Floriday Keys State Parks dog question

[welove2drive]

We are thinking about going in Feb. 2018. We have not camped down there with a dog. I have been doing a lot of searches on this forum and on the web. Just want your input. I know dogs are not allowed on the beaches. Are there other coast areas that are not considered "the beach" at the State Parks? I recall at Bahia Honda there is a beach on the bay side and another long beach on the ocean side. Surely there is some place around the island that you can go with your dog.

I found that these places are dog friendly. Coco Plum Beach and Sombrero Beach in Marathon, Veterans Memorial park on Little Duck Key, Big Pine Key dog park (really? with Key deer on the island), Dolphin Research center.

Thanks for reading. Any comments appreciated.
Marcia

[THutch]

We have stayed at Gamble Rogers, and no dog on the beach in the State Park, but just North and South a couple miles are public dog-friendly beaches. Not the Keys, but on the coast.

At Bahia Honda, we get a waterfront spot, and the dogs have water-access from our site! It is a ****-shoot getting one, though. I just scored 2 weeks in spot 18 for over the Fourth of July next year.

[welove2drive]

Well we are fortunate that we can play the 11 month game and get what we get. Then we can put in for that vacation time. I am hoping that will be in our favor.

[Camsmom]

We wanted a nice water front spot at St Andrews for next spring and had to really play the 11 month game to get it. Ended up having to book the site for 5 days before we want it, in addition to the week we wanted. I hate having to do that sort of thing but if you don't you are out of luck. So we will have a beautiful waterfront site for 5 days in May to give up if anyone wants it. I noticed the past couple of years that parks are booked full, but many desirable sites sit empty cuz people just don't show up. Such a waste.

[welove2drive]

Thanks Camsmom. We may check out St. Joseph Peninsula sometime. We are hoping to get reservations for state parks in the Keys in 2018. That is a ways off since you have to reserve 11 mo ahead.

[Camsmom]

We were at Curry Hammock with our dog. Did not take him on the beach, but further along was non beach waterfront where we could sit and he could swim.
If you are looking for beautiful beach in Florida, we spent a week at St Joseph Peninsula State park. Dogs not allowed on the state park beach, but welcome on the beaches outside the park, which run for miles.

[welove2drive]

Thank you for all of the replies. I have read a lot of posts about how to be ready to reserve.
Sher9570 I will check out the County rules. Thanks!
Wolfe That is what I was trying to figure out. So it sounds like there are areas in the State Parks that are not considered public beach. That is good to know.

Please share your experiences with your dog in the Keys. Good or Bad. Anything I need to be prepared for as far as land and sea critters?

[Wolfe]

Plenty of places to let your pup swim along the sides of US 1, and even in the state park in areas that are not considered beach. My buddy loves boats & beaches.

[Pine_Barren]

I don't know about the particular park that you are asking about, but I do know that in the state parks in Florida that dogs are not allowed on the beaches. There are a few exceptions where places have dog beachs but not many. I have ask a couple times at different parks and got the same answer as to why dogs aren't allowed. The answer was that dogs can carry a diease on them that doesn't affect them but does humans especially the young and elderly. So they don't want the dogs in the sand or water. As for as the 11 months ahead of time it is a very good idea to be ready 11 months From the date of your arrival to go ahead and make your reservations. You will have them and you could always cancell if something came up and you couldn't make it. That applies to all the state parks along the beaches of Florida they all pretty much fill up most of the year. I just made one this morning for next July at one of the beach park. Good luck and happy camping

[sher9570]

I'm sure you'll get a lot of replies eventually but when we are going to a new area for the beaches.
We always look up what the county rules are.
We go to Myrtle Beach quite a bit and if we are in a different county than say north Myrtle or south Myrtle there are different rules.
We've found most coastal areas have some area where it's dog friendly.
It's important for us because we have a Lab that loves the water.
Good luck

Sher

[ricklord2001]

I can't help with the dogs on the beach question, but I have had luck getting State Park sites there. Previous poster was right they fill up 11 months in advance. Be used of that a lot of people cancel and (at least in the parks I wanted) first call gets the site, no standby list. So a month or so before i'do get on line and check for openings several times everyday and have always gotten a site. But i'do literally check every few hours. Maybe i'very been lucky. But we had two, maximum length stays at Bahia Honda which we loved. Good luck.

[rr2254545]

Besides you have a greater chance of hitting the lotto than getting a site in the keys at a state park in the winter - sites fill up 11 months in advance if you try 11 months out it is impossible

[fla-gypsy]

I'm not aware of any state park in the keys that allow dogs in the water of any kind.