Best Tent Camping near Miami Beach, FL

Tent camping opportunities near Miami Beach, Florida are predominantly found on offshore islands in Biscayne National Park, with several additional options in nearby park facilities. Boca Chita Key and Elliott Key offer boat-accessible tent sites within the national park, providing views of the Miami skyline across aqua waters. Quiet Waters Park in Deerfield Beach, approximately 38 miles north of Miami Beach, provides established tent sites with more amenities, while Sawgrass Recreation Park offers a limited number of primitive tent sites.

Access to most tent camping areas near Miami Beach requires watercraft, as the premier camping destinations are located on islands. Boca Chita Key and Elliott Key are only accessible by private boat or charter, with no ferry service available for campers. The tent sites at Biscayne National Park cost $25 per night for up to six people, with payment collected via iron ranger. Facilities are minimal, with flush toilets at Boca Chita Key but no drinking water, showers, or trash service. Campers must pack in all supplies, including drinking water, and pack out all waste. Weather conditions can impact camping experiences significantly, with storm potential requiring adequate shelter.

The tent camping experience near Miami Beach offers unique water-based recreation opportunities. Sites on Elliott Key and Boca Chita Key provide direct access to swimming, snorkeling, kayaking, and fishing in the protected waters of Biscayne National Park. The islands feature small hiking trails and beaches for water access. Tent campers at these locations should prepare for variable noise levels, as tour boats and other boaters frequently visit the islands. A recent review noted, "Between generators and music, it's not a quiet island. Tour boats from the park bring crowds a couple of times a day." Wildlife viewing opportunities include over 500 species of fish and coral reefs, making these tent sites ideal for marine nature enthusiasts.

Best Tent Sites Near Miami Beach, Florida (6)

    1. Boca Chita Key — Biscayne National Park

    2 Reviews
    Cutler Bay, FL
    20 miles
    Website
    +1 (305) 230-1144

    $25 - $60 / night

    "There's a small trail around the wooded end of the island. 

    You can stay on your boat or pitch a tent on the island."

    "It has a beautiful waterfront view and plenty of picnic tables. Toilets are available but no showers, sinks or drinking water. We enjoyed our stay there but remember to bring bug spray!"

    2. AD Barnes Park - Group Camping Facility

    Be the first to review!
    South Miami, FL
    12 miles
    Website
    +1 (305) 666-5885

    $190 - $250 / night

    3. Elliott Key — Biscayne National Park

    4 Reviews
    Cutler Bay, FL
    25 miles
    Website
    +1 (305) 230-1144

    $25 - $60 / night

    "A boat is needed to reach these campgrounds and are tent only. No reservations."

    "We saw a ton of wildlife, beautiful waters, and views. Unfortunately, there's a TON of liter (not the park's fault, just dirty people who don't care about the environment)."

    4. Sawgrass Recreation Park

    3 Reviews
    Weston, FL
    31 miles
    Website
    +1 (888) 424-7262

    $10 / night

    "Luckily, the weather stayed nice during our visit, making it a really pleasant trip. A $200 deposit is also pending, subject to a damage inspection of the campsite."

    "Sawgrass Recreation area primary businesses are airboat tours and petting zoo, however they have a small primitive campsite at the back as well. I was trying to ride my bicycle from Ft."

    5. Quiet Waters Park

    5 Reviews
    Deerfield Beach, FL
    34 miles
    Website
    +1 (954) 357-5100

    "We brought our kayaks and played around. Had a lot of space to walk our dogs. It was really a great time!"

    "Good location in the middle of urban area, cabins to rent. We’ve used for daycamp without overnight, but you can do that if you want"

    6. Frog Hammock

    1 Review
    Doral, FL
    38 miles
    Website

    "Nice place to get away from everything."

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Tent Camping Reviews near Miami Beach, FL

142 Reviews of 6 Miami Beach Campgrounds


  • Jean C.The Dyrt PRO User
    Feb. 28, 2020

    Mitchell Landing Campground — Big Cypress National Preserve

    Primitive Campground in a National Preserve

    This is a primitive campground off the loop road south of Tamiami trail through Big Cypress National Preserve. The first couple of sites have large parking pads for campgrounds hosts that were unoccupied when I was there.  Sites are first-come, first served and you'll have a choice of sites that are tucked away behind brush and trees or large, more open sites. There's no drinking water available. There are vault toilets available that were clean. Few of the sites were occupied in late January. At the back of the campground there is airboat access to backcountry trails in the Stairsteps section of the Big Cypress Preservel elsewhere along the loop road you may be able to use swamp buggies and ATVs. There are extensive rules and permitting to take your vehicle on these trails as well as online training requirements, so check them out on the Big Cypress website. 

