Park Review- Sunshine Key RV Resort & Marina (Big Pine Key, FL)

Thousand Trails
​(Click here for an article I wrote about Thousand Trails.)
​Address:  38801 Overseas Highway, Big Pine Key, FL 33043
Phone:   (305) 872-2217​
Website:  https://rvonthego.com/florida/sunshine-key-rv-resort-marina
# of sites:  399
​Full hookup price:  From $774/week 
Open:  Year-round
Rating:   4 out of 5 stars
​Warnings:  Oleander on site (poisonous)

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Spending time in the Florida Keys was a bucket list item for me and this resort is right in the middle of them.  Although the name is Sunshine Key and its address is on Big Pine Key, the park is actually on Ohio Key, adjacent to Big Pine.  We went in November, before the high-tourist season, but also still during high temperatures.

We first saw this resort in February of 2018 just after hurricane Michael had devastated the area.  The park was closed, and it definitely looked like it had sustained serious damage.  Eighteen months later, the RV resort was in nearly full operation, though they are still utilizing temporary quarters for their entrance, check-in desk, mail room and convenience store.  Though there are plenty of seasonal or year-round residents, the park was only about a third full in the two off-season weeks we were there.

Pros:
​Sunshine Key is one of the cleanest resorts we have stayed in recently.  There was no trash to be seen anywhere except in the trash bins.  There are many nice, wide sites, some are pull-through, all with full-hookups and spacious pea-graveled patio areas.  Amenities are plentiful as well, including swimming pool, tennis, pickle ball and basketball courts, along with a marina, fishing dock and shoreline right on-site.

Probably the largest plus to this resort is its proximity to Key West, just about a 20-mile drive away, and the rest of the Keys are also within an easy driving distance.  Ohio Key is on the west side of the Seven-Mile Bridge, which means that shopping in Marathon is only seven miles from the park. 

​Numerous tourist activities are available, as one would expect of a popular tourist destination, and the historic town of Key West has an abundance of tram, bus and boat tours and a wide variety of dining options.  Fishing charters and party boats are available in almost any of the populated Keys with a myriad of species to be caught.  You do not need a fishing license if you join a charter excursion with a licensed captain.

Cons:
One big downside is the cost of sites at Sunshine Key, with some people paying $1,300 per week for premium waterfront sites.  The public can pay as low as $774 per week, a more reasonable rate, and Thousand Trails members with the Trails Collection need only pay $20/day with a 2-week max stay.  Usually we do not pay out-of-pocket for Thousand Trails visits, so the $280, plus tax, was a bit of a hit to the pocketbook.

Another huge negative is that no pet fences are allowed and there are no off-leash dog areas.  I'm not sure that their reasoning of "liability issues" is valid, since very few resorts have this restriction.  Our Chihuahua-mix dogs are not a threat to anyone while corralled behind a fence and not having one set their house training back by weeks.  Our 5th wheel has a doggy door and when the puppies have to go potty, they normally just head outside to the yard, leaving us to easily clean up at our convenience.  Without the door available to them, they went potty in the doorway in front of the locked doggie door.

​Another pet-related complaint is the presence of Oleander plants in the park, including between our site the the one next-door.  Ingesting just one Oleander leaf can kill a full-sized horse, and pets have no chance to survive.   I used our pet fencing to section off the plant from our puppies, but we were nervous about it our entire stay.

If you are not used to them, almost constant trade winds can be annoying, and the Keys' low elevation and location at the entrance to the Gulf makes them susceptible to storms, mild and severe.  We were fortunate to follow the storm season by a few weeks, but another could have developed at any time.

Not knowing any better, Nadyne and I were hoping to enjoy tumbling waves on a sandy beach.  However, we found the the region really has no waves or sandy beaches, mostly due to the shallow water surrounding all of the islands in the area. It was very much like being in the Outer Banks or inside a large sheltered harbor.  That's nice for boating and fishing but not so much for beach-combing or body surfing.

Even with shopping available in Marathon and Key West, traditional full-sized box stores and supermarkets are back on the mainland, 50+ miles away.  Advanced planning may be necessary before hitting Key Largo and the Overseas Highway..

Like I mentioned, visiting the Florida Keys was a bucket list item and overall it didn't disappoint.  We loved touring Key West, Big Pine and many other of the Keys.  Key deer are abundant (and cute), bird watching is everywhere and there are spectacular sunsets nearly every night.

Overall, the Florida Keys exude a laid-back, relaxed lifestyle into which one can easily be assimilated.  However long your visit, it will seem too short.

Click here for an article I wrote about Thousand Trails.

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