Ecstatic to Have Booked a Bahia Honda Waterfront Campsite!

Bahia Honda is a coveted State Park campground in the Florida Keys. I managed to snag a spot, but there are limitations.

If you know anything about camping in the Florida Keys, you may have heard of a campground named Bahia Honda. If you have camped there, kudos! And if you have camped in a waterfront site – wow, good for you!

After many tries, I now have booked a waterfront site for next May. But, it is not perfect for our needs.

About Bahia Honda

Bahia Honda Key is a small island just past Marathon Key heading south in the Florida Keys. It is part of the chain of islands off Florida’s southern tip, and is located at Mile Marker 37. The Bahia Honda State Park is where everyone wants to camp. And I mean everyone. I have not camped there yet, but soon.

Bahia Honda key in the Florida Kays with palm trees ocean and beaches.
Photo of Bahia Honda by Paulbr75 @ Pixabay

Camping Right on the Ocean

The big draw for campers who want to visit Bahia Honda is the waterfront sites. Not to mention you are in the Keys! Loop BTWC (Buttonwood Campground) is the main campground area. This area contains 13 campsites that sit at the edge of the Atlantic. Two of those are short – for 24 ft. campers – which leaves only 11 for me to choose from, with a 28 ft. travel trailer. You can camp here in a tent or a trailer, but check the size limitations for each site. Some are longer and accommodate RVs up to 45 feet.

I do not wish to travel all the way down to the Florida Keys only to stay in a normal site – I need to have a view! … and swim right from my site would be perfect. But, getting a spot in one of the Buttonwood sites is nearly impossible.

One morning I logged into the Florida State Parks website, ready once again to fight for a booking, and the site froze. Grabbing a campsite here is serious business. I read on a review page where someone suggested having two computers going and two people trying simultaneously to get one of the waterfront sites! It is a war I tell you.

It isn’t easy to get any sites, but the ones on the water are gems, and the most coveted. You may not care about a waterfront site, and that helps a little. After all, the Island has public beaches that look pristine.

Waterfront Camping at Sandspur

There is another section of the state park for camping. It is called Sandspur. Every site is right on the Atlantic Ocean, with a view and water access. These look like beautiful sites. However, there is a camper / trailer size restriction.

The sites are large, but apparently getting in and out of the sites is tight. RVs cannot be over 23 feet long. It specifically says,”trailers no more than 23 feet long, measured from hitch/bumper to bumper.” in the site description. This is to preserve natural growth. They don’t want campers pulled over vegetation, and the natural habitat destroyed. I applaud them for this.

My current travel trailer measures 28 feet and will not fit in the Sandspur sites. But, if we tent camp we can get a spot. So that is what I did.

I’m still looking occasionally, at the Buttonwood campground, to see if I might luck out and get a travel trailer site, but it seems highly unlikely. If that happens I will switch.

Tent Camping at Bahia Honda

If we do end up tent camping at Bahia Honda, in the Sandspur campground, it means we might be able to tow our boat with us. I do not like the idea of tent camping because I am old! But, if it means living for a few days with an ocean view and access to swimming, I think I can handle it.

The third section at Bahia Honda is rustic, with no hookups. It is specifically for only tents. There are also some cabins for rent in Bayside – they look like houses. However, be aware that you must pass under a low bridge that is 6’8″ high to reach this campground and cabin area. Read more, and see a map here.

Check out the Campsite Photos website and type in Bahia Honda to see a photo of every site in the campground. Next May we will be staying in Sandspur site 54, unless things change.

How to Bring a Boat to Bahia Honda?

Bahia Honda has a marina. They have a nice boat ramp to launch the boat too. Other than that, I have questions. Do I need a reservation? Is there an additional cost? I will have to call for information.

turquoise ocean water

If we do bring our boat, it means we could ride from our campsite down to the marina, hop into our boat and cruise around the keys. Sounds pretty awesome! We could not be able to do this if we towed our travel trailer.

  • Try for the off-season, meaning summertime here in Florida (May-Sept. – when the snowbirds have left.)
  • Camp smaller, or rustic – use a tent – this opens up many sites, at all times of the year.
  • Consider a non-waterfront site, but enjoy the beaches just the same.

