While it’s within sight of the Atlantic Ocean, Sonny McCoy Indigenous Park is a rare patch of green space in the city of Key West. It offers something you won’t find elsewhere on the island: a natural freshwater pond.
It attracts a parade of wildlife, especially flocks of birds, freshwater turtles, and herds of non-native iguanas. Appropriately, the Key West Wildlife Center occupies a corner of the park.
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Overview
Location: Key West
Length: 0.5 mile
Trailhead: 24.548757, -81.785160
Address: 1801 White Street, Key West
Fees: Free
Restroom: In the front of the park
Land manager: City of Key West
Phone: 305-809-3945
Open 9-5 daily. No pets. Donations appreciated if you tour the wildlife center, which you must enter to reach the park.
Directions
Free parking is available for the park in a lot at the corner of White Street and Atlantic Blvd at 1801 White St, Key West, FL 33040. Look for the park sign and enter through the Key West Wildlife Center. This is a good spot to park for access to biking on the Overseas Heritage Trail. Cars cannot be left overnight.
About the Park
Enter the park by climbing up the stairs into the Key West Wildlife Center, a wildlife rehab facility that takes in injured native animals and birds.
You’ll see some of the wildlife recuperating in enclosures near the main building. Some cannot be released back into the wild due to the extent of their injuries.
Descending into the “backyard” of the center, follow the pathway to the right. This leads into the heart of the eight acre preserve, a fenced park with a dense canopy of native trees providing deep shade along the paved pathways.
Benches and picnic tables provide places to take a break, read a book, or enjoy your lunch outdoors. Expect to see iguanas in the trees and in the grass.
Watch carefully, and you might see one of the resident white-crowned pigeons, an endangered species.
The pathway ends at the pond, which always has a flurry of activity. A designated Audubon sanctuary, this freshwater pond has a resident population of turtles and ibis. An observation deck provides a comfy spot for birding.
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Nearby Adventures
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 along mangrove-lined shores.
Little Hamaca Park A preserve along the historic Key West Salt Ponds, Little Hamaca Park has a boardwalk and footpath leading through a cross-section of the island's habitats.
Key West Tropical Forest & Botanical Garden Boardwalks and footpaths wind through curated plant collections against a backdrop of natural habitats at the Key West Tropical Forest & Botanical Garden.
- Michael Crotty Bicentennial Park - November 3, 2026
- A.J. Henry Park - November 1, 2026
- Okeeheelee Nature Center Trails - October 22, 2026