Best Campgrounds near Marathon Shores, FL

The Florida Keys near Marathon Shores feature a range of coastal camping opportunities along the Overseas Highway. Curry Hammock State Park Campground and Jolly Roger RV Resort offer established sites with ocean views and water access. The area includes options for tent camping, RV hookups, and cabin rentals, with several parks providing waterfront sites. Campgrounds generally have electric and water hookups, with many offering picnic tables and designated areas for both tent and RV camping. Bahia Honda State Park provides some of the most scenic waterfront camping in the region, situated where the Atlantic Ocean meets the Gulf of Mexico.

Most campgrounds in the Florida Keys require reservations well in advance, especially during winter months when snowbirds migrate south. Sites at popular parks like Bahia Honda and Curry Hammock often book up 11 months ahead. The region experiences tropical conditions with high humidity and occasional mosquito activity, particularly during summer months. Hurricane season (June through November) can affect camping plans, as evidenced by recovery efforts at some campgrounds following previous storms. Cell service is generally reliable throughout the Keys. Most campgrounds offer clean facilities but limited privacy between sites. A camper noted, "We stayed in site #17 which was waterfront but you can't access the water from the site. There is a lot of bush between the water and the site so you walk down a little and take the path to the water."

The Atlantic Ocean and Gulf waters provide the primary backdrop for camping experiences in the Marathon Shores area. Several campgrounds offer direct water access for kayaking, paddleboarding, and fishing. Campgrounds like Buttonwood at Bahia Honda State Park receive high ratings for their beach access and swimming opportunities. Visitors frequently mention wildlife sightings including manatees, deer, and various bird species. A review highlighted, "The view of the old bridge is amazing. We've stayed in several sites yet do have some favorites. You need to book 11 months in advance to get on the water or maybe you luck out if someone cancels." Many campgrounds feature communal fire pits and gathering areas, though some waterfront sites have fire restrictions. The Keys' unique ecosystem and water access remain the main draws for campers, with proximity to snorkeling, boating, and fishing opportunities.

Best Camping Sites Near Marathon Shores, Florida (44)

    1. Curry Hammock State Park Campground

    23 Reviews
    Marathon Shores, FL
    4 miles
    Website
    +1 (305) 289-2690

    $36 / night

    "Curry Hammock State Park, located at mile marker 56, is just outside of Marathon in the Florida Keys on the Atlantic side of US 1."

    "There is a lot of bush between the water & the site so you walk down a little & take the path to the water. It was a little hotter being in the sun & having the wind blocked by the brush."

    2. Buttonwood Campground — Bahia Honda State Park

    32 Reviews
    Big Pine Key, FL
    15 miles
    Website
    +1 (305) 872-2353

    $36 / night

    "The Florida Keys can be an expensive place to stay so this campground is a nice inexpensive alternative. It can be buggy and of course, hot...it is Florida after all."

    "One of my favorite places in the Florida keys. The scenery is pristine. Very full most of the time it takes a few months in advance to get a spot sometimes a year out."

    3. Jolly Roger RV Resort

    16 Reviews
    Marathon Shores, FL
    7 miles
    Website
    +1 (305) 289-0404

    $125 - $138 / night

    "The best place centrally located in the Florida keys."

    "Loves walking near water!!!"

    4. Encore Sunshine Key

    19 Reviews
    Big Pine Key, FL
    13 miles
    Website
    +1 (888) 707-1477

    "It is located in a great area of the keys, so it is a nice drive to Key West, or you can visit several trails close by."

    "It is a fair distance from Key West, about a half hour drive. This location does have all the amenities you wake me though."

    5. Grassy Key RV Park & Resort

    7 Reviews
    Marathon Shores, FL
    7 miles
    Website
    +1 (305) 289-1606

    6. Rustic RV

    11 Reviews
    Big Pine Key, FL
    14 miles
    Website

    "This place has a breathtaking view you feel as if you are on some other island vacation when you are really just on the mainland of Florida highly recommend"

    "This place is usually on everyone's list that is driving through the Florida Keys. Absolutely gorgeous, especially during low tide."

    7. Encore Fiesta Key

    17 Reviews
    Islamorada, Village of Islands, FL
    18 miles
    Website
    +1 (888) 707-1477

    "Great location to most of the Florida Keys. Super dog friendly and everyone seems to be loving it here. Has everything you need or want here."