I always knew that any camping on the water (specifically the ocean) is tough to book. We have stayed at Gamble Rogers, but never on the ocean. Any time you want to stay right on the beach in Florida, you quickly realize everyone else does as well. Usually I don’t care, but in the Keys, I want waterfront.

As Floridians, we are competing with all the northern folks who flood the state to go camping, especially in the winter months. This is why I suggest you try for an off-season booking, meaning summer.

It is hard to compete with the rest of the country, but the snowbirds generally leave by the end of April. I was able to book my Bahia Honda site for the end of next May (2027). As Floridians, we have the nice option to book 11 months in advance (at State Parks), while the out-of-staters have only 10 months. But, all camping Floridians are still competing for a handful of sites on one tiny island.

Personally, I would not want to camp in the Keys in summer. June and July might be okay, but after that, the hurricane threat increases. When you are on the Keys, there is only one way out – Rt.1 north – for everyone. Then again, it could be that you have less competition in snatching up a site, and take your chances with the weather.

If you have a smaller size camper, or you are willing to camp in a tent, consider the Sandspur campground. Camper size (max 23 feet) cuts out many of the people looking to book. I found that it was a little easier to get a spot.

Don’t care about a water view? Your chances also are better at getting a Bahia Honda site. Don’t get me wrong, it is still a competition.

Other Florida Keys Campgrounds

Bahia Honda is not the only campground in the Florida Keys. Curry Hammock is another state park campground. I don’t think they have water access sites. John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park is in Key Largo at the top of the Keys. It’s draw is the coral reef.

I considered both of these state park campground, but neither one has sites on the water. They also don’t seem to have swimming beaches – Curry Hammock might. The Florida Keys are uniquely beautiful, and the water is the big reason to go. If I can’t go swimming where I camp, I might as well stay home!

Besides the three state park campgrounds, there are other campgrounds in the Keys. They will cost a lot more (usually over $100 a night – I paid just a bit over that for my entire 5 night stay!). State Parks are trying to preserve Florida nature. Private campgrounds are simply trying to make money. But, I do understand that with only three state parks, camping options are limited.

Please leave a comment if you have been to, or are trying to get a spot at Bahia Honda. What are your Keys camping stories?

What to Do About Noisy Neighbors at a Campground

How do you deal with obnoxious and noisy neighbors at a campground? As campers, we all have had to deal with this problem, or will have to.

If you camp long enough you are bound to have to deal with annoying people and noisy neighbors at the campground. I’m not talking about children having fun, riding bikes, yelling to each other and doing kid stuff. That is to be expected. I personally enjoy listening to kids play.

For the most part, camping is a peaceful time. It is rare that we have to deal with really obnoxious and noisy neighbors, but it has happened. My niece also camps quite a bit and they have had trouble too.

Most campgrounds – in fact all the campgrounds we’ve been to – have a quiet time curfew. If noisy neighbors quiet down by the curfew, there is nothing that can be done. Apparently, some campgrounds are better at enforcing it than others.

My niece had a site next to campers who brought puppies camping with them and then they partied, with many visitors, well into the night. My niece thought that contacting the campground host about the noise was the thing to do – which is fine. Later, after the noise continued, they discovered that what they needed to do was call the police.

Campground hosts can only do so much. If you, and / or the hosts respectfully ask the rowdy, loud people to be quiet – and they ignore that – the cops are next on the list. The host should be the one to call the cops, but if they don’t, do it yourself.

Class C camper in a wooded campsite with a campfire burning
Peace and quiet can disappear if neighbors are partying

The campground host is simply someone who takes care of the campground for the short time they are there. They may be ignored by drunk groups of campers who are asked to quiet down. That is when you take it up a notch. Do not dial 911 – it is not an emergency, but call the local police station and tell them what has happened, and how you have tried to fix things without having to resort to a police presence.

noisy neighbors at the campground

Cops are trained to deal with stuff like this. These super obnoxious people who have no common sense and couldn’t care less about being labeled as noisy neighbors, might snap out of it when they see uniforms. Chances are high that when these party-goers see real authority show up, they will listen and quiet down. The next step for them will be getting kicked out of the campground.

We have never had it that bad. But, I have witnessed some really obnoxious behavior. It really has nothing to do with the campground itself. These problems can arise anywhere.

