• Menu
  • Skip to right header navigation
  • Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to secondary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Florida Hikes logo

Hike Bike Paddle Camp Florida with authors Sandra Friend and John Keatley as your guides

  • Trails
  • Maps
  • Guidebooks
  • Search
  • Hike
    • Scenic Hikes
    • Loop Trails
    • Dog-friendly Hikes
    • Hikes for Kids
    • National Parks in Florida
    • Florida State Parks
  • Bike
    • Major Bike Trails
    • Paved Bike Trails
    • Off Road Biking
    • Biking Articles
  • Paddle
    • Canoe & Kayak Rentals
    • Paddling Destinations
    • Paddling Articles
  • Camp
    • Cabin Rentals
    • Car Camping
    • Primitive Camping
  • Florida Trail
    • Plan your Hike
    • Best Scenic Hikes
    • Best Backpacking
    • Section Hiking
    • Thru-Hiking
    • Trail Updates
  • Travel
  • Hike
    • Scenic Hikes
    • Loop Trails
    • Dog-friendly Hikes
    • Hikes for Kids
    • National Parks in Florida
    • Florida State Parks
  • Bike
    • Major Bike Trails
    • Paved Bike Trails
    • Off Road Biking
    • Biking Articles
  • Paddle
    • Canoe & Kayak Rentals
    • Paddling Destinations
    • Paddling Articles
  • Camp
    • Cabin Rentals
    • Car Camping
    • Primitive Camping
  • Florida Trail
    • Plan your Hike
    • Best Scenic Hikes
    • Best Backpacking
    • Section Hiking
    • Thru-Hiking
    • Trail Updates
  • Travel
Nature Trail in dense tropical forest

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

Key Largo Hammock Botanical State Park  |  Key Largo
( 25.1761, -80.3695 )      1.1 miles

Key Largo Hammock Botanical State Park is truly a botanical treasure, with the highest concentration of champion trees in one place in the United States.

What’s even more surprising about this concentration of trees is that none are over 45 feet tall.

Discover the natural beauty of Key Largo Hammock on this round-trip walk to an overlook over an old quarry.

Tropical trees Tropical trees sport interesting patterns on their bark


Resources

Resources for exploring the area

50 Hikes in South Florida South Florida: An Explorer's Guide Hiker's Guide to the Sunshine State Exploring Florida's Botanical Wonders

Disclosure: As authors and affiliates, we receive earnings when you buy these through our links. This helps us provide public information on this website.


Overview

Location: Key Largo
Length: 1.1 mile round trip
Trailhead: 25.1761, -80.3695
Address: CR 905 & MM 106, Key Largo
Fees: $2.50 per person at honor box. Includes per-person Monroe County surcharge
Restroom: Composting toilet
Land Manager: Florida State Parks
Phone: 305-451-1202

Open 8 AM until sunset daily. Leashed pets and bicycles welcome.

Stay on the pathways! There are poisonwood and machineel trees throughout the hammock, both of which can cause severe reactions for anyone allergic to poison ivy.

23 painted on a rock along the trail

Expect insects no matter the time of year. Always use mosquito repellent. During the summer months insects can be extreme.
 
As this is a botanical state park, no mosquito control spraying is done here, unlike throughout most of the Florida Keys.


Directions

 
Driving north on US 1 from John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park, keep right at the fork for SR 905 (to Card Sound Rd). The trailhead parking area is on the right after 0.5 mile, in front of a large archway.

Hike

Park next to the archway and follow the pavement into the woods. It doesn’t look like a trail at all.

In fact, it’s the old paved access road to Port Bougainville, and is open to bicycles as the Port Bougainville Trail.

Plaque on limestone at entrance Plaque honoring Anna Dagny Johnson


Lignumvitae trees flank the front entrance. Listen for the rustle of palm fronds overhead, and look up: endangered white-crowned pigeons nestle in the tree tops.

As you walk along the ribbon of pavement, look into the forest, not at the trail. Identification tags help you pick out trees from the jumbled thicket.

Paved trail with interpretive signs Watch for the interpretive signs on the sides


The trail curves past a composting privy, and comes to a junction with a picnic shelter in the middle.

This is the beginning of the big loop on the Port Bougainville Trail. Turn right.

Picnic area Picnic area at trail junction


Pay attention to the plant identifications and notice the subtle differences between the various trees, which blend together to form a thick green screen on both sides of the old road.

Not far off into the woods are the grand champion roughleaf velvetseed and boxleaf stopper, at 17 feet and 19 feet, respectively.

Interpretive marker One of the markers pointing out specific tropical species


Of the all of the grand champion trees in the hammock, few of them reach 30 feet tall—the 34-foot blolly being a notable exception.

As you walk past a bench to the start of a stone wall on the left, watch for a break in the wall.

Gap in stone wall Gap in the wall


After 0.3 mile, turn left at the “Nature Trail” sign and follow the narrow footpath into the cool deep shade of the forest.

At the fork, keep left, walking past a number of small trees with interpretive markers. As the trail curves to the right, it comes out into an open, disturbed area on the edge of the forest.

