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Bahia Honda Camping: The Complete Guide to the Keys’ Best Campgrounds

Bahia Honda Camping: The Complete Guide to the Keys’ Best Campgrounds

Looking for Bahia Honda camping information? You have come to the right place!

Bahia Honda State Park is in our opinion the most beautiful part of the Florida Keys. To have easy and 24 hour access to the best beaches in Bahia Honda we highly recommend camping in Bahia Honda State Park.

We made our way to Bahia Honda as part of a Miami to Key West road trip!

Bahia Honda Camping

Bahia Honda State Park really took our breath away – the beaches were soft white sand (quite unusual in the Florida Keys due to the coral reefs) and the water was turquoise colour and crystal clear.

Due to the beauty of the area, it is worthwhile to spend a bit of time at the State Park. The best way to do this is by camping.

If you are wondering whether to camp at the Bahia Honda State Park – if there is privacy, what the facilities are like etc keep reading.

See more camping in the Keys with our full guide on the 20 best places!

How to make a reservation

Due to the beauty of the area, the camping at Bahia Honda State Park is some of the most popular in the Florida Keys.

It is particularly popular as it is the closest affordable camp site to Key West (the most iconic part of the Florida Keys).

Bahia Honda State Park is about a 1 hour drive from Key West so you could potentially do day trips to the end point of the Keys rather than camp there (where there is no State Parks and it costs upwards of $100 USD a night for a spot)

Another reason that it is particularly popular is due to the beauty of the area. If you would like to read about the beaches and all the facilities in Bahia Honda see our best Key West beaches guide.

We visited in low season (September after school holidays had finished) and we able to drive into the State Park and find a camping spot still available.

We have read that this is not the case for the rest of the year. Provided you book at least 1 day in advance you can reserve a spot online.

On the day it is no longer possible to book a camping spot online and you will need to try your luck in person.

How much does it cost to camp? 2023 Fees:

It costs $43 USD a night to camp at the State Park including tax.

This is regardless of whether you book a site with power or without.

In the camp sites, you are allowed up to 8 people but only 1 vehicle that requires electricity per site.

For a nights camping, we felt that $43 USD was a little pricey by world’s standards however, if you compare this price to the regular camping in the Florida Keys this is extremely cheap. Most camping in the Florida Keys costs $100 USD + a night.

One thing to note is that if you decide to camp at the State Park you do not have to pay the $4.50 State Park entry fee.

State Park Camping Sites

If you book well in advance Bahia Honda State Park has some pretty sensational camping spots that literally back onto the water.

These spots have an absolutely amazing view of Caloosa Beach and Old Bahia Honda Bridge.

We weren’t lucky enough to snag one of these spots but we were happy with our camping spot nonetheless.

It was large, well shaded and included both an electric hook up, a BBQ and a picnic table.

We were not driving a car that required an electric hook up however, it still proved very handy to charge items like computers.

Note: There are unpowered tent spots that cost the same price. If possible, ask for a powered site if you would like to charge devices etc.

bahia-honda-camping-sites

Camp Facilities

Currently (as at September 2019) there is only pop up showers and toilet blocks due to Hurricane Irma who destroyed the previous facilities.

Construction was underway while we were there so we believe a permanent facility will be available in the near future.

For pop up showers and toilets, they were surprisingly good.

bahia-honda-camp-facilities

There was little smell in the toilet block (and it was air conditioned!).

The showers were clean with good pressure and hot water but being a demountable building it was a little small inside.

bahia-honda-camping-showers

Other camp facilities include a book borrowing station, a sink for washing up, BBQs and picnic tables.

Beaches

The best part about camping in the State Park is the close proximity to the 3 amazing beaches – Caloosa Beach, Loggerhead Beach and Sandspur Beach.

Only 2 of the beaches were available while we were there Caloosa Beach and Loggerhead Beach. Sandspur Beach was closed due to damage from Hurricane Irma (September 2019).

Caloosa Beach and Loggerhead Beach were some of the most beautiful beaches we had seen in the world.

Caloosa Beach provided perfect swimming in clean, turquoise water with a stunning backdrop of Old Bahia Honda Bridge.

Caloosa-Beach-684x1024

Loggerhead Beach was ideal for snorkeling. You can see amazing reef fish right off the beach at Loggerhead. We seldom find good beach snorkeling in our travels so we were pretty happy with this.

You can read more on the beaches and things to do in Bahia Honda here.

Note: After you finish camping, you might like to use some camping quotes on your beautiful IG photos!

Hotels in Bahia Honda?

If you would like a camping alternative there are lots of hotels located in close proximity to Bahia Honda.

It get hot and sticky in Florida and unless you have a Winnebago with air conditioning you may prefer a little  comfort on your vacation.

If that is the case, we would suggest the following options:

Other Florida state parks (some with campgrounds)

Don’t miss these other great state parks in the Florida keys:

  • John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park (has campsite spots)
  • Fort Zachary Taylor Historic State Park (does not have a campground)
  • Long Key State Park (not currently open to campers)
  • Dagny Johnson Key Largo Hammock Botanical State Park.
  • Curry Hammock State Park.

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  • Florida Vacationers

    Florida Vacationers is the #1 place to find everything exciting to do in the Sunshine State from the incredible beaches to the beautiful springs, campgrounds and road trips - we are constantly on the lookout for hidden gems and secret spots! Bookmark this blog as your go to place for all things Florida related. We are so happy to have you as part of our Florida Vacationers community!

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