In-depth guide · CampingSpirit
42 bridges and 180 kilometres of Caribbean feeling: snorkelling at the first underwater park in the US, sunset at Mallory Square and pitches right on the water.
The spirit of the route
South of Florida City the mainland runs out. US-1 becomes the Overseas Highway, and the world suddenly consists of water: the Florida Bay in bottle green on one side, the Atlantic in turquoise and deep blue on the other, and in between bridges that stretch across the sea for miles. The sliding door stays open, the warm wind smells of salt and mangroves, pelicans glide alongside the vehicle. On Big Pine Key knee-high Key deer stand at the roadside, in Islamorada tarpon circle at the dock, in Key West live music drifts out of the bars on Duval Street. The Keys are no place for mileage eaters: you drive ten minutes, jump in the water, eat fresh fish and drive another ten minutes. In return the route demands discipline in planning: State Park pitches are gone months ahead, there is no free camping, and anyone travelling between June and November keeps an eye on the forecast – there is only a single road out.
Stage-by-stage plan
1Stage 1: Miami to Key Largo (approx. 100 km)
- The drive
- From Miami take Florida’s Turnpike (Homestead Extension, HEFT) south to Florida City, then continue on US-1. The toll road is entirely cashless: without a transponder your licence plate is photographed and you are billed later by invoice. From Florida City there are two ways to Key Largo: the “18-Mile Stretch” of US-1 through mangroves and along a canal, mostly two lanes with no passing, or the quieter Card Sound Road (CR 905A) with a small toll bridge. The toll booth takes no cash; for a two-axle motorhome the toll is US$2.13 with SunPass and US$3.18 by plate until 30 September 2026, and US$2.18 and US$3.28 from 1 October 2026; a trailer or extra axle costs more. Pure driving time is about 1.5 to 2 hours, often longer on weekends and holidays because all traffic funnels onto one road. The green mile markers (MM) count down from MM 127 at Florida City to MM 0 in Key West; Key Largo sits at MM 107 to 91. Fuel and groceries in Florida City or Homestead are clearly cheaper than in the Keys.
- Highlights & must-sees
- Everglades National Park: from the main entrance near Homestead (open 24 hours) it is a few kilometres to Royal Palm and the Anhinga Trail, a boardwalk of just under a kilometre where alligators, turtles and wading birds are almost within touching distance from early morning. Plan two to three hours, ideally before 10 a.m., before the heat and the tour buses arrive.
- John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park, the first underwater park in the US: glass-bottom boat (about two and a half hours) and snorkel trips run through the concession in the park and are often booked days ahead in high season. Trips are cancelled in strong wind, so allow a spare day.
- Christ of the Abyss at Key Largo Dry Rocks: the bronze statue stands on the reef in about seven metres of water and can only be reached by boat, usually as a snorkel trip from Pennekamp; visibility and sea state decide, and the tour takes a good three hours.
- CampingSpirit overnight tip
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Official campsite or RV park: John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park, Key Largo (MM 102.5): about 47 pitches between mangroves and lagoon with electricity (30/50 A) and water, dump station, showers and coin laundry. According to third-party sources, length is limited to about 45 ft (just under 14 m); check before booking. Cost is US$36 per night plus tax, a US$7 utility fee for vehicles and a US$6.70 non-refundable reservation fee. Pitches can be booked eleven months ahead (Florida residents) or ten months ahead (everyone else) at reserve.floridastateparks.org. According to the park website, one boat ramp was closed at the end of July 2026 and boat-trailer parking is sharply reduced. Alternative: Flamingo Campground in Everglades National Park, at the far south on Florida Bay; the main season runs November to April, in summer only a few pitches are open on a first come, first served basis, and the mosquitoes are then barely bearable.
Free camping or nature tip (where legal): In the Keys, sleeping in a vehicle on public land (streets, car parks, beaches, bridge pull-offs) is prohibited and enforced; fines, being moved on or towing are the consequences. Plan only for fixed campsites. On the mainland too, rest areas are for resting, not camping; check the operators’ rules beforehand.
- Insider tip for campers
- Clarify the rental company’s toll package: some rental firms charge daily flat rates, so check the terms before pick-up. Florida’s Turnpike accepts SunPass, E-ZPass and other transponders; by plate a US$2.50 administrative fee per invoice is added, and SunPass is on average about 25 percent cheaper according to the operator. Everglades: entry costs US$35 per vehicle (seven days); since 2026 visitors aged 16 and over without US residency pay a further US$100 per person unless they hold an annual pass – payment by card only, no cash. In the wet season (April to October) insect protection is a must.
