Why RVers stay here
Monument Lake Campground is a National Park Service dry campground on US-41 in the heart of Big Cypress National Preserve, the Everglades-adjacent wilderness between Miami and Naples in South Florida. Of the three Big Cypress campgrounds we cover, this is the one we point people toward when atmosphere matters more than a power pedestal: it has noticeably better tree cover and a more secluded feel than Midway, a lake with bass and panfish, and direct access to hiking, biking and the Florida National Scenic Trail that runs through the preserve. It suits self-contained RVers and anglers who are happy to trade hookups for a quieter, shadier base.
The practical picture is simple. There are no hookups at all: 26 RV sites and 10 tent sites with vault toilets, drinking water and trash collection, and rigs up to 50 feet are listed. RV sites run $28 a night (tents $24) and reserve on Recreation.gov up to six months ahead. The season is August 15 through April 15, so it is closed through the summer wet season, and cell signal is very weak. The trade-off is clear: a genuinely wild setting in exchange for running off your own batteries and tanks.
- ✓Better shade and a more secluded feel than Midway, the other developed Big Cypress campground
- ✓Lake fishing for bass and panfish right at camp
- ✓Base for hiking, biking and the Florida National Scenic Trail through the preserve
- ✓Reservable on Recreation.gov up to six months ahead at $28 a night for an RV site
- ✓Rigs up to 50 feet are listed, unusually generous for a dry NPS campground
- !No hookups of any kind, and only vault toilets, drinking water and trash service
- !Closed April 16 through August 14, so it is not a summer option
- !Cell signal is very weak; download maps and confirmations before you arrive