Touring Florida Keys and tent camping
07-29-17, 05:32 AM
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Touring Florida Keys and tent camping
We are kicking around the idea of touring the Keys in January. All the state campgrounds are booked solid. (Peak season) I'm sure some of you have done this, any advice.... private campgrounds, do or don't do, things to avoid or must see. Thank you!!!
07-29-17, 07:28 AM
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I was there this past February. I and a friend did Big Cyprus, Everglades and Florida Keys. We did a loop (map attached), started at Marco Island, finished in Florida Keys and then took the ferry back to our vehicle in Marco Island. Ferry was not cheap, but without it a loop would have been impractical. (Everglades was in and out, but the rest of the trip was a loop.) The ferry was unlike airlines, rarely full, thus we could make our reservation to finish the trip on short notice which was nice. We are retired, thus our end of trip date could be open ended based on convenience and weather. On the map the campgrounds are listed by the first night we stayed at each by date. We got free parking in Marco Island at the ferry company, but check with them first if you do something like this.
The private campground I stayed at on the east side of Key West cost something like $99 for a tiny patch of gravel next to a dumpster. I think it was called Boyds. Not many other choices. We planned to stay in Key West area for two nights but with the high cost we bugged out after the first night.
Stayed at a private campground on Key Largo, less than $50. They do not have a sign on the main highway so you have to know where you are looking to find it. Key Largo Kampground and Marina. (Photo attached.) We thought this was expensive, but this was our first campsite on the Keys, we eventually figured out that it was not too expensive. But state parks were clearly a better deal.
We stayed at many state parks in the Keys. My touring partner lined up those campgrounds by calling the campgrounds before the trip and finding out which ones would have campsites available on short notice for cyclists, and he then called the specific campgrounds roughly a day before we arrived. I do not remember which campgrounds we stayed at but from the map (attached) you might be able to figure out which ones. We are retired and took our time, so several places we stayed at for an extra day if we could.
One state park had wood platforms for us to camp on, my tent was not self supporting, so that was a hassle, but I survived. Had to use twigs jammed in between the planks as tent stacks. (See photo.)
We also stayed at a hostel in Florida City, that was nice and affordable.
There are two main grocery store chains, Publix and Winn Dixie. From their websites I figured out where they were and put their locations into my GPS before my trip. It came in handy for planning when to stock up on groceries.
Very very flat, the only hills are the approaches to the bridges. I do not think I ever used the granny gear on my triple.
I attached a few other photos too. The cyclist in the fog photo was in the Everglades, I do not know if it gets that foggy in the Keys. That was the only non-Keys photo I attached.
The private campground I stayed at on the east side of Key West cost something like $99 for a tiny patch of gravel next to a dumpster. I think it was called Boyds. Not many other choices. We planned to stay in Key West area for two nights but with the high cost we bugged out after the first night.
Stayed at a private campground on Key Largo, less than $50. They do not have a sign on the main highway so you have to know where you are looking to find it. Key Largo Kampground and Marina. (Photo attached.) We thought this was expensive, but this was our first campsite on the Keys, we eventually figured out that it was not too expensive. But state parks were clearly a better deal.
We stayed at many state parks in the Keys. My touring partner lined up those campgrounds by calling the campgrounds before the trip and finding out which ones would have campsites available on short notice for cyclists, and he then called the specific campgrounds roughly a day before we arrived. I do not remember which campgrounds we stayed at but from the map (attached) you might be able to figure out which ones. We are retired and took our time, so several places we stayed at for an extra day if we could.
One state park had wood platforms for us to camp on, my tent was not self supporting, so that was a hassle, but I survived. Had to use twigs jammed in between the planks as tent stacks. (See photo.)
We also stayed at a hostel in Florida City, that was nice and affordable.
There are two main grocery store chains, Publix and Winn Dixie. From their websites I figured out where they were and put their locations into my GPS before my trip. It came in handy for planning when to stock up on groceries.
Very very flat, the only hills are the approaches to the bridges. I do not think I ever used the granny gear on my triple.
I attached a few other photos too. The cyclist in the fog photo was in the Everglades, I do not know if it gets that foggy in the Keys. That was the only non-Keys photo I attached.
07-29-17, 08:00 AM
#3
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I took the ferry from Ft. Myers to Key West winter before last. Rode up and back. Nice trip, stopping overnight in Bahia Honda, Pennekamp and Curry Hammock. If you can't get reservations, try calling in the morning and see if they will accommodate you. It worked at Bahia Honda, which is one of the more popular state parks. Managed to get reservations at the other two. Nice trip, but very windy and the occasional downpour.
07-29-17, 03:09 PM
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I rode from Key Largo to Key West in the middle of May this year. My wife drove the Jeep to where we met and then we stayed in a hotel. The first day we stayed in Marathon and then I biked to Key West.
You can read about my ride at these links:
Key Largo to Marathon FL Bike Ride - Texbiker.net
Marathon to Key West FL Bike Ride - Texbiker.net
I didn't camp but one of the cyclists I rode with on the second day did. He stayed at a campground just as you enter Key West.
Be prepared for bike trails ending unexpectedly.
You can read about my ride at these links:
Key Largo to Marathon FL Bike Ride - Texbiker.net
Marathon to Key West FL Bike Ride - Texbiker.net
I didn't camp but one of the cyclists I rode with on the second day did. He stayed at a campground just as you enter Key West.
