Best Glamping near Key Largo, FL

A really great place to visit if you want a taste of Florida away from all the Disney-esque tourist spots.

This park is like stepping back in time. Enjoy it and relax!

We stayed here a night before launching our kayaks out to the more remote backcountry stuff. All of your basic amenities and hella skeeters as you'd expect in South Florida.

It is a big open field, so don't expect visual privacy.

Spent three days fishing and using the camper as a base camp. Caught tons of mangrove snapper, snook, and even a tripletail. Been going to Flamingo for years to fish but this was the first time taking the trailer. Would definitely do it again. 50 amp hookup worked great. Just wish they had running water to the trailer so you don’t have to refill the tank. Great experience as long as your going fishing. Not too many other things to do in the Florida heat.

In southern Florida, campgrounds don’t usually come cheap, but we found Larry & 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 & 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)

Down at Flamingo, there’s four types of camping: eco tents, tents (A Loop), campers/ RVs (T Loop) and the backcountry chickees. This review is for the ✨eco tents✨.

The eco tents are awesome in general, but more so if you’re new to camping. Some come fully furnished with beds, nightstands, etc, while others are completely unfurnished and you can set up your own gear, so you choose your level of comfort. They also come with electric fans.

It’s incredibly quiet down there and the full moons are outta this world - no pun intended! 😉 Waking up and drinking your coffee on the shore of Florida Bay is a great way to start the day.

But there is no food allowed in the tents whatsoever. Because the walkways to and the platforms of the eco tents are elevated, there’s also no way to cook even near your eco tent. There are fire rings and picnic tables near the parking area, which is also where the bathrooms are. So if you’re someone who wakes often in the middle of the night for “bio breaks”, you might want to keep that walk in mind - or plan for an alternative.

There are bathrooms with running (non potable) water and toilets with real plumbing, but no showers.

I’d definitely recommend the eco tents for a short stay!

It’s true what they say: don’t visit the Everglades during wet season.

We thought we would miss the worst of the mosquitoes in mid-November, but they were still in full-swing when we spent five days here.

Since we were also visiting Dry Tortugas, Biscayne, and Big Cypress while we were down in southern Florida, we had a lot of time to camp in the area. We camped at Long Pine Key, Flamingo, at a private campground up in Chokoloskee, and at a private campground outside of Miami. For a beautiful, scenic campground experience with access to some of the best wildlife in the park, we enjoyed our time at Flamingo.

Trying to separate our positive experiences from the hoards of mosquitos that we had to fight off each night getting into our tent is difficult, but visiting the campground in the dry season (December to May) should be a lot different.

Upsides of camping at Flamingo include a free shower (in a national park?! What?!), pretty sites with palm trees, incredible wildlife (we saw osprey, a manatee, a crocodile, and so many birds near Flamingo), and the experience of being deep inside Everglades National Park.

The biggest downside (in November) was the mosquitos. Also, Long Pine Key offers closer access to some of the more popular spots in Everglades, as well as easier access to non-park activities (like stopping at Robert is Here for a smoothie - a must-do!)

Our five days at Everglades were full: we attended several ranger programs (we especially liked the talks at the Anhinga Trail), Cole tried his hand at slough-slogging (wading in murky water up to your waist? Not for me), we hiked as many trails as we could, and we kayaked the Nine Mile Pond canoe trail.

You can read much more about our five days in the park on our blog: Switchback Kids (Everglades)

This is one of three options to "camp" in this part of Everglades National Park (the other two are RV sites and a large grassy area for tent camping (only open during the winter months). The 20 Eco tents provide a change of pace to regular camping, and they are nicely appointed, but they are a bit of a splurge (over$100 with tax). 

Each tent has full deck flooring and comes equipped with a double or queen bed with bedding (November– April only), a fan, 110 outlets, towels, two chairs/small round tables, and shelving with baskets. You can enjoy at least a partial view of Florida Bay from each tent.

The Eco tents have their own “private” bathroom/shower separate from the public restroom and it was clean. Unlike the bathrooms at Long Pine Key campground, there is a handicap-accessible stall. Towels are provided in the tents. 

Cooking or food of ANY KIND is not allowed in the tents as it would attract bugs and other wildlife. There are picnic tables/fire pits by the parking lot for cooking/eating but it was very windy when we arrived, so we just ate cold food in our van. All food must stay in your vehicle. You are also not allowed to use bug spray in the tent due to the flammable nature of the spray. Other rules include no music in the campground or tents. 

We were there shortly before the winter season so there were not as many options for recreation available. There are hiking trails and you can rent canoes or kayaks. Other boat tours are available, but we didn’t take advantage of any of these, preferring instead to take photos of birds and walk the short Anhinga Trail (closer to the northern entrance to the park). 

Both the sunsets and the sunrises are spectacular (if you can stand the mosquito assault!)

If you can beat the bugs, stargaze and enjoy the sunrise. But take the bug seriously. Even in late January the mosquitoes or vicious. You'll want insect repellent long sleeve long pants and maybe even a mosquito net when you are out and about.

Flamingo Everglades is the concessionaire that operates this campground and the nearby marina. The campground is arranged into 2 loops (one for trailers; about half of them with electric) plus a bayside field area that also includes a group tent site. For these, you park and walk to your site, but you get a great view of the bay and sunrises. In addition, there are several new eco-tents (platform tents) with beds two chairs and lamps. I stayed in one of these.

The Flamingo area still shows the effects of Hurricane Irma a couple of years ago and some neglect. The B & C loops are not open, though NPS is working to clean them up. An employee I spoke with indicated that they hoped to have those open next year. I was there midweek and only the trailer loop was full. On the weekends they do fill up.