    Sites are $24/night, half price if you have a Senior pass or Access pass, though to be honest I didn't see any envelopes for payments and the campers I spoke with indicated they weren't paying anything. You can stay 10 nights during peak season (Jan-Apr), 14 consecutive nights the rest of the year. They  have picnic tables (look at the end of the table for the site number), fire rings, and lantern poles. Bearboxes provide food protection if you don't have a hardsided vehicle. You're in a panther habitat.

  • Jean C.The Dyrt PRO User
    Jan. 29, 2020

    Pinecrest Group Campground — Big Cypress National Preserve

    Large clearing for group camping

    The only indication that you have reached the turn off for Pinecrest group campground is the brown tent sign. The sign for the campground itself is parallel to the road, so you won't see it until you are upon it. You'll need to reserve a campsite online in advance. Otherwise the gate to the campground is locked. Each of the 4 sites can accommodate 15 campers/8 tents as they are paired in such a way that sites 1&2 are together and 3&4 occupy a separate corner, perfect if you're group requires two sites.. Each site has a picnic table, fire ring, and half of a bear box; extra tables were gathered in the center. There are vault toilets, but no running water. Plenty to do in the area...fishing, birding, boating, hinting. Explore the preserve or neighboring Everglades. It's off the gravel loop road south of Tamiami Trail Rd.

  • Sara B.
    Jan. 10, 2021

    Long Pine Key Campground — Everglades National Park

    FORGET IT

    DYRT IS WRONG, NO ELECTRIC AT ANY SITE and NO WATER AT SITES. If you are dry camping, go for it, IF your reservation exists when you arrive!  We booked a site, arrived and they did not have any record of our reservation.

    The showers are solar and only hot in the middle of the day.  Forget a shower at night if you get in late.   NO Generators after 8 PM.

  • paul W.The Dyrt PRO User
    Apr. 8, 2023

    Mitchell Landing Campground — Big Cypress National Preserve

    Loved this place

    I was the only one camping. Loved it. Saw a bobcat and a billion alligators. The best fresh water fishing around is close to this campground. No water. Clean vault. Great hosts, very knowledgeable about the area, Brent and Tim. Beautiful country. Fire ban has been in effect in Big Cypress. End of the campground there is an airboat launch that was cool to watch. Did I mention fishing❓‼️ Peacock bass galore. Largemouth,warmouth, bowfin, gar and many imports. Hope you enjoy this area as much as I did

  • Ioana Z.
    Mar. 14, 2022

    Markham Park Campground

    Great Campsite for all ages

    Was a part of a large organized group of campers staying in The Heron preserve. The section is designated “primitive” but it does have full single person male & female restrooms, as well as electricity and water. It has plenty of picnic tables, a path to the lake, and woods to explore via trails. There are some pretty interesting pieces of history leftover behind the camping field.

    During the day, there is noise pollution due to jet skis on the water, and the gun range located across the path. However, at night (when it really matters) it is completely silent except for local wildlife. It’s a lovely place to wake up to in the morning.

    Note: The perimeter of the area is lined with a sturdy fence that can technically be closed via gate. We always felt safe, and would definitely return. Great place for kids to repeat visit and build memories.

  • Lee D.The Dyrt PRO User
    Dec. 31, 2022

    Long Pine Key Campground — Everglades National Park

    Meh

    General: 107-site developed campground in Everglades National Park that has been outsourced to Flamingo Adventures. Sites are assigned based on the length of your camper. No hookups at all. Pricing is based on weekdays/weekends and a 10% discount is available for seniors/military/park pass holders. You do have to pay the National Park entrance fee. 

    Site Quality: Driveways are all paved. The sites are a generous size. Most of the sites on the perimeter best accommodate smaller rigs while larger ones are on the connector roads. All sites are flat and level. A picnic table and fire ring complete the site, which is grass. Some foliage provides privacy between sites. 

    Bath/Shower: The showers are in separate buildings from the restrooms; there are three in the campground, each with eight showers. I didn’t use the shower so cannot comment on how well they worked. The restrooms were clean but there were no ADA-accessible stalls (a surprise to me, especially in a national park). I am 5 feet, 115 pounds, and the stalls were a tight fit for me; it would be a real challenge for a larger person. In my three times in the restroom after dark, the light was only on once. I could not see a light switch so have no idea what turns the light on. My last beef with the bathroom is that there is no paved or gravel path leading to the restrooms (and you are warned about snakes, scorpions, fire ants, and other wildlife) so this made no sense to me. 

    Activities: There is an amphitheater but not sure when/if programs are offered (we were there at the very beginning of the season and just ahead of Hurricane Nicole). A nature trail but did not explore. You can fish in the small lake. Rainy day movies about the Everglades are available in the Ernest F. Coe Visitor Center. 

    Other: A major beef for me was that recycling bins were located throughout the camp for mixed recyclables, but they were all locked! We asked and were told that the bins were put there by the park service but the waste company the campground uses refuses to pick up the recycling! Three years later, the bins are still there! 

