Miccosukee Resort & Gaming

In these days where free and cheap boondocking opportunities are disappearing, this casino lot is a veritable oasis in the Miami area. Great location, the Everglades and the Miami metro are a stone’s throw away, and there’s a gas station with convenience store and truck wash due south of the casino! The lot itself always has plenty of space for your RV and its a short walk to the casino, which has an excellent buffet and a lovely deli and restaurant. I recommend the chicken cordon bleu! I’m not a gambler but its fun to go there to hang out, eat and people-watch. The parking lot itself has a surprising amount of birds that forage in the adjacent grassy area. I saw a heron catch a frog right outside my window! The only drawbacks are: You have to get a parking pass for every night you stay, which can be inconvenient, but its absolutely free as long as you eat or shop there, so remember to stop by the security desk after having lunch. Also, there’s a shooting range across the highway, and some mornings you can hear gunshots in the distance, which can be a bit alarming at first. Overall, this is the best, quite possibly the only, place for boondockers and RVers on a budget in Miami!

So, I’m searching around on my various apps for an affordable place to camp after spending our life savings in Key West. Surprised, I came upon this site, which is free! Free in Florida? Amazing! We haven’t boondocked since Texas. Charmed by the numerous reviews, we were convinced that ours would be a pleasant stay.

Not the case! The parking lot was so packed with cars that our truck and 5th wheel were blocked in leaving no chance for escape. And then the fun started. The evening started with two dudes punching in a car window. With the many comments of a strong security presence I was sure it wouldn’t be long before they were intervened. Luckily, a patron walked by and they scattered. They must have been busy because we heard a total of 12 car alarms throughout the night.

The worst noise was the poor guy in the big rig who came in late and found no place to park, so he just nosed in and blocked the road. At 2:00am he had to leave. It took him 1/2 hour to back out of the lot. With his back up beepers.

After that, it quieted a bit. A charming little drug deal was able to squeeze into the spot right next to us at this point. It seems drug dealers like to play their music very loud while they conduct business in the wee hours.

All in all, this was the worst Boondocking experience we have ever had. And no joke, we are full-timers and have boondocked hundreds of places.

Made an on-site visit at Miccosukee Resort & Gaming on US Route 41. The staff in the casino were friendly and recommended a week advanced notice for RV overnight parking. Slideouts may be extended and use of generators are allowed. Tribe police presence is visible and the parking area was clean with trash receptacles.

An all you can eat buffet is available in the casino. This would make a great overnight stop to or from the Florida Keys.

Stop here on the recommendation of friends. Very easy access to the back parking lot. Lots of RV's and trucks using the lot. Easy check in with the security desk.

Cars speeding through the lot for most of the night. Night shift employees and casino guests used their panic alarms all night long to locate their cars and so made sleeping almost impossible.

I had passed this place several times going to the Everglades and Big Cypress Parks but never camped out because i kept thinking the parks would be open 24 hours and I could stop on a service road or RV spot out of the way until the visitors centers opened. Not the case- these Florida parks are 9-5 only I like the rest of the NP system, so staging nearby with amenities is a must. There are several restaurants to choose from and if you like slot machines, they’re right inside the door. If you are looking to visit the National Parks or preserves nearby, don’t drive past this place- turn in and save yourself the gas money and rest time you’ll loose looking for something else available.

One note on parking- their employee lot is behind the casino and you’ll hear cars ripping through the truck and RV areas at all times of day when shifts are over. Just make sure you don’t have anything sticking out however you choose to park. I don’t think the drivers realize that people are still in and around their vehicles when parked here.

Noise wise, this is not a primitive campsite. While the casino doesn’t really make noise, there is a shooting range nearby that goes hot first thing in the morning. Trucks will roll out for work at that time as well. Lighting is another thing- lots for security but if your rig doesn’t have shades, you might have trouble blocking it out.

Great spot to boondock for a bit. The casino is old and smokey but has food options, plenty of outlets to charge devices and very clean restrooms. The lot is big and well lit, we felt very safe. There is room to walk doggies too! We stayed 3 nights while we were traveling from the Keys to Ft. Myers to spend some days in the Everglades. Definitely recommend!