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$23 - $33 / night
With twisty mangrove tunnels and eerie waterways with names like “Alligator Creek,” the Watson Place campground in Everglades National Park fits right in. The Watson Place campground is the former home of Florida’s notorious outlaw and sugar cane plantation owner, Edgar Watson, known for killing his workers rather than paying them. The story goes that Mr. Watson was gunned down at the site by fed-up residents in 1910. As a result, some locals believe the site is haunted.
In addition to its outlaw history, the Watson Place campground is a prime example of a Calusa shell mound. The Calusa tribe lived in the Everglades before European settlers brought diseases and destroyed their villages. They would collect shells, placing them together into large mounds, essentially creating small islands within the swampy environment.
Located along the Chatham River, the Watson Place campground is a large site that can accommodate groups. The open space is surrounded by dense vegetation that provides a remote feel at this boat-in only site. A wooden dock allows for easy access and a great spot to watch dolphins swim by as the sun sets.
$23 - $35 / night
Legend
Not the best not the worst. Totally does the job and has all the amenities. Just not our vibe. Sites were all on grass and after a couple of weeks camping just the south I sure appreciate some gravel or sand. All the things live in grass. Pool.. looked nice but it was locked. Another one where the offices closes at 5.. most seem to be open until 7-8pm my favorite was key west open til 10pm! Just nice to have someone to communicate with - were low maintenance - or some signage describing how to utilize things if the office is closed. Bathrooms clean & with AC, nice park, courts to play sports but not sure if any equipment available. Clubhouse was unlocked we played pool while we waited for an Uber to the baseball game.
Legend
Sites are close together but all have full hookups. No shade. Has a pool and nice shower facilities. Lots of activities like kareoke and sometimes live music. Beach area was nasty with seaweed. Dogs allowed (2 max). Dog walk (not fenced) was dried up retention pond. Dog beach was small sandy area. It was nice if tide was up. Free kayaks you can check out to use on site which was nice. Good spot for home base while going to other places to fish and kayak. We were there in off season (June) and traffic was nuts along US1. Just fyi. Wifi is decent but you have to pay if you want to stream. It is one of the lower prices RV parks in the area and it was sufficient.
Ranger
Mostly enjoyed our two night stay in the Everglades. Flamingo Campground is run by a concessionaire, and its most expensive than we like to pay for campgrounds. $38-42ish per night depending on if its a weekend or week night. Mosquitos were bad the last week in April, wind helped a bit but we basically stayed in our camper the entire time.
Bathrooms were clean and bug free, hot showers available in the A loop!
Scout
Stayed with friends. Very expensive they offer breakfast but charge outrageous prices. Otger things are offered but tgey charge a pretty penny. Everyone complained about it. The maintenance guy is rude talks about all the owners and rides around all day like he owns the place. Mosquitoes are horrible. The airboats are loud and run all day. You cant have a conversation out when they pass. I may return with my friends but I would never pay to be here
Ranger
Full hookups, beaches, marina, hiking paths, small park and lots of relaxing in the sun. Down the road has grocery stores, small shops and great restaurants.
Guide
It is a well laid out Florida State Park campground In a mangrove swamp, making the mosquitoes horrible. There is access to a channel that you can rent a kayak or “Go Cat” to go all the way to the gulf, or use your own boat. The go cats are very cool and the guide you out in groups for around $150.
Guide
Many sites around a body of water
TravelerPulled up to window at check-in. Gave her my name and reserved site number. She asked me to park and come inside. Inside, she handed me a map and recited the rules. Then she asked if I had any questions. I asked, "Do you have a restroom?" She looked at me with unbelief. "Well, I guess if it's an emergency. " I told her I had been on the road for 3 and a half hours. The other lady pointed to the restroom. I don't think that I've ever had anyone deny a restroom to me at check-in. The website said the Royal Palm trail would close on April 3rd. When we went to it on March 26th, it was barricaded. Both my wife and I had cold showers that evening. When I mentioned it to the maintenance lady, she said that she had been there since November and has never had a hot shower. All the sites seem to be fairly tight with no privacy.
Scout
This is our second time staying at this campground. Staff is friendly. Place is clean. Has two beaches which is a lot. The keys aren’t known for sandy beaches but key largo kampground has two small sandy beaches that make u feel secluded from the world.
