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BTWC
$36 / night
The Flamingo campground is one of two drive-in campgrounds accessible from the Homestead entrance of the park. It offers solar-heated showers, two dump stations, picnic tables, grills, and an amphitheater for seasonal Ranger programs. Flamingo has several hiking trails and canoe trails, and opportunities for saltwater fishing are plentiful. Check at the visitor center for a daily schedule of Ranger guided programs.
Legend
This campground offers a beautiful spot to spend a couple of days while you enjoy many other activities in the area. The swimming here is fantastic, the snorkeling amazing and the park offers several nice picnic shelters (hurray for shade). The campground also has a nice little interpretive building with several small exhibits about the flora and fauna in the area.
The campground offers hot showers and restroom facilities. There are tent sites and RV sites with hookups.
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.
Bring your snorkel gear and a kayak!
ScoutOne 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.
Legend
A really great place to visit if you want a taste of Florida away from all the Disney-esque tourist spots.
This park is like stepping back in time. Enjoy it and relax!
RangerWe stayed here a night before launching our kayaks out to the more remote backcountry stuff. All of your basic amenities and hella skeeters as you'd expect in South Florida.
It is a big open field, so don't expect visual privacy.
ScoutWe tent camped 3 nights, leaving Bahia Honda yesterday, May 2nd.
The Bath Houses were destroyed by Irma and the Atlantic Ocean area is fenced off due to damage. We enjoyed the Gulf Beach and kayaked in the Gulf. The weather was perfect, very warm days, but cool nights.
The Park is using very nice, modern trailers for restrooms and showers. Everything was very clean and had hot showers.
The Atlantic sites are gone and won't be available for maybe 2 more years, I will keep checking.
It is still one of the best campgrounds in Florida and only 30 miles from Key West.
GuideSpent three days fishing and using the camper as a base camp. Caught tons of mangrove snapper, snook, and even a tripletail. Been going to Flamingo for years to fish but this was the first time taking the trailer. Would definitely do it again. 50 amp hookup worked great. Just wish they had running water to the trailer so you don’t have to refill the tank. Great experience as long as your going fishing. Not too many other things to do in the Florida heat.
RangerDown at Flamingo, there’s four types of camping: eco tents, tents (A Loop), campers/ RVs (T Loop) and the backcountry chickees. This review is for the ✨eco tents✨.
The eco tents are awesome in general, but more so if you’re new to camping. Some come fully furnished with beds, nightstands, etc, while others are completely unfurnished and you can set up your own gear, so you choose your level of comfort. They also come with electric fans.
It’s incredibly quiet down there and the full moons are outta this world - no pun intended! 😉 Waking up and drinking your coffee on the shore of Florida Bay is a great way to start the day.
But there is no food allowed in the tents whatsoever. Because the walkways to and the platforms of the eco tents are elevated, there’s also no way to cook even near your eco tent. There are fire rings and picnic tables near the parking area, which is also where the bathrooms are. So if you’re someone who wakes often in the middle of the night for “bio breaks”, you might want to keep that walk in mind - or plan for an alternative.
There are bathrooms with running (non potable) water and toilets with real plumbing, but no showers.
I’d definitely recommend the eco tents for a short stay!
LegendIt’s true what they say: don’t visit the Everglades during wet season.
We thought we would miss the worst of the mosquitoes in mid-November, but they were still in full-swing when we spent five days here.
Since we were also visiting Dry Tortugas, Biscayne, and Big Cypress while we were down in southern Florida, we had a lot of time to camp in the area. We camped at Long Pine Key, Flamingo, at a private campground up in Chokoloskee, and at a private campground outside of Miami. For a beautiful, scenic campground experience with access to some of the best wildlife in the park, we enjoyed our time at Flamingo.
Trying to separate our positive experiences from the hoards of mosquitos that we had to fight off each night getting into our tent is difficult, but visiting the campground in the dry season (December to May) should be a lot different.
