Experiences
Bicycling
Biking is a popular pastime at the park. Take a leisurely ride on the park’s paved road.
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.
- Helmets are highly recommended for all cyclists and Florida law requires helmets for cyclists age 16 and under.
Birding
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.
Boat Tours
The concession offers a snorkeling tour that allows all ages to experience the breathtaking beauty of Looe Key National Marine Sanctuary.
For more information, visit Bahia Honda Park's concession website.
Camping
Buttonwood Campground (sites 1 to 48) accommodate a variety of camping rigs from large RVs to small tents. The sites are gravel and have electricity, water, picnic tables and grills.
This campground contains a bathhouse with restrooms and hot showers, as well as a dump station. Waterfront sites are 12 to 25. Sites 12 and 13 are by the campers marina and 14 is on the channel.
Sandspur Campground (sites 49 to 72) accommodates a variety of camping rigs and tents. Maximum camping rigs length is 23 feet, from hitch to bumper. Larger camping rigs cannot navigate the sharp turns in this camping loop. The sites are gravel and have electricity, water, picnic tables and grills. Air-conditioned temporary mobile restrooms and showers are available while the campground’s bathhouse is being remodeled.
Bayside Campground (sites 73 to 80) consists of eight non-electric sites. These primitive sites have a picnic table, grill and water. A small restroom is nearby, but campers must travel a half-mile to Buttonwood Campground to use its bathhouse with hot showers.
NOTE: To access the Bayside Campground, vehicles must be able to go under the new Bahia Honda Bridge, which has a LOW OVERHEAD CLEARANCE of only 6 feet 8 inches.
- Hammock camping is designated on campsites 45 and 73.
- Pets are welcome but must be leashed (up to 6 feet) or confined and under control at all times. Pets can never be left unattended. Pets can never be left unattended.
- Reservations can be made up to 11 months in advance. For reservations, visit the Florida State Parks reservations website or call 800-326-3521 or TDD 888-433-0287.
Camping Boat
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 19 boat slips in a protected basin.
The marina is a designated Clean Marina with a pump-out.
- The charge is $2 per 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.
Fishing
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.
Hiking
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.
Paddling
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.
Snorkeling
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 of the shallow water (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.
Swimming
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
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.
Amenities
Accessible Amenities
Bahia Honda State Park is committed to providing a variety of amenities accessible to visitors. These amenities include:
- Tour boats.
- Campsites.
- Cabin 2 has a wheelchair lift.
- Concession for sandwiches, souvenirs and equipment rental.
- Parking.
- Picnic pavilions with tables.
- Restrooms/bathhouses.
- A beach wheelchair is available for free and is shared on a first-come, first-served basis.
Service animals are welcome in all areas of the park.
Beach
Bahia Honda State Park offers three beaches. Sunbathing, swimming and sandcastle building are favorite activities.
- Loggerhead Beach faces the Atlantic Ocean. The water is shallow.
- Calusa Beach faces the Florida Bay. This beach features two covered pavilions for picnicking.
- The Sandspur Beach features parking along the beach facing the Atlantic Ocean and a centralized restroom.
Visitors to coastal parks are reminded to pay close attention to the Warning Flag Signs posted at welcome stations and on the beaches.
These flags indicate the swimming conditions at the beach:
- Double red flags mean absolutely no swimming because of high winds and undertow currents.
- Red flags mean high surf and/or strong currents.
- Yellow flag means swim with caution and stay close to shore.
- Green flag means that the waters are safe.
- Purple flag means that marine pests are present.
Use caution as no lifeguards are provided.
Boat Ramp
The park has two boat ramps located in the main marina. The controlling depth in the marina is 4.5 feet. Maximum allowable vessel length is 32 feet to use boat ramp
There are 19 boat slips are available for overnight rental and include water, electricity (30 amp) and full use of the park facilities (restroom, hot showers, trash disposal and sewage pump-out).
- Reservations are recommended. Call 305-872-3210 or VHF Channel 16.
- The boat ramp fee is $10.
Cabins
Three duplex cabins on stilts overlook the bay. Each cabin is equipped with a full kitchen, pots & pans, cooking utensils, and linens. Cabins have central heating and cooling, two bedrooms, a living room with a futon, kitchen, dining room, full bath, and a porch. A wood deck on ground level with a picnic table and grill provides an ideal setting for al fresco dining. These cabins each accommodate up to six people, except for cabin 2.
- Cabin 2 has a wheelchair lift. This cabin accommodates up to four people and has central heating and cooling, one bedroom, living room with sofa bed, kitchen/dining room and full bath, and a porch. A wood deck on ground level with a picnic table and grill provides an ideal setting for al fresco dining.