Dense forest Dense tropical understory


At a half mile, walk down the short spur trail for a sweeping view of the water, on the edge of a quarry created during the building of Port Bougainville.

On the far side, wild cotton fills a man-made ravine. Considered the scourge of the agricultural industry in 1932, South Florida’s wild cotton harbored pink boll worms.

Wild cotton Wild cotton growing along a quarry


The U.S. Department of Agriculture assumed would infect domestic cotton crops, and paid people to rip it out of South Florida woodlands.

Now, in an ironic touch, it’s protected, and listed as one of Florida’s most endangered species. With showy creamy yellow flowers and fluffy cotton balls, it’s a beautiful shrub.

Marker Interpretation along the trail


Retrace your steps back to the footpath and turn left. Make a right into the shady hammock at the four-way junction to complete the loop.

When you emerge at the bench, turn left to parallel the wall back down to the pavement. When you reach the pavement, turn right.

Trail along rock wall Nature Trail along rock wall


Turn right again at the T intersection. West Indian mahoganies form mushroom-like canopies overhead. It only takes a few moments to return to the “Nature Trail” sign.

Continue down the pavement, looking carefully at the parts of the forest that you haven’t yet seen.

Tropical forest Dense tropical forest


Along with the mahoganies, gumbo limbo and poisonwood trees are the true giants, the high canopy of the hammock.

But the thickets still guard their treasures: milkbark and red stopper, limber caper and saffron plum, a parade of tropical species like no other on this continent.

Wild allamanda Wild allamanda (Pentalinon luteum) seen here


Continue past the picnic area, turning left off the Port Bougainville Trail.

Pay attention to the smooth bark of the trees around you, where five different colorful varieties of the Florida tree snail, liguus, slip along slurping up algae and lichens.

Liguus snail A liguus snail in this tropical forest


Jamaican dogwood and satinleaf often seem to be a favorite perch for the liguus snails. There is a satinleaf in the butterfly garden.

Follow the old road back out to the parking lot to complete your 1.1-mile walk.

Satinleaf tree A satinleaf tree dominates the garden at the picnic area


Trail Map

Key Largo Hammock Botanical State Park Trail Map
Key Largo Hammock Nature Trail in purple (Port Bougainville Trail in red)


Explore More!

Learn more about Dagny Johnson Key Largo Hammock Botanical State Park

Tropical hammock

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

Sandra biking in mangroves

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 Trail


Slideshow

See our photos of Key Largo Hammock


Nearby Adventures

More worth exploring while you’re in this area.

Informational kiosk at Crocodile Lake NWR

Crocodile Lake National Wildlife Refuge

Protecting more than 6,700 acres of Key Largo to provide prime habitat for the endangered American crocodile, Crocodile Lake NWR has a small visitor complex where you can learn about species conservation at the refuge.

Grove Trail at John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park

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.

Wild Tamarind Trail at John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park

Wild Tamarind Trail

Tunneling into the deep shade of the Key Largo Hammock, a tropical forest that once covered most of the uplands of this island, the Wild Tamarind Trail provides you a close-up look at the trees and shrubs that make up this not-so-common forest.

Bike lane facing Caribbean blue waters in the Florida Keys

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


Official Website

Category: Day Hikes, Hikes, Nature Trails, Southeast Florida, TrailsTag: Accessible, Botanical, Florida Keys, Florida State Parks, Key Largo, Key Largo Hammock State Park, Tropical Forests, Wildlife Viewing

Reader Interactions

Have an update? Contact us.

Primary Sidebar

SOUTHEAST FLORIDA

SOUTHEAST FLORIDA OVERVIEW
East Coast Greenway. Everglades National Park. Florida Trail

Big Pine Key. Biscayne Bay. Biscayne National Park. Boca Raton. Boynton Beach. Coral Gables. Davie. Delray Beach. Northeast Everglades Natural Area . Florida Keys. Fort Lauderdale. Fort Pierce. Hobe Sound. Hollywood. Homestead. Islamorada. Jensen Beach. Jupiter. Juno Beach. Key Biscayne. Key Largo. Key West. Marathon. Miami. Ocean to Lake Greenway. Overseas Heritage Trail. Palm Beach. Port St. Lucie. Redland. Sebastian. Stuart. Vero Beach. West Palm Beach

Our Newest Books

Discovering the Florida Trail

Florida Trail mini coffee table book cover of trail into palm hammock

A visual journey the length of the Florida Trail, covering more than 1,500 miles from the Everglades to Pensacola Beach. Hardcover, 196 pages. $24.95 + tax and shipping.

Order Now

Florida Trail Hikes

Florida Trail HikesThe best day hikes, overnights, and weekend trips on the Florida Trail. Full hike descriptions and maps, full color. 376 pages. $24.95 + tax and shipping.

Order Now


50 Hikes in Central Florida
Explorers Guide North Florida Panhandle
The Florida Trail Guide (third edition)
Five Star Trails Orlando
Five Star Trails Gainesville & Ocala

The Florida Trail

Florida Trail large coffee table book cover of trail down swamp causeway under ancient pines

Our history of the first 50 years of the Florida Trail, from its founding in 1966 to becoming a National Scenic Trail to volunteer efforts today.