    "I love coming here and just walking around the water area you see tons of fish and lobsters."

    8. Big Pine Key RV Park

    18 Reviews
    Big Pine Key, FL
    19 miles
    Website
    +1 (305) 872-2351

    "Good central location with access to upper and lower keys."

    "We stayed here a week our site #99 is right on the water next to the fire pit. Nice view with full hook up, a picnic table, sites are tight with no privacy."

    9. Bayside Campground — Bahia Honda State Park

    8 Reviews
    Big Pine Key, FL
    15 miles
    Website
    +1 (305) 872-2353

    $36 - $120 / night

    "Clean camp sites with electric and water besides a handful of sites located in the tent only section. It is water only."

    "It is really neat to walk on the old bridge, and learning the history of it."

    10. Long Key State Park Campground

    8 Reviews
    Islamorada, Village of Islands, FL
    15 miles
    Website
    +1 (305) 664-4815

    $23 / night

    "Long Key campground is positioned right next to US 1 so you can hear traffic throughout the night. This campground offers waterfront campsites that you can paddle from. The views are amazing."

    "I loved unzipping my tent and being 15 feet away from the water.  It is difficult to get a site here, they go fast.  But I have had luck just showing up and getting in because someone else cancelled."

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Recent Reviews near Marathon Shores, FL

396 Reviews of 44 Marathon Shores Campgrounds


  • A
    Sep. 25, 2025

    Bayside Campground — Bahia Honda State Park

    Beautiful but SO MANY RATS

    We’ve stayed at the other part of the campground and it was amazing. This half of the campground is beautiful but there are just SO many rats here. They get into everything and are completely shameless. You can barely scare them away! That combined with little voracious mosquitos totally overwhelmed us on our stay.

    Again, it’s really beautiful and quiet over there, but it’s hard to enjoy when each night is filled with the sounds of fighting rats and each morning starts with cleaning rat droppings off our things and inspecting the previous night’s damage. Camp in the main campground instead!

  • Amanda W.
    Aug. 31, 2025

    Sugarloaf Key/Key West KOA Resort

    Way better than Boyds!

    Clean, modern, excellent landscaping & site options. Beautiful pool, huge hot tub & hammock area. Extremely friendly & helpful staff. Only 15 mins north of Boyd’s and a thousand times better. Boat ramp, kayak launch, private beach, small dog park/run. Full hookups, laundry & shower/bath house. Trash pickup all day.

  • RThe Dyrt PRO User
    Jul. 29, 2025

    Flamingo Campground — Everglades National Park

    Nice Campground in a great place

    We stayed at flamingo in late June at the start of the hot/rainy/buggy season.  We stayed in the camper loop (T loop) of the campground.  Because it was the off season there were times when we were the only ones in that loop of the campground.  During the evening a couple other campers would come in, but there were stretches during the day that it was empty.  Our son loved this because he could ride his bike all around the campground to his hearts content.  

    We did not find the bugs to be too terrible (although the gage on the wall of the visitor center had them just slightly into the "horrible" range).  We live in Michigan's U.P. so we have a fairly high bug tolerance.  There were some portions of the park that a bit of bug spray worked just fine, but others where we were glad we had bug shirts.

    The bathrooms were decent, although the water was never quite hot due to it being solar heated.

    The overall park amenities were nice.  We enjoyed our visit and got to see a lot of the famous wildlife.

    Nice place, would happily visit again.

  • aThe Dyrt PRO User
    Jul. 19, 2025

    Leo's Campground

    Nice campground

    This was a very nice and clean campground. The lots were a little tight but it worked. Close to Key West. There are no bath houses or laundry but there were several tiki huts with outdoor games and fire pits placed around the campground. Overall a great place to stay

  • Ernesto H.The Dyrt PRO User
    Jun. 27, 2025

    Long Key State Park Campground

    Es tranquilo pero no se puede hacer mucho

    Es tranquilo pero no se puede hacer mucho. No se puede acampar allí desde hace años por "reparaciones" y en la Web dice que esta cerrado desde el 2018 hasta el 2050? No entiendo eso, es de risa. Hay baños, la entrada son 5 dólares por vehículo, puedes acampar durante el día y hace barbecue. Hay cestos de basura.