Upsides of camping at Flamingo include a free shower (in a national park?! What?!), pretty sites with palm trees, incredible wildlife (we saw osprey, a manatee, a crocodile, and so many birds near Flamingo), and the experience of being deep inside Everglades National Park.
The biggest downside (in November) was the mosquitos. Also, Long Pine Key offers closer access to some of the more popular spots in Everglades, as well as easier access to non-park activities (like stopping at Robert is Here for a smoothie - a must-do!)
Our five days at Everglades were full: we attended several ranger programs (we especially liked the talks at the Anhinga Trail), Cole tried his hand at slough-slogging (wading in murky water up to your waist? Not for me), we hiked as many trails as we could, and we kayaked the Nine Mile Pond canoe trail.
You can read much more about our five days in the park on our blog: Switchback Kids (Everglades)
LegendThis is one of three options to "camp" in this part of Everglades National Park (the other two are RV sites and a large grassy area for tent camping (only open during the winter months). The 20 Eco tents provide a change of pace to regular camping, and they are nicely appointed, but they are a bit of a splurge (over$100 with tax).
Each tent has full deck flooring and comes equipped with a double or queen bed with bedding (November– April only), a fan, 110 outlets, towels, two chairs/small round tables, and shelving with baskets. You can enjoy at least a partial view of Florida Bay from each tent.
The Eco tents have their own “private” bathroom/shower separate from the public restroom and it was clean. Unlike the bathrooms at Long Pine Key campground, there is a handicap-accessible stall. Towels are provided in the tents.
Cooking or food of ANY KIND is not allowed in the tents as it would attract bugs and other wildlife. There are picnic tables/fire pits by the parking lot for cooking/eating but it was very windy when we arrived, so we just ate cold food in our van. All food must stay in your vehicle. You are also not allowed to use bug spray in the tent due to the flammable nature of the spray. Other rules include no music in the campground or tents.
We were there shortly before the winter season so there were not as many options for recreation available. There are hiking trails and you can rent canoes or kayaks. Other boat tours are available, but we didn’t take advantage of any of these, preferring instead to take photos of birds and walk the short Anhinga Trail (closer to the northern entrance to the park).
Both the sunsets and the sunrises are spectacular (if you can stand the mosquito assault!)
LegendIf you can beat the bugs, stargaze and enjoy the sunrise. But take the bug seriously. Even in late January the mosquitoes or vicious. You'll want insect repellent long sleeve long pants and maybe even a mosquito net when you are out and about.
Flamingo Everglades is the concessionaire that operates this campground and the nearby marina. The campground is arranged into 2 loops (one for trailers; about half of them with electric) plus a bayside field area that also includes a group tent site. For these, you park and walk to your site, but you get a great view of the bay and sunrises. In addition, there are several new eco-tents (platform tents) with beds two chairs and lamps. I stayed in one of these.
The Flamingo area still shows the effects of Hurricane Irma a couple of years ago and some neglect. The B & C loops are not open, though NPS is working to clean them up. An employee I spoke with indicated that they hoped to have those open next year. I was there midweek and only the trailer loop was full. On the weekends they do fill up.
The campsites in the loops have picnic tables and fire rings. The bayside field sites have scattered picnic tables and fire rings in various states of rusty disrepair. The eco-tents some picnic tables closer to the bathrooms for the field sites are not occupied, you can use one of those. You can't use a stove in your tent or on your deck, so you do need to cook elsewhere.
Bathrooms include flush toilets and free showers, although the water never got very warm. They are solar heated.
Remember everything you need because it's a long trip back to Florida city or Homestead the nearest places for picking up supplies. Stop at "Robert is Here" on your way in or out for a smoothie or milkshake. The shop at the marina has some basic snacks and drinks. Tuesday to Saturday afternoons there is a food truck available. For activities, campers get a discount on bike rentals. They also rent kayaks & canoes and offer boat trips, though I wouldn't do the boat trip again.
