Resources
Resources for exploring the area
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Exploring the Florida Keys
Welcome to America’s tropics, a string of islands off the peninsula’s tip stretching nearly 130 miles.
Home to dense tropical hammocks and mangrove-lined shores, it’s a destination where virtually everywhere you stop has a waterfront view.
Picnic spot in Plantation Hammocks PreserveRunning the length of the Keys, the Overseas Heritage Trail paralleling US 1 offers cyclists and walkers stretches of scenery along paved trail segments and former highway bridges.
It is also used by hikers following the Eastern Continental Trail, a mind-boggling hike of more than 4,000 miles from the Southernmost Point of Key West to Cap Gaspe in Quebec.
Eastern Continental Trail A hiking route spanning more than 4,800 miles along the East Coast, the Eastern Continental Trail spends nearly 1,300 miles crossing Florida from its southern terminus at the Southernmost Point in Key West. 
Florida Keys Overseas Heritage Trail Spanning from Key West to Key Largo, this 108-mile linear state park corridor is an island-hopping slice of tropical paradise along the former route of the Florida Overseas RailroadBefore you go walking in the woods in the Florida Keys, learn about Florida’s most dangerous trees, the poisonwood and the manchineel. Both grow in these tangled tropical forests.
The Overseas Highway is arguably Florida’s most scenic drive as you stare out over the shimmering turquoise waters of the Atlantic Ocean and Florida Bay, cradled inside the protective wall of a living coral reef offshore.
Audubon House, Key WestDriving US 1 to Key West, you’ll note that directions are expressed in “MM”(mile marker) signposts along the highway, which makes it easy to find your destination and figure out how far it is from where you are now.
What you don’t have any control over is that there is just one road, so traffic – especially when you want to make a left turn – can be a real problem at times.
Don’t plan to be in a hurry here. You’re virtually in the Caribbean, and this is island time.
The Southernmost Beach at Fort Zachary Taylor Historic State Park, Key WestTrails and Parks
See our pages for the major islands of the Florida Keys for maps and details on parks and trails
Big Pine Key The largest of the Lower Keys, most of Big Pine Key is protected as part of National Key Deer Refuge, home to the endangered and diminutive Key deer. 
Islamorada The City of Islands, Islamorada is a chain of tropical islands in the Florida Keys stretching from Tavernier to Lower Matecumbe Key, with tropical forests and hidden beaches.
Key Largo The northernmost of the populated Florida Keys and the first one reached when driving south along US 1, Key Largo has a hidden landscape of natural habitats many visitors never notice.
Key West The southernmost point in the United States, Key West has a long and storied history and a tropical vibe. Lush parks and gardens complement its better-known beaches.
Marathon Home to an airport, an aquarium attraction, and a natural sandy beach in the Middle Keys, Marathon is a central point for major services between Key Largo and Key West.Where to Stay in the Florida Keys
Resorts are the norm in the Florida Keys, and prices are steeper than on the mainland.
Our favorite romantic getaways include the intimate Kona Kai in Key Largo and the beautiful Key Lime Inn on Key West, set in a tropical forest.
Quirkier options abound in southern Key LargoBudget travelers can find retro motels along US 1 without much effort, and in Key West along South Street, including the famed Seashell Motel & Key West Hostel, one of Florida’s few hostels, with both bunkhouse and private rooms.
Campers pay more of a premium in the Keys than anyone else. Although Bahia Honda State Park offers spectacular waterfront tent sites, they book up a year ahead.
RVs are not allowed to park on the streets of Key West, but you’ll find Boyds Campground on Stock Island a nearby place to call home.
Two off-the-highway gems for RVs are the Geiger Key Marina on Geiger Key and Lazy Lakes RV Resort on Summerland Key.
Boyds Campground, Key WestRecent Articles
Biking the Southern Glades Trail (10/10/2020) Taking a ride through the Everglades on one of Miami-Dade's most remote offroad bike trails made for "Bill and John's Most Excellent Adventure." 
The Future of Florida’s Key Deer (8/21/2019) A public meeting by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service on August 22, 2019 is the first step in informing the public of the potential of Key deer being removed from the Endangered Species List.
Florida’s Toxic Trees (6/22/2019) Southeast Florida is home to two poisonous trees, the poisonwood and the manchineel. Learn how to recognize them so you don't get too close, and find out how truly dangerous they are. 
The Florida Keys, Revisited (6/29/2018) Nine months after Hurricane Irma, we headed to the Florida Keys to see how both the infrastructure and the natural areas are healing. Here's an overview of what we found, from Key West to Key Largo.