RV parks near Lauderdale-by-the-Sea provide convenient access to South Florida attractions. Paradise Island RV Resort offers full hookup sites with concrete pads suitable for larger rigs, while Encore Sunshine Holiday and Encore Breezy Hill provide year-round availability in Pompano Beach and Fort Lauderdale. "Good experience, this was the first campground we ever visited with our RV but it was smooth. Price was okay, front desk lady was very friendly, slot was spacey," noted one Paradise Island visitor. Aztec RV Resort stands out with luxury amenities and spacious lots, though it only accommodates Class A motorhomes. Most parks feature 50-amp electrical service, water hookups, and sewer connections, with many sites having concrete pads that simplify leveling.
Several parks have limitations regarding site access and navigation. Tight turning spaces present challenges at some locations, with one Encore Sunshine Holiday visitor reporting: "I could hardly get my RV and Car Trailer through the campground." Sanitary dump stations are available at most parks, though Embassy RV Park and Sunshine Holiday received lower ratings for overall cleanliness and facilities. Pet policies vary significantly between parks, with Breezy Hill notably prohibiting pets despite being listed as pet-friendly in some directories. Traffic noise affects several properties due to their proximity to major roadways and urban areas. Most parks remain open year-round with higher occupancy during winter months when seasonal residents from Canada and northern states migrate south.
"Home away from home Peaceful Very clean quiet place"
"The location is convenient to restaurants shopping and I95 interstate. Very friendly people"
"Location was great, spaces are too tight though. I could hardly get my RV and Car Trailer through the campground. Restrooms were great and staff were helpful."
"I had no problem setting up(routed water & sewer hose around the back of my rv and the electric i passed under it using one of my crutches to pull the cord from under the rv!"
"Campground in the city, great guest services, friendly staff. Near grocery store, and everything!"
"This is an older campground with a lot of full-time RVers. The staff are extremely friendly and helpful and will do whatever they can to make you satisfied."
from $68 - $97 / night
"This campground is close to Miami and Everglades National Park along with grocery shopping. It appears that almost all sites are pull through but not spacious."
"It is a great family style campground close to Miami, Key Biscayne, and the Everglades National Forest. We used this as our landing area to enjoy the local beaches, amenities, and natural sites."
"If your looking for the ultimate location, keep looking. My wife’s mom lives right around the corner otherwise we may not have even considered Aztec."
"We had a short stay in a private lot (they are all private, I think). We stayed in 56, which was not good. It had a hot tub and hut, but the hot tub was just there for tadpoles to swim."
from $50 - $120 / night
"Close to all of the sites and attractions in Pompano, Deerfield, and Boca Raton. Nice pool and billiards room. Remodeled bathrooms."
from $75 - $85 / night
"Pros: Good location. Lots around for anything you might need. Super friendly staff. Small fenced-in dog area. Quiet accept for the train at night. Most sites are angled. Easy in and out."
"The owners are very kind, answer all your questions etc. the facilities are clean, the guests are nice and quiet."
TravelerThis is a Miami safe county campground with a lot of rules. FHUs, big rig friendly, friendly staff, clean facilities. Laundry and even has a clothesline. Big swimming pool,no lifeguards, ADA compliant. On the pricier side buy finding it normal for southern Florida campgrounds. I picked up an entire grocery bag of trash from our site upon arrival. Park allows long term stays
ScoutVery nice quiet place plenty of spots
ScoutStaff is exceptionally friendly and helpful. Two pools kept very clean. They pick up your trash at your site daily. Have packages/mail sent/pick up in office. Sites are close together with neighbor's rv 3ft from yours and hookups are on the wrong side. I had no problem setting up(routed water & sewer hose around the back of my rv and the electric i passed under it using one of my crutches to pull the cord from under the rv! I absolutely will return!
ScoutFelt safe in a gated community over looking the firehouse but also felt like maybe we were not supposed to be there and so we spent a lot of time inside our trailer.
ScoutThe location is convenient to restaurants shopping and I95 interstate. Very friendly people
ScoutIt's great to be in Fort Lauderdale, so close to activities. RV park is old, poorly kept, and crowded. Mostly long-term campers who were very friendly. Vehicles parked onto narrow black top roads. Dead leaves blown to the side but not picked up. Peeling paint in showers. Friendly staff to our faces, but overheard them being unkind when they didn't know we could hear.
LegendJust south of ‘The Magic City’ (a.k.a. Miami), you’ll come across Kendall, which while definitely NOT a destination in and of itself, it does offer one of the ONLY real campgrounds within the Miami vicinity. Here, you’ll discover Larry & Penny Thompson Park Campground, which upon arrival, immediately feels like a breath of fresh air the moment you turn in off SW 184th Street, trading bumber-to-bumper grinding traffic and endless miles of jam-packed strip malls in exchange for tall palms, shady roads and a surprisingly peaceful park setting. The campground is tucked away within a sprawling county park operated by Miami-Dade, and the vibe leans more tropical retreat than urban escape, with birds chirping, breezes moving through the trees, and a calm that makes you forget you are still very much in South Florida.
