Campgrounds near Plantation, Florida provide a variety of options within the urban landscape of South Florida. Established sites like Markham Park Campground in nearby Sunrise and Topeekeegee Yugnee Park Campground in Hollywood offer both tent and RV camping with full hookups. These mixed-use campgrounds typically feature paved sites, picnic tables, and access to showers and toilets. Most campgrounds in the region accommodate both tent campers and RVs, with some locations like Yacht Haven Park & Marina also offering cabin options. The proximity to Fort Lauderdale (approximately 7 miles east) provides urban amenities while maintaining access to outdoor recreation.
Reservations are strongly recommended for camping areas throughout Broward County, particularly during the winter months when seasonal visitors increase demand. Most campgrounds in the region remain open year-round due to South Florida's mild winter climate, though summer brings high temperatures, humidity, and mosquitoes. Facilities typically include electric hookups, water, and sewer connections, making them suitable for extended stays. Road access is generally excellent with paved surfaces throughout the region's campground network. Many campgrounds are situated near highways or urban areas, which can affect noise levels. As one camper noted, "The campground is located close to restaurants and other shopping stores. Perhaps the biggest con is that there can be traffic noise but depends on the time of day."
The camping experience near Plantation reflects South Florida's unique environment. Campground options often feature water views, with several parks offering access to lakes for fishing and paddling activities. RV-focused sites dominate the area, with parks like Paradise Island RV Resort and Kozy Kampers RV Park catering primarily to motorhomes and travel trailers. County parks provide some of the most highly rated experiences, offering more natural settings despite the urban surroundings. A visitor commented that Easterlin Park is "a true escape from the hustle and bustle of South Florida life. Calm and serene park with plenty of activities to enjoy with friends and family." Some campgrounds incorporate walking trails, swimming pools, and recreation facilities, creating multi-use outdoor spaces rather than traditional wilderness camping experiences.
"This KOA was close to family and friends. Stayed for five nights. It was clean and I felt safe. Staff were very helpful getting backed in and set up."
"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!"
"For south florida, its about as good as it gets. Also has a nice observatory on saturday nights to visit."
"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."
$35 - $57 / night
"Stayed here over a holiday weekend and enjoyed it, roads getting in the RV park are good but watch out for branches with big units outside the park to the north."
"The park is big with a paved walking path around the park. On the west side of the park there's a lot of big mature trees that give a lot shade and are just nice looking. "
"A lot of trails to walk in the middle of the nature. Mini golf. Water park wasn't open on March."
"We stayed in the back behind the lake and it was very quiet/family friendly. The lake/dock area is beautiful, and there’s a massive playground across from the campground in the main park."
$45 - $50 / night
"I have been here a few times mainly to use the trails for disc golf. This park is a true escape from the hustle and bustle of South Florida life."
"Great place to pull over on your way to the Florida Keys or Miami for an overnight stay. Showers, charcoal grills and a small kids playground are the highlights of this park."
$110 - $300 / night
"If you camp on the canal, chances are you will be right next to some amazing yachts! 7 minutes to Ft Lauderdale Beach and 7 minutes the other way to Seminole Hard Rock Casino Hollywood!"
"The grounds and views of all the surrounding yachts are simply spectacular. Everything here is setup for convenience and comfort."
"Near grocery store, and everything! Full hookup sites, spots are big and concrete roads, amenities like restrooms and showers are cleans, the pool is nice! Great time! Recommend"
$50 - $120 / night
"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 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"
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.
GuideSite has high traffic due to how close it is to I-75. The primitive camp is located on the FTA Orange Trail. No reservations needed. Unfortunately due to its closeness there can be trash, not everyone follows Leave No Trace. In the wet season there is a creek to the south which you need to cross to get to the campground. During the dry season it is bone dry. Recommend bringing in water. Fairly large, but smaller than Panther and Nobles. Not much trees, so little shade and limited hammock camping opportunities. There is one aluminum picnic table and a fire ring. There are smaller cleared areas in the back of the site for additional tent camping sites with a smaller fire ring.
GuideThis campground is the farthest out from I-75. Located on the FTA Orange Trail it is the smallest. There is a bench and a fire ring. It is right on the trail so no privacy from hikers doing the loop. No water, recommend bringing your own, especially during the dry season. A spur goes north from that site, however it is overgrown. Barely a signal on the cell. The area is open, not much shade or trees if you hammock camp. No reservations needed.
GuideEvery spot on the campground was great, and you can bring your boat up to shore on some.
ScoutOur stay here was the best! Our host, John was extremely friendly, welcoming, and helpful, making sure we had everything we needed while also respecting our privacy. The location was peaceful and relaxing. we would definitely stay here again. Highly recommend!
GuideThis is a dirt parking lot on the Tamiami Trail (Rt 41) right along the canal. Airboats run all day. We didn't go on one but it looked fun. Great fishing! No water no hookups.
ScoutFor $130/night-this place is a crowded dump with poorly maintained muddy sites.
