Searching for a tent camping spot near Key West? Find the best information on tent camping near Key West, including sites, reviews, and tips for getting the most out of your camping experience. You're sure to find the perfect tent campsite for your Florida camping adventure.
Traveler
Helpful/friendly staff. Very clean and well kept campground. We'll be back and recommend to others.
Guide
Amazing views of the old US1 and train tracks. The sand is white and water is so blue. The no see ums were unbearable so bring proper grade tent mesh and lots of bugs pray
Traveler
The Campgrounds are very nice and pads are very level, some have adequate shade, others none, we were at site 31 for 5 days. Site was very tight for our camper with slide out and awning was on the trees, Bugs were just unbearable, we tried everything. Showers were in need of repair, (men’s side)shower handle was broken , but we’re very clean, Staff were super friendly, concession stand on site had gifts as well as anything you might have forgot to pack. The views from the old bridge were breathtaking. This part of the keys was less touristy which was good/bad , so if you wanna go to a good restaurant go north toward ismorada . Family beach was excellent for little one’s , no waves, no bad currents , the sites are super hard to come by, so it will piss you off to see some on the water with nobody on them for days (Sad)
LegendWe had site 45, which may even be the least desired site, by the dumpsters and dump station. It doesn’t matter. This park is a gem. Several beaches, all different. A nice walk up the bridge. Staff super friendly. The sites are wide and offer plenty of space in buttonwood.
Legend
Perfect location for visiting the keys. Easy access and right on the water. Check in was easy and we booked a standard back in site. While they have golf cart rentals, we didn’t need them as this is a small resort and easy to walk. They have a pool area with bar and grill, and live music. The beach has inflatables for kids. The dog park is small, but still nice. The staff is all top notch! Definitely visit the jumping bridge down the street! Great hidden gem :)
Traveler
The pad for the camp suite is big gravel so bring something for your back they also had 2 hammock hookups and a grill waterfront with a great sunset
LegendSuper friendly staff, always answer the phone, are available 24/7 and are so polite. Great little store with a perfect mix of souvenirs, snacks and RV equipment. Pool, onsite food truck, nearby restaurant, easy Uber/lyft to key west or golf cart rental, nice bathrooms, great tiki hang out and game room. On top of it all We weathered a tropical storm here - wouldn’t want to be anywhere else.
LegendVery busy place, but very nice.
RangerGreat campground within a state park offers lots of biking and beaches to choose from.
Scout
I have camped all of my life, mostly tent camping. This is the worst tent camping facility I’ve ever paid for. It is disgraceful. This place is designed for RVs and not well designed for them. The closest trash, potable water, and bath house facilities to much of the tent sites are over a block and a half away. All facilities are in the middle of the RV sites. Tent sites can be rocky. Not every site even has a picnic table. There are no fire rings or grills. Few tent campers were cooking at all. Tent campers have no privacy. You hear people farting in other tents. You can’t have a private conversation. So much for getting away from it all. The management doesn’t care about tent campers. Dennis, the main MWR manager, in his own words said “I don’t care any more” when it comes to dealing with problems reported like - people having a pit bull mix dog not tied up, tent campers expanding beyond their assigned spaces, RV school bus conversions illegally boondocking in tent site parking areas to avoid paying camping fees, no assigned parking spaces for tent sites, etc. Our 8’ wide, four person blue tent is shown in the photo. We were told tent sites were 20’ by 20’. There is no way our site was that wide. When I showed the photo to Dennis, he said to me ‘that photo doesn’t tell me anything”. I felt like saying to him, “Get off your dead a$$ and get out there and look at what is going on!” Again, it just shows the terrible attitude of the people who run the place. It really shows. Other campers do let their dogs run loose, especially at night. One evening I was charged by someone’s unchained, growling large dog that I had startled as I was out walking. Had I not stood my ground, I think the dog would have attacked me. The bath house facilities are mostly clean, but the facilities are OLD, think built in the 1950’s. The entire campground (all RVs and tents) has TWO toilets in the one men’s room. The bar and lounge are really kinda sad. Food available is mostly fried. Drinks are only ok. Prices aren’t great. The commissary and exchange which are small and not well stocked are closed all day on Sunday and Monday. There is no real place to eat a sit down meal with table service or get coffee anywhere on the base. This isn’t a “real” military base. Navy MWR runs it. Most of the time there is no on at the gate checking people coming on the base. So much for security. The entire operation is nothing short of a sh!t show. The campground is near the water. That is its only redeeming quality. Do yourself a favor. Pay more and camp somewhere else in the Keys. No matter how cheap this is, it isn’t worth it. It really sucks. Needless to say, even though we only live a few hours away we will NEVER EVER be back.
Guide
Staying here for a week. It’s quiet and pretty. Sites are tight but the attendants were very helpful in getting us backed in.
There aren’t any fire pits at the sites but is one in the common area next to the small pool. There’s a pavilion where they have multiple tvs on various channels and we’re showing sports over the weekend.
There’s a huge holding pond of sorts that you can use supplied kayaks and paddles boards on but aren’t supposed to swim in it. There’s also no place for dogs to get in the water on site. There is a dog wash station that looks like it’s $10 and includes the drying station. But there aren’t any laundry facilities. It sounds like they plan to in the future. We took our laundry to Hilltop Laundry in Key West and the owner washed, dried and folded all of it for $20. We would have easily spent close to this and wasted hours of our vacation time if we had done it ourselves. He texted me within 2 hours to say it was all ready for pickup.
The location itself is isolated and we find ourselves going to other Keys to do things. But it has been an enjoyable relaxing visit so far.