  • Denis P.The Dyrt PRO User
    Jun. 19, 2025

    Curry Hammock State Park Campground

    Peaceful Shore Access, Well-Designed Sites, Some Bugs in June

    A well-kept campground with just enough greenery between sites to suggest a whisper of privacy — rare and welcome. The real charm, though, is the direct access to the shoreline. Not exactly a swimmer’s paradise, but perfect for sitting in quiet contemplation, watching the light play on the water and pretending — briefly — that time isn’t real.

    The sites are leveled, clean, and smartly set up. I had barely started wondering how I’d stake down the tent against the wind when I noticed the perimeter already fitted with anchor rings. A small detail, but one that says: “We’ve thought this through.”

    Power and water? All good. Bathrooms and showers? Clean, well-maintained, no notes. There’s no A/C, only a ceiling fan — which worked fine until the midday sun decided to get philosophical about what "shade" really means.

    We camped with a tent in June, and while the breeze was nice, the ants liked our car and the mosquitoes liked us, sprays or not. Still, it’s a solid campground — quiet, thoughtful, and worth the stay. I’d absolutely recommend it.

    Starlink - excellent coverage

  • Denis P.The Dyrt PRO User
    Jun. 17, 2025

    John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park Campground

    Functional RV Campground, Great Starlink Signal, Good for a Quick Stop

    We stayed one night in June with a tent - and that felt just right. This is a large, RV-oriented campground where sites come with water and power, even if you're pitching canvas rather than parking chrome.

    Privacy is minimal - the spaces are close, separated by the occasional brave shrub or decorative palm. Restrooms and showers work, but very much in the mist of centuries past. Be prepared to walk, and leave expectations of modern sparkle at the gate.

    The mosquitoes were determined, but so were we (some sprays do help). The ranger at check-in was warm, helpful, and probably the best-maintained part of the place.

    Our Starlink connection was excellent — wide open sky and solid signal made remote work completely doable.

    Not a hidden gem, but for a one-night stop, it did the job.

  • Paul Y.The Dyrt PRO User
    Apr. 25, 2025

    Flamingo Campground — Everglades National Park

    Good location for coastal Everglades, kayaking, fishing - but little shade and potential water issues.

    MAKE SURE YOU TAKE EXTRA WATER, OR FILL YOUR TANKS. We stayed three nights in T-loop, site 42 in mid-April. Only a handful of sites have any shade, so be sure to request shade when making reservations and you may get lucky like us. No water at sites, any only some have electricity. Potable water at bathroom unless pump goes out. It was towards the end of the busy season, so only one of two bathrooms were open. But the one bathroom was clean. Lots of angler groups, so a little noisy at night, but all in all they were respectful. Out last night the water went out and all bathrooms in all loops were closed. Apparently this can be common with pump going out. Understand things happen, but communication was horrible. Just a sign on bathroom that it was closed, no water. No indication that we should go to the visitor center for toilets, sinks. And the next morning the water was back on, but only put up boil advisory sign at CG entrance, not at bathrooms. So people using sinks without knowing water was compromised. Again, awful communication, especially when this happens with some regularity. ONLY AT&T SERVICE, with Wi-Fi at visitor center one mile away.

  • Joe S.The Dyrt PRO User
    Apr. 24, 2025

    Sugarloaf Key/Key West KOA Resort

    Amazing 6 night stay

    KOA Patio with premium water view. Beautiful campground. More like a resort. Nice pool, bar and good food. Well equipped store. Beach area too! Landscaping is immaculate.


Guide to Marathon Shores

Marathon Shores camping options span the Gulf and Atlantic sides of the Florida Keys, with elevations rarely exceeding 3-5 feet above sea level. The area experiences distinct seasonal changes despite its tropical climate, with winter (November-April) temperatures averaging 70-80°F and summer highs reaching 90-95°F with humidity levels often exceeding 80%. Camping in this region typically requires 11-15 months of advance planning for peak season reservations.

What to do

Kayaking through mangroves: Launch from Curry Hammock State Park Campground where visitors can paddle along established trails. "Great kayaking and swimming on side beach. Great bird watching and great time of year to visit. Restaurants uncrowded," notes Diana R. The park offers rental equipment and access to both shallow Gulf waters and Atlantic paddling routes.

