Long known for its natural beaches, Bahia Honda State Park has a lot of healing and rebuilding to do after the ravages of Hurricane Irma
Big Pine Key
Trails, parks, and outdoor recreation within an easy drive of Big Pine Key, along US 1 in the Florida Keys. The largest of the Lower Keys, most of Big Pine Key is protected as part of National Key Deer Refuge, home to the endangered and diminutive Key deer.
Blue Hole
For the easiest wildlife watching opportunity inside National Key Deer Refuge, head for the trail and observation deck at Blue Hole, a cenote-like pond that is the largest body of fresh water in the Florida Keys.
Mannillo Trail
An accessible interpretive trail providing an easy round-trip to a freshwater wetland, the Mannillo Trail gives an overview of the importance of National Key Deer Refuge in protecting both habitat and wildlife in the Lower Keys.
National Key Deer Refuge
Established in 1957 to prevent the extinction of the diminutive Key deer, the National Key Deer Refuge spans 84,351 acres across 25 islands in the Lower Keys
Old Bahia Honda Bridge Trail
Stand above Bahia Honda State Park and take in a sweeping view from one of the highest points in the Florida Keys: atop the Old Bahia Honda Bridge, built in the early 1900s.
The Florida Keys, Revisited
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.
Watson Trail
At National Key Deer Refuge, the Jack C. Watson Wildlife Trail loops through rare pine rocklands and rockland tropical hammock edged by rocky freshwater marshes.