Best Dog-Friendly Camping near Homestead, FL

If you want to get to a spot with the LEAST light pollution of anywhere in America, this is the place! You are able to see 3x the stars you can normally see anywhere else in America. This is a very remote location so be sure to bring what you need in with you and be sure to gas up before you come from Homestead. It is an hour at least from civilization. The campgrounds are well taken care of. One of my favorite campsites to escape everyone and everything. The showers could be updated but not terrible to be so far off of the beaten path. I would definitely recommend this campsite and would come back.

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 & 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.

We 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.

My wife, cat and I got on the wait-list for John Pennekamp while RV camping in West Palm Beach for the winter. With a few days notice, we got a campsite and drove down to the keys. What an incredible weekend!

I highly recommend the snorkeling experience offered out of the visitors center. We had an incredible guide and captain, Adam and Ty. Also, this is a great place to have a kayak!!

Definitely dine at The Fish House, just down the street!

Great campground, quite but yet close to Homestead. Bring our own generator. Camp sites have not been maintained like they should have, lots of overgrown brush in the campsites, which makes them harder to squeeze into. The campground needs to reclaim the sites from where there were 10-20 years ago. If the website says it fixs a 40-foot, then it might actually fit a 35 footer

My wife and I spent 4 days at Long Pine Key Campground in December.  The weather was great.  Plenty to see and do in the Everglades National Park (hiking, kayaking, cycling, bird watching, etc).  There are no water, electric or sewer hookups so be prepared.  Homestead, FL is only about 30 minutes away. It is 38 miles from Long Pine Key Campground to Flamingo, but there are many sights to see along the way.

Would not recommend this campground if you are tent camping. It was packed with RVs and the spaces are very close together. Dogs are allowed but there were so many when we went it was difficult to walk our dogs. Great place to snorkel, small beaches, fishing, boat rentals.

This site was beautiful and well kept. The gentleman (park ranger?) who greeted everyone and made sure the rules were followed was very nice and answered all of our questions. I appreciated that he was around as it make me feel safer if I were to travel alone. This is a great site for families or groups as the sites are close together so one could reserve 2 and have a lot of room for multiple tents/cars. On the other hand, if you are looking to get away from people, this is not it. The sites are close to each other with little to no barriers/designation lines between them. This is a great site for those testing camping with their dogs or small children. Not too far of a trip, great walking space, and the ranger is great about making sure all dogs are kept on leash. It is near to the Oasis Ranger Station and the Florida Trail, as well as loop road and Shark Valley. The stars were absolutely incredible being so far from major cities. Other than how close the tent sites were, my one big negative is the amount of road noise. The closest campsites are maybe 100 meters from the Tamiami Trail so if you're a light sleeper, it is less than ideal.

We camped here for 4 days with our dogs. The campground is in the Everglades National Park, so you have to pay an extra $30 for up to 7 days. Long Pine Key has spacious campsites with a picnic bench and a firepit but no electricity. The check in at the front provides firewood and ice. The showers (only cold water) are separate from the bathrooms. The were large but older. The toilets were very clean but very narrow. There is also a lake in the middle of the campground. Swimming is prohibited but it has a few walking trails around it. There were no "no dog signs", so we took them there for a nice walk. Be aware of wildlife - we saw a beautiful cottonmouth. It is about a 10min drive to the Anhinga trail. It is beautiful there. You can see alligators, turtles, birds, and fish. Unfortunately it is very hard to find spots to take your dogs. If you want to visit Biscayne National Park, it is about a 40 min drive. Don't forget bug spray and sunscreen!

