Larry & Penny Thompson Park, near Miami, Florida, is a solid choice for campers looking for a mix of relaxation and convenience. This campground offers a variety of accommodations, including tent sites, RV spots, and even glamping options, making it suitable for different camping styles.

The park is well-maintained, featuring clean facilities and a nice pool that’s open during the warmer months. Visitors have noted the peaceful atmosphere, with many appreciating the well-kept grounds and the abundance of trees that provide a nice backdrop for your stay. One camper mentioned, “The park was very quiet...lots of places to walk and open space with trees.”

For those wanting to explore, you’re just a short drive from attractions like the Miami Zoo, which hosts fun events throughout the year. The campground is also conveniently located near the Everglades, perfect for day trips filled with adventure. 

While some campers have pointed out that the campground can get a bit noisy due to families and kids, the overall vibe remains friendly and welcoming. If you’re looking for a budget-friendly spot with decent amenities and a tranquil setting, Larry & Penny Thompson Park is worth checking out.

Larry & Penny Thompson Park

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sites: no pets allowed. welcoming atmosphere. mostly shaded. near residential neighborhood but quiet. flat sites.
amenities: large bathhouse. clean. 
other attractions: zoo. beach/waterslide.
I would go back again.

good place

I'm a tent camper and loved this area. Overall great value with a swimming pool and washer/dryers. Grounds mostly quiet with expected weekenders. Miami Zoo and groceries nearby and great location. Tent sites in open field setup with trees.

Amenities and near Miami

In southern Florida, campgrounds don’t usually come cheap, but we found Larry &amp; Penny’s to be a great value with close access (30 minutes) to Biscayne National Park.

At $17/night for a tent site, we got wifi, access to laundry, great showers, and a perfectly adequate site. We weren’t spending much time at the actual campground, so we didn’t mind that it wasn’t the most scenic place we’d seen during our year on the road. Larry &amp; Penny’s was a perfect place to crash!

Visiting Biscayne National Park was a bit more frustrating. We knew going in that they had not been running regular tours out to the keys, the heart of the park, because of issues with switching to a new concessioner. We thought that our 10 days in southern Florida (visiting Biscayne and Everglades) would be plenty of time for us to figure out a way to get to the keys, but a private charter from Miami wasn’t worth it to us, so we disappointedly stuck to the mainland park.

Since we had our own kayak, we were able to skirt the shore and paddle through some of the mangrove forests in Biscayne. This was the highlight of our two short days at Biscayne, since the only other activity we could do was explore the visitor center and walk the very short boardwalk trail.

We’ll be back, Biscayne!

You can read much more about our two days in the park on our blog: [Switchback Kids (Biscayne)](http://switchbackkids.com/biscayne/)

Good amenities and close access to Biscayne National Park

This campsite is a great central base camp for those visiting Biscayne NP/ Everglades NP and Miami. Clean and safe, with spots for both rv’s and tents. Bathrooms/showers/laundry facilities on site are well maintained.

Wish the website was clearer on length of stay - 30 days for RVs and 7 days for tent campers. After 7 days, you have to leave and can’t return for 30 days 😟. They do provide a list of other local campgrounds you can move to, though.

Near a major street, so it can get noisy - and on weekends you can hear the music from a local bar.

Great central location, clean and safe

This is city owned and operated Park/Campground. This fact is significant. It is very pretty with lots of mature shade trees. The RV's are assigned space around several pods. Each pod has its own bathhouse with laundry facilities. There are pull through spots for the big motorhomes and spots reserved for the handicapped. The bathhouses for the RV's were in good shape and well maintained. The bathhouse for the tenters not so much. The bathhouse for the RV's is not very far to walk which I would recommend.

The tent area is off to one side and well shaded by mature trees. It's an area rather than sites. You pick your spot, put up a tent and place a large numbered sign by your area and you've got your spot. While there isn't any electric to plug into at the tent sites, water is provided interspersed throughout the area. Picnic tables and barbecue grills are also provided throughout.

There is a great fire ring with benches for bonfires and a great Beach volleyball court. The pool is clean and guarded by life guards. There is a lounge where you have access to WiFi and plus to charge your phones. The RVs have WiFi around their pods.

