway.  The park was lovely, the grounds and the beaches beautiful.  However, if you have dogs, it's a no-go.  No dogs allowed and they have to stay at your camp.  We were disappointed because potentially, we could return and stay for 14 nights, but with two nights of zero sleep, we were ready to go.  The nearest town is Big Pine Key and there's a Winn Dixie, UPS store, bagel shop and a dog park.  The dog park was packed so not an option.  Maybe check out other campsites that don't have the freeway noise.

We love Bahia Honda and camp there every year. It's hard to get a reservation there so good luck. The Atlantic and the Gulf meet and it's a beautiful park. There are 2 main loops for camping. Buttonwood has some bigger sites and a little more privacy. If you lucky enough to get a waterfront site you can snorkel off your site or launch your kayak. We float on rafts after a day of fun and cool off. You see a good sunset here too. 

The sandspur loop is for campers under 23' and they are tighter with no shade or privacy. Yet they are right on the Atlantic ocean and the view is awesome. Loggerhead beach is beautiful. 

You can rent a kayak if you don't have one and paddle around the island. It's all good. The old Flagler bridge is a great photo op and you can walk up to it and catch a beautiful sunset or stargaze. 

There is a primitive campground  loop too on the gulf side near the Cabins. You can't get under the bridge to drive back with a high vehicle so make sure you look at the standards if you are booking a cabin or a primitive site. My truck with the kayak racks on top won't go under it. 

Lot's of good eats south on Big Pine Key and north on Marathon. There are 2 grocery stores on Marathon Key and a Winn Dixie on Big Pine Key. Lot's of small deer on Big Pine Key do not speed they will get you. As a matter of fact the keys are loaded with police looking for speeders so take it slow.

Very nice

My father and I rode our motorcycles from Wisconsin to Key West in October 2019. My father was able to reserve a cabin in Bahia Honda for two nights. The location and views were amazing. The water is clear and the staff was polite and helpful. Look forward to returning in a RV someday.

Primitive site #73 is large, set up as a hammock site and convenient to restroom/dish washing sink. Very limited shade provided by bushes depending on time of day. We made use of the hammock poles to creat additional shade. What I really like about this section is there are only 8 sites. It was peaceful. If you are not accustomed to extreme heat and no-see-ums with very sharp teeth you may want to ante up and stay at a hotel with the big dogs. We managed to survive the heat by purchasing an easy up to cover our tent. We removed the tent fly so we could get air flowing through. During the day we only wore swimsuits and stayed wet by dousing ourselves with buckets of water. The view of the water from our site was not a swimming area but it was teeming with tarpon playing. The no-see-ums were prevalent in the late afternoon. Deep woods off heavily applied along with long sleeve sun shirts, light weight capris and a head/face scarf helped us enjoy the sunsets as we sipped our cocktails near our site. Our mornings were spent being productive around the site, cooking while the slight cool breeze was present. Errands and sightseeing in mid-day during the hades-like temps had us adoring the car AC. By 3pm we were at the beach neck deep in the water. Snorkeling on the 2 beautiful beaches usually commenced by 4pm. Even though the Atlantic beach had the stench of sea grass, the water was crystal blue and filled with families enjoying the water. The bayside beach had a roped off swim area with patches of sea grass and also rock jetties. Both were teeming with various fish. Be careful of the current near the rope. We personally enjoyed the current bc it took less effort and carried us along at a nice pace. Overall yes I would come back. We may try to secure one of the waterfront bayside sites with power but I know those are much harder to reserve.

This campground (buttonwood loop) is where the Atlantic meets the gulf. Beautiful view from the waterfront sites. Kayak, fish, float on a raft or swim from your own campsite.  The view of the old bridge is amazing. We've stayed in several sites yet do have some favorites.  You need to book 11 months in advance to get on the water or maybe you luck out if someone cancels. 

We had water & electric & there is a dump station. They have snorkel trips from camp store there & a little museum near the swim beach. Walk up on the old bridge what a great view. Good place to see sunset not that you site isn't a good place to see it too.  If you like to look at beautiful night sky the old bridge is a great place to take it in. 