If you choose to stay in an eco-tent, there is a cart with bicycle tires to quietly take your gear to your tent. The boardwalk lights up at night so you can safely find your way to the bathroom. You'll be conscious of the sound the zipper makes when you leave and return to your tent. These are tents and not cabins, so you may hear some neighbors talking or snoring. Even so, it was a welcome change from a sleepless, noisy night at a campground in the Keys.
If you're looking for birds, nearby Eco pond or the waterfront near the bayside campsites offer a nice variety for minimal effort.
No Verizon coverage, but I've been told there is AT&T. Wifi is available at the visitors center.
GuideFlamingo Campground, Florida Everglades—eco-tent
Pro: The location is superb. Ours was located closest to the water(#6). You don’t get to choose—assigned when you check in. There was a lovely breeze each afternoon and very few mosquitoes. Egrets and Anhingas were in abundance. Our eco-tent was equipped with a queen size bed, pillows, bed linens, blankets, fluffy large bath towels, a fan and bedside lights. The towels were a pleasant surprise because I had specifically asked about towels and was told “no.” The tents are located on boardwalks with embedded lights to the bathroom building (it can be a fair walk from your tent) so you can see your way there at night. There is an electrical outlet box with one spare outlet. We brought a surge protector with additional outlets so we could charge electronics and toothbrushes. Several people we met rented empty eco-tents for $50 (no beds, lights, etc) a night.
Con: a solar panel was broken wide open with water flowing out onto the ground so there was no warm water at all in the showers. The bathrooms are adequate but old and tired—cleaned once daily. Only one shower in the ladies room was working. For the price, a decent bathroom would be anticipated. There is an electrical outlet near the sinks which seemed to be constantly in use by a crockpot. (Despite a sign on the boardwalk saying for eco-tents only, this bathroom and the nearby picnic tables were heavily used by tent campers.) There are two dish washing stations at the bathroom building—faucets were not sealed and so water ran out the sides splashing on the backsplash. There are no water spigots so if you need water, you must use the dish washing faucet (the water is potable but for drinking, you might want to bring in your own as it has a salty taste). Maintenance certainly could be improved.
Eco-tent residents must use tables and fire pits close to the parking lot which are not very close. No food is allowed in the tents. There are no lights around the picnic tables so if you are cooking after dark, be sure you’ve planned for that. Also know that you cannot leave unaccompanied food at the picnic tables or the Anhingas will be feasting with abandon.
The food truck was open at the Marina. It had been closed due to hurricane damage. Because of the long new year’s weekend, the shop had no ice, no firewood and only minimal supplies like snacks and beer—lots of empty shelves and coolers. We received an email just before arriving telling us that there was no ice or wood due to the holiday long weekend so we needed to get them before arriving. We had planned to bring all our food which was a good thing given the lack of items at the store. With a 38 mile drive from the Coe entrance center to the campground and another 45 minutes to Homestead, you don’t want to have to go back to Homestead for supplies!
No internet or phone service (other than AT&T). Was wonderful to escape!!
ScoutThis was an amazing campsite. I camped, bought local fish and grilled it on my site by the water. Amazing but reservations go fast.
TravelerThere are no boondocking sites in Key West so we started looking at State Parks. Bahia Honda was not only the best for camping but also I thought had the best swimming. The sites were a good size and the view was breathe taking.
GuideThis place has it all. Snorkeling, beautiful beach, fishing, hiking, history, a little nature center... just everything. It is very difficult to reserve a site here, but if you can get one, you are in for one of your best camping experiences ever. We just loved it and I can't wait to go back there.
GuideReally quite nice....except we didnt have or buy any firewood. Mosquitoes are an army so bring something to shield or fight them off with, or have a fire...@ night which would help.
The views are phenomenal.
There are hot showers available. Away from our campsite was a nice swim are with kayaking and a gift shop. The park is well maintained and visited by so many different people from all over the world.
The privacy from 1 campsite to the other isn't the greatest but for settling to camp right by the ocean, it is well worth it.
Arrived at night, scored a site, had breakfast about 10-15 minutes drive off Hwy 1 at a place located off a marina on the West side of the highway.
