Searching for the perfect place to pitch your tent near Summerland Key? Find the best information on tent camping near Summerland Key, including sites, reviews, and tips for getting the most out of your camping experience. Each tent campsite offers quick access to one or more of Summerland Key's most popular destinations.
$21 / night
Traveler
The 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)
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.
Legend
Perfect location for visiting the keys. Easy access and right on the water. Check in was easy and we booked a standard back in site. While they have golf cart rentals, we didn’t need them as this is a small resort and easy to walk. They have a pool area with bar and grill, and live music. The beach has inflatables for kids. The dog park is small, but still nice. The staff is all top notch! Definitely visit the jumping bridge down the street! Great hidden gem :)
Traveler
The pad for the camp suite is big gravel so bring something for your back they also had 2 hammock hookups and a grill waterfront with a great sunset
Ranger
Mostly enjoyed our two night stay in the Everglades. Flamingo Campground is run by a concessionaire, and its most expensive than we like to pay for campgrounds. $38-42ish per night depending on if its a weekend or week night. Mosquitos were bad the last week in April, wind helped a bit but we basically stayed in our camper the entire time.
Bathrooms were clean and bug free, hot showers available in the A loop!
RangerGreat campground within a state park offers lots of biking and beaches to choose from.
Scout
I have camped all of my life, mostly tent camping. This is the worst tent camping facility I’ve ever paid for. It is disgraceful. This place is designed for RVs and not well designed for them. The closest trash, potable water, and bath house facilities to much of the tent sites are over a block and a half away. All facilities are in the middle of the RV sites. Tent sites can be rocky. Not every site even has a picnic table. There are no fire rings or grills. Few tent campers were cooking at all. Tent campers have no privacy. You hear people farting in other tents. You can’t have a private conversation. So much for getting away from it all. The management doesn’t care about tent campers. Dennis, the main MWR manager, in his own words said “I don’t care any more” when it comes to dealing with problems reported like - people having a pit bull mix dog not tied up, tent campers expanding beyond their assigned spaces, RV school bus conversions illegally boondocking in tent site parking areas to avoid paying camping fees, no assigned parking spaces for tent sites, etc. Our 8’ wide, four person blue tent is shown in the photo. We were told tent sites were 20’ by 20’. There is no way our site was that wide. When I showed the photo to Dennis, he said to me ‘that photo doesn’t tell me anything”. I felt like saying to him, “Get off your dead a$$ and get out there and look at what is going on!” Again, it just shows the terrible attitude of the people who run the place. It really shows. Other campers do let their dogs run loose, especially at night. One evening I was charged by someone’s unchained, growling large dog that I had startled as I was out walking. Had I not stood my ground, I think the dog would have attacked me. The bath house facilities are mostly clean, but the facilities are OLD, think built in the 1950’s. The entire campground (all RVs and tents) has TWO toilets in the one men’s room. The bar and lounge are really kinda sad. Food available is mostly fried. Drinks are only ok. Prices aren’t great. The commissary and exchange which are small and not well stocked are closed all day on Sunday and Monday. There is no real place to eat a sit down meal with table service or get coffee anywhere on the base. This isn’t a “real” military base. Navy MWR runs it. Most of the time there is no on at the gate checking people coming on the base. So much for security. The entire operation is nothing short of a sh!t show. The campground is near the water. That is its only redeeming quality. Do yourself a favor. Pay more and camp somewhere else in the Keys. No matter how cheap this is, it isn’t worth it. It really sucks. Needless to say, even though we only live a few hours away we will NEVER EVER be back.
Guide
Staying here for a week. It’s quiet and pretty. Sites are tight but the attendants were very helpful in getting us backed in.
There aren’t any fire pits at the sites but is one in the common area next to the small pool. There’s a pavilion where they have multiple tvs on various channels and we’re showing sports over the weekend.
There’s a huge holding pond of sorts that you can use supplied kayaks and paddles boards on but aren’t supposed to swim in it. There’s also no place for dogs to get in the water on site. There is a dog wash station that looks like it’s $10 and includes the drying station. But there aren’t any laundry facilities. It sounds like they plan to in the future. We took our laundry to Hilltop Laundry in Key West and the owner washed, dried and folded all of it for $20. We would have easily spent close to this and wasted hours of our vacation time if we had done it ourselves. He texted me within 2 hours to say it was all ready for pickup.
The location itself is isolated and we find ourselves going to other Keys to do things. But it has been an enjoyable relaxing visit so far.
