This guide is original editorial content. Linked public sources and directory listings should be checked again for live schedules, closures, prices and access rules.
Separate public campgrounds from private RV parks
Public camping in the Keys includes Florida state parks and the primitive Garden Key campground at Dry Tortugas. Private RV parks add more commercial inventory, often with hookups and resort-style facilities. They solve different needs: a state-park site emphasizes natural setting, while a private park may better support a large rig, long stay or full-hookup requirement.
Never assume a park can fit your RV because it appears in a search result. Check maximum length, slide clearance, overhead clearance, hookup type, tow-vehicle rules and exact arrival instructions for the specific site. Bahia Honda’s Bayside area, for example, has a low overhead-clearance constraint that rules out many vehicles.
Reservations and closures shape the trip
Keys campsites are scarce and demand is high during comfortable winter weather, holidays and events. Reserve the campsite before building the rest of the itinerary. If your preferred dates are unavailable, change the trip rather than counting on informal overnight parking; many lots and roads prohibit it, and a hot vehicle is unsafe.
Construction and storm recovery can close whole campground areas. Long Key State Park’s primitive camping closed for construction in July 2026, a reminder to verify official status immediately before travel. A directory listing is a starting point, not permission to occupy a site.
- Keep reservation details and gate instructions offline.
- Carry insect protection and secure food storage.
- Know where you can refill water and dump waste before moving islands.
Dry Tortugas camping is expedition-style
Garden Key camping is tent-only and pack-it-in/pack-it-out. There are no showers, electrical hookups, public Wi-Fi or reliable cell service. Campers bring food, water and equipment while complying with strict ferry or private-boat transport rules. Individual sites are first-come, first-served; group travel needs advance coordination.
The experience can be extraordinary, but it is not a substitute for an RV site in Key West. Leave the rig at a legal mainland campsite or other authorized location, then travel to the park with gear that meets the carrier’s rules.
