Along the Fredrick C. Mannillo Jr. Nature Trail, learn the importance of National Key Deer Refuge in protecting both habitat and wildlife in the Lower Keys.
It’s a short interpretive trail providing a round-trip walk to a freshwater wetland in the unusual pine rockland habitat of Big Pine Key.

Resources
Resources for exploring the area
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Overview
Location: Big Pine Key
Length: 0.3 mile round-trip
Trailhead: 24.7094, -81.3824
Address: Key Deer Blvd
Fees: Free
Restroom: None
Land manager: National Key Deer Refuge
Phone: 305-872-0774
Open daily from a half hour before sunrise to a half hour after sunset.
Bicycles are not permitted on the trail, and pets are not advised so as not to scare away wildlife.
Report wildlife emergencies such as injured or dead Key deer or aggressive animals to Florida FWC immediately at 888-404-3922; press Monroe County extension.
Stay within the marked path to avoid brushing into poisonwood.
It is found all over Big Pine Key and along this trail, and is much more irritating than poison ivy. An important food source for endangered white-crowned pigeons, its fruit is deadly.

Directions
From US 1, follow Key Deer Boulevard past the shopping center. Pay attention to the speed limits as they are slow for a reason: you may see Key deer cross the road along this stretch, especially at dusk and dawn. The turnoff for the parking area is on the left past Blue Hole, 3.2 miles from the shopping center.
Hike
Although it may not look accessible, the Frederick C. Mannillo Jr. Trail is made of hard-packed limestone gravel, suitable for wheelchairs.
An advocate for both wildlife and accessibility, this short trail to a freshwater wetland honors his legacy.

Of the two trails at the Wildlife Trails trailhead, this one provides plenty of interpretation about Key deer habitat in a very compact space.
Several benches offer resting spots for those who need a gentle walk. A map is displayed at the Wildlife Trails kiosk.

Pick up a brochure at the kiosk for an overview of the trail and the ecosystems along it.
You’re in pine rocklands, with saw palmetto and gnarled and stunted slash pines at the southernmost extent of their range.

Surface limestone and loose rock is obvious throughout openings in the forest.
Peer closely into gaps between the saw palmetto, and you just might glimpse a Key deer.

Winding through the stunted forest, trail’s end comes more quickly than expected.
A boardwalk leads to an observation deck overlooking a freshwater wetland cradled in the jagged karst.

Look straight down from the deck to see many smaller depressions in the limestone.
These trap precious rainwater and create havens for wildlife. Colorful pink blooms of glades lobelia sway in the breeze.

Retrace your steps along the winding path, taking time to read the interpretive panels. Keep alert to rustling in the understory, too.
A detailed interpretive panel explains the unique hydrology of the Florida Keys, the importance of limestone karst to the health of these coral reef islands.

Pass a solution hole brimming with ladder brake fern, a species adapted to living in limestone.
Emerge at the Wildlife Trails trailhead at 0.3 mile.

Trail Map

Explore More!
Learn more about National Key Deer Refuge

National Key Deer Refuge
Established in 1957 to prevent the extinction of the diminutive Key deer, National Key Deer Refuge spans 84,351 acres across 25 islands in the Lower Keys.
Slideshow
See our photos of the Manillo Trail
Nearby Adventures
More worth exploring while you’re in this area.

Jack C. Watson Wildlife Trail
Rare pine rockland and rockland tropical hammock are key habitats for Key deer along this immersive interpretive loop on Big Pine Key.

Blue Hole
For the easiest wildlife watching at National Key Deer Refuge, visit the trail and observation deck at Blue Hole, a cenote-like pond that is the largest body of fresh water in the Florida Keys.

Overseas Heritage Trail, Lower Keys
38.0 miles. Between Key West and Bahia Honda Key, this segment of the Florida Keys Overseas Heritage Trail crosses many historic railroad bridges in view of mangrove-lined shores.

Bahia Honda State Park
Long known for its natural beaches, Bahia Honda State Park continues to heal after the ravages of Hurricane Irma stripped much of its tropical vegetation