Tenters can stay for a Max of 7 nights while RV's can stay for 180. Tenters can only pay for 3 nights at once before returning to re-up. No such rule for RVs. There is a kind of second class feel to the tenters but if you overlook that (I recommend you do) you will have a great time. Staff is very nice and the park is clean.

Surprisingly pretty Park

Our Ford F-250 King Ranch 4x4 diesel got stolen in the middle of the day from right in front of our RV at this park. This state park is NOT secure! We just purchased this vehicle and we did not drive it. Whomever stole our truck was an insider that cased the place. It is very scary to know that guests cannot feel secure here. Talking to neighbors today we found that theft of bycicles and other items is common, we wish we would have known earlier.

NOT SAFE

Our Ford F-250 King Ranch 4x4 diesel got stolen in the middle of the day from right in front of our RV at this park. This state park is NOT secure! We just purchased this vehicle and we did not drive it. Whomever stole our truck was an insider that cased the place. It is very scary to know that guests cannot feel secure here. Talking to neighbors today we found out that theft of bicycles and other items is common here. We wish we would have known earlier.

I think that you get more for what you pay. Clean and quiet place. 

Nice and clean facilities

We camped here for 6 nights as a home base while fishing the area. I would say 17 bucks a night is a little pricey for a tent site but not outrageous. The tent sites were well shaded. Bathrooms were clean and staff was friendly. Water access could have been better. Wifi would have been nice but is it really camping at that point. Fishing was good in the pond nearby. Beware of the feral cats and raccoons though. We spent an entire night fending them off with a slingshot and they didn’t bother us again.

Average

Ok for a pass through when in a trip but not extended stay or as main stay. 

Pass Through 

Fairly dispersed camping lots of grass, big park, gates locked at 8pm. Lots of trees scattered but ok shade.

Most Amenities closed due to COVID.
Lots of construction around the park, mostly away from sites.

No WiFi due to construction whilst we were there.

Verizon data slow even with booster.

Close to Everglades and Route 1.

Site pretty level good hookups.

Good staging location for Everglades, Key West

They have tent and rv camping!! Right next to zoo Miami


This park is great to stay in Miami

Right now, nothing is open until memorial day weekend. So no beach and no pool. Also half the park is under construction, and for whatever reason (covid?) All of the bathrooms and showers are closed in the whole park. The only thing open is the laundry- but they don't have change machines or quarters. No wifi. They also don't allow anything other than motorhomes, 2-wheel dollies, TT, or 5th wheels. No other trailers, no van conversions. 

It is cheap, and quiet. I have a feeling half the campers are just put there for the price, while everyone goes elsewhere to be tourists. There are kids and dogs around. Several pull through spaces. 

It's covid... but still. 

Very good rv camp ground. Easy access, good security, pretty surroundings. But pool it’s close. 


Clean, Organized and secure 

Great location, nice surroundings, very peaceful. We hope the pool opens in the next few weeks 

Nice and very peaceful 

Good value, good location. Nice facility everything you need except Wifi

Nice Campground

A little confusing getting here if it’s your first time. GPS will tell you to turn left into the campground when it’s a right at the stop sign from 184th/127th. The staff at the front was super helpful, but we never got info on a wifi code and didn’t notice until it was too late. Super clean bathrooms, which was surprising since we generally don’t expect much when staying in a public park setting. Very quiet and great for what we needed. The sites have enough room. Our site backed up to the bathrooms / laundry but there was enough space between to not be disruptive.

Nice staff - clean park

The good: The campground is very reasonably priced relative to accommodations in the surrounding area. The facilities are clean and functional. The meh: This is a family campground so you may end up with noisy neighbors (and/or their children). The bad: Code Compliance is strict and will lurk until you leave your site and then stick a nasty-gram to your door about whatever rule you violated. Apparently good tape is in short supply - I found my note under my camper by chance. They placed the note after nightfall. 

Reasonable price for great accommodations.

This is a very nice campground which is part of the Miami-Dade County park system.  It is close to the Encore Everglades park (about 4 miles) so we stayed here after we departed.  The campground is divided into pods and each pod has about 15 or so sites.  We were in pod 4 site 20 (420 lol).  We booked this camp with the intent to stay for a month or longer as my husband had an opportunity to Captain boats in Miami.  