RangerNot a fan of this campground. We stayed for five nights in February. Really hot and buggy - TONS of mosquitos. I guess that’s to be expected given the location in/near the Everglades. The mosquitos were so aggressive we got tons of bites, they covered our pups, and the first evening we smashed close to 60 of them in our van after opening the door just to get into the van. Pretty miserable. On top of that, the nature trails within the campground/visitor area was closed and overgrown. The only hiking trails that were open were close to a mile down the highway - not really accessible on foot from campground. Campground itself was ok but not as pretty as others we’ve been to. On the plus side, good location for visiting other stuff in the area and my husband liked playing pickleball daily at courts in Naples. The volunteers at the campground were really friendly and the facilities were clean.
Legend
Burns Lake: This is a fine campground. The only redeeming factor is the lake. RV sites are not that great in my opinion.
(Scale 1- bad, 5-Very good
(71 yr olds in 17’ trailer.)
To Do: The smallest Post Office in the USA is close by. Oasis Visitor Center has gator viewing.
Visit all the nearby boardwalks are worth a visit.
Do a Ranger led wet walk. It is out of this world.
Drive to Shark Valley and take the tram (reservations are best), bicycle the 12 mile loop or walk part of it. The gates open at 9:00 AM for park parking. Fills up, thus slowing entry into the park. However, parking is available along the highway. We parked there, just past the no parking signs. We then walked in at sunrise for enjoyment before the crowds. Some folks were biking at that time as well. Beautiful. Gators began sunning themselves by 9:30AM or so.
Drive to Everglade City for a boat ride out to the bay. Fantastic experience. The BCNP Visitor Center can tell you who to contact to make reservations. We went on this trip a couple years ago.
Airboats and swamp buggy rides are popular. We did this as well, but preferred the other activities in the end. However, how can you pass up on a fun airboat experience.
Unlike the Everglades the full campsite discount for seniors is offered here.
Overall Rating: 3 - not picturesque . One of our least favorites. Others we have talked to love this campground.
Price 2023: $ 12 w interagency pass
Security: Must drive be host site.
Usage during visit: Full
Site Privacy: None
Site Spacing: Close as Monument and Midway
Site surface: Grass
Reservations: Required
Campground Noise: Quiet during our visit
Road Noise: Less than Midway and Monument
Through Traffic in campground: None
Electric Hookup: No
Sewer Hookup: No
Dump Station: At Midway
Potable: Water Not available. Fill up at Midway.
Generators: Allowed
Bathroom: Pit toilet
Showers: At Monument
Pull Throughs: all
Cell Service (AT&T): 1 Bar
Setting: Around Burns Lake. Lake view from all sites.
Recent Weather: Unusually wet winter
Solar: Solar will be great in the RV sites.
Host: Yes
Rig Size: Largest is fine in RV sites.
Sites: None of the sites really appeal to me. Other people I have met love it here. #10 is the best RV site. Id rather be in the tent only area. It is nicer than Monument and Midway tent only sites. Campers and vans use these sites, I noticed.
Legend
Monument Lake, Big Cypress: This is the best of the BCNP campgrounds in my opinion. It surrounds the largest of the campground lakes in BCNP and has gorgeous sunsets and sunrises. Easy to get to. The hosts all work hard and are kind. The big downsides are: GENERATORS: Hours allowed need to be shortened. Speed limit is double of Burns Lake resulting in excessive dust.
To Do: The smallest Post Office in the USA is close by. Oasis Visitor Center has gator viewing.
Visit all the nearby boardwalks are worth a visit.
Do a Ranger led wet walk. It is out of this world.
Drive to Shark Valley and take the tram (reservations are best), bicycle the 12 mile loop or walk part of it. The gates open at 9:00 AM for park parking. Fills up, thus slowing entry into the park. However, parking is available along the highway. We parked there, just past the no parking signs. We then walked in at sunrise for enjoyment before the crowds. Some folks were biking at that time as well. Beautiful. Gators began sunning themselves by 9:30AM or so.
Drive to Everglade City for a boat ride out to the bay. Fantastic experience. The BCNP Visitor Center can tell you who to contact to make reservations. We went on this trip a couple years ago.
Airboats and swamp buggy rides are popular. We did this as well, but preferred the other activities in the end. However, how can you pass up on a fun airboat experience.
Unlike the Everglades the full campsite discount is offered here.
(Scale 1- bad, 5-Very good
(70 yr olds in 17’ trailer. )
Overall Rating: 4 (should be a 5, but for poor generator usage rules. This negatively affected our stay this time, our 4th time here.)
Price 2023: $ 14 w interagency pass
Security: None except visitors must drive by host sites.
Usage during visit: Heavy
Site Privacy: None
Site Spacing: Close
Site surface: Grass
Reservations: Required
Campground Noise: Quiet except for one long running generator.
Road Noise: Some.