- The road to the cabins has a vehicle height restriction of 6 feet 8 inches. Your vehicle must fit under the Bahia Honda Bridge.
- For the guest's relaxation, televisions and phones are not provided.
- Pets are not permitted in cabins.
- Reservations may be made up to 11 months in advance. For reservations, visit the Florida State Parks reservations website or call 800-326-3521 or TDD 888-433-0287. Pets are not permitted in cabins. There is a minimum two-night stay in cabins at this park.
Campgrounds
Buttonwood Campground (sites 1 to 48) accommodate a variety of camping rigs from large RVs to small tents. The sites are gravel and have electricity, water, picnic tables and grills.
This campground contains a bathhouse with restrooms and hot showers, as well as a dump station. Waterfront sites are 12 to 25. Sites 12 and 13 are by the campers marina, and 14 is on the channel.
Sandspur Campground (sites 49 to 72) accommodates small camping rigs and tents. Maximum camping rigs length is 23 feet, from hitch to bumper. Larger camping rigs cannot navigate the sharp turns in this camping loop. The sites are gravel and have electricity, water, picnic tables, and grills. Air-conditioned temporary mobile restrooms and showers are available while the campground’s bathhouse is being remodeled.
Bayside Campground (sites 73 to 80) consists of eight non-electric sites. These primitive sites have a picnic table, grill and water. Campers have a small restroom nearby, but must travel a half-mile to Buttonwood Campground to use its bathhouse with hot showers.
NOTE: To access the Bayside Campground, vehicles must be able to go under the new Bahia Honda Bridge, which has a LOW OVERHEAD CLEARANCE of only 6 feet 8 inches.
- Hammock camping is designated on campsites 45, 73 and 80.
- Pets are welcome but must be leashed (up to 6 feet) or confined and under control at all times. Pets can never be left unattended.
- Reservations can be made up to 11 months in advance. For reservations, visit the Florida State Parks reservations website or call 800-326-3521 or TDD 888-433-0287.
Concession and Restaurant
Sandwiches, snacks, ice, t-shirts, souvenirs and limited marine supplies are available from the park's concession. Rental snorkeling equipment, kayaks, umbrellas and beach chairs also are available.
- For more information, please call 305-872-3210.
Pets
Due to the small amount of land area at Bahia Honda, only limited accessibility is available for pets. Pets are not allowed in cabins, bathhouses, pavilions, the concession building, on beaches or in the water.
In the limited areas where pets are permitted, they must be kept on a 6-foot, hand-held leash and be well-behaved at all times.
- Service animals are welcome in all areas of the park. Please view our Pet Policy.
RV
Buttonwood Campground (sites 1 to 48) accommodate a variety of camping rigs from large RVs to small tents. The sites are gravel and have electricity, water, picnic tables and grills.
This campground contains a bathhouse with restrooms and hot showers, as well as a dump station. Waterfront sites are 12 to 25. Sites 12 and 13 are by the campers marina, and 14 is on the channel.
Sandspur Campground (sites 49 to 72) accommodates small camping rigs and tents. Maximum camping rigs length is 23 feet, from hitch to bumper. Larger camping rigs cannot navigate the sharp turns in this camping loop. The sites are gravel and have electricity, water, picnic tables, and grills. Air-conditioned temporary mobile restrooms and showers are available while the campground’s bathhouse is being remodeled.
Bayside Campground (sites 73 to 80) consists of eight non-electric sites. These primitive sites have a picnic table, grill and water. Campers have a small restroom nearby, but must travel a half-mile to Buttonwood Campground to use its bathhouse with hot showers.
NOTE: To access the Bayside Campground, vehicles must be able to go under the new Bahia Honda Bridge, which has a LOW OVERHEAD CLEARANCE of only 6 feet 8 inches.
- Hammock camping is designated on campsites 45 and 73.
- Pets are welcome but must be leashed (up to 6 feet) or confined and under control at all times. Pets can never be left unattended.
- Reservations can be made up to 11 months in advance. For reservations, visit the Florida State Parks reservations website or call 800-326-3521 or TDD 888-433-0287.
Water Fountain
Staying hydrated on your outdoor adventures is important. Just bring a refillable water bottle to replenish your drinking water at the park. This will reduce the use of single-use plastics that sometimes become litter along trails, at campsites, on beaches and in Florida’s waterways.
- At Bahia Honda State Park, you’ll find one refillable water bottle station at the Nature Center.
- Learn more.