TravelerSun Outdoors bought the place previously reviewed here. They have completely overhauled the site and it is beautiful!! Large community tv and bar area, live music on Saturday night, a renovated “pier” area with kayaks and paddle boards for the tidal lagoon, a walking path around the lagoon, clean comfort station, and a dedicated dog wash station complete with warm wash and blow dry station, a large community fire pit and paved access to all the sites. Fully upgraded hook-ups and sewer and beautifully done landscaping. They have added retreat cabins that are essentially well appointed vacation homes with A/C and ceiling fans. Just a beautiful and function-packed campus that’s very enjoyable to camp on. Many sites have tiki picnic areas and are paved. The sites around the lagoon are gravel (so bring your outdoor carpets!). The sunrises and sunsets are awesome.
They recently opened so they are in need of laundry facility (have to go Nextdoor to KOA for that currently) and the gravel sites need a smaller crush-n-run to be compacted and a bit more level (if keeping with the standard they’ve set). But those are MINOR downsides.
Legend
Flamingo in the Everglades: Open parklike with new and what are the absolute largest of campsite signs I have seen in 5 years of traveling. No excuse to be in the wrong site at Flamingo! I had to laugh and wonder that if they are that big, blind drivers must be frequenting Flamingo. On a serious note, the brand new visitor center is a 5 star. Spending time there will not be regretted,. (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: 3.5
Price 2023: $ 34 w interagency pass
Usage during visit: 1/2 full
Site Privacy: Poor
Site Spacing: Fair
Site surface: Blacktop
Reservations: Yes
Campground Noise: Not bad for an open area
Road Noise: No outside road noise
Through Traffic in campground: None
Electric Hookup: Many sites
Sewer Hookup: No
Dump Station: Yes
Potable Water Available: Yes
Generators: Allowed
Bathroom: Flush toilets.
Showers: Solar. Water temperature depends on sunshine, time of day, usage , and the length showers folks take.
Pull Throughs: All
Cell Service (AT&T): 4 bars
Setting: Open park like with scattered mature trees
Recent Weather: The weather has really varied this year. Hot, cod, cloudy, windy, rainy.
Solar: Yes
Host: Paid personnel
Rig Size: The largest of rigs can be accommodated here
Sites: Last loop is best
Guide
The pros are it was an affordable campground and great staff on site. The cons, prepare to get eaten alive by bugs. These are the 'no-see-ums' you read about and the bugs are tiny, but their bites last weeks and cause a lot of discomfort. If you have dogs, not the best option because they are not allowed, anywhere. This is a small park, pretty beach, but didn't work for our stay.
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.
LegendCurry Hammock, Marathon, FL: Our favorite of the state parks in the Keys. (Though, I do hear that the new section at Bahia is spectacular.). Here, cleanliness, views and privacy are great.
(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 a view from sites. Cleanliness of whatever facilities are offered is important and usually noted in my review.
Overall Rating: 4.25 because of nice ocean views from some sites and vegetative barrier between most sites.
Price 2023: $36 in 2023
Security: Two gates w code for entry
Usage during visit:
Site Privacy: Most sites are pretty good. (Site 10 picnic area is the least private of all. See below.
Site Spacing: Close
Site surface: Paved
Reservations: Yes . Competitive .
Campground Noise: Quiet
Road Noise: Well off the highway.
Through Traffic in campground: None
Electric Hookup: Yes
Sewer Hookup: Yes
Dump Station: Yes
Potable Water Available: At site
Bathroom: Much pride must be taken in their cleanliness! Superb
Pull Throughs: None Cell Service (AT&T): Varies from 1 to 3 bars. Setting: Along the shore with lots of low growing plants between sites. Recent Weather: Rain, wind and more of each. Unusual for this time of year. Solar: Yes Host: Two for this 28 site campground is pretty nice. They do a good job as this is such a clean campground all the way around. Rig Size: Probably all sites can handle a big rig. Sites: Ocean Side and most have a nice view of the ocean : 9,11,13,15,16,17, 19,21,22. Views are not always available from chairs or the picnic table due to low growing vegetation . Also, apparently these sites have a nice cooling breeze in the summer. Our view in # 11 had a great view. #1 is not super private due to line of site to the bathhouse. #10 is the least private picnic area of all. Most sites have nice vegetation in between. 10,12,14,18,20: Some or all of these sites can see the ocean from the front window of their RV.
LegendThis is all brand new. And pricy. There is a 2 night minimum and sites start at $160/night (and go up). They had extensive damage from hurricane Irma in 2017 and have rebuilt everything. They have only been reopen 2 years. There is still some construction ongoing. Sites are nice. Most are tucked into the shrubberies so they have privacy. Wide sites with Gravel drives, new style hook-ups for water, electric, wifi and cable tv. Bathrooms and showers are very nice. There is a “resort style” pool, (whatever that means), a private beach (not dog friendly), hot tub, boat dock & marina, a small dog park, and kayak rental and they rent three-wheel bikes for kids to terrorize everyone. They are about 27 miles from Key West. They have a pub with “live music” till 10pm weekends. It was annoying but we found a nice little restaurant at the Geiger Key Marina, and thankfully the “music” stopped about 9:30.
