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Photo courtesy of Flamingo Everglades website

The best Everglades Camping Sites

The Everglades National Park is one of the great natural treasures in the United States.
There are more than 13 endangered species in this park as well as the largest mangrove ecosystem in the western hemisphere.
This park is nothing short of impressive and what a better way to explore it than camping.
You can engage in various activities during the day such as hiking, air boating, kayaking or fishing; then wind down your day sitting around the bonfire recounting the eventful day you had.
To get to the camping grounds in this park, you will need to choose your preferred mode of transportation.
You can opt to take a canoe, a boat, or wade through the waterlogged sawgrass on foot to your camping site.
Here are some of the best camping sites in the Everglades.

1. Long pine key campground

Photo courtesy of Flamingo Everglades website

The long pine key camping ground is usually open during the dry season from November to May.
This campground provides all the basics for your overnight stay with nature.
During the dry season, the Everglade gets busy because the warm weather attracts a wide variety of wading birds and their predators.
It is a haven for birds and in return attracts birdwatchers who get amazing photographs.
To get to this ground, you will start at the Ernest F. Coe visitor centre.
The site is 38 miles away, safely tucked beyond the pinelands, cypress and freshwater marl prairie.
Numerous hiking trails are accessible from the road. These trails also lead to the Flamingo Visitor Centre and marina.
Camping here gives you the best and unfiltered wilderness experience.

2. Flamingo campground

Photo courtesy of Flamingo Everglades website

It is located at the bottom of the Florida peninsula.
Flamingo Campground offers the experience of camping deep inside Everglades National Park.
The amenities available here include free shower, pretty sites, palm trees and the opportunity to see incredible wildlife.
One must have while here is bug spray because there are mosquitoes and no-see-ums which may ruin your camping experience.
This camping ground is on the southernmost tip of Florida, while it is a bit far it is worth the trip.
It is 38 miles from the main Park entrance. There are 234 drive-up sites, more than 100 RV sites, 40 walk-up sites and 3 group sites.
Reservation is required since this is a popular site with campers. The advantage of this camping site is that there is always a lot to do during your stay.
Some activities to engage in include kayaking, fishing, hiking, wildlife spotting, an amphitheatre with ranger-guided programs, biking and so much more.
This site features solar-powered showers, a marina store, drinking water, and flush toilets.

3. Miami Everglades RV Park

Photo courtesy of Flamingo Everglades website

The Miami Everglades RV park offers more amenities during your exploration of the Everglades.
This relaxing facility sits on 34 acres of land with avocado, mango and palm trees.
It also has tropical floral nurseries and farms surrounding the park. What’s more amazing is that the national park is less than ten miles away.
Miami city is a 30 minutes’ drive north of the camping ground.
While at the camping ground, you will find full hook-ups, a clubhouse, a swimming pool, a hot tub and a spa.
There are games too such as shuffleboard, mini-golf, volleyball, basketball and pickleball.
Seasons at this site vary, during the wet season, it gets hoe and humid. The afternoons are filled with thunderstorms.
Lots of drinking water, sunscreen, insect repellent clothes and bug spray will make your stay enjoyable.

4. Clubhouse beach campground

Photo by Richard Cordones on Unsplash

Last on our list is this camping site that is located on the shores of Florida Bay about 7 miles due west of Flamingo.
Clubhouse Beach Campground is the best when it comes to the backcountry camping experience.
This is the only waterside backcountry campsite that can be reached by hikers.
To get to it, use the 9-mile Coastal Prairie Trail that runs west from the campground at Flamingo.
During the day, you can take a canoe and spot dolphins and several birds.
The other way to access this camping ground is by paddling through the tides.