Highly recommend this place!!
TravelerThis was my first time visiting Bahia Honda State Park. I had previously attempted to make reservations here over the course of what seems like the last two years but the popularity of the park and being shut down after Hurricane Irma had given me trouble. However, I did manage to snag a two night stay here this year and believe me it didn’t disappoint. I stayed in site 34 on the first night and site 11 on the second night. All in all the sites were spacious and the temporary bathhouse facility was kept very clean. The beach wasn’t too crowded and the crystal clear water left nothing to the imagination while we had our kayaks out. We also managed to enjoy the short walk up to the old Henry Flagler Bridge lookout over the island. That site is a must see! If I could ever grab another reservation here I would in a heart beat since it’s only a 6 hour drive from my place in Orlando.
LegendThis review is mostly intended for a tent campers.
The traffic noise is very loud. The temporary toilets are one up from pit toilets. The smell is the same as a pit toilet. The temporary showers are very small and you must hold the chain down to get the water to flow. The state is rebuilding a bathhouse and I don't know when it will be completed. My tent was squished between two rv's. No fire pit just a grill. Bring food or expect to drive. I would wait until the campground is rebuilt before tent camping there. Campground is more geared towards RVs
GuideSuch a gorgeous place (if you go at the right time of year).
It can get super hot in July/Aug.
The beach is wonderful, the store has all you will need & the ”snack bar” is so much more than that!!!
I love this place for Tent/RV/Cabin trips.
The sites are legit! Lots of privacy.
Bring bikes because there is so much to explore
LegendThis campground (buttonwood loop) is where the Atlantic meets the gulf. Beautiful view from the waterfront sites. Kayak, fish, float on a raft or swim from your own campsite. 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.
We had water & electric & there is a dump station. They have snorkel trips from camp store there & a little museum near the swim beach. Walk up on the old bridge what a great view. Good place to see sunset not that you site isn't a good place to see it too. If you like to look at beautiful night sky the old bridge is a great place to take it in.
The restrooms are being redone they were working on it when we were there this year. Hurricane Irma did some damage there they were also working on rebuilding sandspur campground.
Manatees hang out near the fish cleaning station they drink the fresh water coming from cleaning the fish. There's a small nurse shark that hangs out there too. There is a small area for some boats first come first serve to keep your boat in the water. Very shallow coming in and out the dock area stay in the middle or you will be sorry. If you snorkel along the campground you must have a floating buoy with a dive flag. Boats need to see you.
They rent Kayaks if you don't have your own, it's a great paddle around the key.
Usually at sunset someone blows the conch shell (sounds like a ship horn).
Close to Marathon & Big Pine Key (deer key). Some good eats close by Sunset Grill has great crab soup, and a pool. The Keys Fishery Raw bar is a fun place to see the sunset. They serve a free shot at sunset. La Nina has good cuban food. Porky's is a favorite. And don't forget the No Name Pub on Big pine Key their Pizza is good and the sangria. From Bahia Honda it's an easy drive to Key West always a good time down there.
GuidePrimitive site #73 is large, set up as a hammock site and convenient to restroom/dish washing sink. Very limited shade provided by bushes depending on time of day. We made use of the hammock poles to creat additional shade. What I really like about this section is there are only 8 sites. It was peaceful. If you are not accustomed to extreme heat and no-see-ums with very sharp teeth you may want to ante up and stay at a hotel with the big dogs. We managed to survive the heat by purchasing an easy up to cover our tent. We removed the tent fly so we could get air flowing through. During the day we only wore swimsuits and stayed wet by dousing ourselves with buckets of water. The view of the water from our site was not a swimming area but it was teeming with tarpon playing. 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 as we sipped our cocktails near our site. Our mornings were spent being productive around the site, cooking while the slight cool breeze was present. Errands and sightseeing in mid-day during the hades-like temps had us adoring the car AC. By 3pm we were at the beach neck deep in the water. Snorkeling on the 2 beautiful beaches usually commenced by 4pm. Even though the Atlantic beach had the stench of sea grass, the water was crystal blue and filled with families enjoying the water. The bayside beach had a roped off swim area with patches of sea grass and also rock jetties. Both were teeming with various fish. Be careful of the current near the rope. We personally enjoyed the current bc it took less effort and carried us along at a nice pace. Overall yes I would come back. We may try to secure one of the waterfront bayside sites with power but I know those are much harder to reserve.