  

The park was very quiet.  Most of the campers were retirees, a few families with kids, but we were there in early January.  The grounds are nicely maintained with lots of places to walk and open space with trees.  They don't allow dogs off-leash and although it is adjacent to the rest of the Larry &amp; Penny park, dogs are not even allowed in the main park, at all.  We did however find a few dog parks within four miles or so which were nice.

  

They have a very nice pool which was open daily Wed- Sunday 11am - 5pm.  It was raining and rather dreary during our stay so we didn't use the pool.  They have a nice Clubhouse and it looked okay with tables, chairs, books, puzzles, but again very quiet.  Not many activities except for a few and we didn't stay long enough to participate.  After a week, we decided to make moves back home to Lake Tahoe.  It was unseasonably cold, raining so no boat work and not an ideal spot for the dogs.  They don't have WiFi and since we were planning a longer stay, purchased the Starlink system since I work remote during the winter.  Starlink worked great, but costs $500+ to get started and then $120 or so a month.  If you are looking for an affordable long term/monthly stay, it is great.  The rates were $850 a month for full hook-ups.  They had last minute space available, too.  

  

If you are in the area, check out the Miami Zoo.  We were there when they had the "Zoo Lights" a super fun evening event.  They have other events at the Zoo and lots to do nearby.  You are closer to town than Everglades Encore, but still close to the agricultural area.  I recommend but not as fun or as many activities as some other places.

Quiet and Peaceful Campground, trees, greenery and option for long term 

We enjoyed our stay here. It’s next to the Miami Zoo and close enough to the beach and other activities.

Very affordable with a nice set up

Stayed here 2 nights. Well maintained, clean and quiet place. Close to Everglades National Park. 
Campsites were large enough with shade. 
Bathrooms were clean and staff was friendly. 

Great Campground

Just south of ‘The Magic City’ (a.k.a. Miami), you’ll come across Kendall, which while definitely NOT a destination in and of itself, it does offer one of the ONLY real campgrounds within the Miami vicinity. Here, you’ll discover Larry &amp; Penny Thompson Park Campground, which upon arrival, immediately feels like a breath of fresh air the moment you turn in off SW 184th Street, trading bumber-to-bumper grinding traffic and endless miles of jam-packed strip malls in exchange for tall palms, shady roads and a surprisingly peaceful park setting. The campground is tucked away within a sprawling county park operated by Miami-Dade, and the vibe leans more tropical retreat than urban escape, with birds chirping, breezes moving through the trees, and a calm that makes you forget you are still very much in South Florida.

  

Before I get into the ‘nuts&amp; bolts’ of Larry &amp; Penny Thompson Park CG, allow me to share – that I had a fairly HORRIBLE experience here. So let me share some more – not to be a ‘negative Nancy’ - but rather, in the hopes you can learn from my mistakes (or rather, the omissions of this CG) and not replicate the issues I experienced for yourself, allow me to shed some light on some concerns. To begin with, if you are a tent camper (like I was in this scenario) there is NO WAY to make a reservation. You simply have to show up and IF the folks in the park office feel like there’s enough room for you to stake out a piece of land on their garbage-strewn tent camping plot of grass, they alone have the DISCRETION to ALLOW you to pay them for the privilege. Given that ALL OF THOSE WITH RVs have reservation privileges, this relegates us tent campers to ‘second class citizens.’ Second, paying $28/ night gets you basically a patch of uneven land (with more tree roots that reminded me a lot of Stranger Things with all of those root-like moving alien arms all over the ground preventing a flat piece of outdoor nirvana to be discovered) and the right to access the community bathrooms. While there is solid shade and about a half dozen bag-lined garbage bins in the tent camping area, the picnic tables are all dilapidated (unlike those in the RV area that are nearly brand new), half of the water spigots didn’t function, there are no in-ground fire rings, the stand-up grills are a joke and there is ZERO electricity. Um, so what am I paying for you ask? Great question. But this wasn’t even the worst part. So here it is: I arrived at Larry &amp; Penny Thompson Park Campground having driven nearly 8 HOURS all the way from St. Augustine and arrived at 5:13pm only to be greeted by incredibly RUDE county park staff who could only say “Sorry, you arrived after 5pm and we don’t allow any TENT CAMPERS to arrive after 5pm.” What I found preposterous is that NOWHERE – not online, not on TheDyrt and NOT EVEN ON-SITE – does it mention that one (OK, well at least us tent campers anyway) has to arrive BEFORE 5pm. Had that vital piece of information been shared with me during 1of the 3 phone calls I made to the property before I arrived – TRUST ME – I would have arrived 13 minutes earlier. You know what the worst part about this whole experience was? Apart from the fact that I was famished and exhausted, was nearly out of gas and my cell phone just died? There was absolutely NO REASON to deny me entry for arriving 13 minutes after their (artificial) deadline. All I can say is that I’m glad Mary and Joseph didn’t have to deal with Miami-Dade County Park staff that acted like hostile and rule-abiding ‘inn keepers’ otherwise our Lord and Savior would have had no other choice, like I did, but to check in to a nearby hotel. Thankfully, I had enough Marriott Bonvoy points to spend the night at a hotel, albeit an hour away.

