Searching for the perfect place to pitch your tent near Lauderdale-by-the-Sea? Find the best information on tent campgrounds near Lauderdale-by-the-Sea, including sites, reviews, and tips. From remote to easy-to-reach, these Lauderdale-by-the-Sea campsites are perfect for tent campers.
Sawgrass Recreation Park was previously a fishing camp. Over the next 30 years it transformed from a fishing camp, into a one boat airboat attraction in the 1970’s and finally became one of South Florida’s top destinations for visitors in the new millennium. In 2005, shortly after Hurricane Wilma hit, the Soverns’ family acquired Sawgrass Recreation Park. Since then, the park has expanded the exhibit areas to allow for the adoption and rescue of more reptiles and mammals. Sawgrass has also expanded community relations, offering an annual scholarship to a local student, and forging partnerships with local schools to educate students about the Florida Everglades.
Our store is well stocked with beverages, snacks, and lunch items. Tent Camping in the Everglades is primitive and available for $20.00 per site, per night. There is a maximum of 2 tents per site. Sites are available 7 days a week (reservations are required). Private guided fishing tours are available with advanced bookings (call for info). Group camping in the Everglades is also available for 20 or more campers (call for special rates). Sites are equipped with a picnic table and a campfire ring. Access to restrooms is a short walk. There are no showers on the property.
$10 / night
Boca Chita Key is only accessible by boat. No services are available on the island. Boca Chita Key is the park's most popular island. It features beautiful waterfront views, a grassy camping area, picnic tables and grills. Toilets are available, but there are no showers, sinks or drinking water. The harbor entrance at low tide is approximately four feet.__ This location is available on a first-come, first-served basis only. Visitors are required to physically arrive at the campground to purchase and claim a site. Once on-site, you can pay for your campsite(s) by scanning a QR code using the Recreation.gov mobile app.__ There is limited cellular connectivity at this location. Please download the free Recreation.gov mobile app and create an account prior to arrival.
Boca Chita Key features daytime use and overnight camping. Grills and picnic tables are in designated camping areas. A half mile hiking trail starts just east of the restrooms. The trail continues to the south end of the island and emerges near the pavilion.
Boca Chita Key features daytime use and overnight camping. Grills and picnic tables are in designated camping areas. A half mile hiking trail starts just east of the restrooms. The trail continues to the south end of the island and emerges near the pavilion.
The iconic and historic lighthouse, built by Mark Honeywell in the 1930s, guides boats to the beauty and wonders of the park. Boca Chita is the most visited island in the park. The observation deck of the 65 foot tall lighthouse provides a fantastic view of islands, bay, ocean and Miami skyline. If park employees are around they may be able to open the observation deck for viewing. A half mile hiking trail starts just east of the restrooms. The trail continues to the south end of the island and emerges near the pavilion.
Boca Chita Key is located just north of Elliott Key.
Ensure one of the designated 21 campsites is available prior to paying. Once payment is made on-site, we do not offer refunds or modifications.
$35 / night
This campground is available only to groups and/or organizations, no family camping is allowed. A.D. Barnes Park is a 65-acre park nestled in the heart of one of Miami's busiest areas. The park is dedicated to and named after the first Director of the Parks and Recreation Department, who strongly believed recreation was important to the lives of every citizen in Miami-Dade County. Since its opening in 1977, the park has integrated activities that serve people with disabilities into its programming. The Leisure Access Camp is fully accessible for persons with disabilities and is available to rent to all. The camp is surrounded by ten acres of pineland and tropical hardwoods. It features two cottages equipped with showers, a lodge, and a dining hall with full kitchen. This campground is available only to groups and/or organizations, no family camping is allowed. The cabins include 10 (twin) beds per cabin (occupancy load is 20), you can bring additional cots/sleeping bags or roll away beds. There are two fully accessible restrooms with showers in each cabin. There are Ceiling fans as well as central A/C-Heat. The Lodge / Kitchen area seats 64 with tables and 90 without tables and may be reserved for meetings or social functions. Special activities for persons with disabilities are offered at the camp, and the complex may be reserved for special programs.
$190 - $250 / night
Traveler
I loved the peace and quiet at this park. The Park rangers are amazing and you have a dog amount of space to yourself! 😊
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.
Traveler
Pros:
The grounds are nice.
The bathrooms are clean.
The playgrounds are nice.
It's pretty quiet.
Easy to book.
A lot of available spots to pick from.
Water front is nice.
Full service.
Cons: It's a little pricey for what it is ($55+ a night depending on location). WiFi doesn't have useable connection. The spaces are very close together. No extra parking. Basically one vehicle & guest parking is not close to sites at all. No fire pits or grills at the sites. There are iguanas everywhere, the place is pretty much infested with them.