The restrooms are being redone they were working on it when we were there this year. Hurricane Irma did some damage there they were also working on rebuilding sandspur campground. 

Manatees hang out near the fish cleaning station they drink the fresh water coming from cleaning the fish. There's a small nurse shark that hangs out there too.  There is a small area for some boats first come first serve to keep your boat in the water. Very shallow coming in and out the dock area stay in the middle or you will be sorry. If you snorkel along the campground you must have a floating buoy with a dive flag. Boats need to see you. 

They rent Kayaks if you don't have your own, it's a great paddle around the key. 

Usually at sunset someone blows the conch shell (sounds like a ship horn). 

Close to Marathon & Big Pine Key (deer key). Some good eats close by Sunset Grill has great crab soup, and a pool.  The Keys Fishery Raw bar is a fun place to see the sunset. They serve a free shot at sunset. La Nina has good cuban food.  Porky's is a favorite. And don't forget the No Name Pub on Big pine Key their Pizza is good and the sangria.  From Bahia Honda it's an easy drive to Key West always a good time down there.

Such a gorgeous place (if you go at the right time of year).

It can get super hot in July/Aug.

The beach is wonderful, the store has all you will need & the ”snack bar” is so much more than that!!!

I love this place for Tent/RV/Cabin trips.

The sites are legit! Lots of privacy.

Bring bikes because there is so much to explore

This review is mostly intended for a tent campers.

The traffic noise is very loud. The temporary toilets are one up from pit toilets. The smell is the same as a pit toilet. The temporary showers are very small and you must hold the chain down to get the water to flow. The state is rebuilding a bathhouse and I don't know when it will be completed. My tent was squished between two rv's. No fire pit just a grill. Bring food or expect to drive. I would wait until the campground is rebuilt before tent camping there. Campground is more geared towards RVs

One of my favorite places in the Florida keys. The scenery is pristine. Very full most of the time it takes a few months in advance to get a spot sometimes a year out.

This was my first time visiting Bahia Honda State Park. I had previously attempted to make reservations here over the course of what seems like the last two years but the popularity of the park and being shut down after Hurricane Irma had given me trouble. However, I did manage to snag a two night stay here this year and believe me it didn’t disappoint. I stayed in site 34 on the first night and site 11 on the second night. All in all the sites were spacious and the temporary bathhouse facility was kept very clean. The beach wasn’t too crowded and the crystal clear water left nothing to the imagination while we had our kayaks out. We also managed to enjoy the short walk up to the old Henry Flagler Bridge lookout over the island. That site is a must see! If I could ever grab another reservation here I would in a heart beat since it’s only a 6 hour drive from my place in Orlando.

Really quite nice....except we didnt have or buy any firewood. Mosquitoes are an army so bring something to shield or fight them off with, or have a fire...@ night which would help.
The views are phenomenal.
There are hot showers available. Away from our campsite was a nice swim are with kayaking and a gift shop. The park is well maintained and visited by so many different people from all over the world.
The privacy from 1 campsite to the other isn't the greatest but for settling to camp right by the ocean, it is well worth it.
Arrived at night, scored a site, had breakfast about 10-15 minutes drive off Hwy 1 at a place located off a marina on the West side of the highway.
Highly recommend this place!!

This place has it all.  Snorkeling, beautiful beach, fishing, hiking, history, a little nature center...  just everything.  It is very difficult to reserve a site here, but if you can get one, you are in for one of your best camping experiences ever.  We just loved it and I can't wait to go back there.

There are no boondocking sites in Key West so we started looking at State Parks. Bahia Honda was not only the best for camping but also I thought had the best swimming. The sites were a good size and the view was breathe taking.

This was an amazing campsite. I camped, bought local fish and grilled it on my site by the water. Amazing but reservations go fast.

It was a good place

I love this place! I always go at the end of May (yes it is HOT, but NO it is not busy) and while the space itself is breath taking, the location is great too and provides a lot of opportunity to explore all the keys. Be sure to catch the sunset on the bridge and get plenty of snorkeling in. The sand bar goes way out and there is SO much to see!

Be prepared for heat, rain and bugs! The tent sites are pretty basic but there are RV options as well. There are showers and restrooms.