    We arrived just ahead of a tropical storm that mostly affected areas north of the Everglades, but my estimation is that no more than a half dozen other sites were occupied when we were there so our stay was very quiet (generators are only allowed 8 am– 8 pm and we were told this upon arrival; we don’t have one so this was not a problem for us). 

    This was just an overnight stop for us as we headed to the Keys but I’m not sure I’d want to spend longer than one night.

  • L O.
    Oct. 25, 2020

    Oleta River State Park Campground

    Florida's largest urban park, 30-minutes from downtown Miami

    Hard to believe that this oasis is so close to major urban centers, but it's true. It boasts 15-miles of trails in more than 1,000 acres! You can bike, snorkel, paddle, run, picnic, rent cabins, primitive camp, and even get married. No bugs during the day. Some bike trails get flooded and are closed sometimes. The website gives the latest updates. It's quite easy to get to the park from I-95 or US-1. In October, some of the pavilions remained closed unfortunately. They have water spigots but no electricity. Lots of kayaks available as can be seen in the pictures and videos. Super ample parking. Youth programs. The only thing missing is water/electric tent sites!

  • D
    Feb. 8, 2023

    Homespun Farm

    Too expensive, no amenities

    I called the owner to ask if the campsite is ready (per last review it wasn't ready in October). We wanted to book one week stay in February. The campsite is still quite not ready (no electricity, no water, no bathroom), but the owner would agree to one week stay. The app says $25-$50 per day. Which made me thinking, since it's not season yet, there's no amenities, that he would charge us ~$25. I was wrong, firm $50 price per night and no negotiations. Well, I wish him good luck doing business, you can find better campgrounds for much cheaper.


Guide to Miami Beach

Tent campsites near Miami Beach, Florida require boating knowledge and extensive preparation. Most camping destinations lie on offshore islands with minimal facilities and strict regulations. During dry season (December-April), temperatures range from 60-80°F, while hurricane season (June-November) brings higher humidity, afternoon thunderstorms, and potential tropical storms.

What to do

Water exploration: Explore coral reefs at Elliott Key where visitors can enjoy snorkeling, diving, and kayaking. "Biscayne National Park is almost entirely water. Enjoy snorkeling, kayaking, and everything water," notes Lindsay B. The park offers diverse marine ecosystems with varying visibility conditions.

Wildlife viewing: Observe over 500 species of fish and native wildlife throughout the camping areas. Brenda K. reports that Boca Chita Key is "home to many animals and plants with over 500 species of fish. Beautiful coral reefs." Bring binoculars for bird watching and underwater cameras for marine life.

Hiking: Follow small trails on Elliott Key for views of the shoreline and interior landscape. Trails range from 0.5 to 2 miles, providing moderate exercise options. "There's a ton to see there, and I wish we could have spent more time to be able to do a private boat tour or go snorkeling," shares Elizabeth G.

What campers like

Island seclusion: Frog Hammock offers a truly remote experience away from urban noise. Pavel T. describes it as "a beautiful campground. Nice place to get away from everything." This free campsite requires hiking access and provides no facilities.

Sunset views: Waterfront camping at multiple locations provides unobstructed sunset vistas across Biscayne Bay. "When it was nice out, it was good fishing and nice sunsets," reports Leah W. about Elliott Key. Group sites accommodate up to 18 people with shelter access during inclement weather.

Convenience: Sawgrass Recreation Park provides accessible camping within driving distance of Miami Beach. "This place saved my buddy and I. Didn't book ahead anywhere else in town and ended up stumbling into this little gem," writes Finn H. The park maintains only two tent sites, which fill quickly during peak season.

What you should know

Limited facilities: Most island camping requires complete self-sufficiency. Drinking water availability varies by location, with Elliott Key providing potable water but Boca Chita Key requiring campers to bring their own. "Bring potable water," advises one visitor about island camping.

Weather vulnerability: Storm shelters exist at some locations but offer minimal protection during severe weather. "We stayed at the group campsite and got hit with a ton of storms. Thankfully there was a shelter nearby where we hung out for most of our trip," reports Leah W. about Elliott Key.

Deposit requirements: Some campgrounds require substantial security deposits. At Sawgrass Recreation Park, campers must provide "$200 deposit pending, subject to a damage inspection of the campsite," according to SukiDookie. This deposit gets returned after staff confirms the site was left in acceptable condition.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is the most popular tent campsite near Miami Beach, FL?

According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Miami Beach, FL is Boca Chita Key — Biscayne National Park with a 4-star rating from 2 reviews.

What is the best site to find tent camping near Miami Beach, FL?

TheDyrt.com has all 6 tent camping locations near Miami Beach, FL, with real photos and reviews from campers.