Before I get into the ‘nuts& bolts’ of Larry & Penny Thompson Park CG, allow me to share – that I had a fairly HORRIBLE experience here. So let me share some more – not to be a ‘negative Nancy’ - but rather, in the hopes you can learn from my mistakes (or rather, the omissions of this CG) and not replicate the issues I experienced for yourself, allow me to shed some light on some concerns. To begin with, if you are a tent camper (like I was in this scenario) there is NO WAY to make a reservation. You simply have to show up and IF the folks in the park office feel like there’s enough room for you to stake out a piece of land on their garbage-strewn tent camping plot of grass, they alone have the DISCRETION to ALLOW you to pay them for the privilege. Given that ALL OF THOSE WITH RVs have reservation privileges, this relegates us tent campers to ‘second class citizens.’ Second, paying $28/ night gets you basically a patch of uneven land (with more tree roots that reminded me a lot of Stranger Things with all of those root-like moving alien arms all over the ground preventing a flat piece of outdoor nirvana to be discovered) and the right to access the community bathrooms. While there is solid shade and about a half dozen bag-lined garbage bins in the tent camping area, the picnic tables are all dilapidated (unlike those in the RV area that are nearly brand new), half of the water spigots didn’t function, there are no in-ground fire rings, the stand-up grills are a joke and there is ZERO electricity. Um, so what am I paying for you ask? Great question. But this wasn’t even the worst part. So here it is: I arrived at Larry & Penny Thompson Park Campground having driven nearly 8 HOURS all the way from St. Augustine and arrived at 5:13pm only to be greeted by incredibly RUDE county park staff who could only say “Sorry, you arrived after 5pm and we don’t allow any TENT CAMPERS to arrive after 5pm.” What I found preposterous is that NOWHERE – not online, not on TheDyrt and NOT EVEN ON-SITE – does it mention that one (OK, well at least us tent campers anyway) has to arrive BEFORE 5pm. Had that vital piece of information been shared with me during 1of the 3 phone calls I made to the property before I arrived – TRUST ME – I would have arrived 13 minutes earlier. You know what the worst part about this whole experience was? Apart from the fact that I was famished and exhausted, was nearly out of gas and my cell phone just died? There was absolutely NO REASON to deny me entry for arriving 13 minutes after their (artificial) deadline. All I can say is that I’m glad Mary and Joseph didn’t have to deal with Miami-Dade County Park staff that acted like hostile and rule-abiding ‘inn keepers’ otherwise our Lord and Savior would have had no other choice, like I did, but to check in to a nearby hotel. Thankfully, I had enough Marriott Bonvoy points to spend the night at a hotel, albeit an hour away.
OK, deep breath. Let it go, I say. So I returned the next day, registered my complaints and stayed for 2 nights. With this, the rest of my experience (apart from what had been previously noted) was a fairly positive one.
Before I move on, you're probably scratching your head saying "Why did this guy return after such a horrible experience?" Well, because it is the reason most choose to stay here - it is nearly the ONLY campground in the Miami, so it's either shell out $200 or $300 a night for a hotel or sleep under the stars.
The campground itself is fairly decent size with – count ‘em– not 3, not 7, but a total of 11 RV parking ‘pods’ (think small loops with about 20 slots in each) that have been thoughtfully laid out, with over 200 sites total offering full hookups, paved pads and a mix of sun and shade depending on your preference. Sites are mostly level and easy to navigate (even for larger setups) with the roads being wide enough to remove whatever stress you may be dealing with upon arrival. Amenities are strong across the board, including clean restrooms, intermittent hot showers (some days they were hot, some days they were ice cold, but no matter the day, the pressure was always incredibly low), pay-for-play laundry facilities, a few scattered playgrounds, an amenity center that offers up a large screen TV, lending library, DVDs and ample space for group gatherings. The best amenities? The amazing community pool located right next to the community center (note: only open between 10am– 5pm, so if you’ve come here because of work, that’s a bummer, unless you can work from the pool, which I couldn’t) and the freshwater lake with a sandy beach that feels like a built-in bonus for families. Oh, and during the summertime, there’s a waterslide facility that looks AMAZING! The park is pet-friendly, somewhat well-maintained if you’re not staying in the tent area (which, unfortunately, I was) and has a safe, welcoming feel throughout.
Beyond the campground, you are perfectly positioned to explore both nature and convenience. The park itself has miles of paved biking and walking trails, plus open green spaces and water access for a relaxing afternoon. Just a short drive away, you will find grocery options like Publix Super Market, Walmart Supercenter and additional essentials along US-1 along with a Costco that’s only like 20 minutes away. If you are looking to explore further, Biscayne National Park offers boating and snorkeling opportunities, while Miami Zoo is practically next door for an easy family outing. Not too far away from here you can also find fast food and casual dining spots for a bite to eat in case you grow tired of black beans w/ hot dogs for the third meal in a row.