Be prepared for bike trails ending unexpectedly.
07-29-17, 03:58 PM
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Good info...
We didn't even know about the ferry. We wondered about going and hopefully be able to squeeze into a campground due to someone last minute cancel, but if no openings, what to do then... maybe a cheap motel but figured those would be just as hard to find any vacancies. We are retired also, and was hoping to have flexible schedule, go where we want, when we want. Looks like we might have to make a more detailed plan.
07-29-17, 04:42 PM
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Originally Posted by M69thunder
We didn't even know about the ferry. We wondered about going and hopefully be able to squeeze into a campground due to someone last minute cancel, but if no openings, what to do then... maybe a cheap motel but figured those would be just as hard to find any vacancies. We are retired also, and was hoping to have flexible schedule, go where we want, when we want. Looks like we might have to make a more detailed plan.
https://www.keywestexpress.net/
We started at Marco Island because we could get free parking there and also it was convenient to camp at a state park a few miles east of Marco Island at the start of our trip. At Ft Myers, they had a charge for parking.
They do not want anything attached to the bike when it goes on the ferry, one of the boat company staff rolls the bike onto the boat and lashes it down to a railing. (Photo attached.) So your camping gear would be considered carryon baggage.
When we camped at Boyds at Key West, they were almost full. We made a reservation maybe 24 hours in advance with a non-refundable fee. But for a lot of the state parks we did not have reservations long in advance, instead were hoping that we could get a spot on short notice. At one park they said we could camp in a picnic area but we could not set up camp until about 5 pm and they wanted us out promptly the next morning because it was not a real campsite.
07-30-17, 05:20 PM
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Originally Posted by Tourist in MSN
Alan S had documented more of his trip before I rode my trip, I might have learned of the ferry from him or maybe learned of it from Adventure Cylcling. Same ferry company to Marco Island as to Ft Myers, but they use different boats.
We started at Marco Island because we could get free parking there and also it was convenient to camp at a state park a few miles east of Marco Island at the start of our trip. At Ft Myers, they had a charge for parking.
They do not want anything attached to the bike when it goes on the ferry, one of the boat company staff rolls the bike onto the boat and lashes it down to a railing. (Photo attached.) So your camping gear would be considered carryon baggage.
When we camped at Boyds at Key West, they were almost full. We made a reservation maybe 24 hours in advance with a non-refundable fee. But for a lot of the state parks we did not have reservations long in advance, instead were hoping that we could get a spot on short notice. At one park they said we could camp in a picnic area but we could not set up camp until about 5 pm and they wanted us out promptly the next morning because it was not a real campsite.
We started at Marco Island because we could get free parking there and also it was convenient to camp at a state park a few miles east of Marco Island at the start of our trip. At Ft Myers, they had a charge for parking.
They do not want anything attached to the bike when it goes on the ferry, one of the boat company staff rolls the bike onto the boat and lashes it down to a railing. (Photo attached.) So your camping gear would be considered carryon baggage.
When we camped at Boyds at Key West, they were almost full. We made a reservation maybe 24 hours in advance with a non-refundable fee. But for a lot of the state parks we did not have reservations long in advance, instead were hoping that we could get a spot on short notice. At one park they said we could camp in a picnic area but we could not set up camp until about 5 pm and they wanted us out promptly the next morning because it was not a real campsite.
07-31-17, 03:32 PM
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On the Bob trailer, you would have to talk to the ferry company. I have no clue. I carried my four panniers and handlebar bag on as carry-on luggage. I strapped two panniers together so that I had two "pairs" of panniers plus one handlebar bag.
I found that just about everywhere we went had good paving, so I see no reason that a bob would not work fine on this route. The route is quite flat, almost all the time I used only a few mid-range gears.
Bugs were bad at times in the campgrounds, bring repellent and be quick to put it on.
The guy I toured with grew up in North Carolina. He was always looking for good sea food. Be prepared (financially) to eat out occasionally.
You will find that camping, good food, most other things are more expensive than you would typically expect elsewhere.
I found that just about everywhere we went had good paving, so I see no reason that a bob would not work fine on this route. The route is quite flat, almost all the time I used only a few mid-range gears.
Bugs were bad at times in the campgrounds, bring repellent and be quick to put it on.
The guy I toured with grew up in North Carolina. He was always looking for good sea food. Be prepared (financially) to eat out occasionally.
You will find that camping, good food, most other things are more expensive than you would typically expect elsewhere.
08-02-17, 08:36 AM
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Yea, peak season, supply and demand, doesn't come cheap. January and February can really cold in the mountains of WV, spending some time that far south could do a lot of good for a fat old man... may be worth the cost! I'll just have to start saving my nickel and dimes.☺ Thanks for everyone's input, hopefully I'll put it to good use.
08-03-17, 05:59 PM
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Interestingly, I'm sitting ocean side at this moment in Key West as I first read this. Though I flew down here and am not touring, I've been scoping out possibilities for touring/camping as I've made my way up and down the Keys. Definitely not an overabundance of places to camp from what I've seen and yes, eating out and lodging is rather expensive. And yet, I'm sure it would be a rather unique touring experience for most.