Here’s What to Do About Noisy Neighbors

  • Notify the camp host – usually they reside right alongside other campers. They should be familiar with the campground and help with the problem, or refer you to the person who takes care of such problems. (Onsite law enforcement)
  • Check the paperwork provided at check in to the campground. There could be information with a phone number for such problems.
  • If you have tried this and nothing is resolved, call the local police station.
  • Move to another site, if one is available.
  • If all else fails, pack up and head home, or to a new campground. You might be able to get a refund for the remaining days depending on the rules.

Our Personal Experience With Noisy Neighbors

The first time we had an annoying neighbor experience was when we were camping at Long Point Campground in Melbourne, Florida. This is an island on the Indian River and most sites back up to the water, which is cool. But, the sites are very close, and there is no vegetation growing in between to give any privacy.

We arrived the day after Memorial Day and there was no one camping! We pulled into our site and were far away from all other campers. It was fabulous!!! Until we got neighbors.

On our only full day of camping a big RV pulled into the spot right next door. That was fine. The older couple was friendly and they had a well-behaved dog. All was good – even though they began to play country music (which is the only kind of music I cannot stand).

Still, it was okay – to each his own. Then, the rest of the family showed up. This included setting up two tents, brining another dog, and a bunch of kids. Apparently the original people were grandparents and were meeting up with the grandkids (with mom and dad). Everyone was crammed into one campsite, which meant they were right up against us. I mean they were just outside our windows.

From that time on, we had noise. They did quiet down at night – so we really could not complain, but we no longer had the original peace and quiet. I don’t understand campers who do this – subject complete strangers to their big family gatherings. We left early on the following day, which was our planned day to leave.

*Just a note that I have seen this happen a number of times in Florida. An older couple (the grandparents) are camping and then the family, with grandkids, comes by to join them, or drop off the kids.

The Second Encounter

We camped at Rodman Campground in Palatka, Florida and encountered some incredibly awful people. It was the first time we had camped at Rodman, and we’ve been there many times since. We have never had this problem again, but during our first camping trip, we had to deal with a loud and rude man chasing his kid, swearing and yelling.

This was not a happy family. They seemed to be camping as a way of life and not to have fun. I felt bad for them, and the tent camping area was closed, so they had to camp in their tent among the RVs. The young boy ran down the road and climbed up into a tree, with his father chasing him, yelling and swearing at him – it was 7:00 in the morning. They were packing up to leave and so were we.

So those are my experiences, and I’m betting there will be more. If all else fails, pack up and leave, or ask if you can move to another site.

State parks have rules about the number of people, tents, and vehicles in each site, which is helpful. Some campgrounds are more strict than others, but I prefer to camp in spacious, somewhat secluded sites if possible.

If you have had to deal with noisy neighbors while camping, let us know in the comments. How was your problem resolved?

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Well, They Are Gone

It is June and I am here in Florida for the summer. The snowbirds have gone, and at least maybe the roads won’t be so crowded now.

I’m not the only one who looks forward to the “snowbirds”, or whatever they like to be called, leaving the state.

It is now June, and they are gone. I suspect many leave in April, but surely by June they have gone back to their other homes. I can’t even imagine have two great homes to live in. Anyway…

This means that the traffic should be a lot better. Florida is still a very overcrowded place, but when all the northerners show up it’s horrible. And they keep coming. Everyone wants to move here, for some reason.

Camping spots may also be easier to grab – the nice ones that are never available. My niece just got this beautiful spot on the beachside area at Gamble Rogers. It was a cancellation and she snapped it up for the weekend! Unheard of!

We’ve stayed at Gamble Rogers campground a few times, but never on the beachside. With only 2 or 3 sites that have an actual ocean view, it’s tough to grab a spot like this one.

Gamble Rogers oceanfront site

Now that summer is here, we do not have any camping trips planned. I’m hoping to get out on the boat and do some lounging in the water. We won’t camp again until September when we will visit Wekiwa Springs for a couple of days. It will be hot, and I hope to swim in the spring.

So there is less traffic, and camping spots are easier to book, but who wants to go out and about in 90 degree heat with 90% humidity? Camping in heat is manageable, but it’s the packing and unpacking that gets me.

In August I will get a short trip back to New Hampshire for my youngest son’s wedding. I won’t have time to sit back and relax much, but just being in that environment will renew my soul.

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