2Stage 2: Key Largo to Marathon (approx. 85 km)
- The drive
- US-1 leads across Tavernier and the islands of Islamorada to the Long Key Viaduct and on to Marathon (MM 91 to 47). Mostly two lanes and flat, water on both sides. The speed limit in towns is 45 mph (72 km/h), otherwise mostly 55 mph (88 km/h), lower in work zones; there are no separate limits for motorhomes. Passing is rarely allowed, so average speeds are low: for the good 85 kilometres, one to 1.5 hours of pure driving is realistic, several times that on holidays. The bridges are narrow and the shoulders often only a foot wide; drive calmly in crosswinds on the long viaducts. Fuel stations and supermarkets are found in Key Largo, Tavernier, Islamorada and Marathon; prices in the Keys are above the mainland.
- Highlights & must-sees
- Windley Key Fossil Reef Geological State Park (MM 85): former quarries where Flagler’s railway cut the coral stone for its construction; the quarry walls show fossil corals. The park is open Thursday to Monday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. (closed Tuesday and Wednesday), admission US$2.50 per person, ranger tours Friday to Sunday at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m.; a walk takes about an hour.
- Anne’s Beach on Lower Matecumbe Key (MM 73.5): shallow, warm water and a wooden boardwalk across the mangrove fringe; wear water shoes and come early at weekends because the beach is small.
- The Turtle Hospital in Marathon (MM 48.5): a non-profit rehabilitation centre for sea turtles; visits are by guided tour only, starting on the hour and half hour from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and lasting about 90 minutes (most recently US$38 per adult, reservation on +1 305 743 2552 recommended). You see injured animals and can feed turtles in the big pool.
- CampingSpirit overnight tip
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Official campsite or RV park: Curry Hammock State Park near Marathon (MM 56): 28 pitches right on the water, all with electricity (20/30/50 A), water and sewer, dump station, showers and a beach between pitches 13 and 15; according to third-party sources vehicles up to about 70 ft (21 m) are possible. Cost is US$36 per night plus US$7 utility and US$6.70 reservation, bookable eleven or ten months ahead. With so few pitches, demand in winter is enormous; dogs are not allowed on the beach or in the buildings. According to the park website, Long Key State Park (MM 67.5) currently has its campground and Golden Orb Trail closed for construction (as of July 2026); only plan it as an alternative if you have checked the reopening date. There are several private sites in Key Largo and Marathon; check names, pitch size and prices in advance because winter demand exceeds capacity.
Free camping or nature tip (where legal): Again no legal free camping: signs ban overnight stays in many bridge pull-offs and on beaches, and the municipalities enforce it. Anyone without a pitch moves to a private site – in high season prices are often above US$100 per night.
- Insider tip for campers
- The same rules apply to all Florida State Parks: maximum 14 nights per reservation, at least 3 nights’ break before the next booking in the same park, at most 56 nights within six months. If you have to cancel: US$17.75 fee plus the non-refundable reservation fee; if you cancel within 24 hours before arrival, the first night is also kept. Alcohol is only permitted on your own pitch in the State Parks. Dogs must be on a leash (1.8 m) and are not allowed on beaches or in bathing areas.
3Stage 3: Marathon to Bahia Honda (approx. 25 km)
- The drive
- The short showpiece stage: from Marathon (MM 50) over the Seven Mile Bridge (MM 47 to 40), almost eleven kilometres across open water, then Little Duck Key, Missouri Key, Ohio Key and Bahia Honda Key (MM 37). Two lanes, narrow shoulder, speed mostly 55 mph; drive cautiously in rain and crosswinds and only stop on the bridge in an emergency. The approach to the Bayside area of the park passes under the new Bahia Honda Bridge, and according to the park website the clearance there is only 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) – not passable for motorhomes. About 20 to 30 minutes of pure driving time; the stage is short to leave room for a beach day.
- Highlights & must-sees
- The Old Seven Mile Bridge: the restored section from Marathon to Pigeon Key is 2.2 miles (a good 3.5 kilometres) long, open to pedestrians and cyclists and free of charge; parking for about 35 vehicles on the Marathon side, tight for large motorhomes. There and back takes about two hours; there is no shade, so go early in the morning or late in the afternoon.
- Pigeon Key: a small island with a museum on Flagler history, reached on foot across the bridge or by the Pigeon Key Express (tram) three times a day; according to the operator most recently US$28 for adults with tram and museum, US$15 for the island only.