Through Traffic in campground: Little.
Electric Hookup: No
Sewer Hookup: No
Dump Station: At Midway.
Potable Water Available: At bathrooms
Generators: Allowed
Bathroom: Clean flush toilets.
Showers: Yes. Clean
Pull Throughs: No
Cell Service (AT&T): 3 bars.
Setting: Open, around lake.
Recent Weather: Cool and rainy.
Solar: Some sites are better than others
Host: 3 or 4
Rig Size: Large rigs present.
Sites: 27 - 34 e side of lake. Less shade, better solar. Beautiful sunset views. View of the grass prairie. 34 fine, but faces to pit toilet .
35 - 38: sunset view with day use area in front of lake view
1-3 west side of lake. Sunrise view .
14 - 26 north side of lake with better shade. 26 has a nice view of the grass prairie w shade. One of the best sites in my opinion.
RangerThis was a great spot if your camping in south Florida between spots and has great hiking.
Legend
Pinecrest: Group camp. (Scale 1- bad, 5-Very good
(70 yr olds in 17’ trailer. Our rating of a campground is influenced by the following: The general ambiance- sort of wilderness feel the campground gives us. A selection of campsites which offer some visual privacy and/or view from sites. Cleanliness of whatever facilities are offered is important and usually noted in my review.
Overall Rating: 3.5 for a group campground
Security: None. Isolated.
Usage during visit: Empty
Site Privacy: None - Two defined areas
Site Spacing:
Site surface: Grass
Reservations: Yes
Campground Noise: Quiet
Road Noise: No e
Through Traffic in campground: No reason
Electric Hookup: No
Sewer Hookup: No
Dump Station: No
Potable Water Available: At Midway CG
Generators: Yes
Bathroom: Pit toilet
Showers: No
Pull Throughs: Yes
Cell Service (AT&T): 2 bars
Setting: Open grass area surrounded by trees
Recent Weather: 50s to 80s. Some high winds. Tornado warnings
Solar: Yes
Host: Not on premises
Rig Size: Can accommodate large rigs
Sites: See pics
Legend
Mitchell’s Landing: this isolated campground has an airboat launch area. I met a man, Bill, who grew up on this property, owned by his Miccosukee family until the mid 70s. According to him, the department of the interior, reneged on their promise that this land would stay in his family. (Scale 1- bad, 5-Very good
(70 yr olds in 17’ trailer. Our rating of a campground is influenced by the following: The general ambiance- sort of wilderness feel the campground gives us. A selection of campsites which offer some visual privacy and/or view from sites. Cleanliness of whatever facilities are offered is important and usually noted in my review.
Overall Rating: 4 Price 2023: $ w interagency pass Security: No - Remote Usage during visit: Light Site Privacy: about half the sites are spread out in an open park lake area. Are very nice. Some sites are very nice. I was those below. Site Spacing: the nicest sites are pretty good in this regard Site surface: grass Reservations: Yes Campground Noise: Quiet when we were here Road Noise: too remote. Through Traffic in campground: None while I was visiting. Electric Hookup: no Sewer Hookup: no, no Dump Station: at Midway campground. (30 minutes). Potable Water Available: The closest water is at Midway CG (30 minutes). Generators: allowed Bathroom: pit toilets. Moderately clean Showers: no. Pull Throughs: some Cell Service (AT&T): three Setting: surrounded by trees Recent Weather: very mixed this year. 50s into the 80s. Solar: some Host: yes Rig Size: 30 footers are here. Be careful with site you choose for that size Sites: my favorite – 4,5,6,7,10, 8 Okay:15
LegendMidway in Big Cypress: This is our forth time here. We love this campground, though the sites are open. All trailer sites look over the lake which is in the middle of the campground. This campground seems to be very conducive to meeting people. (Scale 1- bad, 5-Very good
(70 yr olds in 17’ trailer. Our rating of a campground is influenced by the following: The general ambiance- sort of wilderness feel the campground gives us. A selection of campsites which offer some visual privacy and/or view from sites. Cleanliness of whatever facilities are offered is important and usually noted in my review.
Overall Rating: 4.5 for the lake view
Price 2023: $ 15 w interagency pass
Usage during visit: RV sites full every night. Tent sites accommodate vans, rooftop tents….
Site Privacy: None
Site Spacing: Fair
Site surface: Blacktop
Reservations: Required
Campground Noise: Tent area - defiantly.
Road Noise: Tent area - defiantly. From # 21, yes.
Through Traffic in campground: Folks might come in to have picnics at tables around the lake.
