Resources
Resources for exploring the area
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Exploring Key Largo
At 27 miles long, Key Largo is the largest of the Florida Keys, first settled at Rock Harbor at the northeast tip of the island in 1870.
Thanks to local support and aggressive land purchases over the past fifty years, much of the island will remain tropical forever.
Most of these lands are out of the public view, either along the coastlines or visible on a drive up Card Sound Road. Some exist strictly for wildlife habitat, not open to the public.
This includes the vast salt lakes at Crocodile Lakes National Wildlife Refuge, where indeed, there are crocodiles.
Piers at lodgings along Florida BayAlso protected are coastal mangrove forests at John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park, and the northernmost Caribbean forests at Key Largo Hammocks Preserve State Park.
Divers flock to Key Largo for the easily accessible coral reefs, and there are dive shops and dive resorts to cater to them.
On a dive boat at Molasses ReefThe easiest way to get your coral fix is a visit to Pennekamp – reservations suggested – for a snorkel, dive, or glass-bottomed boat trip over Molasses Reef.
It’s on Key Largo you’ll first notice the bicycle paths alongside US 1. The Florida Overseas Heritage Trail starts (or ends, depending on your direction) here.
One of many quirky motels in Key LargoIt largely follows the route of the historic Overseas Railroad to Key West, but isn’t an easy ride on much of this island due to the many driveways and road crossings.
US 1 is crowded with businesses and strip malls in clusters, with a welcome break of tropical forest within the Florida Keys WEA at the south end of the island.
Laura Quinn Wild Bird Sanctuary is near the south end of Key Largo on Florida BayTrails and Parks in Key Largo
Biscayne Bay Biscayne Bay is a shallow estuary bounded by barrier islands and coral reefs along the Miami shoreline, more than 63,000 acres of placid salt water.
Biscayne National Park Florida's largest offshore park, Biscayne National Park protects living coral reefs and islands that are the northernmost part of the Florida Keys
Dagny Johnson Key Largo Hammock Botanical State Park A botanical treasure rescued from developers, Dagny Johnson Key Largo Hammock Botanical State Park has the highest concentration of National Champion trees in the United States
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 Railroad.
John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park Molasses Reef, the most accessible living coral reef in the United States, is the reason that John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park exists in the Florida Keys. 
Key Largo Hammock Nature Trail On the interpretive Key Largo Hammock Nature Trail, tunnel into the largest tropical forest in the United States to enjoy its natural beauty while learning about its unusual trees
Overseas Heritage Trail, Upper Keys 26.8 miles. Through the most heavily populated part of the Florida Keys, the trail quickly leaves water views behind for tropical forests between residential and commercial areas.
Pennekamp Grove Trail If you've ever wondered where Key limes came from, take a walk on the 0.5-mile Grove Trail at John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park to see of one of the historic groves of Key Largo.
Pennekamp Mangrove Boardwalk At John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park, the Mangrove Trail is an accessible boardwalk that gets you right into the heart of a mangrove tunnel along a tidal creek
Pennekamp Wild Tamarind Trail Tunneling into the deep shade of the Key Largo Hammock, the Wild Tamarind Trail provides a close-up look at a not-so-common forest. 
Port Bougainville Trail At Dagny Johnson Key Largo Hammock Botanical State Park, enjoy the island's bounty of National Champion tropical trees from the 2.4 mile loop of the Port Bougainville TrailArticles
Floating in Florida (11/6/2025) Drifting across placid waters, find your bliss with the perfect adventure on Florida's hidden waters, with Lucy Tobias your guide.
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 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. 
Spirit of Pennekamp (7/17/2015) Cruising on the Spirit of Pennekamp is how landlubbers - and snorklers uncomfortable with ocean swells - get to experience the living coral reefs of the Florida Keys