The campsites in the loops have picnic tables and fire rings. The bayside field sites have scattered picnic tables and fire rings in various states of rusty disrepair. The eco-tents some picnic tables closer to the bathrooms for the field sites are not occupied, you can use one of those. You can't use a stove in your tent or on your deck, so you do need to cook elsewhere.

Bathrooms include flush toilets and free showers, although the water never got very warm. They are solar heated.

Remember everything you need because it's a long trip back to Florida city or Homestead the nearest places for picking up supplies. Stop at "Robert is Here" on your way in or out for a smoothie or milkshake. The shop at the marina has some basic snacks and drinks. Tuesday to Saturday afternoons there is a food truck available. For activities, campers get a discount on bike rentals. They also rent kayaks & canoes and offer boat trips, though I wouldn't do the boat trip again.

If you choose to stay in an eco-tent, there is a cart with bicycle tires to quietly take your gear to your tent. The boardwalk lights up at night so you can safely find your way to the bathroom. You'll be conscious of the sound the zipper makes when you leave and return to your tent. These are tents and not cabins, so you may hear some neighbors talking or snoring. Even so, it was a welcome change from a sleepless, noisy night at a campground in the Keys.

If you're looking for birds, nearby Eco pond or the waterfront near the bayside campsites offer a nice variety for minimal effort.

No Verizon coverage, but I've been told there is AT&T. Wifi is available at the visitors center.

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 inquired about reserving one of their cabins for a week long stay over Thanksgiving. We let them know that we would have 2 adults and 3 children. The lady I spoke with informed us that she would need the owner’s approval for the number of occupants and an extra fee may apply. We received approval for our request October 13th, mailed the deposit per their request, and obtained an email confirming the reservation on October 17th. 

At the end of October I attempted to reach the resort by phone and email to add my partner’s name (he is currently the chief of a law enforcement department) to the reservation, since he was going to arrive first. I received an email response a week later, asking how many people were coming again. Over the course of the next few days, I attempted calling to provide the information they were requesting. When I finally spoke with a representative and provided my partner’s information, she responded by letting me know the owner would be calling me back. I received a phone call yesterday from a representative, not the owner, stating my reservation had been canceled and there was nothing I could do about it. I pleaded my case with the representative that it was a last minute cancellation after an agreement had been reached and a deposit had been accepted, and they stated the cancellation had already been made and that my deposit would be refunded. Now we’re left to find a place a week before Thanksgiving and deal with the last minute price increases. 

The lack of integrity, communication, and consideration considering how long this reservation has been in place speaks volumes about their business practices. We would not recommend doing business with this company and apparently they don’t care about doing business after finding out a law enforcement family had made reservations.

OK. So the Everglades can be cool. You can rent a canoe here, and tent camp or RV camp. The bugs can be hellish though. I was bit like a million times (exaggeration, but everywhere).

I have camped here many, many times. Since the other overnight options were destroyed by hurricanes, this is the only way to remain at the end of the road overnight without having to drive back out (40 miles) or wilderness camp.

The campsites are separated into three sections, one for RVs, the other not, and a special "walk in" field. I've only stayed at the "tents" areas. Each is essentially a large mowed field with sparse trees. The "walk in" field is essentially treeless and probably best described as an overflow area for tent campers.

The RV and regular camping areas are loops that allow vehicles to access and park close to the campsite, which is a parking pad, a picnic table, and a fire containment device for cooking and/or a campfire. BTW... you must bring your own fire wood.

There is no privacy, the ambiance is more one of community than peaceful tranquility. The combined restroom, showers, and dish washing buildings are few but never far from any campsite. Consider their location when choosing your site, closer might not be better for you if you might be offended by foot traffic through your site. A recent upgrade to solar heated water for the showers is fantastic!

The entire area is famously buggy in all but the coldest months, and even then you better be prepared. It is also incredibly hot during the summer, making the few shaded sites a consideration... but the bugs love shade too!

Despite the above bleak description, the camping area is commonly filled to capacity (hence the "walk in" area) during the cooler months. But it is also commonly empty during the summer when only fanatical anglers will brave the conditions.

We got to the front gate of Everglades National Park and drove another 38 miles until we got to Flamingo Campground! It is a long, long drive!! Between hiking, biking, canoeing, and attending educational programs given by different park rangers, we had a busy week! Everglades National Park is the first national park especially designated for it's ecosystem. It's over 1.5 million acres and is the 3rd largest National Park in the lower 48 states. It has been named an International Biosphere Reserve, World Heritage Site, and a Wetland of International Importance. There are only two other locations in the world that are on all three lists!

This is pure nature, you really have to make sure you're prepared for this place. No-See-Ums and mosquitos will eat you alive. I can still feel them crawling on me. The effects of hurricanes are visible everywhere.

The Flamingo Campground is rather overgrown, neglected and unstaffed, and few of the bathrooms are open... which adds to its charm! You want to camp at Lone Pine anyway! but for the full Everglades experience, go ahead and visit Flamingo, just make sure its open.

This place is incredible. It really is like you dropped down into some jungle, oceans away from a city. Now, while there are definitely huge pros to that (Amazing animal sightings, cool plants, peaceful camping) there are also a few downsides too. The mosquitoes will destroy you if you don't come prepared. I'd definitely recommend double and triple checking you supplies to make sure that you are adequately prepared to fend them off. If you are, you will have an amazing time!

When we were there (early April), there were TONS of no-see-ums and if you didn't have a tent with a fine enough screen, there was no escape. Do not camp here unless you have a noseeum tent! They literally drove us all insane. Otherwise it was beautiful. The mangroves are fun to explore by canoe or kayak and the rangers are very informative.