Boat Camping and Waterfront Parks in Florida

Camping by boat in Florida ranges from a full-hookup campsite steps from a park marina to a roofed wooden platform in the Everglades with nothing around it but mangroves and water. This page covers verified state and national park options, how reservations and permits work, what to pack and the rules that apply once you are ashore.

Florida Keys state parks

The Keys have several state parks along the Overseas Highway with water on every side. Each handles boats differently, so match the park to how you plan to arrive.

Bahia Honda State Park (Lower Keys)

Bahia Honda is the most boat-friendly camping park in the Keys. It has three campgrounds, including waterfront sites in the Buttonwood loop and primitive sites in the Bayside loop, plus bayside cabins. The park marina has 19 overnight boat slips in a protected basin with water, electricity and access to the park bathhouse and pump-out, and a 4.5-foot controlling depth. The park recommends reserving slips in advance and lists VHF channel 16 as one way to reach the marina.

Bahia Honda also has two boat ramps in the marina, with a maximum vessel length posted for ramp use. Trailer parking is limited and can fill on holidays, which stops further launching. Note that the road to the Bayside campground and the cabins passes under a bridge with a low overhead clearance of 6 feet 8 inches. Once out of the marina area, boats must stay 400 feet from the park shoreline.

Curry Hammock State Park (Middle Keys)

Curry Hammock, near Marathon, has a single campground with electric and water sites, beach access and a kayak launch. It is a paddler's park: the park states that launching powerboats or other motorized vessels is not allowed. It works well if you bring a kayak or paddleboard and use a marina elsewhere for a larger boat.

Long Key State Park (Middle Keys)

Long Key offers hike-in, tent-only sites along the Atlantic shore with no electric or water hookups. There are no boat ramps in the park; the park directs trailer boaters to local marinas. As of this review, the park reports that all primitive camping is closed for construction and that parts of the park may close during king tide flooding, so check the park page before planning a stay.

John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park (Key Largo)

Pennekamp protects roughly 72 square nautical miles of ocean off Key Largo. It has a campground, a boat ramp, and dock slips and mooring buoys in Largo Sound managed through the park's dockmaster. It is a good base for reef trips; see Boating in the Florida Keys for reef and sanctuary rules.

Freshwater and spring parks

Lake Louisa State Park (Central Florida)

Lake Louisa, near Clermont, has a large campground between Dixie and Hammond lakes and cabins. It does not have a public boat ramp. The park allows hand-carried boats, including canoes, kayaks and small boats with electric trolling motors; gas motors are not permitted. All boats must be off the water an hour before sunset, including those of overnight guests. It suits a quiet paddling and fishing trip rather than a powerboat outing.

Manatee Springs State Park (Suwannee River)

Manatee Springs, on the lower Suwannee River, has three camping loops with electric and water within walking distance of the spring. Motorboats can tie off at the park's floating dock on the river, and a boardwalk leads to the spring area. Swimming is allowed in the main spring, where the current is swift. Diving has its own registration rules and capacity limits, and divers must keep their distance from manatees.

National park camping by boat

Everglades National Park wilderness

The coastal wilderness of Everglades National Park has dozens of ground sites, beach sites and elevated wooden platforms called chickees. Most are reached by canoe, kayak or motorboat. A wilderness permit is required for all overnight camping outside the drive-in campgrounds, except when you sleep aboard your boat. Sites are reserved on Recreation.gov on a rolling basis about three months ahead, and the confirmation email serves as the permit. All visitors also need a park entrance pass.

Chickees are 10-by-12-foot roofed platforms over the water with a toilet; you need a freestanding tent because stakes and nails are not allowed. Beach sites have shallow approaches, so motorboats must use caution, and low tide can expose wide mudflats. The park warns that tidal ranges exceed four feet in some places, so secure your boat for the overnight tide.

Dry Tortugas National Park

Camping at Dry Tortugas is only on Garden Key, home of Fort Jefferson, about 70 miles west of Key West. Regular sites are first come, first served; groups of 10 to 20 need an advance reservation for the group site. Private boaters should check in with a ranger on arrival. Overnight anchoring is allowed only in sand and rubble bottom within one nautical mile of the Fort Jefferson harbor light, outside designated channels. The park is cashless, and no food, water or fuel is available.