Insider’s tips? Here’s a handful: (1) Aim for sites deeper into the loops for more shade and less road noise; (2) The freshwater lake and beach area are perfect for kids to cool off on warm afternoons; (3) Bring bikes as the paved trails throughout the park are ideal for cruising; (4) Keep an eye out for iguanas and wading birds around the water’s edge; (5) Shade varies quite a bit so a canopy can be helpful on sunnier sites - but if you are tent camping, you won't really need any shade, unless you want to be protected from the intermittent rains; (6) For a great nearby bite, check out Shiver’s BBQ at 28001 S Dixie Hwy, Homestead, FL 33033; (7) You will hear non-stop urban noise and traffic from anywhere in this campground, so while you may be shuddered from the noise inside your RV or camper, you won't be so lucky inside a tent, so if that bothers you, bring earplugs; and (8) OH, how could I forget!!! Don’t arrive here AFTER 5PM!!!
Happy Camping!
ScoutGreat campground near Biscayne and Everglades National Parks.
ScoutNice campground, well maintained, County operated. Some road noise. Clean showers and laundry. Sites and roads are paved. Adjacent to Zoo Miami.
RV campgrounds near Lauderdale-by-the-Sea, Florida provide access to the region's coastal amenities while situated in a subtropical climate zone that averages 3,000 hours of sunshine annually. Most parks experience their highest occupancy from December through March when temperatures range from 60-80°F. Urban location means campgrounds often face space constraints with many nestled between commercial developments and major roadways.
Beach access: 1-mile proximity: Several RV parks offer convenient beach access, though transportation is required. One visitor at Del Raton RV Park noted, "I love that this is about a mile from my favorite beach spot, A1A, and few miles from all things Delray Beach!"
Baseball games: seasonal opportunity: During spring training and regular season, campers can catch Miami Marlins games. A camper at Encore Miami Everglades shared, "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."
Walking trails: daily exercise: Several parks feature walking paths for morning or evening strolls. "There is a walking/Biking path around the campground perimeter which is actively used," reported one visitor to Encore Miami Everglades.
Concrete pads: easier leveling: Many sites feature concrete pads and patios that simplify RV setup. A reviewer at Del Raton RV Park appreciated, "Nice concrete patio and gravel sites. Beautiful St. Augustine grass (watered nightly) Water, power and Sewer are all close together."
Swimming pools: cooling option: Several parks maintain swimming facilities, though hours may be restricted. At Encore Miami Everglades, a visitor observed, "It's a huge pool but they only let 20 in at a time."
Gated security: peace of mind: Some parks offer controlled access. A reviewer at Encore Breezy Hill noted it was "Gated for safety" though also mentioned, "This place has seen better days and the hook ups are not in the best locations."
Site layouts: tight spacing: Most parks have limited room between RVs. At Paradise Island RV Resort, a camper explained, "3 campers and two RVs crammed into overflow. NO full hookups as indicated over the phone. Showers NOT in the 'bath house' adjacent to these crummy sites."
Language considerations: seasonal residents: Some parks have large Canadian populations, which affects social dynamics. A visitor at Encore Breezy Hill noted, "Very large population of french speaking Canadians. Most don't/won't speak english. Hard to make any friends if you don't speak french."
Water quality: check upon arrival: Always confirm water safety with management. One camper at Encore Miami Everglades warned, "We were only informed upon arrival that the campground's well water contained fecal matter and was a potential source of E. coli. This failure to provide a safety warning ahead of time was irresponsible."
Pool rules: verify policies: Pools at RV campgrounds may have strict capacity limits or age restrictions. A family at Encore Miami Everglades mentioned, "Lots of kids in the hot tub and the pool, if you could even get in. It's a huge pool but they only let 20 in at a time."
Weekend office closures: plan ahead: Some parks have limited staffing on weekends. A family at Encore Sunshine Holiday reported, "There is no one in the office on the weekends. If you arrive late you have to do everything online. All the site numbers are signed online."
Playground availability: limited options: Most parks lack dedicated children's play areas. One parent testing gear at Encore Miami Everglades shared, "Myself, my husband, and our 2 year old son recently started camping as a family. We originally chose Miami Everglades RV Resort as a site to test our new equipment."
Class A exclusivity: check restrictions: Some luxury parks only accept specific RV types. A visitor at Aztec RV Resort pointed out, "They 'prefer' newer RVs and only allow class A."
Navigation challenges: tight turns: Maneuvering larger rigs requires careful planning. A camper at Del Raton noted, "Larger rigs will have a hard time maneuvering in and out. Not much room to park a vehicle."
Dump station location: check access: Some parks have awkwardly positioned sanitary stations. A Paradise Island visitor warned, "The dumpsite is between the office and the fence. This requires you to back into position or drive down a narrow path and make 3 tight turns."
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular RV campsite near Lauderdale-by-the-Sea, FL?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular RV campground near Lauderdale-by-the-Sea, FL is Encore Breezy Hill with a 2.8-star rating from 6 reviews.
What is the best site to find RV camping near Lauderdale-by-the-Sea, FL?
TheDyrt.com has all 43 RV camping locations near Lauderdale-by-the-Sea, FL, with real photos and reviews from campers.
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