1. Non-commercial
2. Purely natural
3. Exquisite beaches
4. Privacy between sites
5. Best ever

This is a must if you are visiting the keys! The beach is pretty typical Keys - gorgeous but nothing special. What sets this beach apart is not only the picturesque bridge and walking trail, but also the opportunity for snorkeling and guided tours to the reef.

The snorkeling on the beach is good for beginners; you will mostly sea snails and small fish hiding in the sea grass. The park also offers several tours a day going out to a small reef off shore with snorkeling gear and fins available for rent. Be sure to pack reef-safe sunscreen!!!

Although this spot has taken a beating from Irma they worked super hard to get it back in shape. With a boat ramp as well as a convenience store and some memorable views this spot is a must

For tent camping it was on the more expensive side compared to other places, but was a fairly nice campground. The restrooms and showers were fairly nice. Every camp site had water. There isn’t much to break wind, so it was quite windy every day. The view at sunset is very beautiful.

It’s a state park so no full hook ups. It has such beautiful scenery and in the ocean. It’s very hard to get a spot.

We camped in campsite#39 and I must say , we were really wedged in between two RV's. We had water and electric hook up , but the water spigot was so far away from our camper that even our long hose would not reach. So fill your tank up with water before you park your RV. The hurricane took out the bathrooms and bathhouse so they installed trailer bathrooms instead. I must say they were outstanding and the air conditioned bathrooms were very clean. The Atlantic side beach is closed and being restored but the gulf beach is open and it was hopping with people on the 4th of July. We took the snorkeling trip to Looe reef and booked it right at the marina in the park. 50 feet visability with lots of fish and fan coral. Don't miss it. At sunset we climbed up the old Bahia Honda bridge and saw great views of the island.

It is great but the mosquitos at night are horrible and if their is no ocean breez it is supper hot so you want to be on the atlantic side the snorkeling is great but the current is strong

Nice campground, wear water shoes to swim. Great views of ocean and old 7 mile bride. Nice trail on old bridge. Some of the park is still closed and I spoke with a ranger who said it should be fully operational in about 2 years.

I went to this park to go camping and almost all the tent sites were wiped out I had a reservation but it was canceled but I was able to stay on the bluff overlooking this park. The RV sites and the cabins seem to be OK. On the west side of Bahia Honda there is great snorkeling, small reef, to left of the beach it is easy to get to and snorkel. No shade so bring your own. Small shop and cafe located on premises.

We tent camped 3 nights, leaving Bahia Honda yesterday, May 2nd.

The Bath Houses were destroyed by Irma and the Atlantic Ocean area is fenced off due to damage. We enjoyed the Gulf Beach and kayaked in the Gulf. The weather was perfect, very warm days, but cool nights.

The Park is using very nice, modern trailers for restrooms and showers. Everything was very clean and had hot showers.

The Atlantic sites are gone and won't be available for maybe 2 more years, I will keep checking.

It is still one of the best campgrounds in Florida and only 30 miles from Key West.

This campground offers a beautiful spot to spend a couple of days while you enjoy many other activities in the area. The swimming here is fantastic, the snorkeling amazing and the park offers several nice picnic shelters (hurray for shade). The campground also has a nice little interpretive building with several small exhibits about the flora and fauna in the area.

The campground offers hot showers and restroom facilities. There are tent sites and RV sites with hookups.

The Florida Keys can be an expensive place to stay so this campground is a nice inexpensive alternative. It can be buggy and of course, hot...it is Florida after all.

Bring your snorkel gear and a kayak!

I absolutely love Bahia Honda. The beaches are pristine, but the water is really what steals the show. It is clear as can be, and absolutely gorgeous.

It's a perfect park to bring smaller children as well. The waves aren't very high at all, which is nice for kids to wade into.

Overall, this is probably just about my favorite place in the entire world.

This place was just amazing for my family member in a wheel chair! Everywhere was wheelchair accessible, and they even had a beach wheel chair that we were able to checkout, so we could go to the beach as an entire family! It was such a wonderful vacation, and I can't thank the employees of Bahia Honda enough! They made it so memorable!