  

OK, deep breath. Let it go, I say. So I returned the next day, registered my complaints and stayed for 2 nights. With this, the rest of my experience (apart from what had been previously noted) was a fairly positive one.

  

Before I move on, you're probably scratching your head saying "Why did this guy return after such a horrible experience?"  Well, because it is the reason most choose to stay here - it is nearly the ONLY campground in the Miami, so it's either shell out $200 or $300 a night for a hotel or sleep under the stars.

  

The campground itself is fairly decent size with – count ‘em– not 3, not 7, but a total of 11 RV parking ‘pods’ (think small loops with about 20 slots in each) that have been thoughtfully laid out, with over 200 sites total offering full hookups, paved pads and a mix of sun and shade depending on your preference. Sites are mostly level and easy to navigate (even for larger setups) with the roads being wide enough to remove whatever stress you may be dealing with upon arrival. Amenities are strong across the board, including clean restrooms, intermittent hot showers (some days they were hot, some days they were ice cold, but no matter the day, the pressure was always incredibly low), pay-for-play laundry facilities, a few scattered playgrounds, an amenity center that offers up a large screen TV, lending library, DVDs and ample space for group gatherings. The best amenities? The amazing community pool located right next to the community center (note: only open between 10am– 5pm, so if you’ve come here because of work, that’s a bummer, unless you can work from the pool, which I couldn’t) and the freshwater lake with a sandy beach that feels like a built-in bonus for families. Oh, and during the summertime, there’s a waterslide facility that looks AMAZING! The park is pet-friendly, somewhat well-maintained if you’re not staying in the tent area (which, unfortunately, I was) and has a safe, welcoming feel throughout.

  

Beyond the campground, you are perfectly positioned to explore both nature and convenience. The park itself has miles of paved biking and walking trails, plus open green spaces and water access for a relaxing afternoon. Just a short drive away, you will find grocery options like Publix Super Market, Walmart Supercenter and additional essentials along US-1 along with a Costco that’s only like 20 minutes away. If you are looking to explore further, Biscayne National Park offers boating and snorkeling opportunities, while Miami Zoo is practically next door for an easy family outing. Not too far away from here you can also find fast food and casual dining spots for a bite to eat in case you grow tired of black beans w/ hot dogs for the third meal in a row.

  

Insider’s tips? Here’s a handful: (1) Aim for sites deeper into the loops for more shade and less road noise; (2) The freshwater lake and beach area are perfect for kids to cool off on warm afternoons; (3) Bring bikes as the paved trails throughout the park are ideal for cruising; (4) Keep an eye out for iguanas and wading birds around the water’s edge; (5) Shade varies quite a bit so a canopy can be helpful on sunnier sites - but if you are tent camping, you won't really need any shade, unless you want to be protected from the intermittent rains; (6) For a great nearby bite, check out Shiver’s BBQ at 28001 S Dixie Hwy, Homestead, FL 33033; (7) You will hear non-stop urban noise and traffic from anywhere in this campground, so while you may be shuddered from the noise inside your RV or camper, you won't be so lucky inside a tent, so if that bothers you, bring earplugs; and (8) OH, how could I forget!!! Don’t arrive here AFTER 5PM!!!

  

Happy Camping!

Photos of Larry & Penny Thompson Park

Real photos from real campers