Visit The Parks In The Florida Keys

In order to preserve the natural beauty of the Florida Keys, much of the land has been set aside as state parks, private parks, and reserves. Ten of those parks are state parks. Many activities are offered in these parks and you could easily spend an entire vacation enjoying the beauty that the Florida Keys offer.

The very first park you will encounter when traveling south near Key Largo is called Dagny Johnson Key Largo Hammock Botanical State Park. While the name of the park is quite a mouthful, it is well worth the $1.50 admission fee to walk the trails among the Hammock trees and admire the butterflies and birds that abound. There are many species of animals that are protected and live in this park.

As you head south, the next park is John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park. It encompasses 70 nautical miles of coral reef, natural mangrove swamps and other abundant wildlife. This state park offers snorkeling, kayaking, scuba diving and hiking just to name a few. There are picnic areas and a designated beach area where swimming is allowed. It even has a campground. Be sure to enter the nature center where you will notice a huge floor to ceiling saltwater aquarium. This aquarium holds over 30,000 gallons of seawater and exhibits many of the area's aquatic life.

Continuing south near the small town of Islamorada, the next state park is Windley Key Fossil Reef Geological State Park. This park is located on top of fossilized coral, which was quarried in the 1920s to help build the railroad. You can stand near the edge of the quarry to view the beautiful colors of the coral.

Lignumvitae Key Botanical State Park, Indian Key Historic State Park, San Pedro Underwater Archaeological Preserve State Park, and Long Key State Park are all within 10 miles of each other. They are all similar in that they offer hiking trails, but there are some differences. Indian Key is a small island unto itself and the only way to reach it is via a small boat or canoe. San Pedro State Park is a site that is preserving the San Pedro, a Spanish ship that sank in 1733. And Long Key State Park is best viewed by canoe or kayak because the area is made up of channels and canals that wind throughout the park

Continuing south for about 11 miles on Highway 1, you will encounter a small state park called Curry Hammack State Park. This park offers daytime family fun with picnic tables, barbecue grills, beaches and playgrounds. While 12 miles south of the town of Marathon is the state park, Bahia Honda. This state park is rather large and offers quite a few amenities. In addition to hiking, snorkeling, swimming and camping, Bahia Honda hosts many festivals and events. The park also includes access to vendors where food can be purchased or water sport gear can be rented.

And finally, to make your tour of Florida Keys state parks complete, the most southern US state park is located on the south side of Key West. It is the Fort Zachary Taylor Historic State Park. Fort Zachary Taylor was built in the 1860s to protect our southern border during the Civil War. This park offers all of the same amenities as the others, but in addition there are guided tours describing the historical significance of the Fort. As you can see, you could spend weeks exploring all of the state parks that are located in the Florida Keys.

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