- Bahia Honda State Park with Sandspur Beach and the old railway bridge: the boardwalk leads onto the disused bridge with a view of the Bahia Honda Channel. Snorkel trips to the reef are booked with the concessionaire in the park; sunset on the beach and kayak rental. The park closes to day visitors when it is full, especially from December to March.
- CampingSpirit overnight tip
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Official campsite or RV park: Bahia Honda State Park (MM 37) with 80 pitches in three areas: Buttonwood (pitches 1 to 48) with electricity, water, bathhouse and dump station, gravel, for large vehicles up to about 50 ft (15 m), some pitches right on the water (no. 12 to 25); Sandspur (no. 49 to 72) for tents and vehicles up to 23 ft (7 m) with electricity and water, on the Atlantic; open again since the rebuild in 2022, the bathhouse is currently being renovated according to the park website; Bayside (no. 73 to 80) are eight simple pitches without electricity with water and a half-kilometre walk to the showers. Prices as in the other State Parks: US$36 plus tax, US$7 utility, US$6.70 reservation; dogs on a leash only and not on beaches. This is one of the hardest campgrounds to book in Florida. Private alternatives: Sunshine Key RV Resort (Ohio Key, MM 39) and Big Pine Fishing Lodge & RV Park on Big Pine Key (97 pitches, no pets).
Free camping or nature tip (where legal): Not possible. Overnight stays are only allowed on the booked pitches in the park, not in the day-use car park and not in the pull-offs at the Seven Mile Bridge. Without a reservation the only option is a private site on Big Pine Key, Sugarloaf Key or the Lower Keys.
- Insider tip for campers
- Booking window: Florida residents book eleven months ahead, everyone else ten months; check the release time on reserve.floridastateparks.org beforehand, because pitches for winter and holidays are often gone within minutes. Log in beforehand, keep several preferred dates and pitches ready; cancellations occasionally free up pitches, so check availability several times. There is hardly any shade on the beach – umbrellas and chairs can be rented.
4Stage 4: Bahia Honda to Key West (approx. 60 km)
- The drive
- Across Big Pine Key (MM 33 to 29), where the National Key Deer Refuge lies, then over Summerland, Cudjoe, Sugarloaf and Stock Island to Key West (MM 0). In the refuge (roughly MM 29 to 33) strict speed limits protect the Key deer: 45 mph by day, only 30 to 35 mph at night depending on the section (follow the signs); the police enforce it sharply. Between Big Pine Key and Key West, US-1 is mostly two lanes, only in places four, and traffic towards Key West is dense at weekends. Pure driving time is about 1 to 1.5 hours. From Stock Island free driving ends: the Old Town of Key West is narrow, with one-way streets and cobbles.
- Highlights & must-sees
- National Key Deer Refuge with the Blue Hole on Big Pine Key: a former quarry where alligators, turtles and fish live, viewing platform near the car park. Key deer often stand at the roadside in the early morning and evening: do not feed or touch them, stay calm – feeding and harassing are strictly forbidden in the refuge.
- Southernmost Point Buoy and Mallory Square: sunset at Mallory Square is a daily celebration with street performers in the late afternoon, the buoy at the southern end of Whitehead Street is quietest early in the morning. On foot or by bike, not with the motorhome.
- Fort Zachary Taylor Historic State Park: Civil War fort with Key West’s favourite town beach, US$6 per vehicle, open from 8 a.m. to sunset (the fort itself until 5 p.m.). From Key West ferries and seaplanes run to Dry Tortugas National Park; the ferry crossing takes about two and a quarter hours each way – check times, prices and camping on Garden Key with the operator and at recreation.gov beforehand.
- CampingSpirit overnight tip
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Official campsite or RV park: In Key West itself there are only a few expensive sites, all private: Leo’s Campground (under a mile from the centre), Boyd’s Key West Campground (about two miles, roughly 150 full-hookup pitches, pool, boat ramp), Geiger Key Marina & RV Park (about ten miles, tight, for smaller vehicles), Bluewater Key RV Resort (about twelve miles, minimum length 24 ft) and Lazy Lakes RV Park (about 14 miles). In high season prices are mostly well above US$100 per night; book long in advance. Many campers stay at Bahia Honda or on the Lower Keys and visit Key West as a day trip. Sigsbee RV Park on the naval base is open only to active military and military retirees.
Free camping or nature tip (where legal): In Key West, sleeping in a vehicle on streets and car parks is prohibited and enforced; most public car parks do not accept motorhomes or trailers either. Towing and fines are expensive.
