Big Pine Key RV Park — Hotel in Stock Island

Big Pine Key Resort is the ONLY Campground on the island, or any place else in the keys for that matter that is worth staying at. Every single one of the many times I have stayed there has been the best trip ever, but the most recent trip this August takes the cake. Though they offer sites with / for RVs, that have electric & water hookups, I prefer to stay in the spacious Rustic campsites in the back of the property because it is right on the the water's edge, & at the entrance to the amazing nature trail where the ADORABLE Key Deer come out from every night... & day to search the campground for goodies that people may have dropped or left out unattended. Although I did not do any price comparisons to other campgrounds this year I recall it being a little bit more expensive than other places "nearby", but the facilities / amenities & experiences that you can get nowhere else make it worth every penny. They keep the grounds very clean, & they even go down to the shore every day to collect trash that has washed up from the mainland. The large shower house / bathrooms in the middle of the property is very nice. The front of the building is men's on one side women's on the other, but it has five or six individual / family bathrooms on the back side of the building that are wonderful. The facilities we're always clean & the water pressure was great. At the front of the property is the reasonably priced laundry facility, a beautiful rooftop pool, & a game room that does not cost anything to play billiards, ping pong, cornhole, & shuffleboard. The office / Camp store has most things that you would need while you are there including food, cold drinks, ice cream, fishing gear & tackle, SUNBLOCK, & souvenirs. EVERYONE on their staff was so incredibly polite, helpful, welcoming, & friendly, that it felt like I was staying with family. I came to this Campground every year for vacation from 2001 through 2006, when I decided that I wanted to have kids more than I wanted to go on vacations. Now that my kids are are finally teenagers, I decided it was time for them to experience all of the amazing things that the Keys have to offer, & there was no hesitation in my decision as to where to stay. I was thrilled to finally be able to not only have my cake & eat it too, but to finally be able to share it with my kids. I'm very much looking forward to future family vacations to the Keys, & to returning to the only campground I will ever stay at again while we are down there. I want to thank ALL of the staff at Big Pine Key Resort for yet another amazing, comfortable, & unforgettable vacation...

UPDATE: this place was sold to a large corporation. Ever since, it has gone down hill. In a years time they have either run off or fired the whole staff. They don't care about the customer, let alone any of the families that have been staying there for years (40+ years for our family). They also jacked up the prices over 30%. I believe, along with many others that they are planning on turning this treasure of a vacation spot into condos or something similar. I do not recommend this place anymore.

The section below was my original post from a few years back. As you can tell after reading that this place was a paradise, especially as a kid in the 70's & 80's going there every year, multiple times a year. He'll it was in our "backyard". So just know it's not the same place, not by a long shot.

My family has been staying here (BPK for those that are familiar with it) for almost 40 years now. It's our favorite spot for fishing, diving, celebrating holidays and catching the all mighty Florida spiny lobster, just to mention a few. From the time I was a kid coming here in the 70's to now I have seen BPK grow & change in many ways, most for the good with a hick up every once & a while. But all in all its a wonderful place with many amenities. If you're a fishing or diving enthusiast this is the place for you. From Looe Key to the bridges there is diving for all skill levels, not to mention the back country. Some of the best dolphin fishing in the country is only a few miles off shore. The campground has a nature trail that showcases the natural fauna & wild life. As far as the bath house, yes they can get a little hot, especially during the summer, but you're in The Florida Keys. Not to mention the tremendous upgrade from the original green bath house. They have coin operated laundry & dryers for the guests, a large above ground concrete pool, boat dockage & a boat ramp. As far as the owernship & employees, its been run by the same family for as long as i have been comming. You couldn't ask for a nicer family then the Gladwells. The employees have always been top notch. Some employees have become dear friends, even coming to our home on vacations & visits. Even more impressive are the people who come & stay at BPK. Let me tell you, my family is not the only long time user of BPK, there are a few that have been coming even longer than me. It's a very friendly place with a great atmosphere. I would recommend Big Pine Fishing Lodge &...

This is the third summer we have spent at Big Pine Key Fishing Lodge - we keep our RV and boat here from April-September and come every single weekend. It is fantastic, so fantastic as a matter of fact that we end up bringing guests each time and they always want to return. They have a pool and game room, plus activities and a great little store. However, our primary reason for going to the Keys is to get out on the water to fish and lobster - we fly fish the flats, go off-shore and spend a bit of time on the reef.

The team at the lodge is fantastic - they are pleasant, helpful and almost always available. The lodge and the grounds are immaculate, as are the rooms that our guests have stayed in from time to time. The public bath houses are spotless and there are plenty of showers/toilets for everyone. The small store is well stocked and you can find most things you need for a simple meal, small boat or RV repairs, and even gifts.

Do they have a web-site? NO. This can be seen as a disaster or can be seen as a wonderful break from technology in this day and age. Personally I think it just puts out a simple truth that this place is NOT for people who need to have a web-site to feel secure about a booking nor is it for those who might border on being a bit high maintenance. Trust the other reviews and know that this is a lovely little "off-the-beaten-path" place for those who are willing to look for a hidden gem and take the time to use the old-fashioned method of booking by phone.

Do we get the same boat spot every week? NO. Sometimes we are in the front, other times on the side and we are even in the back bay other times. All of the boat slips are fine with us. The place isn't that big and it's a pretty easy stroll no matter where our boat is for the weekend. We don't always know in advance where our boat will be located for the weekend - we find out when we get there and we are cool with that. At the end of the day it doesn't really matter where the boat is - once you get out of the docks you end up in the same ocean. :)

There are weeks in the summer that are really busy that may not be great for those seeking peace and quiet - but those weeks are fun for those who want more action. If you want action come during Memorial Day, Mini-Season, the opening week of Lobster Season or Labor Day (and if you prefer to stay low key consider...