Bahia Honda Campgrounds

Description:

• Bahia Honda State Park, located between MM 36 and MM 37, is one of Florida's southernmost parks with three campgrounds, two marinas, three beaches, an environmental education center, a full-service dive shop and concession, a historic bridge, a nature trail, ranger-guided programs, a wonderful overlook and six very sought after cabins. This park with its picnic facilities, snorkeling and swimming opportunities, bathhouse and unsurpassed scenery has a very high visitation rate and does close when capacity is reached.

  Buttonwood Campground offers 48 campsites and is located adjacent to the camper's marina that offers boat slips for several of the campsites. All sites are suitable for RVs offering water and electric hookups. Awnings are a good accompaniment to the RVs because the low-growing vegetation is insufficient shade. Just below the camper's marina is Calusa Beach that has picnic shelters framed by swaying palm trees that border a calm swimming area, ideal for small children. With the location of Buttonwood Campground along U.S. Highway 1, this tends to be the noisiest of the campgrounds.

  On the north side of US 1 is Bayside Campground. It is the smallest of the campgrounds offering only 8 sites that overlook a small bay connected to Florida Bay. These sites do offer water but no electric. They are suitable for tents, vans and small RVs, however, they must be able to fit under the 6'8" clearance of US 1. Several of the sites offer broken shade. Campers will hear US 1 from the campground.

  Sandspur Campground is especially favorable with sunbathers and snorkeling enthusiasts. The beach is fabulous, in fact, in 1992 it was rated "Best Beach in America." However, there are favorable sites and some less than favorable sites. Amenities vary as well as ocean breezes and shade canopies. Some of the sites rest in the dense gumbo-limbo and buttonwood forest creating a barrier from the ocean breezes. As a result, there tends to be quite a few annoying flying insects. The positive is that there is plenty of shade. Other Sandspur campsites are oceanside with a constant flow of pleasant ocean breezes. In addition, this campground is removed from US 1 and the ocean waves prevail as the noisemaker, not the highway.

  The recreational opportunities at Bahia Honda State Park are endless. Day users and overnight guests enjoy surf fishing, wind surfing, snorkeling, sea kayaking, canoeing, boating, hiking, bird watching, sunbathing, and relaxing.

  TRAVEL TIP: A portion of the Old Bahia Honda Bridge, a historic part of the 524-acre Bahia Honda State Park, is open to pedestrians visiting the park and provides a panoramic view of sea and sky. The bridge played a pivotal role in the construction of the Flagler East Coast Railroad Extension (F.E.C.). January, 2012 marks the 100th anniversary of Henry Flagler's first arrival into Key West on The Rambler, a railcar of his namesake railroad.