TravelerSun Outdoors bought the place previously reviewed here. They have completely overhauled the site and it is beautiful!! Large community tv and bar area, live music on Saturday night, a renovated “pier” area with kayaks and paddle boards for the tidal lagoon, a walking path around the lagoon, clean comfort station, and a dedicated dog wash station complete with warm wash and blow dry station, a large community fire pit and paved access to all the sites. Fully upgraded hook-ups and sewer and beautifully done landscaping. They have added retreat cabins that are essentially well appointed vacation homes with A/C and ceiling fans. Just a beautiful and function-packed campus that’s very enjoyable to camp on. Many sites have tiki picnic areas and are paved. The sites around the lagoon are gravel (so bring your outdoor carpets!). The sunrises and sunsets are awesome.
They recently opened so they are in need of laundry facility (have to go Nextdoor to KOA for that currently) and the gravel sites need a smaller crush-n-run to be compacted and a bit more level (if keeping with the standard they’ve set). But those are MINOR downsides.
GuideThis 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.
LegendThis is all brand new. And pricy. There is a 2 night minimum and sites start at $160/night (and go up). They had extensive damage from hurricane Irma in 2017 and have rebuilt everything. They have only been reopen 2 years. There is still some construction ongoing. Sites are nice. Most are tucked into the shrubberies so they have privacy. Wide sites with Gravel drives, new style hook-ups for water, electric, wifi and cable tv. Bathrooms and showers are very nice. There is a “resort style” pool, (whatever that means), a private beach (not dog friendly), hot tub, boat dock & marina, a small dog park, and kayak rental and they rent three-wheel bikes for kids to terrorize everyone. They are about 27 miles from Key West. They have a pub with “live music” till 10pm weekends. It was annoying but we found a nice little restaurant at the Geiger Key Marina, and thankfully the “music” stopped about 9:30.
Ranger
Large sites, beautiful landscaping, private tikis and docks, it really doesn’t get any better. Can’t wait to come back!
Guide
It’s a five day stay, Awesome RV Campground. We have an Oceanfront site, that have an awesome general store, the pool has a chiller and it is cool an refreshing. Out of 5 stars I give them a 6!! Only downsides were water pressure was a little weak and WI-FI signal was weak too
TravelerGreat Campground. The rules can be a bit confusing at times. There are dry camping and FHU sites. Great views over the water with great sunset views. You can swim in front of the campsite, but have to walk over large rocks to get to the water and the bottom is rocky and grassy. No real beach area available. The Campground is very clean with good shower and laundry facilities.
TravelerWe had a spot on the canal for our first visit. It included an outdoor shower, outdoor living space, and a dock for getting in and out of our kayak. We loved it so much that we just booked our reservation for a second stay, this time on the bayfront side!
GuideClean bathrooms, showers and grounds. Super friendly and helpful people who run the campground. It has a waterfront and boat access. It has a short trail out of camp and short quiet bike ride on road. It is a bit expensive but I think most of them are. It is close to the main road and a bridge. It’s only drawback I can find is the noise from the main road.
LegendWe 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.
GuideWe 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.
TravelerHave been to Boyd’s a couple of times in the not so distant past and have reservations again in November. Both times stayed ocean side which is really on the water on the back bay. Sites are on the smallish side but when Boyd’s opened it was in the early 60’s when campers were small and the lots were large. Don’t let that scare you off, they make it work. Pool and deck area are well maintained and relaxing. Plenty of tropical trees and plants and warm breeze to remind you this really is paradise. Laundry facilities clean, change machine, on wall, books to thumb through as you wait. Shower houses are ample, water is hot, doors lock. Dumpsters throughout the park. Tent area for rustic camping. Dish washing area should you need it. Boat docks, launch and fish cleaning station. Pet friendly. (Hey, kids, Boyd’s gives away iguanas free of charge to anyone who can catch them. Don’t tell Mom or Dad. Let it be a surprise for when you get home.) Boyd’s is actually on Stork Island which is a stones throw to Key West. Easy and fast check in, friendly staff.
ScoutVery nice
Scout
This is the nicest KOA we had stayed at. The facilities are brand new. The location is a 10 and the staff are fantastic.
GuideGreat facilities and staff. The campground was well maintained and had dish washing spaces, clean toilets and showers, boat launches, and beaches.
Highly recommend and just a few minutes from Duval Street (by scooter which is a blast)
TravelerGreat location. Tent part of camping is sad. U cant have own fire , u cant even use that picnic table for grill. I would never again camp there in spring summer time. No see ems flies will eat u alive !!! There is a 1000000 of them. They need to take care little of that coast “ beach part “ dirty stinky. Its primitive camping and i dont think so it is worth 100$ a night? For what? There is fire every night for everyone who camp there together. Something fun should be add to that place. If you cant have fire or grill and u have to be quiet so U dont disturb ppl around. U just go there sleep and thats it. Its great location but they should give some love to that place.
TravelerWe just sold our house in the keys and bought an RV to travel in, but needed to stay local for a couple months before we could really leave on our full adventure. We stayed at Venture Out for over a month, and weren’t sure there was any point in moving from there to KOA but are glad we did. At first it seemed too open between sites and that we might just bake in the sun but it’s been a great little spot that feels more communal than “too open.” They have a great pool area with a bar and regular events such as trivia night and live music on the weekends. Our spot has two waste water hook ups so we don’t have to switch between gray and black tanks. Every site has wifi and cable Tv along with outdoor seating and fire rings. It’s got more families than Venture Out did, and has more of a resort-camp vibe than snowbird hangout. We will probably stay another week we are enjoying it so much.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular tent campsite near Key West, FL?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Key West, FL is Marathon Cottages and RV with a 0-star rating from 0 reviews.