Have waited six months into our RV life to start reviews for fair comparisons. Stayed 5 nights in 35 foot RV+tow car in 3 different sites. This was one of our least favorite stops so far. Essentially a circle of closely parked RV’s just off busy highway around a lake with gators(never saw any, but signs to NOT walk your dog on the lake side). So to walk your dog you have to let them wee all over your neighbors“land” which is mortifying. Limited to no cell signal. When we went to leave we were told we couldn’t use the dump station because it was full. And we couldn’t use the restrooms because they had a power outage that morning. Not sure what the connection is there, but that’s what we were told. Lots of generators running that morning. And yet it was fairly full, as the beauty is it is a great stopping point to head to southern FL and the Keys. And I suppose the clue is in the title, midway between the east and west coast of Florida. The camp hosts and people we met there were very friendly. The night star skies when not cloudy were incredible. I suppose this is one of those“It is what it is” places. Some campgrounds we love just because we love being there in the actual campground. This is not one of those, but it is a means to an end. We enjoyed the nearby Loop Road in Big Cypress.

Flamingo Campground, Florida Everglades—eco-tent

Pro: The location is superb. Ours was located closest to the water(#6). You don’t get to choose—assigned when you check in. There was a lovely breeze each afternoon and very few mosquitoes. Egrets and Anhingas were in abundance. Our eco-tent was equipped with a queen size bed, pillows, bed linens, blankets, fluffy large bath towels, a fan and bedside lights. The towels were a pleasant surprise because I had specifically asked about towels and was told “no.” The tents are located on boardwalks with embedded lights to the bathroom building (it can be a fair walk from your tent) so you can see your way there at night. There is an electrical outlet box with one spare outlet. We brought a surge protector with additional outlets so we could charge electronics and toothbrushes. Several people we met rented empty eco-tents for $50 (no beds, lights, etc) a night.

Con: a solar panel was broken wide open with water flowing out onto the ground so there was no warm water at all in the showers. The bathrooms are adequate but old and tired—cleaned once daily. Only one shower in the ladies room was working. For the price, a decent bathroom would be anticipated. There is an electrical outlet near the sinks which seemed to be constantly in use by a crockpot. (Despite a sign on the boardwalk saying for eco-tents only, this bathroom and the nearby picnic tables were heavily used by tent campers.) There are two dish washing stations at the bathroom building—faucets were not sealed and so water ran out the sides splashing on the backsplash. There are no water spigots so if you need water, you must use the dish washing faucet (the water is potable but for drinking, you might want to bring in your own as it has a salty taste). Maintenance certainly could be improved.

Eco-tent residents must use tables and fire pits close to the parking lot which are not very close. No food is allowed in the tents. There are no lights around the picnic tables so if you are cooking after dark, be sure you’ve planned for that. Also know that you cannot leave unaccompanied food at the picnic tables or the Anhingas will be feasting with abandon.

The food truck was open at the Marina. It had been closed due to hurricane damage. Because of the long new year’s weekend, the shop had no ice, no firewood and only minimal supplies like snacks and beer—lots of empty shelves and coolers. We received an email just before arriving telling us that there was no ice or wood due to the holiday long weekend so we needed to get them before arriving. We had planned to bring all our food which was a good thing given the lack of items at the store. With a 38 mile drive from the Coe entrance center to the campground and another 45 minutes to Homestead, you don’t want to have to go back to Homestead for supplies!

No internet or phone service (other than AT&T). Was wonderful to escape!!

We stayed 3 nights and it was really nice. Our site #27 was perfect for our little Rv. The camp was clean and it had plenty to keep us busy. 2 beaches that are great for kiddos not very clear, but typical key beaches. We went to Bahia honda, key west, veteran memorial park ( great little clear and beautiful beach) dog friendly

Had a nice experience at John Pennekamp. There is so much to do we biked to nearly everything including nearby restaurants, we hung at the beach, kayaked and did trail walks with the dog. Water was a bit cold for us to snorkel but lots of folks did. Nice quiet campground, no issues whatsoever. Site 20 was great, full hookups, only issue was the no see ums - make sure you bring a thermacell bc they are no joke! Only complaint was the set up for women’s showers - there were 2 side by side and you have to come out of the shower into a common area with the other to get to your dry clothes. Luckily no one else was showering when I was there. If you have a shower in your camper this wont be an issue for you.