Camping options near Plantation, Florida blend urban amenities with outdoor recreation in Broward County's subtropical climate. Most campgrounds remain open year-round with temperatures averaging 75-85°F during winter months, making the region popular with seasonal campers from northern states. Proximity to I-95 and Florida's Turnpike provides easy access to beaches, shopping, and attractions within a 15-mile radius.
Disc golf course access: Easterlin Park Campground offers an extensive disc golf course with wooded fairways. "I have been here a few times mainly to use the trails for disc golf. This park is a true escape from the hustle and bustle of South Florida life," notes one visitor.
Water activities: At Markham Park Campground, campers can access waterways directly from certain sites. "We've got the water way right behind us with a wide open grassy area. Great for fishing or if you've got a jet ski you can easily get on and off right there," reports a camper.
Family recreation: C.B. Smith Park Campground provides extensive family activities. "The park is very well maintained. The lake/dock area is beautiful, and there's a massive playground across from the campground in the main park," notes a seasonal visitor who stayed for five months.
Urban convenience with natural settings: Davie/Fort Lauderdale KOA balances accessibility with green spaces. "It had tropical flowers and plants and was right across from the pond. My grandson loved looking at and feeding the ducks and turtles. It is across the street from a massive park that is perfect for all family members."
Park amenities: Topeekeegee Yugnee Park Campground offers multiple facilities within walking distance. "The park is big with a paved walking path around the park. On the west side of the park there's a lot of big mature trees that give a lot shade and are just nice looking. There's a water park for the kids, volleyball, many gazebos with grilling areas and more."
Wildlife viewing: Multiple campgrounds feature water bodies with resident wildlife. At Markham Park Campground, "There are gators in the water which is much deeper than one would think," while C.B. Smith campers enjoy "The lake/dock area is beautiful" with various waterfowl.
Noise considerations: Many campgrounds experience urban noise due to their location. At Easterlin Park Campground, "Pros... Clean & well maintained, Nice level paved sites, Fairly private, Lots of shade... Cons... Noise from I-95 and occasional train."
Security measures: Several parks implement security systems. Topeekeegee Yugnee Park Campground "closes at 8, you can still enter through the exit gate until midnight and then have to call security to get in/out," while other parks feature staffed security gates.
Site selection strategy: When booking at Davie/Fort Lauderdale KOA, "Went into the office and got a map of the available sites. They also had photos of the spots if you didn't want to do the driving," allowing campers to select optimal locations.
Seasonal dynamics: Winter brings increased occupancy to all sites. "This palce gets really crowded during winter season," notes a Davie/Fort Lauderdale KOA visitor, making advance reservations essential from November through March.
Playground access: C.B. Smith Park Campground features "a massive playground across from the campground in the main park" that's ideal for children of various ages.
Water park options: Topeekeegee Yugnee Park Campground includes a water park within walking distance of camping areas. "There's a water park for the kids, volleyball, many gazebos with grilling areas and more."
Wildlife education: Multiple parks offer wildlife viewing opportunities. At Davie/Fort Lauderdale KOA, one family noted their "grandson loved looking at and feeding the ducks and turtles" while another mentioned "If you go to the park, make sure you see the burrowing owls."
Budget considerations: For families seeking economy camping, Markham Park Campground offers different price points. "We are tent campers and feel a bit out of place around all the RVS. sewage and electrical connection available at sites, as well as water. The bathrooms are decent enough and locked with a door code. A bit crowded but close enough to civilization that it makes a great alternative to a hotel, although the price isn't much difference $50/night."
Site privacy variations: Paradise Island RV Resort offers varying degrees of separation. "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. This is a campground in the middle of the city, so don't expect a lot of quiet, as this is how it is in a city."
Utility placement challenges: Check hookup locations before booking. At Yacht Haven Park & Marina, one RVer noted they "had to run our electric cable and water hose under the camper" due to poor placement.
Arrival timing: Several campgrounds have challenging navigation for large rigs, especially after dark. "We were caught in a few traffic jams on the way in, and ended up arriving half an hour after sunset... I got to the site and realized it would be impossible to back in without dragging my 20,000 pound camper through their grass."
WiFi quality: Connectivity varies significantly between parks. Some RVers report excellent service: "We had great WiFi" at Easterlin Park, while others note "the WI-FI is the worst of any KOA I have been to" at Davie/Fort Lauderdale KOA.
Frequently Asked Questions
What camping is available near Plantation, FL?
According to TheDyrt.com, Plantation, FL offers a wide range of camping options, with 73 campgrounds and RV parks near Plantation, FL and 6 free dispersed camping spots.
Which is the most popular campground near Plantation, FL?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular campground near Plantation, FL is Davie / Fort Lauderdale KOA with a 3.4-star rating from 18 reviews.
Where can I find free dispersed camping near Plantation, FL?
According to TheDyrt.com, there are 6 free dispersed camping spots near Plantation, FL.
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