Sometimes you just have to get away with the kids for a few days, but you may not want to travel too far.
To be family-friendly, your destination of choice should have plenty of outdoor activities — playgrounds, water parks, bike paths, trails.
Consider these outstanding family-friendly campgrounds in your own back yard.
C.B. Smith Park in Broward County
I really love this sprawling 300-acre park with two large lakes and a spacious, well-maintained campground.
My first visits here were back in the days of the KISS Country (99.9 FM) Chili Cookoff. I would wonder off and explore the park.
Everywhere I looked, there was something cool to do. The park features miniature golf, a golf driving range, batting cages, volleyball, basketball, racquetball, tennis, pickleball, horseshoes and a playground.
An epic water park, open from spring to early fall, features four 5-story water slides, two water playgrounds and a slow-flowing tubing river.
Sorry, tents are not permitted in this campground, only recreational vehicles with full hookups connected to the park’s sewage system are allowed.
Campground reservations are accepted by calling the park office during regular operating hours.
C.B. Smith Park, 900 N. Flamingo Rd., Pembroke Pines, FL 33028. Phone: 954-357-5170. Camping fee: $50/night with a strict cancellation policy. For reservations, call the park office. Office hours: 9 am to 5 pm. Email CBSmithPark@Broward.org. On the web: broward.org/Parks
Nearby alternate: Markham Park, 16001 West State Road 84, Sunrise, FL 33326. Phone: 954-357-8868. On 670 acres 11 miles north of C.B. Smith, Markham Park has 88 RV & tent campsites with full hookups, an observatory, model airplane field, mountain bike trails, dog park and outdoor shooting range. $50/night. For reservations, call the park office or email MarkhamPark@Broward.org.
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Quiet Waters Park in Deerfield Beach
No RV’s allowed. Leave your tent at home, but bring sleeping bags and kitchen gear.
This beautiful little campground has 29 campsites with platform cabin tents and two tee-pees, set up and ready for your family adventure. BYO everything else.
The campground is on its own little peninsula jutting out between two lakes. It’s isolated from the park’s day-use areas, yet close enough to enjoy them. Fish in the lakes from your campsite.
I live nearby and ride my bike here often. Paved multi-use paths wind all through the park and around the park’s four lakes. The park also features a network of off-road mountain bike trails.
A big attraction is the popular Ski Rixen cable water-skiing, open all year, and in summer, younger kids will love the Splash Water Park. For Fido, there’s a dog park at the marina. (Pets are welcome in the campground.)
Last but certainly not least, you can rent kayaks, canoes and paddle boards at the park marina, which is next to the dog park.
Each of the 29 campsites include a grill, fire ring, water, electricity, and picnic table.
Quiet Waters Park, 401 South Powerline Road, Deerfield Beach, FL 33442. Phone: 954-357-5100. Camping fee: $45 ($100 refundable security deposit) For reservations, book your fixed tent online at webtrac.broward.org.
Nearby alternate: Easterlin Park,1000 NW 38th Street, Oakland Park, FL 33309. Phone: 954-357-5190. Charming county park in with 45 full-hookup sites for tents and RVs, just 13 miles south of Quiet Waters Park. Shady campground, basketball courts, volleyball, disc golf, horseshoes, picnic areas and trails. $50/night. For reservations, call the park office from 9 am-5 pm, Sun-Sat.
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Peanut Island Campground in Palm Beach County
This 80-acre island, accessible only by boat, is the site of a bunker built for President John F. Kennedy when he was vacationing at his family estate in Palm Beach.
The bunker is currently closed, undergoing restoration, and will eventually reopen to the public.
The rest of the island is a county park with 17 tent campsites tucked into a nicely landscaped corner of the island, along a beach. Each campsite has a tent pad, a grill and picnic table. Restrooms with hot indoor showers are nearby.
Camping here is a unique experience. There is nothing for rent or sale on the island, so you’ll have to bring everything you need: tent, gear, food, beverages. Alcohol is permitted only in the campground.
Swimming and snorkeling are a big reason you come here, and waterways around the island are busy with day-trippers.
Peanut Island Campground, Intracoastal waterway, Riviera Beach, FL. Camping fee is $28 per night plus tax for a maximum three-night stay. For reservations, call 561-845-4445 or book online at discover.pbcgov.org/parks. Shuttle: Take the Peanut Island Shuttle from the Riviera Beach Marina. Campers must make shuttle reservations 24 Hours in advance by calling (561) 777-0438.
READ MORE: Peanut Island: Exceptional park for snorkeling, camping, kayaking
Phipps Park in Martin County
This sprawling Martin County park on the Okeechobee Waterway, where boats cross the state to the Gulf of Mexico.