Scout
I have to start by saying that I haven't been here in a few years but I went there this week and I was amazed at the transformation. It is beautiful, clean and very welcoming. Each site has new outdoor furniture and is clean. These sites are just waiting for you to pull in. The staff was very nice and went above and beyond to make sure I had everything I needed. I highly recommend a stay here. The pool is crystal clear and welcoming. It's located near many attractions and shopping. Beautiful sunset viewing across the street at Vista View Park and easy highway access. You're going to love your stay at this KOA!
TravelerI was going to rent there, but it was so crowded that we would not be able to open our awnings and we were only allowed 1 car per spot. You have to pay $6.00 a day to park your car in a lot that is some distance away. This of course is in season, so I am sure that this was why is was the way it was. It was so crowded that I could not see how our 5th wheel would fit, not how we would be able to fit it in. I am so glad we went to visit before we were to stay 3 months there
Scout
Adverse weather conditions, specifically rainfall, may impede vehicular access to and from the adjacent campsites, resulting in potential challenges navigating muddy terrain. Fortunately, our visit remained unaffected by precipitation, ensuring a pleasant and pristine experience. Additionally, a $200 down deposit is temporarily pending, with clearance contingent upon the absence of any damages to the campsite.
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.
Scout
Called to inquire pricing and was told they do not have RV sites
Scout
Good experience, this was the first campground we ever visited with our RV but it was smooth. Price was okay (I guess), front desk lady was very friendly, slot was spacey and the pool seemed nice although we didn't use it (what a shame)
Scout
Had a wonderful week at the naval station in Key West. It only cost $40 per night. All amenities were available.
ScoutLovely, well kept park with lots to do.! Quiet and clean with the nicest desk staff I have ever come across. Will definitely revisit.
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.
ScoutIt was a great time went fishing had fire s and explored nature the park office has everything.m
ScoutSmall places, very expensive, closed Pool much earlier
LegendRV park with nice and and warm pool close to Miami.
Scout
No tent camping!
Guide3 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. 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. Florida has NO dump sites at rest or service areas! What????
GuideI am writing this review to shield anyone who is camping & going through a difficult time in life, because no one deserves to be treated as we were. Unfortunately, I would never stay at this KOA ever again. It makes me very sad & upset to know that such unkind, greedy people run this campground- one of the few KOA’s in all of Florida. My family and I are going through a very rough time due to illness. We come here to be at a family wedding, to forget, to be happy & comfortable. We are big travelers all across the continental United States, and have stayed at nearly every KOA in the entire country. This is the first and hopefully last time I have ever had to write a review to protect people from coming to a campground. If you HAVE to stay here do not stay in spot 89. The KOA workers walk dogs they cannot control, that bark VERY loudly at 8AM. And all throughout the day, dogs walking past and barking. Absolute torture. We were charged for having 2 cats, $10. Never been charged for two cats that don’t leave the camper but, okay. When we got to the site, we discovered that we paid $120 for a spot with an enormous pile of dirt & construction on it. Not being dramatic. But honestly, I really didn’t care about that much. What bothered me was how they treated people. I pride myself on always being kind to people because you don’t know what anyone is going through. What bothered me was a man with facial hair on a golf cart telling me (who owns the camper & paid for the spot) to leave immediately because my sisters rental car was “not registered at the office”. He saw us come in and drove all the way back to the office to look at our registered cars. How bored and and angry at life do you have to be to care about that? Just wow. He tried to charge us money to register my pregnant sister coming to visit us for 2 hours because we “didn’t register her rental car at the office?” I have never experienced anything like that. Turns out there was one nice woman who is shorter and has dark brown hair in a ponytail, she was kind enough to tell us the TRUTH that we just had to park it in a designated spot. LOL. Why wouldn’t you tell someone that in the first place? Because you can get money out of them the first way. How cruel and greedy is that? I will never associate myself with this campground ever again. The nasty looks we received from staff during our stay was laughable. I look forward to sending a very accurate depiction of our lovely stay at the Davie KOA to the KOA Owners Association Board of Directors. I hope you desperately unhappy people can heal yourselves and find true happiness & love in this life.
Guide
The reason why I titled this “relaxing” is because I enjoy the feeling of the place! The people (mainly the snowbirds) the come down seem to be the friendliest! My favorite is their drum circles!
Guide
Although this area doesn’t have full hookups, it does provide plenty of room to camp, hike, nature view and hunting plus more!