Electric Hookup: Yes
Sewer Hookup: No
Dump Station: Yes
Potable Water Available: Yes, at the dump station.
Generators: Allowed.
Bathroom: Flush toilet. Only one stall in the men’s. Clean.
Showers: At Monument Lake CH, 20 minutes.
Pull Throughs: None in RV Loop
Cell Service (AT&T): Site 21 usually has 1 bar. Sites at the near the end have weaker reception.
Setting: All RV sites are situated around the lake
Recent Weather: High 50s to 80s. Rain
Solar: Plenty in the tent sites
Host: Three
Rig Size: Largest bus RVs are here
Sites: 19 - 26 are best shaded sites. 13 and 14 are corner sites with less shade . 1 is near a shed, but a fine site. Picnic tables along the lake and in between these sites: 22&23, 3&4, 11&12, 16&17. (On nice weekend days you can expect small groups using these spots for day usage.)
Legend
Flamingo in the Everglades: Open parklike with new and what are the absolute largest of campsite signs I have seen in 5 years of traveling. No excuse to be in the wrong site at Flamingo! I had to laugh and wonder that if they are that big, blind drivers must be frequenting Flamingo. On a serious note, the brand new visitor center is a 5 star. Spending time there will not be regretted,. (Scale 1- bad, 5-Very good
(70 yr olds in 17’ trailer. Our rating of a campground is influenced by the following: The general ambiance- sort of wilderness feel the campground gives us. A selection of campsites which offer some visual privacy and/or view from sites. Cleanliness of whatever facilities are offered is important and usually noted in my review.
Overall Rating: 3.5
Price 2023: $ 34 w interagency pass
Usage during visit: 1/2 full
Site Privacy: Poor
Site Spacing: Fair
Site surface: Blacktop
Reservations: Yes
Campground Noise: Not bad for an open area
Road Noise: No outside road noise
Through Traffic in campground: None
Electric Hookup: Many sites
Sewer Hookup: No
Dump Station: Yes
Potable Water Available: Yes
Generators: Allowed
Bathroom: Flush toilets.
Showers: Solar. Water temperature depends on sunshine, time of day, usage , and the length showers folks take.
Pull Throughs: All
Cell Service (AT&T): 4 bars
Setting: Open park like with scattered mature trees
Recent Weather: The weather has really varied this year. Hot, cod, cloudy, windy, rainy.
Solar: Yes
Host: Paid personnel
Rig Size: The largest of rigs can be accommodated here
Sites: Last loop is best
Legend
Long Pine : Sites are more private here than the one other Everglades established campground (Flamingo). More trails here. Flamingo is closer to water activities. We saw a rattlesnake this trip. Previously, we had a water moccasin under our trailer I figure having been disoriented during a torrential downpour. (Scale 1- bad, 5-Very good
(70 yr olds in 17’ trailer. Our rating of a campground is influenced by the following: The general ambiance- sort of wilderness feel the campground gives us. A selection of campsites which offer some visual privacy and/or view from sites. Cleanliness of whatever facilities are offered is important and usually noted in my review.
Overall Rating: 3.5. Lower rating than the camping experience deserves. Reasons:? Poor cleanliness of facilities as is often my experience in concessionaire run campgrounds. The interagency pass only attains a 10% discount. Our stay and other retirees I have spoken with limit our stays. Note the campground was only full on weekdays!
Price 2023: $ 34 w interagency pass
Usage during visit: 1/2 to 3/4 mostly
Site Privacy: Low growing shrubs give great privacy between most all RV sites
Site Spacing: Good
Site surface: Grass
Reservations: Yes
Campground Noise: Inner loop roads are short with limited # of spaces in each. This coupled with dense foliage keeps the noise down.
Road Noise: None
Through Traffic in campground: Only the outer loop road because of campground traffic only. It’s not too bad
Electric Hookup: No
Sewer Hookup: No
Dump Station: Yes
Potable Water Available: Near restroom facilities.
Generators: Yes
Bathroom: Flush toilets are kept clean. The ready of the facility boarders on disgusting.
Showers: Solar. Water temperature depends on sunshine, time of day, usage , and the length showers folks take.
Pull Throughs: Available.
Cell Service (AT&T): Good, Flamingo is stronger.
Setting: Carved into a dense palm shrub lower canopy.
Recent Weather: Really varied during our stay.
Solar: Good on the clear days.
Host: Full time personnel
GuideWe stayed thirteen nights at this park. We really enjoyed the stay and recommend. The campsites are mostly nice. There are a lot of seasonal campers and it seems those sites are nicer. The sites closer to the cabin area are closer together. I wouldn't recommend this campsite for actual campsite, but rather the excellent location and fun activities and amenities of the park.