Fishing from dedicated areas: At Big Pine Key RV Park, campers can fish directly from the property. "Location is amazing... Perfect kayak launch, boat launch/marina, and bridge fishing," explains Erika R. The campground provides walk-in access to fishing under the bridge where tarpon are frequently spotted.

Wildlife watching opportunities: Visit Sunshine Key RV Resort for marine wildlife viewing from their marina. "You can see all kinds of fish, sharks, jelly fish and manatees. Love, love, love this RV resort!" according to Lyf Uninterrupted. The clear waters around the docks provide excellent viewing conditions without requiring snorkeling gear.

What campers like

Waterfront access: Jolly Roger RV Resort offers direct Gulf access from their camping area. "We were lucky enough to get campsite number 150 and we were about 1 min walk to the water and pier area. This campground does not have a beach but it has water access and the water was amazing and calm," reports Ilena R., who recommends bringing water shoes due to rocky conditions.

Seasonal timing advantages: October through early December visits to Curry Hammock State Park Campground offer fewer crowds. According to Diana R., "Great time of year to visit. Restaurants uncrowded." This timing avoids both hurricane season peak and winter high season crowds.

Privacy between sites: Some campgrounds offer more separation than others. At Buttonwood Campground, "A well-kept campground with just enough greenery between sites to suggest a whisper of privacy — rare and welcome," notes Denis P. This feature contrasts with many Keys campgrounds where sites typically have limited separation.

What you should know

Reservation timing requirements: Marathon area campgrounds book exceptionally far in advance. For Buttonwood Campground — Bahia Honda State Park, "The view of the old bridge is amazing. We've stayed in several sites yet do have some favorites. You need to book 11 months in advance to get on the water or maybe you luck out if someone cancels," suggests a reviewer.

Insect preparation essential: No-see-ums and mosquitoes can be problematic, particularly during summer months. "We managed to survive the heat by purchasing an easy up to cover our tent. During the day we only wore swimsuits and stayed wet by dousing ourselves with buckets of water. The no-see-ums were prevalent in the late afternoon. Deep woods off heavily applied along with long sleeve sun shirts, light weight capris and a head/face scarf helped us enjoy the sunsets," advises Denise K.

Limited shade availability: Many sites throughout the Keys offer minimal natural shade. A visitor to Buttonwood Campground notes, "There's no A/C, only a ceiling fan — which worked fine until the midday sun decided to get philosophical about what 'shade' really means." Consider bringing additional shade structures during summer months.

Tips for camping with families

Swimming access variations: At Grassy Key RV Park & Resort, "We stayed here for a week, its a little pricey but so is everything in the keys. We had a water front space and the view was amazing," reports Ronald C. Most oceanfront campgrounds feature rocky rather than sandy beach access, requiring water shoes for children.

Playground facilities: Sunshine Key RV Resort offers "Great playground for the kids," according to Lyf Uninterrupted, making it suitable for families with younger children. This amenity complements the water activities and provides alternative recreation options.

Educational opportunities: Bahia Honda State Park features interpretive trails and historical exhibits about the old railroad bridge. "It is really neat to walk on the old bridge, and learning the history of it," notes Whitley K. These educational features provide learning opportunities beyond water recreation.

Tips from RVers

Site sizing considerations: Many Marathon area campgrounds feature compact sites. At Big Pine Key RV Park, an RVer notes, "Only complaint is how incredibly tight it all is. We had a helluva time maneuvering our 35ft tt into space- had to have four neighbors move their vehicles and lots of help. Landscaping is pretty but trees on each site aren't really slide out friendly."

Utility hookup specifics: Most Marathon area campgrounds offer water and electric, but amperage varies. Curry Hammock State Park Campground provides "Paved sites with electric and water hookups at all sites," according to Roger W., who notes that solar is also viable at most sites when hookups aren't available.

Surface conditions: Many of the best places to camp near Marathon Shores, Florida have specific parking pad materials that affect leveling and stabilization. Roger W. notes about Curry Hammock, "Site surface: Paved," while other campgrounds feature crushed coral or gravel surfaces that may require additional stabilization equipment.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is the most popular campground near Marathon Shores, FL?

According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular campground near Marathon Shores, FL is Curry Hammock State Park Campground with a 4.3-star rating from 23 reviews.