Best Dog-Friendly Camping near Big Pine Key, FL

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 stayed at Big Pine Key from January 21- February 08th of 2022. We had a small trailer camper, Clam screen tent, an outdoor kitchen set-up and hammocks. There was a nice heavy picnic table on the site. Our site was on the channel and provided us with plenty of space for our setup. It had electric and water. There are many wonderful amenities including a pool, laundry room, recreation area with ping pong and a pool table, a nice store with provisions, a community fire pit area, and great walking trails directly off of the rustic tent camping area which runs along the beach. We brought our two Labrador Retrievers with us and felt comfortable with them at all times. Everyone was friendly and respectful. Big Pine Key is a great location for recreation or amenities. It is just 30 minutes to Key West or Marathon.We are already scheduled to go back in January of 2023 for a longer stay.

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.

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.

We stayed 5 nights in spot #423 a waterfront site. Sunsets were amazing and so is the night sky. Near our site the marina has a area looks like a giant aquarium with Tarpon, Nurse sharks, tropical fish, Big Grouper/Jew Fish, and Manatees. Along with lots of iguanas. There are 2 fish cleaning stations, a pool, game room, small store, gas station, and 2 swim areas. One is on a sandy beach with lounge chairs and a large Tiki. The other is off the dock near site # 425. People fish off the dock too. The current can be strong. Nice place to watch the sunset. There are some good places to eat on Marathon along with shopping and grocery stores. Love Pokeys good food and you can find anything on the menu its got everything. Big Pine Key has the No Name Pub love their Pizza, Triano’s Taco truck excellent tacos. Taco truck is open Mon-Thurs till 5. He can run out of the good stuff earlier. Key Wes is about 45 minutes from here. Warning do not speed in the keys they will get you. Pay attention to the speed limit.

We stayed here a week our site #99 is right on the water next to the fire pit. Nice view with full hook up, a picnic table, sites are tight with no privacy. This site faces the Atlantic so we weren’t facing another camper. The pool and clubhouse are nice and the laundry room has 5 washers and dryer’s. There is a boat ramp, fish cleaning station, docks for you boat and they sell gas for your boat. 

The deer walk up to you    that’s nice. The office and store are nice lots of good things in there prices were good. We saw some sunrises and sunsets from our site. The bonfire pit is nice it’s propane so no smell which was nice. They turn it on every evening till 10:00. 

The campground is maintained well, clean bath house, pool, clubhouse and laundry room very clean. There is a dish cleaning station next to an outside shower, for tent campers. 

Over in the primitive camping area there’s a trail you can walk along the water lots of deer hoof prints, and derelict crab bouys. It’s a nice trail to walk there are sand spurs so wear shoes.

The entire week we were there it was windy we had lots of seaweed blow in it does smell. Hardly anyone was there mid oct.  They store campers there too lots of snow birds come for the winter. 

On Big pine key there’s a Winn Dixie, 2 hardware stores, the Big Pine Rooster restaurant, cocos has great Cubans, Trinaos taco truck, and drive out to the north name pub they have good pizza and homemade sangria. Bahia Honda state park is across the bridge it’s a nice place to spend a day. On Marathon Porky’s has a good breakfast and barbecue, the Sunset grill has good she crab soup, and the Keys Fishery good raw bar upstairs and cooked food downstairs. 

I gave this campground a 4 star review due to no swim beach.