GuideWe stayed here for two days on our way North from the Keys. 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. There was a pickle ball tournament going on which looked like fun. The pool looked nicely appointed and clean, although, we did not use it. I did feel that the bathrooms close to our site were in need of an upgrade. They rated a low 2 stars. There is a walking/Biking path around the campground perimeter which is actively used.
Guide
The campground staff was great: while going from 15% to 100% occupancy in 24 hours, they still kept up the cleanliness support, and friendliness. It was a great experience in a trying time like evacuating for a hurricane. We did hear the lions from our campsite. Sites were decent sized. Some were gravel, most weren't.
LegendThe upside? Holiday Park, while not exactly a ‘holiday’ by any stretch of the imagination, provides very quick access to I95 (it’s literally just 2 blocks away). While this may be a positive for some, obviously being located this close to a major highway is a huge bummer at the same time, given all the street noise.
But hey, if ease and convenience are important to you, than there are worse places than this. While smack dab in the middle of a concrete jungle, this place surprisingly offers a substantial amount of shade from all of the ancient Oaks and Magnolia trees that are scattered throughout. You’ll find that there are a handful of lanes to navigate around this decent sized property and while you’ll discover that there’s quite a number of RV’s that have rolled in just for the night, there’s a greater majority that have been parked here for quite some time and have no plans of leaving anytime soon.
There’s all the basic hook-ups here for RV’s (water, electric and sewage) and even a decent-sized pool for guests (although, and you guessed it, the pool sits right next to the 4-lane road that is jammed up with traffic trying to get on I95, so if you don’t like all the honking, just flip up the dial on your ghetto blaster and you’ll be just fine.
Insider’s tip? I’ll give you two. First, while there is no shortage of fast food restaurants (Wendy’s, BK, McD’s, KFC, IHOP, etc.) within just a short walk of Holiday Park, I recommend you go just a bit further off the beaten path to Moises Bakery for some excellent empanadas from Venezuela and Argentina (which are both completely different, BTW) or La Granja Parrilla & Seafood for some killer Peruvian food (ask for the Lomo Saltado and you won’t be disappointed). My only other tip would be to remind you that while you likely will be on ‘holiday’ I wouldn’t recommend you make your stay at Holiday Park more than brief. Get in late, check out early and get to your destination as quick as you can.
Happy Camping!
GuideHands down best location & customer service I have experienced. The location is gorgeous, amenities, luxurious feel, convenient services including mail delivery and door services including groceries and Uber rides. The staff here is top notch!! They became my extended family, Shout-out to Donnie, Tiffany, Nicole, Josie, Kia, Julia, and Stephanie I love Y’all
GuideWe had a short trip for about a week and other than occasional noise from loud trucks and scooters it was pretty peaceful. The neighbors were nice and kept to themselves. I did not see the facilities but the clubhouse and staff were wonderful. Our lot was spacious and fit our 38 foot rig with ease and gave us ton of space as well. The town around has very nice restaurants in Tarpon Springs but some of the area can be a little sketchy. One thing I see is that the park itself was safe.
TravelerLot of construction. Some lots tight Half park full timers Not really close to anything
Legend
Look, if you find yourself stuck in southern Florida, fleeing the traffic and mayhem of Miami or crossing the 6 hour mark, having departed Key West, then this layover in Hallandale Beach – which I must admit, has some pretty amazing beachheads with which to plant an umbrella and throw down a few towels to enjoy the best of what southern Florida has to offer – might be a terribly easy spot to rest your weary head. Located conveniently about 2 minutes off of I95, you’ll be able to reach the concrete campground that is Embassy RV Park and which will have a slab of concrete that it will gladly rent you for the night (or a week, month or longer if need be). There’s all the typical hook-ups from water, electric and sewage, a few scattered (albeit, ill-maintained and not terribly clean) bath houses / restrooms. You won’t find much in the way of community amenities like picnic tables or grills, so be sure to bring or unpack your own. While there’s not a lot in and around this concrete jungle variety RV Park apart from strip mall store-front shopping and fast food chains to dine at, you’ll have to head a decent ways to escape the crowds and overall busy traffic of the area. Net-net, if you’re in a fix for the night, then park here late and leave early in order to get to your destination where you can enjoy a great time that is likely the main reason why you are out camping or RV’ing in the first place, right?
Happy Camping!
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular tent campsite near Lauderdale-by-the-Sea, FL?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Lauderdale-by-the-Sea, FL is Quiet Waters Park with a 4.2-star rating from 5 reviews.
What is the best site to find tent camping near Lauderdale-by-the-Sea, FL?
TheDyrt.com has all 6 tent camping locations near Lauderdale-by-the-Sea, FL, with real photos and reviews from campers.
