Experiences & Amenities

Biking is a popular pastime at the park. Take a leisurely ride on the park’s paved road. Helmets are highly recommended for all cyclists and Florida law requires helmets for cyclists age 16 and under.

To preserve the natural areas of the park, bicycles are limited to roadways and are not permitted on footpaths, boardwalks or the trail that leads to the top of the Old Bahia Honda Bridge.

Bahia Honda is a very good place to see wading birds and shorebirds. There are shallow sand flats during low tide on the ocean side of the island where the birds feed and rest. A variety of shorebirds including willets, sanderlings, ruddy turnstones, short-billed dowitchers, and plovers can be seen feeding and resting along the shore.

Several species of wading birds may be seen in the park as well, including great white herons, great blue herons, tricolored herons, great egrets, snowy egrets and white Ibis.

During the fall hawk migration from mid-September to mid-November, you will see a variety of hawks soaring overhead. The endangered white-crowned pigeon also can be seen feeding and resting in the poisonwood trees during the summer months.

The concession offers a snorkeling tour that allows all ages to experience the breathtaking beauty of Looe Key National Marine Sanctuary. For details, visit the Bahia Honda Park's concession website.

Boating is a very popular at Bahia Honda because boaters have access to the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic Ocean. 

• All boats must remain 400 feet from the shoreline once out of the marina area.

Buttonwood (sites #1-48) accommodate a variety of camping rigs from large RVs to small tents. The sites are gravel, making them more suitable for an RV or pop-up. These sites are the largest in the park.  

The sites on the water have little shade. They all have electricity, water, a picnic table and grill. There is a bathhouse with restrooms and hot showers, and this area also has a dump station. Waterfront sites are #12-25. Sites #12 and #13 are by the campers marina and #14 is on the channel.

Bayside (sites #73-80) is the smallest campground with only eight sites. All sites in this campground are non-electric. 

There is a vehicle height restriction of 6 feet 8 inches. Your vehicle must be able to go under the new Bahia Honda Bridge to access this campground. 

All sites have a picnic table, grill and water. Campers have a small restroom nearby and can use the bathhouse with hot showers in the Buttonwood campground, which is a half-mile away.

Hammock camping is designated in campsites #45 and #73.

• Pets are welcome but must be leashed (up to six feet) or confined and under control at all times.
• Maximum RV length = 50 feet
• Sandspur campground is currently closed due to damage from Hurricane Irma. There is no projected date for opening this campground.

Sandspur (sites #49-72) is located in a hardwood hammock. The sites are small and have low clearance. Tents can easily fit on all of these sites; pop-ups and small campers less than 14 feet in length and under 8 feet in height are also allowed.

All sites have picnic table, grill and water. Sites 49-56 do not have electricity. Sites #57-72 have electricity. The waterfront sites are #64-72. Due to limited space in this campground, only one vehicle per campsite is allowed. Overflow parking is available in Sandspur day-use area.

• There is no dump station in Sandspur. Guests can use the one at Buttonwood campground.
• Reservations can be made up to 11 months in advance through ReserveAmerica. Book online or call 800-326-3521 (8 a.m. to 8 p.m.) or TDD 888-433-0287.

Boat slips are available for overnight rental and include water, electricity and full use of park facilities (bathhouse, showers, trash disposal and pump-out). The marina includes 26 boat slips in a protected basin.

The marina is a designated Clean Marina with a pump-out.

• The charge is $2 a foot with a $30 minimum.
• Reservations are recommended.
• Call 305-872-3210 or VHF Channel 16, or visit Bahia Honda Park for more information.
• There is a 4.5-foot controlling depth.

All fishing within the park must conform to regulations concerning size, number, method of capture and season. Spearfishing, possession of spearfishing equipment and collection of tropical fish (by any method) is prohibited within the park.

• A fishing license may be required. More information is available at the Florida Wildlife Commission’s Fishing in Florida.

Geocaching is still available at the park but some of the previous listed caches are still unavailable while undergoing restoration.

The park has one nature trail. Located on the southwest end of the island in the Calusa area, the trail leads to the top of the Old Bahia Honda Bridge.

Walk along the route that was once U.S. 1 leading up to the bridge. The view is spectacular; from the top of the bridge you can see the entire island.

You have a bird’s-eye view of the water below. You may see large rays or fish jumping. If the water is calm, you can see fish and sea turtles swimming beneath the surface.

Kayak rentals are available through the concession. For more information, visit the Bahia Honda Park concession website.

You also can bring your own kayak or canoe and launch it from either Loggerhead parking lot on the ocean side or the boat ramp on the Gulf side. Enjoy a quiet, relaxing paddle in the waters around the park. For the safety of swimmers, kayaks and canoes are not permitted in designated buoyed swimming areas.

The Calusa area is located on the southwest end of the park and has two small pavilions with barbecue grills, including one accessible grill and pavilion. There are also picnic tables located throughout the area with barbecue grills.

Scuba diving is permitted. The shallow water makes it a good area for beginning divers and snorkelers, but it is not recommended for advanced divers, as the water is shallow for several yards from shore.

• A diver-down flag must be displayed.

Bahia Honda has some of the best nearshore snorkeling in the Florida Keys. You can see a variety of sea life just a few hundred feet from the shore. The snorkeling is good for beginners because it is shallow, 4 to 6 feet.

You may see soft corals, small coral heads, tropical fish, queen conchs and spiny lobster. There is always something different!

In the winter months, when the water is cooler, you may need a wet suit to be comfortable. Always remember to take nothing but photos and leave nothing but ripples.

Visitors come from all over the world to enjoy the swimming at Bahia Honda. The water is usually clear, unless the wind picks up and the sand is stirred by the waves, limiting visibility.

The water temperature varies from the mid- to upper 80s in the summer to the mid- to lower 70s in the winter. The water is shallow and currents are very mild.

The only area to avoid when swimming is near the Bahia Honda Channel, where the currents can be very swift.

Wildlife viewing is a popular activity in the Florida Keys and at Bahia Honda State Park.

Visitors are delighted by the opportunity to see wildlife here, from the Atlantic bottle-nosed dolphin and sea turtles to wading birds and ghost crabs.