Phipps Park has two campgrounds, but only one allows tents, and those tents are already set up. Each of the 17 “Adventure Tents” features a 10×10 canvas tent on a platform, equipped with insect protection screens, a grill, a picnic table and a fire pit. Bring your own sleeping bags, cots and cooking gear.
The main campground has 99 RV sites on concrete pads, including 24 on the riverbank with water and electric hookups for $50-$60 per night. Interior RV sites are $45-$50.
The park also features a playground, boat ramp with dock, a fishing pier and waterfront boardwalk and pathways.
The campground lies in the shadow of Florida’s Turnpike, and the hum of traffic is noticeable in the rent-a-tent section, not so much in the RV sites where we stayed.
I found Phipps Park by accident while camping next door at the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers campground at the St. Lucie Locks. (Tents are allowed in the Corps’ campground.)
Phipps Park Campground, 2175 SW Locks Rd, Stuart, FL 34997. Phone: (772) 287-6565 Camping fee: RVs, $45-$60 (seasonal); Adventure tents, $35-$45. For campground reservations, book online or call
Alternate: St. Lucie South Campground, 2170 SW Canal Street, Stuart. Phone: (772) 287-1382. Army Corps of Engineers campground at the St. Lucie Lock on the Okeechobee Waterway, next door to Phipps Park. 9 RV sites and 8 boat sites at $30, including utilities. Reservations up to 6 months in advance at Recreation.gov.
READ MORE: Phipps Park Campground in Stuart ideally suited for family outings
Jonathan Dickinson State Park in Martin County
There are two campgrounds in this 12,000-acre wilderness. I favor the 54-site campground deep in the park, near the boat ramp on the wild and scenic Loxahatchee River.
The main campground, near the park entrance, has 90 sites with full hookups, but there is less shade, less privacy and little more than a berm separating it from U.S. 1.
The park also has a loop of a dozen well-appointed cabins down by the river for $85-$95 per night.
Jonathan Dickinson has a superb trail system, a mix of multi-purpose, hiking, biking and equestrian trails, and backpackers can camp deep in the back country at two primitive sites.
The park’s main attraction is the Loxahatchee River, one of only two federally designated Wild and Scenic Rivers in Florida. Paddle upriver through miles of subtropical vegetation and centuries-old cypress trees to Trapper Nelson’s 1930’s wilderness camp.
If kayaking is not your thing, a pontoon boat tour will take you to the camp, where rangers or volunteers will show you around and explain the camp’s history.
Jonathan Dickinson State Park, 16450 S.E. Federal Highway, Hobe Sound, FL 33455. Phone: (772) 546-2771. Camping fee: $26 plus $7 for utilities per night for RVs. (Tents don’t pay for utilities.) Cabins are $95. For reservations, book online at reserve.floridastateparks.org or call 800-326-3521 up to 11 months in advance for Florida residents, 10 months in advance for non-residents.
READ MORE: Jonathan Dickinson State Park: A Florida treasure
Torrey Island Campground at Lake Okeechobee
The fact that you may have never heard of Torry Island is a bonus. Not many others have, either.
Torry Island is the only developed area inside the 110-mile dike that surrounds Lake Okeechobee, and with an estimated 380 campsites, it is easily the largest campground in South Florida.
Spacious and clean with full hookups and a boat ramp, this campground is an ideal overnight playground for bass anglers, kayakers and trail-blazing hikers and bicyclists who ride the Lake Okeechobee Scenic Trail.
An observation tower enables sweeping lake views, and there’s a playground for the kids, laundry facilities and picnic areas. Belle Glade’s municipal golf course is within walking distance.
This park is home for Belle Glade’s annual Black Gold Jubilee, featuring a weekend of country music in the park’s amphitheater. The 2026 festival takes place on April 8.
Torry Island Campground, 5000 W Canal St North, Belle Glade, FL 33430. Phone: (561) 996-6322. Camping fee: $40 to $70, depending on water access.(Weekly and monthly rates available). For reservations, call the park office during office hours, Mon-Thurs & Sat, 9 am-4 pm; Friday, 9 am-6 pm; Sunday, 10 am-2 pm.
Another option nearby: South Bay Campground, 100 Levee Rd.,South Bay, Florida 33493. Phone: 561-992-9045. Direct lake and levee access. For rates and reservations, call or email the campground office. Office hours: 8 am – 4:30 pm, 7 days a week. Email: sbcamp@pbc.gov
RELATED STORY: Lake Okeechobee Scenic Trail: Ideal for bicycling fast and far
Thank you for the informative reporting that you provide to those of us that have never visited these neat places you discover.
You’re welcome, Art! Thank you for reading our stories! :-)