RVs and Camping in Miami

Miami is best known as a vibrant urban destination. But just a short distance from the bright lights of South Beach are rich natural landscapes perfect for family camping trips. Whether you’re looking to pitch a tent in a state park, spend the night in the Everglades or park an RV at a resort with luxury amenities, you’re not far from some of the best camping spots in Florida.

Everglades National Park

Everglades National Park receives about a million visitors every year, many opting for overnight stays along the River of Grass. The park offers some of the most scenic campsites in Florida.

Location highlights: The Everglades is a 1.5 million-acre swath of wilderness just over an hour’s drive from Downtown Miami. It can be accessed from U.S. 41 (aka the Tamiami Trail) just west of the city at Shark Valley, or farther south near Homestead at Royal Palm. This lush, subtropical wetland is made up of sawgrass prairies, hardwood hammocks and saltwater marshes. It is home to a diverse population of wildlife that includes bald eagles, white-tailed deer and, of course, Florida alligators.

Stop at the Guy Bradley Visitor Center in Flamingo for trip information. Overnight camping requires a permit, which can be reserved in advance at Recreation.gov.  

Types of camping: Tent, RV, houseboats, glamping, lodge, beach camping

Facilities: Water, sewer hookups, electricity, restrooms, showers and more.

Amenities: The park offers drive-up camping sites at Long Pine Key and the Flamingo Campground. Flamingo has electric hookups, a dump station, water, toilets, showers and a store. Long Pine offers toilets, showers and a dump station. Prime camping season is between November and April, so it’s best to reserve a campsite in advance.

Wilderness camping: One of the most unique ways to see Everglades National Park is by staying at one of the Marjory Stoneman Douglas Wilderness campsites. These include remote camping sites on the beach along the 99-mile Wilderness Waterway, only accessible by boat. The sites also include remote chickee huts – 10-by-12-foot covered huts on elevated platforms inside the waterway. All wilderness sites must be reserved in advance through Recreation.gov. You’ll also need to get wilderness permits to camp.

Glamping: Want to camp but not really rough it? There are two ways to go glamping in Everglades National Park (both at the Flamingo location). One is on the water with a houseboat rental at Flamingo Marina. The boats feature two bedrooms, a bathroom and a full galley kitchen, allowing travelers to live aboard as they explore the River of Grass. For another unique glamping option, rent an eco-tent with either a queen-size bed or two double beds, a seating area, fans and electricity. Eco-tents offer views of Florida Bay. For a full-service stay, book a room at the Flamingo Lodge, a state-of-the-art shipping container hotel with full kitchens and an onsite restaurant.

Biscayne National Park

Biscayne National Park is unique among America’s national parks as the only one that’s almost completely underwater. It is the largest marine sanctuary in the national park system. On land, it has two places to camp.

Location highlights: The park’s signature features lie under Biscayne Bay, where a shipwreck trail, colorful coral reefs, and mangroves draw thousands of divers and snorkelers each year. You can drive to the Dante Fascell Visitor Center near Homestead to book a boat tour and learn about the park’s history.

Type of camping: Tent camping.

Facilities: There are two places in the park to camp: Boca Chita Key and Elliot Key. Both offer grassy areas, picnic tables and grills. Boca Chita has a lighthouse, but no facilities for campers. Elliot Key has a marina with restrooms, cold-water showers and sinks.

Larry and Penny Thompson Memorial Park and Campgrounds

Larry and Penny Thompson Memorial Park and Campground is a Miami-Dade County park located in South Miami Heights next to Zoo Miami.

Location highlights: The park is popular among locals for its waterslides and lakefront beach. It also offers trails for horseback riding, running, hiking and cycling. The park is named after longtime Miami Herald columnist Larry Thompson and his wife, Penny. The campground office has collections of his works you can check out to read by the water.

Type of camping: Tent and RV

Facilities: Restrooms, laundry facilities, hot showers, camp store, picnic shelter, pool

Amenities: The campground has 240 RV campsites with full electrical and water hookups. You’ll also find a large tent-camping area, though it’s fairly informal, with a large, grassy field and no assigned spots. There is also a large campground swimming pool, open to camp guests only.

Encore Miami Everglades

Encore is a chain of RV camping resorts whose Encore Miami Everglades location sits in the middle of Homestead’s rich agricultural land. It’s less than an hour’s drive from Downtown Miami and 10 miles from Everglades National Park.

Location highlights: The camping resort is easily accessible from Florida’s Turnpike and offers a variety of activities, from shuffleboard to mini-golf and pickleball.

Type of camping: RV, cabin, tent

Facilities: Laundry, hot shower, camp store, hot tub, water hook-ups, and more

Cabins: Encore offers nine deluxe cabins, each with private bedrooms, electricity, and air conditioning. They sleep between two and 16 people and have full kitchens for extended stays.

Tent sites: Encore offers a range of tent camping options. Grove sites have full electricity and cables to hook up to the grid. The standard tent sites sit in a grassy area with no electricity or water hook-ups.