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Layton Trail

Layton Trail

At Long Key State Park, the Layton Trail leads you on a quarter-mile exploration of mangrove forest and tropical hammock on the shores of Florida Bay.

Long Key State Park  |  Florida Keys
( 24.823412,-80.817794 )      0.2 miles

The quiet, lesser-known side of Long Key State Park is the bay side, a mostly-undisturbed and undeveloped fringe of mangroves and tropical hammocks edging Florida Bay.

The Layton Trail leads you on a quarter-mile exploration of these habitats, emerging at a showy spot on Florida Bay.


Resources

Resources for exploring the area
50 Hikes in South Florida book cover South Florida Explorers Guide book cover Hikers Guide to the Sunshine State book cover  
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: Layton
Length: 0.2 mile loop
Trailhead: 24.823412,-80.817794
Address: 68100 Overseas Highway, Long Key
Fees: Free
Restroom: None
Land manager: Florida State Parks
Phone: 305-664-4815
 
Open 8 AM until sunset daily. Leashed pets welcome. Expect mosquitoes! Always use insect repellent.

Do not touch oozing tree bark in the tropical hammock: there are poisonwood trees scattered throughout the forest. When in doubt, never touch tree trunks or leaves in a tropical hammock.

Learn more about Florida’s toxic trees.


Directions

 
From the main entrance to Long Key State Park, drive north on US 1 for 0.6 mile (just past MM 68) for the trailhead on the left at the “Layton Trail” sign. Park on the shoulder.

Hike

The Layton Trail makes a loop through a shady tropical hardwood hammock, past thatch palms, gumbo limbo, pigeon plum, and poisonwood.

Keep to the left at the loop junction to head out to the limestone edge of Florida Bay. Turn right and walk along the shoreline, which is thick in dried grasses and debris.

At an interpretive marker, the trail turns to the right to re-enter the tropical hammock to complete the loop.

You may enjoy a sweeping view of Florida Bay where the trail emerges from the tropical hammock to the shoreline.

Layton Trail
Florida Bay from the Layton Trail

Trail Map

Long Key State Park Trail Map


Explore More!

Learn more about Long Key State Park and its trails

Long Key State Park Long Key State Park A former coconut plantation and angler's destination, Long Key State Park is now a natural oceanfront outpost in the Florida Keys.

Nearby Adventures

More worth exploring while you’re in this area.

Golden Orb Trail Golden Orb Trail Looping through some of the Florida Keys more rare and unusual habitats, the 1.2 mile Golden Orb Trail at Long Key State Park also provides access to a wild shoreline on the Atlantic Ocean.
Overseas Heritage Trail, Middle Keys 43.6 miles. With the most island-hopping of the ride, the middle portion of the Florida Keys delights with its aquamarine waters and coconut palms, a very tropical vibe.
Grassy Key Trail signage 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.
Tropical rockland hammock 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.

Trail Map (PDF) Official Website

Category: Hikes, Loop Hikes, Nature Trails, South Florida, Southeast Florida, TrailsTag: Birding, Florida Bay, Florida Keys, Florida State Parks, Long Key State Park, Mangroves, Marathon, Tropical Forests

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