Reservations and permits

Where	How to book	Notes
Florida State Parks campsites and cabins	Florida State Parks reservations (opens in a new tab)	Up to 11 months ahead
Bahia Honda boat slips	Through the park marina	Reservations recommended
Everglades wilderness sites	Recreation.gov	Permit required; about 90 days ahead
Dry Tortugas regular sites	No reservations	Group site must be reserved

Waterfront and Keys sites are in high demand from late fall through spring and on holidays. If you plan to arrive by boat, confirm what the park allows: some parks ban motorized launching, some have no ramp, and some limit boat size.

What to pack

Rules ashore and afloat

Fires and cooking

Fire rules differ by park. In the Everglades wilderness, campfires are allowed only at beach sites, below the high tide line, with dead and downed wood; no fires are allowed on chickees or ground sites. At Dry Tortugas, wood fires are prohibited and charcoal in the campsite grills is the only fire allowed; gas camp stoves are permitted by the park but not on the commercial ferry.

Waste and trash

At Dry Tortugas there are no public trash bins, so all trash must be packed out. Many Everglades beach sites have no toilets; the park explains how to bury human waste away from shorelines and tent sites. On the boat, use pump-out facilities such as the one at the Bahia Honda marina, and see environmental rules for discharge rules.

Wildlife

Do not feed wildlife. Store food and water where raccoons and rodents cannot reach it. Pets are not allowed at Everglades backcountry campsites, and Dry Tortugas requires tents because of wildlife on the island. Sea turtles and crocodiles nest on some beaches in late spring and summer, and manatees use many of the same shallow waters you will cross, so watch your speed and posted zones.

Weather and timing

The Everglades and Dry Tortugas both see thunderstorms and squalls, and NPS notes that a tropical storm can develop in the Gulf in any month. Summer brings heat, bugs and afternoon storms; winter brings stronger winds and rougher open water. Read the Florida marine weather guide, check the forecast before you leave and again before each leg, and plan your route with charts and tides from Maps & Routes.

Before any overnight trip, review boating safety and leave a float plan with someone ashore who knows when to call for help.

Frequently asked questions

Can I camp in a Florida state park and keep my boat there overnight?

At some parks, yes. Bahia Honda State Park in the Lower Keys rents overnight boat slips in a protected marina basin, and its campground sits next to the water. Most parks do not offer overnight dockage, so check each park's amenities page.

How far ahead can I reserve a Florida state park campsite?

Florida State Parks campsites can be reserved up to 11 months in advance through the official Florida State Parks reservations website. Waterfront sites in the Keys fill early in winter and on holidays.

Do I need a permit to camp on a chickee in the Everglades?

Yes. Everglades National Park requires a wilderness permit for all overnight camping outside drive-in campgrounds, except when sleeping aboard a boat. Sites are reserved on Recreation.gov, and the confirmation serves as the permit.

Can I camp at Dry Tortugas if I arrive by my own boat?

Yes. Camping is only on Garden Key, regular sites are first come, first served, and private boaters should check in with a ranger on arrival. You must bring all food, water and fuel, and pack out all trash.

Official sources

1. Florida State Parks — Bahia Honda State Park, Experiences & Amenities (opens in a new tab)
2. Florida State Parks — Long Key State Park (opens in a new tab)
3. Florida State Parks — Curry Hammock State Park, Experiences & Amenities (opens in a new tab)
4. Florida State Parks — John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park, Experiences & Amenities (opens in a new tab)
5. Florida State Parks — Lake Louisa State Park, Experiences & Amenities (opens in a new tab)
6. Florida State Parks — Manatee Springs State Park, Experiences & Amenities (opens in a new tab)
7. Florida State Parks — Reservations (opens in a new tab)
8. National Park Service — Everglades Wilderness Trip Planner (opens in a new tab)
9. National Park Service — Dry Tortugas Camping (opens in a new tab)
10. National Park Service — Dry Tortugas Boating (opens in a new tab)

Checked against these sources on October 2, 2026. Rules change — confirm current requirements with the official source before you rely on them.