The park has lots to do and while dated, it is kept in good shape. The pool is lovely with lounge chairs, palm trees and a tropical feel. They have a hot tub, too. Everything clean and had a resort-feel. There are an abundance of activities: pickle ball, shuffleboard, a nice mini-golf course, walking trail, clubhouse, fire pits and large open grassy space.
We have two active dogs and they have a huge field where we were able to run our dogs off-leash and chase the frisbee. I am not sure if it is allowed, but there were others as well so seemed okay. This was a real benefit when camping with pets that like to run.
The park is in a beautiful, agricultural area in the town of Redlands. It is very tropical with farms, nurseries and lots of tropical fruit stands and interesting parks. It feels rural but it is close enough to town to go to the Miami beaches or other activities. If you go, check out all the agricultural farms, the Fruit and Spice stand, the 'Robert is Here' fruit stand and the Knaups Berry Farm for world class cinnamon rolls. The lines were too long for us to wait, but we heard they were the best.
This is one of the most friendly parks I have stayed. We were there on Christmas and New Years and had a total blast. They had music, karaoke, dancing and potluck dinners. The staff was nice too, we met Jason who was super helpful. My friend flew in to visit and she rented one of their deluxe cabins. It was really nice, with a fireplace, fenced patio, loft, kitchen. The entire experience at this resort was enjoyable and felt like being at camp. Highly recommend a visit.
TravelerIt is a beautiful campground. Each site is completely private due to dense vegetation. The bathroom and shower facilities were nice, and everyone is super friendly.
Scouta quiet place, beautiful lake, what I didn't like is that the other campsites are very close and you can hear everything from the rest, everything is fine
GuideWe accumulated several nights in our travel trailer at Collier-Seminole in the November/December time frame, staying at a total of 5 campsites (76, 45, 84, 22, and 66). The standout for us was the quick and helpful response of the staff. Ex: As we were moving into site 84, we spotted a fire ant problem, and they attended to it right away. Ex: As we were moving into site 21, we saw that the middle board of the picnic table top was rotted out. I brought this to the attention of a Ranger passing by, and we had a different table within 15 minutes. Ex: We had the misfortune of locking the keys in a friend's vehicle, which caused us to have two vehicles on site overnight. The staff was very understanding, and even suggested an empty campsite nearby for parking our second vehicle overnight Ex: Because our initial bookings were late, we did a quite a bit of "jumping" between sites. The staff proactively stopped by to tell us we could move to our next site early.
Other reviews cover the mosquito situation. I would add that dealing with the mosquitos was routine for a grizzled Minnesotan such as myself, but the aggressive biting noseeums were something new.
Some "insider" information:
(1) campsites 22 and 24 are the only sites with paved pads. The rest are gravel. ALSO, campsite 22 is actually a double wide paved pad (used to be sites 22 and 23, but they combined them into one).
(2) While you are limited to one vehicle per campsite, you can park an extra vehicle down by the boat landing.
(3) There is a lot more shade over the grounds than the view from Google Earth would suggest.
(4) There are washers and driers that take credit card payment. Nice. The bath house in the A-loop has two washers and two driers for doubling up.
(5) This campground has several bag dispensers for dog clean up that are always well stocked. GREAT for those of us on an extended stay.
TravelerThe store by the marina is well stocked and the marina itself is pretty big though we did not use it. The sites are cozy and pretty close together and the bathrooms were well kept. The water in the showers gets about lukewarm. There’s a little beach nearby too. We were able to buy firewood at the site and help was easy to find if it was needed.
GuideGreat camp sites, leveled with electric for the RVs and tent camping off on the side. Clean bathrooms (no showers) and dump station. Attendant was friendly. Central pond for fishing just watch for the gators.
GuideGreat state park with decent amenities. Even had cc laundry which was a surprise. Lots of shaded spots in the lower lot numbers.
Guide
Very nice people and great fishing community
ScoutThe resort itself is large and surrounded by fruit trees, pine trees and other shady trees which offer coverage from the hot sun. Activities only December to April - pool is nice and the staff that directs you to your site is amazing. Otherwise no security after hours which allows rif raf to come in and use the pool, laundry facilities, etc which makes the area unsafe.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular tent campsite near Everglades National Park?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Everglades National Park is Backcountry Hells Bay Chickee — Everglades National Park with a 4.5-star rating from 4 reviews.
What is the best site to find tent camping near Everglades National Park?
TheDyrt.com has all 28 tent camping locations near Everglades National Park, with real photos and reviews from campers.
