Monument Lake Campground

I was there in mid-October. No body else was there except maybe 1 or 2 trailers and two tenters. Very few bugs. Only 2 campsites had any shade and they were taken. Just a big loop with plenty of open space to park a big rig. We tent camped and found it to be pleasant enough once the sun got low in the sky. Otherwise it was pretty warm, but not as humid as it could have been. There are two small primitive toilet facilities; one had running water. Each site had a table and a fire pit. Be sure to bring everything you are going to need as there are no nearby stores. Cell towers within sight so at least we were well connected.

This is a nice little campground surrounding a small lake right off of highway 41. There are several campgrounds in the area and many of them fill up quickly but Monument Lake usually has availability. Restrooms are cleans, the hosts are extremely friendly and spots are level all with lake views. They do have fresh water onsite if you need to fill up. No dump station.

You are close to Clyde Butcher's Big Cypress Gallery, Everglade City and Everglades National Park!

We’d hoped to stay at Midway campground because it had hookups but they were full. So we continued to Monument Lake, part of Big Cypress National Preserve. Monument Lake has no hookups, no dump station (but you can use Midway’s) and the bathrooms are just vault toilets with no showers. But, it’s a small campground with campsites situated around a small lake. And there’s a big ol’ cell phone tower right next to it.

The first stay, our campsite was parallel to the lake. So we had a lakefront patio. And the breeze would flow over the lake and through the house. So it didn’t get too terribly hot in there. Monument Lake also treated us to many lovely sunrises and sunsets. And there were large flocks of small birds that would dive down to take sips from the lake. There’s supposed to be at least one alligator in the lake, but we never saw him.

Monument is small campground suitable for all types and sizes of RV and a handful of tent sites. There are no hookups or dumpsite, you get a pass to use a dump site 13 miles to the west just off hwy 41. It was a very quite and friendly campground and the host / rangers are very helpful. Great sunset and sunrises from almost anywhere in the camp. There are no real shady sites in the campground although a nice breeze kept the temperature very habitable and the mosquitoes at bay, this is January at the time of this post. Good jump off point to explore the area. Excellent Verizon cell service as there is a tower right next to the camp, a camp neighbor had no signal with ATT.

We pulled in today with no reservations and had no problem getting a site. We were warned to keep our dog on a leash due to the alligators. Well spaced sites with tables and fire rings.

We arrived to find Monument Lake Campground just far enough off the highway to make the road noise almost nonexistent. The camp hosts were all extremely nice, personable, and took pride in their responsibilities. The campsites all afford a nice view of the lake, and some are right along the shoreline. There are two restrooms and both were extremely clean and well kept. The cell tower on the edge of the campground afforded excellent cell phone signals. We would gladly stay here in the future. We would like to see electric hookups here which would make this campground 5 stars for us. There are about half a dozen gators in the lake.

We have camped here several times with varying experiences, but this latest was the last. "Campground hosts" are nowhere to be found, and then don't care about enforcing campground rules. The "emergency number" posted at the grounds is an 800 number so out of date that it connected me to a telemarketing scam. (Really, checked the number 3 times.) Apparently it is not uncommon for groups to come out from Miami and party, in violation of camp rules, but the "hosts" told us "we know them, they're OK." It is also apparently common for transients to simply come in, park, and sleep in their car overnight. We did not feel safe and literally pulled up our stakes and 9 pm and left.

Stayed during Trumps Shutdown, early January, 2019, so running-water toilet facilities were closed, so cannot comment. Did not use the vault toilet which was open. Otherwise park was quiet, . Beautiful. Clean. Camp host was still on-site and pleasant to speak with. All RV sites directly on the water or just across the camp road. Table and fire ring available at all sites. We had trees on either side of us so shade was pleasant. Set back away from the Tamiami Hwy so little road noise. No dump station or water available in the campground itself, but there is a dump station free for use by registered campers about 12 miles west next to the Great Cypress National Wildlife Refuge Visitor center. No bug issues here mid-winter.

Performed an on-site visit to the Monument Lake Campground today. Many sites are big rig friendly with level ground and lake views. This is a dry camping experience with picnic tables and fire rings at each site. Flush and vault toilets are located on opposing sides of the lake. Verizon cell service was stellar with a download speed of 33.7 Mbps and upload speed at 24.8 Mbps. The Verizon cell tower is adjacent to the campground. AT&T cell service clocked in at 3.89 Mbps download speed and 1.57 upload speed. A dump station and potable water are located at the Midway Campground east on US Route 41.

We really enjoyed our time here! Stop and check in with the hosts, you’ll see the stop sign.
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All the sites are spread out around the lake close but not encroaching. Since we have a window in the back, and a truck camper, we backed up to the lake edge. On the east side of the lake they allow you to park on the lakeside across the road from your picnic table and fire pit so that was nice. A couple of gators live in the lake and it was a thrill to see them casually swim by within feet of your rig!
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These are all no service sites however there are two restrooms, one is with flush toilets and running water, the other being a compose toilet. No potable water available though. Plenty of sun for your panels!
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We found the campground to be very sociable and everyone very friendly. If you are a registered guest here, you are welcome to use the dump and water station at the Midway CG about 4 miles east.
Check in with the host there and let them know you stayed at Monument. If you use the dump you will see that even though there are not hook ups here, it is a much nicer CG!