- Insider tip for campers
- With a large vehicle better not to go into Old Town at all: leave it at the campground and go into town by bike or the app-based on-demand bus “Key West Rides” (it replaced the free Duval Loop in early 2026; check fares and service area beforehand). The Dry Tortugas ferry leaves early in the morning (check-in around 7 a.m. according to older information at Grinnell Street), parking most recently cost about US$32 a day; the Old Town car park has only 7 ft 2 in clearance. Fill up in Marathon or Big Pine Key before heading into town.
Camping practice & local rules
Wild camping & overnight parking
- The municipalities of the Keys prohibit sleeping in a vehicle on streets, car parks, bridge pull-offs and beaches; in Key West it is expressly forbidden; enforcement is strict, and fines or towing follow. Check the details (Monroe County, Key West, Marathon, Islamorada) with the municipality beforehand. In addition there is a 2024 state law (HB 1365) that forbids municipalities to tolerate regular sleeping and camping on public land; it is aimed mainly at homeless camps and creates no new free-camping spots for travellers. Plan only for fixed campsites.
- On the mainland, motorway rest areas are meant for resting, not camping; supermarket car parks belong to the individual stores, ask permission there first; in the Keys this is out of the question.
- State Parks and National Park: overnight stays only on the designated pitches. Everglades backcountry (chickees, ground sites) needs a wilderness permit from the park; the national park campgrounds (Flamingo, Long Pine Key) are seasonal: Long Pine Key closes completely in summer, Flamingo then offers only a few pitches on a first come, first served basis; check the status at nps.gov beforehand.
- State Park booking windows: pitches can be booked eleven months ahead (Florida residents) or ten months ahead (everyone else); maximum 14 nights per reservation, 3 nights’ break between two bookings in the same park, at most 56 nights in six months. Cancellation: US$17.75 fee plus non-refundable US$6.70 reservation fee, within 24 hours also the first night. On booking day every minute counts – log in beforehand and store your payment details.
- Hurricane season: it runs from 1 June to 30 November; the peak is around 10 September, and the main danger lasts from August to October. The Keys have only one road to the mainland (US-1, about 180 kilometres to Florida City), so evacuation starts early: visitors are told to leave first, then residents; for Hurricane Irma in 2017 the visitor evacuation was ordered on 6 September, four days before landfall (10 September), and the islands only reopened to visitors on 1 October. Motorhomes, trailers and campers usually have to leave the Keys first when orders are issued (example Tropical Storm Laura 2020: by Sunday noon). The county shelters are intended only for hurricanes up to category 2; with a motorhome do not rely on a shelter. Rule: when the weather services issue a warning, do not wait, but drive to the mainland early with a full tank. Clarify cancellation terms for storms and evacuation with the pitch operator beforehand.
Waste disposal & supplies
- Water: the drinking water of the Keys comes by pipeline from the mainland (Florida Keys Aqueduct Authority) and is drinkable. Fresh water is available at the State Park pitches; fill tanks in Florida City before setting off.
- Disposal: dump stations are at Pennekamp, Curry Hammock and on Buttonwood in Bahia Honda as well as at private sites. Never let grey water run onto the ground or into the water: the environmental rules in the Keys are strict, and the marine sanctuary prohibits discharging wastewater.
- Power and cooling: at 30 degrees and high humidity, cooling and air conditioning almost always need shore power. Pitches with 30/50 A are the minimum; take adapters and a long cable. Check the parks’ generator rules beforehand.
- Fuel: fuel stations are found in Key Largo, Islamorada, Marathon, Big Pine Key and Key West; prices are above the mainland, so fill up fully in Florida City. Propane in Key Largo, Marathon and Key West at fuel stations and specialist dealers; check vehicle and cylinder standard beforehand, rental motorhomes mostly have permanently installed tanks.
- Shopping: supermarkets in Key Largo, Islamorada, Marathon and Key West; on the Lower Keys only small shops. Plan a cool box and ice for beach days.
- Emergency: 911. On the water emergency calls go over VHF channel 16; do not count on mobile coverage on bridges and in the parks.
- Costs at a glance: a State Park pitch costs about US$36 plus tax, US$7 utility and US$6.70 reservation, so roughly US$50 a night; private sites are often above US$100 in high season. If you are flexible, plan your nights in the State Parks and use private sites only as gap fillers, for example for Key West.
- Flooding in autumn: king tides occur in September and October; Long Key State Park warned of temporary flooding for 26 September 2026, and Bahia Honda was most recently listed with a coastal flood advisory. Low-lying access roads and waterfront pitches can be under water for hours – check the tide calendar and park notices, and do not park the vehicle on areas that can flood.