TravelerMy father and I rode our motorcycles from Wisconsin to Key West in October 2019. My father was able to reserve a cabin in Bahia Honda for two nights. The location and views were amazing. The water is clear and the staff was polite and helpful. Look forward to returning in a RV someday.
ScoutVery nice
LegendWe love Bahia Honda and camp there every year. It's hard to get a reservation there so good luck. The Atlantic and the Gulf meet and it's a beautiful park. There are 2 main loops for camping. Buttonwood has some bigger sites and a little more privacy. If you lucky enough to get a waterfront site you can snorkel off your site or launch your kayak. We float on rafts after a day of fun and cool off. You see a good sunset here too.
The sandspur loop is for campers under 23' and they are tighter with no shade or privacy. Yet they are right on the Atlantic ocean and the view is awesome. Loggerhead beach is beautiful.
You can rent a kayak if you don't have one and paddle around the island. It's all good. The old Flagler bridge is a great photo op and you can walk up to it and catch a beautiful sunset or stargaze.
There is a primitive campground loop too on the gulf side near the Cabins. You can't get under the bridge to drive back with a high vehicle so make sure you look at the standards if you are booking a cabin or a primitive site. My truck with the kayak racks on top won't go under it.
Lot's of good eats south on Big Pine Key and north on Marathon. There are 2 grocery stores on Marathon Key and a Winn Dixie on Big Pine Key. Lot's of small deer on Big Pine Key do not speed they will get you. As a matter of fact the keys are loaded with police looking for speeders so take it slow.
GuideThis campground has great reviews and we were looking forward to our visit. Our site was right on the water, facing the overseas freeway. We loved the location but we could not sleep, it was so loud with the traffic, trucks and cars. Our site was 15 and faced the highway. The park was lovely, the grounds and the beaches beautiful. However, if you have dogs, it's a no-go. No dogs allowed and they have to stay at your camp. We were disappointed because potentially, we could return and stay for 14 nights, but with two nights of zero sleep, we were ready to go. The nearest town is Big Pine Key and there's a Winn Dixie, UPS store, bagel shop and a dog park. The dog park was packed so not an option. Maybe check out other campsites that don't have the freeway noise.
RangerGreat campground within a state park offers lots of biking and beaches to choose from.
LegendWe had site 45, which may even be the least desired site, by the dumpsters and dump station. It doesn’t matter. This park is a gem. Several beaches, all different. A nice walk up the bridge. Staff super friendly. The sites are wide and offer plenty of space in buttonwood.
TravelerThe Campgrounds are very nice and pads are very level, some have adequate shade, others none, we were at site 31 for 5 days. Site was very tight for our camper with slide out and awning was on the trees, Bugs were just unbearable, we tried everything. Showers were in need of repair, (men’s side)shower handle was broken , but we’re very clean, Staff were super friendly, concession stand on site had gifts as well as anything you might have forgot to pack. The views from the old bridge were breathtaking. This part of the keys was less touristy which was good/bad , so if you wanna go to a good restaurant go north toward ismorada . Family beach was excellent for little one’s , no waves, no bad currents , the sites are super hard to come by, so it will piss you off to see some on the water with nobody on them for days (Sad)
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular glamping campsite near Summerland Key, FL?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular glamping campground near Summerland Key, FL is Buttonwood Campground — Bahia Honda State Park with a 4.6-star rating from 32 reviews.
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TheDyrt.com has all 3 glamping camping locations near Summerland Key, FL, with real photos and reviews from campers.
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