Curry Hammock State Park

Spanning more than 1,110 acres across a chain of islands northeast of Marathon, most of Curry Hammock State Park protects rare Florida Keys habitats.

These include tidal rock barrens, rockland tropical hammock, and coastal berm, all of which can be seen along the park’s trails on the bay side.

Curry Hammock contains the largest remaining stand of Keys thatch palms in the United States.

Tropical rockland hammock

The portion of the park developed for day use fronts the Atlantic Ocean. But typical of the Florida Keys, there are no waves, and the beach is marl muck edged with sargassum.

These vast calm flats behind the reefs of the Florida Keys are important estuaries, a watery nursery for sea life.

Sargassum along the Atlantic shore

Resources

Resources for exploring the area

South Florida Explorers Guide book cover

Hikers Guide to the Sunshine State book cover

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Overview

Location: Grassy Key
Entrance: 24.746675,-80.982717
Address: 56200 Overseas Hwy, Marathon
Fees: $5-6 per vehicle
Restroom: Near the picnic area
Land manager: Florida State Parks
Phone: 305-289-2690

Open 8 AM to sunset. Leashed dogs permitted.

Stay within marked paths in the tropical hammocks to avoid brushing into any poisonwood trees.

The splotchy trunk that oozes a sap far more irritating than poison ivy. An important food source for endangered white-crowned pigeons, its fruit is deadly.

Trunk of a poisonwood tree on the nature trail

Directions

The park’s main entrance is at MM 57.6 on the Overseas Highway, two miles north of the edge of services in Marathon.

About the Park

The most intriguing natural areas in the park are free to visit. A dense tropical rockland hammock is the focus of the Curry Hammock Nature Trail.

On the walk to it are tidal flats facing Florida Bay, edged with mangroves and dense with salt-loving ground covers.

Mangrove forest along the nature trail

A ride or walk north along the Grassy Key Trail – which is part of the Florida Keys Overseas Heritage Trail and East Coast Greenway – is 3.2 miles from trailhead to trail’s end.

The 6.4 mile round-trip affords views of all three unusual habitats in the park. There is no shade over the path, but you will find a few benches.

Another mile of the paved trail extends south through the park to a parking area and boat ramp north of Vaca Cut.

Coastal berm and salt flat

In the fee section of the park, the day use area has a small sandy area adjoining the picnic pavilion, where visitors often sunbathe.

Some people swim in the inlet, others fish or paddle. You are welcome to bring your own human-powered watercraft to launch.

Inlet

Walk the oceanfront and survey the seagrass flats and the colorful wrack lines of seagrass flung onto the shore.

It’s not a swimming beach, but it is pretty. In fall and winter, count the raptors passing overhead. This is a major migratory flyover route.

Oceanfront with grassy sand and sea wrack

Oceanfront at Curry Hammock day use area

During our first visit to the park, Hawkwatch volunteers kept up a continuous count of migrating raptors passing over the observation tower in the day use area.

There was no tower on our most recent visit, but seventeen different species of raptors fly over Curry Hammock, including many peregrine falcons and merlins.

Day use area

The campground sits within view of the ocean but not directly on it. A short bike path connects the front gate with the campground.

Check at the ranger station as you come in to inquire about kayak rentals and bicycle rentals.

Campground behind the beach

Trails

The Curry Hammock Nature Trail is hiking only. It branches off the Grassy Key Trail 0.8 mile south of the park’s main entrance.

You can hike or bike the Grassy Key Trail, the paved path beneath the power lines. Once it breaks out of the tropical forest on a northbound trip, the coastal berm is obvious.

Both trails share a paved parking area along the bay side of US 1 about 0.2 mile south of the park’s main entrance.

Curry Hammock Nature Trail

For an immersion into a tropical rockland hammock and its rare bounty of Florida thatch palms, explore this short but rugged loop at Curry Hammock State Park.

Grassy Key Trail

A pleasant piece of the Florida Keys Overseas Heritage Trail that is entirely a paved bike path, the Grassy Key Trail runs 4.4 linear miles through Curry Hammock State Park.