Vehicle size & traffic rules
- Speed limits: Overseas Highway mostly 55 mph (88 km/h), in towns 45 mph (72 km/h), on Big Pine Key (MM 29 to 33) 45 mph by day and 30 to 35 mph at night; in Key West sometimes lower still. There are no separate limits for motorhomes, the signs apply; enforcement is strict.
- Tolls: Florida’s Turnpike (HEFT) and Card Sound Road are cashless. SunPass, E-ZPass and other compatible transponders are accepted; without a transponder the plate is photographed and billed by Toll-by-Plate with a US$2.50 fee per invoice. Card Sound Road (two axles): SunPass US$2.13, by plate US$3.18; from 1 October 2026 US$2.18 and US$3.28; each further axle costs extra. The Overseas Highway itself is toll-free. With a rental motorhome ask the rental company about the toll package.
- Parking fees and entry: Everglades US$35 per vehicle (seven days), from age 16 without US residency a further US$100 per person unless you hold an annual pass (card payment only); Florida State Parks day fee mostly US$4.50 to 8 per vehicle plus US$0.50 per person; Fort Zachary Taylor US$6. Check all amounts beforehand.
- Marine sanctuary (Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary): do not touch corals, never anchor on reefs, do not feed, no discharge of wastewater. Yellow buoys 30 inches in diameter mark restricted zones (Sanctuary Preservation Areas, Ecological Reserves) in which fishing and collecting are prohibited all year. Watch dolphins from at least 150 ft (45 m), do not feed them and do not swim after them. Do not touch or feed manatees and keep your distance; in protection zones speed limits apply to boats.
- Dive flags: anyone diving or snorkelling carries a dive flag (20 x 24 in on the boat, 12 x 12 in on a float); boats must keep 100 ft (30 m) away in channels, otherwise 300 ft (90 m). Snorkellers swim with a float and flag and stay near the flag.
- Lobster: the two-day “mini-season” falls on the last Wednesday and Thursday in July (2026: 29 and 30 July), the regular season in 2026/27 runs from 6 August to 31 March. In Monroe County at most six lobsters per person per day, the carapace must be longer than three inches; a saltwater fishing licence is required, do not touch traps. In the restricted zones and in the national parks (Everglades, Dry Tortugas) separate bans apply – check with the park beforehand.
- Sea turtles: nesting season on the Atlantic side runs from 1 March to 31 October, on the Gulf side from 1 May to 31 October. At night no lights or torches on the beach, fill in holes, remove loungers, never touch nests or animals. If you find an injured or disoriented animal, call the FWC hotline.
- Key deer and wildlife: feeding, touching and harassing Key deer and alligators are prohibited in the refuge; dogs on a leash. Keep your speed low on Big Pine Key at dusk.
- Mosquitoes and insects: mosquito season is basically all year, the wet season from May to October is worst. According to the Keys Mosquito Project, the invasive yellow fever mosquito (Aedes aegypti) makes up only about 4 percent of mosquitoes but transmits practically all diseases; for 2026 Florida reported three locally acquired dengue cases up to early August (Palm Beach, Miami-Dade, Hillsborough). Repellent with DEET or picaridin, long clothing at dusk, avoid standing water around the vehicle. Sandflies (“no-see-ums”) appear on windless evenings on the beach and in mangrove areas; special no-see-um mesh helps.
- Dogs and alcohol: in the State Parks dogs (maximum four per pitch) are not allowed on beaches, in playground areas or in buildings; alcohol is only permitted on your own pitch. Sunscreen: Key West’s 2019 ban on certain chemical filters was overturned in 2021 by a state law; mineral products remain recommended.
CampingSpirit packing & preparation checklist
- Toll transponder (SunPass or E-ZPass) or sorted-out plate billing for the Turnpike; on Card Sound Road SunPass and compatible transponders or Toll-by-Plate apply, cash is not accepted – plan on a credit card for the Everglades and toll invoices.
- Fine-mesh mosquito nets for windows and door against “no-see-ums”, tiny sandflies that pass through normal nets, plus repellent with DEET or picaridin for dusk and the wet season.
- Snorkel gear, water shoes and a dive-flag float (at least 30 x 30 cm) for Pennekamp, Bahia Honda and shallow bays with coral fragments and sea urchins.
- Mineral sunscreen and a UV shirt: protects skin and corals, and there is hardly any shade on the beaches.
- 30 A/50 A power adapter and a long cable for the State Park hookups and the air conditioning.
- Hurricane and weather app with warnings from the National Hurricane Center and Monroe County Emergency Management, plus a plan for the drive to the mainland (always keep the tank over half full).
As of 2026-09. Closures, fees and booking rules change: check official sources before you go.
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