This is a nifty little state park that has some nice manicured trails and tons of examples of coral…read morefossils in the stone. They used this area as a quarry for stone to use in construction in the early 20th century. There is an entire guide that the rangers can give you which covers not only the history of the area, but all of the plant species, and the different kinds of fossils you can find. This can be a fun stop on a road trip if you like geology and this kind of thing.

This little noun and yet amazing State Park is definitely worth a visit. I don't know why more…read morepeople don't come here, except maybe because there's a lot of mosquitoes. There's trails to walk, and exhibits related to the flora and Fana, wildlife, and of course the quarry, and the machinery used to mine coral for use in building. You can either take a tour with the guide or you can get a book from the Ranger and walk around with the book and read the descriptions at each of the plaques. There are something like 75 around the park, some have only a paragraph or two about what you're seeing, others have several pages.

IMPORTANT: You need to come prepared to this key If you expect to enjoy everything it has to share…read more The state park does not treat the island with pesticides. Bring: water, bug spray, and maybe a hat. There are bathrooms past the house on the right with a ramp. COST: $2.50 and $2.00 for access and tour. HOW TO GET HERE: We moored on the other side of the island and took the dinghy to the dock. Their Website has information for transportation to the island. We had a private tour of the island it the history is just unreal. The vegetation is massive and I had no idea how large this key actually measured. Because you can't swim or fish 100' from the dock or mangroves, it acts as a nursery for a ton of fish. I saw barracuda, sheep's head, yellow fin, ciro.

Lignumvitae Botanical state park is one of the last remaining natural keys. This park has a strict…read morepolicy on visitation and only offers restricted access due to its natural preservation efforts. Like others, I recommend to come in the winter months, due to the amount of mosquitos. This island is not sprayed like the residential keys, due to preservation, so you can imagine the number of hungry mosquitos. We came over in late October and it was still pretty buggy. There's a neat old house on the island and the ranger will give you the history of the house and the residents who maintained it. There is a long hiking trail but we only made it about 20 minutes in before turning around due to the bugs. And I do have a fairy high threshold for bugs. We did get to see some Golden Orb Weaver spiders, so that was totally worth the trip. It was cool to get the history of the Key. I'm looking forward to come back hike the entire trail in the winter!

We visited Library Beach Park in the morning with our two toddlers and it was such an easy, low-key…read moreouting. The playground was the highlight for us. Plenty of space to run, great swings, and enough shade that it felt comfortable even earlier in the day. There are picnic tables nearby making it easy to have a snack or take a break. Parking was easy and free, and there are bathrooms nearby as well. We didn't go near the water at all, but loved that the park sits right next to the library. Popping in afterward was a perfect way to extend the outing without getting back in the car. It's not a big destination park, but it's a really solid option if you have little kids and want a relaxed, family-friendly stop.

Came here off the 1 because it's free. The other place down the road is a park that charges $8,…read moreworth it if you have kids and gonna spend a whole day at the beach. This place not only is a library but behind it you can find a bit of parking for the children's play area that also has a small inlet for access to salt water swimming. Very small though and weeds throughout, still it was quiet and a pleasant experience for free. Currently under renovation so water is cut off but they have restroom to change etc.

Not even sure why this part is open to the public. The signs do tell you about American crocodiles…read morebut the only thing here is a very small garden with signage about a species of swallowtail butterfly. I admire the work they do but not worth the stop for me. Go back to Pennekamp where you can see actual wildlife.

At first glance, I thought this Visitor Center was going to be a quick stop to see some of the work…read morethey do to protect the crocodiles in the area. Turns out there was a lot more to Crocodile Lake that I thought. I was disappointed the Visitor Center was closed every time we've attempted to visit. I understand not being open when Covid was very active but it's still been closed the two other times I visited; but I was able to learn a lot from the information boards they have in the parking lot. The area they watch over and protect is H-U-G-E; it includes tons of land and water areas. They also have a butterfly garden on the premises; it's not huge and it's not overly impressive but it's still lovely and rewarding to walk through. They have lots of trees with identification tags and they have a bunch of metal sculptures.

This small beach at the John Pennecamp State Park offers snorkeling, diving, or kayaking in the…read moreFlorida Keys. It is America's first underwater preserve, offering accessible coral reefs, mangrove trails, and an informative visitor center. The entrance fee to the park is $9.00 which includes visiting this beach. This beach is not traditional, large sandy shorelines that you may be used to. It is small but relaxing. It is not a glamorous place to meet people. It is a good place for beginners who want t o practice snorkeling. The water is only 5-7 feet deep. Wear Water Shoes! The beach areas can be rocky. The park has full hookup campsites and clean, well maintained facilities. An old cannon from the 1800s lies on the beach facing the water. There are more in the water along with remnants of a shipwreck. There are restrooms, rinse-off stations, showers, changing rooms, and nearby picnic areas.

If hindsight were a thing, I'd probably want to redo my 1st experience of Molasses Reef as a…read moresnorkeling trip.  Unfortunately, I actually went there initiallly via a glass-bottom boat tour, and as a result we saw virtually no fish :-( Maybe it wasn't the boat but the time of day we went - regardless, I expected to see tons of different fish, but I actually saw less than a hundred of maybe three different species... It also might have been the fact that the boat's engines were so loud that they scared off a majority of the fish we might have seen.  Whatever the actual cause, I suggest that you skip the boat tour and come here to snorkel instead.

My buddy and my best night dive ever - multiple sharks and eels, including a free-swimming one…read more Just about everything else you'd want in a dive - a ray and octopus, an 1887 wreck. The reef has fantastical shapes which provide ledges, holes and lots of growth for the fish. In addition, the water had bioluminescence (turn your lights off)

What is it about spending a night in a world famous South Beach lifeguard tower that heightens the…read moresenses? Well, my lady and I spent a night in this tower and let's just say that it was a VERY pleasurable experience. Perhaps the crocodiles liked it too!

First time Kayaking with them in Florida! We got a crystal boat with like ten twenty dollars more…read morecompared to the regular one and it worths the price! The water is very clear, and you can see the bottom of the water and some fish swim around. This place located right next to the highway, and we got the chance to travel around the mangrove. Out guider was so nice and friendly! She let us tried to kayak around earlier since we were beginner. After we started the trip, she introduced us the plants, the animals, and the environment in this awesome place. Unlucky, because of the bad weather, we did not see the sunset on that day, but where we plan to see the view is a good place to see the sunset! Anyway, very recommended!

Loved this experience. Clear kayaks are the way to go. Definitely doing this again.read more

Went with our two kids on this sunset tour and it was incredible! Our guide Will was incredibly…read morefriendly and patient as we navigated through the coolest mangrove tunnels. He stood up ahead of us to point out crabs and jellyfish and then chilled in the bay watching the sunset. Incredible! Can't wait to come back and do the daytime tour where you see the most wildlife.