Learn More

Florida Trail App

Guthook GuidesGuthook Guides Comprehensive logistics and offline maps for the Florida National Scenic Trail.

Get the App!

Explore More

Our recent park & trail updates in this region

Shallow water with mangrove-lined islands beyond

Eastern Continental Trail

Eastern Continental Trail
Bike path under shade of tropical trees

Overseas Heritage Trail, Upper Keys

Overseas Heritage Trail, Upper Keys

Overseas Heritage Trail, Middle Keys

Overseas Heritage Trail, Middle Keys
1943 carved in concrete railroad bridge over mangroves

Overseas Heritage Trail, Lower Keys

Overseas Heritage Trail, Lower Keys

Footer

FIND A TRAIL OR PARK

NORTHWEST FLORIDA
Apalachicola. Apalachicola National Forest. Blackwater River State Forest. Blountstown. Bonifay. Bristol. Cape San Blas. Carrabelle. Chattahoochee. Chipley. Crawfordville. Crestview. DeFuniak Springs. Destin. Ebro. Eglin Air Force Base. Fort Walton Beach. Freeport. Gulf Islands National Seashore. Madison. Marianna. Milton. Monticello. Mossy Head. Navarre Beach . Niceville. Panama City Beach. Pensacola. Ponce De Leon. Port St. Joe. Quincy. Sopchoppy. South Walton. St. Marks. St. Marks NWR. Tallahassee. Vernon. Wakulla. Wewahitchka

NORTH FLORIDA
Alachua. Amelia Island. Baldwin. Branford. Bunnell. Cedar Key. Chiefland. Dowling Park. Ellaville. Fernandina Beach. Flagler Beach. Gainesville. Green Cove Springs. High Springs. Jacksonville. Keystone Heights. Lake Butler.Lake City. Live Oak. Mayo. Macclenny. Micanopy. Olustee. Orange Park. Osceola National Forest. Palatka. Palatka-Lake Butler Trail. Palm Coast. Perry. Salt Springs. St. Augustine. Starke. Steinhatchee. Suwannee River Wilderness Trail. Suwannee Springs. Talbot Islands. Timucuan Preserve. Trenton. Welaka. White Springs. Williston

  • Facebook
  • Flickr
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

MULTI-REGION
Big Cypress Swamp. East Coast Greenway. Everglades National Park. Florida National Scenic Trail

CENTRAL FLORIDA
Apopka. Belleview. Brandon. Brooksville. Bushnell. Canaveral National Seashore. Christmas. Chuluota. Clearwater Beach. Clermont. Coast to Coast Trail. Cocoa Beach. Cross Florida Greenway. Crystal River. Dade City. Daytona Beach. De Leon Springs. DeBary. Deland. Deltona. Dunedin. Dunnellon. Frostproof. Geneva. Inverness. Kenansville. Kissimmee. Lake Mary. Lake Wales. Lakeland. Largo. Leesburg. Longwood. Melbourne. Melbourne Beach. Merritt Island. Merritt Island NWR. Mims. Mount Dora. New Port Richey. New Smyrna Beach. Ocala. Ocala National Forest. Ocklawaha. Orlando. Ormond Beach. Osteen. Oviedo. Palm Bay. Ridge Manor. Sanford. Silver Springs. Spring Hill. St. Cloud. St. Petersburg. Tampa. Tarpon Springs. Titusville . Walt Disney World. Weeki Wachee. Winter Springs. Withlacoochee State Forest. Withlacoochee State Trail. Yeehaw Junction

SOUTHWEST FLORIDA
Bradenton . Charlotte Harbor. Ding Darling NWR. Englewood. Estero. Fort Myers. Immokalee. Naples. Pine Island. Port Charlotte. Punta Gorda. Sanibel Island. Sarasota. Venice

SOUTH FLORIDA
Arcadia. Basinger. Big Cypress National Preserve. Big Cypress Seminole Reservation. Clewiston. Everglades City. Fisheating Creek. Lake Okeechobee. Lake Okeechobee Scenic Trail. Lake Placid. LaBelle. Lakeport. Moore Haven. Okeechobee. Pahokee. Port Mayaca. Sebring. South Bay

SOUTHEAST FLORIDA
Big Pine Key. Biscayne Bay. Biscayne National Park. Boca Raton. Boynton Beach. Coral Gables. Davie. Delray Beach. Northeast Everglades Natural Area. Florida Keys. Fort Lauderdale. Fort Pierce. Hobe Sound. Hollywood. Homestead. Islamorada. Jensen Beach. Jupiter. Juno Beach. Key Biscayne. Key Largo. Key West. Marathon. Miami. Ocean to Lake Greenway. Overseas Heritage Trail. Palm Beach. Port St. Lucie. Redland. Sebastian. Stuart. Vero Beach. West Palm Beach

  • Trails
  • Parks
  • Beaches
  • Gardens
  • Springs
  • Ecotours
  • Attractions
©2006-2021, Sandra Friend & John Keatley | Disclosure | Site Index | Work with Us | Advertise with Us
Terms of Service and Privacy Policy | Florida Hikes PO Box 93 Mims FL 32754| Contact