TravelerThe store by the marina is well stocked and the marina itself is pretty big though we did not use it. The sites are cozy and pretty close together and the bathrooms were well kept. The water in the showers gets about lukewarm. There’s a little beach nearby too. We were able to buy firewood at the site and help was easy to find if it was needed.
Ranger
Large sites, beautiful landscaping, private tikis and docks, it really doesn’t get any better. Can’t wait to come back!
Guide
It’s a five day stay, Awesome RV Campground. We have an Oceanfront site, that have an awesome general store, the pool has a chiller and it is cool an refreshing. Out of 5 stars I give them a 6!! Only downsides were water pressure was a little weak and WI-FI signal was weak too
Scout
Beautiful little spot with only 4 sites, all of which are strangely side by side in this massive park and require a 100 yard walk across a boardwalk to get to from your car. Setting up our tent we were attacked by noseeums, tiny little gnats whose bites turn into blisters for some (my daughter). The bugs went away when the wind picked up. We enjoyed being by the water, basically alone, watching the moon rise reflecting over the water. We planned out our next day to make a trip to key west and return for our second night. While preparing for bed, I found the washrooms didn’t have lights, not a huge issue. My wife saw a rat stealing some food wrappings, so be sure to clean up quickly. Read other reviews of them getting into cars and chewing stuff up. Come bed time, the noseeums were back with a vengeance, and they feasted on us. I bathed in deet bug spray to no avail. We were up basically all night itching and scratching and trying to covers ourselves in our sleeping bags. Woke up to find the only other camper had left, likely fed up with the bugs as well. We packed up and left early as well. We went in early May, will never go back, but man that place would be nice without those bugs
GuideLoved the campground. I stayed during the week and it was mostly quiet. This is the place to be if you like to fish, kayak or want to be alone.. I can’t say enough about the fishing. Many Crocodiles. The 1.5 hour boat tours are both well worth the 35$. Make sure you ask for a site with shade‼️
TravelerGreat Campground. The rules can be a bit confusing at times. There are dry camping and FHU sites. Great views over the water with great sunset views. You can swim in front of the campsite, but have to walk over large rocks to get to the water and the bottom is rocky and grassy. No real beach area available. The Campground is very clean with good shower and laundry facilities.
TravelerWe had a spot on the canal for our first visit. It included an outdoor shower, outdoor living space, and a dock for getting in and out of our kayak. We loved it so much that we just booked our reservation for a second stay, this time on the bayfront side!
ScoutWe thoroughly enjoyed our stay at the Flamingo Eco-tents. We appreciated being able to camp without brining in the typical supplies since we were visiting from out of state - the tent includes your bedding, towels, etc.
Even in January bugs were intense as soon as the sun went down - don't plan to sit around a campfire here, even doused in bug spray. Instead, eat an early dinner and then head back to your tent for sunset.
When booking, request a bay side tent (7,8,13,14,17,18) to have an uninterrupted water front view from your porch.
GuideClean bathrooms, showers and grounds. Super friendly and helpful people who run the campground. It has a waterfront and boat access. It has a short trail out of camp and short quiet bike ride on road. It is a bit expensive but I think most of them are. It is close to the main road and a bridge. It’s only drawback I can find is the noise from the main road.
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!)
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.
GuideWe stayed at Big Pine Key from January 21- February 08th of 2022. We had a small trailer camper, Clam screen tent, an outdoor kitchen set-up and hammocks. There was a nice heavy picnic table on the site. Our site was on the channel and provided us with plenty of space for our setup. It had electric and water. There are many wonderful amenities including a pool, laundry room, recreation area with ping pong and a pool table, a nice store with provisions, a community fire pit area, and great walking trails directly off of the rustic tent camping area which runs along the beach. We brought our two Labrador Retrievers with us and felt comfortable with them at all times. Everyone was friendly and respectful. Big Pine Key is a great location for recreation or amenities. It is just 30 minutes to Key West or Marathon.We are already scheduled to go back in January of 2023 for a longer stay.
TravelerSehr sauber und gut organisiert.
Camping near Summerland Key, Florida, offers a unique blend of beautiful scenery and outdoor activities. Whether you're in a tent or an RV, there are plenty of campgrounds to choose from that cater to different needs and preferences.
Camping near Summerland Key, Florida, offers a mix of adventure and relaxation. With the right preparation, you can enjoy everything this beautiful area has to offer!
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular tent campsite near Summerland Key, FL?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Summerland Key, FL is Backcountry Clubhouse Beach - Everglades National Park with a 3.3-star rating from 3 reviews.
What is the best site to find tent camping near Summerland Key, FL?
TheDyrt.com has all 5 tent camping locations near Summerland Key, FL, with real photos and reviews from campers.
