Are you in need of a campground near Palmetto Bay, FL? Discover secluded campsites where you can reconnect with nature. Or maybe you like to bring your family and friends along. Either way, there are Palmetto Bay campgrounds just for you. You're sure to find the perfect spot for your Florida camping adventure.
Pink Jeep Campground — Big Cypress National Preserve
1 hr 40 min away
Loop 4
1 hr 49 min away
$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)."
$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!"
$190 - $250 / night
$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."
$23 - $33 / night
"We have only done 1-2 overnight paddle trips before, but the park rangers were very helpful in getting us set up. The paddle took about 3-4 hours each way but we took our time."
"We kayaked the Hells Bay trail in January and had a great time. The trail is well marked for the most part and easy enough for a beginner paddler. The chickee was windy, but in good repair."
"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"
"You can hike, kayak, canoe, take boat tours, bike, and of course see tons of wildlife."
"You are going to need a lot of water, sun screen, food supplies, sleeping pad, and your tent. Is a lot of work but fhe view, the silence, and the wild life is amazing!"
"Wind kept bugs blown away."
$23 - $35 / night
"Brand new and ADA certified as much as a platform over water can be! Both platforms have ladders and the eastern platform has small steps down towards the water level for those with limited mobility."
LegendThis 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.
LegendThe 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.
ScoutDYRT 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.
GuideCar camping facility with vault toilets and airboat ramp. Picnic tables, fire rings, lantern post, bear lockers and garbage cans. Sounds of nature at night.
GuideThis site was beautiful and well kept. The gentleman (park ranger?) who greeted everyone and made sure the rules were followed was very nice and answered all of our questions. I appreciated that he was around as it make me feel safer if I were to travel alone. This is a great site for families or groups as the sites are close together so one could reserve 2 and have a lot of room for multiple tents/cars. On the other hand, if you are looking to get away from people, this is not it. The sites are close to each other with little to no barriers/designation lines between them. This is a great site for those testing camping with their dogs or small children. Not too far of a trip, great walking space, and the ranger is great about making sure all dogs are kept on leash. It is near to the Oasis Ranger Station and the Florida Trail, as well as loop road and Shark Valley. The stars were absolutely incredible being so far from major cities. Other than how close the tent sites were, my one big negative is the amount of road noise. The closest campsites are maybe 100 meters from the Tamiami Trail so if you're a light sleeper, it is less than ideal.
GuideThis cost $85 a night and really old picnic tables, right next to your neighbors, old showers, wasn’t given the wifi password, but smack dab in Key Largo. The RV sites are awesome, but that’s not me, lol. I got a site as a walk-in same night. Also everything is relative, if you’ve been using vault toilets it’s amazing to have a flush toilet, but these are a bit rough for $85.
LegendMidway in Big Cypress: This is our forth time here. We love this campground, though the sites are open. All trailer sites look over the lake which is in the middle of the campground. This campground seems to be very conducive to meeting people. (Scale 1- bad, 5-Very good
(70 yr olds in 17’ trailer. Our rating of a campground is influenced by the following: The general ambiance- sort of wilderness feel the campground gives us. A selection of campsites which offer some visual privacy and/or view from sites. Cleanliness of whatever facilities are offered is important and usually noted in my review.
Overall Rating: 4.5 for the lake view
Price 2023: $ 15 w interagency pass
Usage during visit: RV sites full every night. Tent sites accommodate vans, rooftop tents….
Site Privacy: None
Site Spacing: Fair
Site surface: Blacktop
Reservations: Required
Campground Noise: Tent area - defiantly.
Road Noise: Tent area - defiantly. From # 21, yes.
Through Traffic in campground: Folks might come in to have picnics at tables around the lake.
Electric Hookup: Yes
Sewer Hookup: No
Dump Station: Yes
Potable Water Available: Yes, at the dump station.
Generators: Allowed.
Bathroom: Flush toilet. Only one stall in the men’s. Clean.
Showers: At Monument Lake CH, 20 minutes.
Pull Throughs: None in RV Loop
Cell Service (AT&T): Site 21 usually has 1 bar. Sites at the near the end have weaker reception.
Setting: All RV sites are situated around the lake
Recent Weather: High 50s to 80s. Rain
Solar: Plenty in the tent sites
Host: Three
Rig Size: Largest bus RVs are here
Sites: 19 - 26 are best shaded sites. 13 and 14 are corner sites with less shade . 1 is near a shed, but a fine site. Picnic tables along the lake and in between these sites: 22&23, 3&4, 11&12, 16&17. (On nice weekend days you can expect small groups using these spots for day usage.)
LegendMidway Campground is half way between Naples and Miami and a great central point if you're planning to explore both Everglades National Park and Big Cypress Preserve.
The campground is both RV and Tent friendly, and unlike the other nearby campgrounds, this one is open all year round -- although you're likely to have it mostly to yourself in the summer.
The campground is set up wide open as a big loop around a lake. There isn't any privacy between sites which isn't a problem in the winter. In the summer, be prepared to get to know your neighbors.
The site is close to the Big Cypress Nature Trail as well as the Everglades Bird Trail.
There isn't anything available at the campground- so be sure to pack everything in with you-- especially you're mosquito repellant.
GuideI 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
Tent camping near Palmetto Bay, Florida offers a unique opportunity to immerse yourself in nature while enjoying the beautiful landscapes of the region. With a variety of campgrounds nearby, outdoor enthusiasts can find the perfect spot to pitch their tents and explore.
Frequently Asked Questions
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According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Palmetto Bay, FL is Elliott Key — Biscayne National Park with a 4-star rating from 4 reviews.
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