Key West area timing

the Truman white house is in key west and does tours. I really enjoyed it. Also the Hemmingway house is there and also does tours. Key west is very small. Duvall street is really just a place for bars and places that sells t shirts. Do check out trumans place tho and Hemmingways house and the collection of cats that still inhabit the place.

The navy base most likely will not have anything. They allow people to move from one site to another. Very hard to get in. It was a waste of time for us to even try.
Did not try at Coasties!
Got into Bluewater Key without any problems. We expected to pay more then we did for week there.
Bluewater key

Bahia Honda seems to be our goal. Dry Tortugas and Fort Jefferson are also on the list. Visiting Key West is a must. Either Marathon Coast Guard Station or Key West Naval Air Station could hold a viable possibility, as we have access. And as far as timing goes, it would more than likely be the end of April or early May with a duration of only up to 4 days. We have a long ways to get there and do have some at home responsibilities to tend to so we can't spend too much time there. I'd love to coordinate a stay at Long Key SP as well and add a day or two.
And as for seeing New Orleans, AIN'T NO TREES THERE. We went down there to camp not party. Another day and another time, maybe.
Thanks for all the great info.

If you think that you saw New Orleans in 5 minutes you missed New Orleans. That's like saying you saw Yellowstone in one day. Sorry but that can't happen. I'm in the Keys now and staying at Long Key State Park. I agree with others that the State Parks are the best option but you should plan ahead. Good luck.

Oh something you won't want to miss is the sunset party out on the pier. A large crowd gathers to watch the sunset. So you will want to stay at least that late.

We have spent a week or so in July down there a couple times and never found it to be that hot. There is usually a good breeze off the ocean. But we are from Florida so not too hot may mean something different to you.

Pick your season, plan accordingly.

If you like hot, you can avoid the high season winter months. If you would like to warm your bones for the winter, no better place.

No matter when you decide to go, the best value is the state parks, so they book early all year.

If you go in the summer, availability at most CGs is much better.

First thing out, you should try to reserve at any of the state parks or skip from one to another. Reservations are difficult, but you may get lucky and string a week or two together with some skipping around. The SPs book up mostly on the first day allowed to reserve, so get up early and log in right at the reservable limit. I think its 11 months out, maybe 10 -forget.

Bahia Honda will be the toughest. The others are a little better. The Class B will open up more sites for you too.

For instance, I am planning a 2-week trip June-July timeframe right now. Bahia Honda only has two nights available. They are non-consecutive at different sites for the period I am searching. The rest are reserved for that two-week period. We may snag one night to be able to stay over and enjoy the best beach in the Keys (Sandspur Beach) for two days. The other SPs in the Keys have many more sites available for that timeframe.

We are lucky to have the Navy Base CG available to us. So, we can come and go there as we please during that time of year.

Since you mentioned history, check out a possible trip to the Dry Tortugas and Fort Jefferson. That should make for a great day trip. We are planning that for the first time this trip.

Since you don't like the nightlife, you could take in the town of Key West in a day if you'd like. The tourist stops are best done on the trolley the first time down. Then, take it from there.

As said, Spring after the snowbirds leave is the best time. Summer is too hot, and the fall is still in hurricane season. You need reservations way ahead .... State Parks take reservations on line at exactly 0800 11 months before the date you want - you find out what is going to be available ahead of time, get ready, watch an atomic clock, and try clicking at exactly 0800. If you are looking for the winter season, thousands of others are clicking at the exact same time, so it is like a lottery. You can stay in the State Parks for two weeks at a time. If you want to take a chance, and are flexible, you can keep watch for last minute cancellations, but they are few and far between. That being said, the State Parks are the nicest places in the Keys, and the cheapest. Bahia Honda is the closest to Key West, but Curry Hammock is less than 60 miles out of Key West. As far as Key West goes, the main downtown is mostly a party spot. There is plenty of interesting history and historic sites. If you have bikes, taking the camper to the free parking lot at Atlantic and White Streets out near the beach, and riding the bike the mile or two into town is the easiest solution to limited parking. I would recommend take the 'Conch Train" to get the lay of the land and point out all the points of interest, then go back and visit those that interest you. There are a couple of campgrounds on Stock Island a few miles out of Key West - Boyds, Leos, and El Mar - all would be fine in a B. We stay in Geiger Key Marina and RV Park about 10 miles out of town for all February, and you can catch odd and end sites there if you are lucky. Good restaurant on site, and free, but noisy air show from the adjacent Naval Air Station all day long.

I was there this past January, as well as 4 years ago in August. Don't go in August. It was miserably hot and humid, even at 9 pm. I got to say if you're not into the night life, it's probably not the place for you. Crowded, loud, and the most fun I ever had with my clothes on, although there is a clothing optional rooftop bar as well.

Best time is any time but the 'season' which approximately runs from December to late March or early April depending on how cold the northern tier of states happens to be.

You don't want to camp directly in Key West, I'm not even sure if there is a CG there. Marathon Key or further south are the places to look. Also I doubt you find any camp sites with less than FHU. The Keys are small geographically and if anyone puts up a CG it will be FHU considering land prices.

The prime spot is usually considered to be Bahia Honda State Park:

Link

I think you can make reservations a year or so in advance but check


the reservations page. You will want to try to get reservations the day that they open up, it is a very popular park. All the Keys state parks with campgrounds are good if Bahia Honda is not available so check those out.

We usually camp at marathon but that may be to far away from Key West for you. One thing, if you want to snorkel or SCUBA then you need a period with lower winds. High winds mean turbid water and no visibility.

We went in May. It is after many snow birds flock north and before summer heat. Stayed at Bluewater Key. Great locale. Tiki hut at all sites, outdoor wet bar with refer, microwave and entertainment center. Wireless internet was good at our site.