Florida Keys

[Irish Mist]

Going from boat camping in a marina, to land camping in an RV, seems water spots are a lot less expensive then RV sites. We really like Marathon area. Has anyone found any reasonable camp sites in the keys ? Or South Florida ? We are looking on line and know we are starting late in the season but if anyone has any suggestions of sites they liked I would be grateful
Thank you.

[CaptnJohn]

There are a few rules on snowbirding FL. One is there are no inexpensive private CGs in FL during winter. Another is the farther south you go, most often the price goes farther north. Just as important is to make reservations as early as possible ~ we always have our reservation in for the following year prior to March of the current year. Also, the longer you reserve the slightly less ridiculously high rate you will pay.
Seriously, I wish you the best of luck in finding a site you will like. Check the review sites as many FL CGs are older and extremely tight for a camper of any size. Granted, I'm more familiar with those on the gulf side. We found a place we really like but after several years decided to look around last year. Two days of visiting 11 CGs found none better and only 1 of 13 even acceptable in comparison.

[Irish Mist]

Thanks Captn. Is the same with the boat.. However the rates are double what slip fees are..
And yes booking ahead and long term certainly is a big help.. Have found where Two weeks is more then a Month in some instances.. Looking like maybe park central and go for driving day trips .. As long as we are above freezing we are pretty happy :)

[schmeg]

There is more to life than Florida. That is why I bought an RV.

[notanlines]

We found over the last few years that CapnJohn is correct. You might also keep in mind that once you are further south than Miami you are somewhat limited in your day travels. Also remember that if you aren't south of Tampa then you probably will spend the winter in a light jacket and long pants. We winter in Clewiston, just on the southern edge of Lake Okeechobee and make many day trips to both coasts.

[JRTJH]

Heaven forbid (and mortals scorn) any talk about wintering in places other than Florida, but we've found that the rates in Florida are "prohibitive". By that I don't mean we can't afford them, rather that we didn't think we could "swallow them", at least "willingly". I did some looking in southern Texas, between Galveston and Corpus Christi. I found a number of "more than adequate" RV parks that were "less than half" the Florida rate for comparable (sometimes even nicer) spaces. While the "atmosphere of Florida's tourism" isn't a part of the "Texas experience", the temperatures are comparable to central Florida.

For us, wintering the "coldest part of the year" in Texas cost less than half the price of a comparable Florida campground and we packed away the "heavy coats and long pants" relying only on shorts and an occasional sweatshirt, but never had a day we couldn't have coffee under the awning, even in the rain.

Just a thought, if you're military, active duty or retired, check out Key West Naval Air Station. While they do have "full hookup sites" most people prefer the "on the bay" limited hookup sites. I don't have all the rules/regulations about who is eligible, but it may be worth checking if you think you might qualify for eligibility.

[Irish Mist]

Thanks everyone.
Florida is certainly not the end all be all to us, but once you have spent some time in the keys with the constant breezes and the clear water out in the reefs it is a hard decision to abandon that. The Key West Naval Air Station is also a popular spot for boaters as well. Being Canadian and never having been in the service it is not an option. The reason we are trying a fifth wheel is for the mobility it offers so with that in mind we may just pay the price and just really shorten the time spent down there.. like really really shorten :). It will be nice to travel around and see other great spots that are available across the United States. Looking forward to meeting others as we travel. It seems like boaters RVers are a friendly helpful group.

[hankpage]

You might want to look into Big Pine Fishing Lodge. They are just below Marathon around the 30 mi. marker. It is small, family owned, friendly and the cleanest CG we've ever been to. Sites are tight but they will park the 5er for you with a bucket loader and have it in in one shot. Also have a marina and available boat rentals or slips, only a few minutes by boat to Looe Key reefs and some decent snorkeling or diving.

[malabarbob]

We like Bluewater RV - a little pricey but worth the money and close to Key West.
You can book 1/2 of the sites via the office and the other 1/2 via the homeowners directly. I think both numbers are on their site. You can also bring a boat and get a slip with your site if you choose the more expensive water sites.

[CaptnJohn]

Since you are not locked into the Keys ~~~ if you do not find what you want drop me a PM. I may have a possibility.

[BirchyBoy]

Hi all. I'm celebrating being laid off by taking a 2 week trip to the Keys from NC. Spots are a little hard to find, but I found an interior spot at Jolly Rodger for 5 nights. A couple questions:

1. How long should I plan on for getting from Cape Canaveral to JR on a Wednesday? It's about 300 miles; is that an OK distance/time? I've driven to the Keys once but it was many years ago.
2. Most campgrounds have a strong pet policy, but we've never had any issues although our dogs bark. Is the JR particularly strong with enforcement?

[buckeyebobhockingcamper]

well,i stay at jolly roger,will be there dec 22,leave april 1.the distance is fine,however sometimes the traffic is horrible,last year it took me 3.5 hours to travel 69 miles from florida city to jr.i would leave EARLY.the dog situation is one of common sense,at jr your dog must use designated area for potty,it cannot urinate on any site,must use dog park,or area by road
.they enforce this policy,barking dogs will get your attention if someone complaines you didnt mention the time you are traveling ,we encounter many slow downs and crawls dec 26 thru 30th,we are leaving a week earlier to try to avoid this

[Smiggle]

Capn John, would you please share the names of the campground(s) you like on the gulf coast? (ones you think are not good or overpriced would also be helpful) We're in the campground-shopping mode but don't know if we prefer the keys or the gulf coast.

[notanlines]

Smiggle, maybe you should tell us what time of the year, not to mention what area of the gulf coast. Pretty long area you're talking about. We could help you out a little from New Orleans to the Florida panhandle, but not much else.