Wildlife, Bridges, Beaches & Friends – Middle/Lower Keys, FL
It’s been a while since I last posted, but be assured that it’s not for lack of material. Over the past 10 days we’ve been deep in the FL Keys, continuing our exploration of this little multi-island paradise. And it’s been a super busy time.
There’s been visits with local RV friends including Tim & Amanda (Watsons Wander) who’ve been renting a house here for the past 3 months, as well as Eric and Jeanette (Jeneric Ramblings) who lived here before they went on the road. Plus our good friend Jil flew in from grey & cold WA to soak up the sun and stay with us in “the beast” for a week. There’s been trips to Key West as well as {{drum roll}} the creme-de-la-creme of bucket list items, a sea plane flight to the unique and amazing island of Dry Tortugas. So if you’ve not seen me posting it’s because I’ve been seriously busy having fun. It’s a decent excuse, no?
But it’s time to rectify that. I have LOTS of goodness to share, and now that we’re on our own again I have time to sit down and go through it all in the kind of detail my little OCD brain can accept. We’ve got at least 3 blog posts on the various outings we’ve completed down here as well as 2 campground reviews and near a bazillion photos (I’ll knock ’em down a bit for you). And it all starts right here in the Middle Keys.
So mix yourself a fruity drink and let’s get started….
Where Are The Middle/Lower Keys?
When folks talk about the Keys, or at least when I’ve talked to folks about the Keys the most common place you hear about Key West. It’s the very last (driveable) island of the chain so I guess it has a kind of iconic allure to it. Plus it’s where Hemmingway had his home aaand it’s the southernmost point in the US. There’s no doubt it’s got character and some interesting history too (it’ll get its own blog post shortly), but now that we’ve “done” the whole chain of islands I have to admit it’s not my favorite.
No, if you ask me now having spent almost a month down here, I’ll tell you right away that the place that we’ve enjoyed the most has been the Middle Keys, and the upper portion of the Lower Keys. Starting somewhere around Grassy Key and ending somewhere around Big Pine Key these 4-5 islands sit just around the middle of the chain, and for us they provided the perfect mix of everything we were looking for down here.
The Location Is Part Of The Allure….
Being right in the middle gives these Keys some key advantages.
They don’t get the crazy tourist rush of either Key Largo in the north (which is a common day-visit from Miami) or Key West in the south (where everyone goes, quite literally). There’s still tons of traffic along Hwy 1 (no way to avoid that), but much of it is through traffic and the centralized location means you can easily day-trip to just about anywhere in the Keys right from your RV spot. Location matters…
They’re a tad more reasonable price-wise too.
The closer you get to Key West the more expensive everything seems to become (even gas costs $0.30/gallon more down there!), and since people actually live in the Middle Keys (as opposed to just tourists in rentals) you can find local deals via farmers markets and such. Plus if you get off the main highway you’ll find some sweet, little interesting places to visit as well. And lastly, according to the my various sources the Middle Keys offer the BEST snorkeling/diving in the entire chain. It’s a really nice mix.
Where Do You Stay In Your RV?
We ended up staying in 2 different spots here, a private park on Marathon Key and the State Park on Bahia Honda, both of which we liked (reviews coming). There are at least 6 other private parks and one other State Park, so you’ve got quite a bit of choice in the area.
The private RV parks aren’t cheap, but then again nothing is cheap down here. In the big winter season anything below $100 is pretty much a “deal” and you can easily pay up to $175/night. I know that seems crazy, but that’s the price of being here. Weekly & monthly discounts take it down a tad, and if you can handle the heat off-season (summer) prices are often 50% or more cheaper. Also, if you have a membership, there are 2 Encore/Thousand Trails parks (Fiesta Key & Sunshine Key) where members can save some serious $$.
In comparison the State Parks are a steal at ~$38/night, but you’ll need some of that booking magic I spoke about in my last post to get a spot. Sites are super limited and book out solid 11 months in advance, although you can sometimes get last-minute cancellations if you’re lucky.
We perused several parks while we were here and based on that, these our top picks:
Private Park Picks
- Jolly Roger RV Park – It’s not fancy, but it’s super friendly, has a nice relaxed vibe and all sites (including waterfront) are below $100/night. We truly enjoyed our stay here. Website HERE.
- Grassy Key RV Park – Not keen on the interior sites here, but the premium waterfront sites are gorgeous! At $175/night it’s a splurge, but what a view! Website HERE.
- Big Pine Key Fishing Lodge – This looks like the most laid-back of the parks in the area, plus they have some of the best prices I’ve seen in the entire Keys. Regular sites from $69-$76/night plus “rustic” (non hookup) camping for $43/night! Website HERE. POST-POST EDIT: Sadly no dogs allowed here due to the Key Deer that roam the campground. Thanks to blog reader Bill for pointing this out in the comments. This place might still work for others, but is clearly not a good fit for us. Bummer!
The other private parks in the area looked too cramped/busy and did not tempt us.
State Parks
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Bahia Honda has some awesome beaches & trails Curry Hammock State Park – lovely, quiet, small state park with large sites and blissfully peaceful beaches. We weren’t able to get a booking, but would have loved to stay here! Click HERE.
- Bahia Honda State Park – beautiful beaches, trails and fabulous sunsets, but sites are a mixed bag (some really great ones, some not so great ones) and the road noise from camp is pretty constant. We had a horrible site here, but did enjoy our daily dip in the water. Click HERE.
5 Cool Things To See & Do
There’s no end of adventures to be had in the Middle Keys, both on the water and off. We certainly didn’t manage everything, but we crammed in quite a few outings and these were our top 5 fav during our stay:
Visit The Turtle Hospital (MM 48.5 in Marathon)
Several people recommended this as a “must see”, and I’m super happy they did! The place started as a small outfit next to a motel in 1986 and is a now a fully-fledged non-profit hospital that has rescued, rehabilitated and released over 1,000 sea turtles. Educational tours are offered throughout the day and take you through a presentation on sea turtles, the hospital and the tanks (where you get to see & feed current patients). It was a blast to see this wonderful place and learn about the important work they do. Totally worth it!!!
VISIT & PAW NOTES/ Tours offered every hour on the hour 9AM-4PM and cost $22 per adult. Book ahead ‘coz they often fill up! No dogs allowed. Click HERE for more info.
Discover Crane Point Museum & Nature Center (MM 50.5 in Marathon)
This doesn’t seem like much from the outside, but once you get inside you’ll discover a 63-acre tropical oasis of hiking trails and hardwood trees which wander through a wild bird center, butterfly garden, historical house and educational displays. Plus the entire thing is dog-friendly! We took Polly for a few hours of roaming and totally enjoyed it. A definite recommend!
VISIT & PAW NOTES/ Open 9AM-5PM daily and costs $14.95 per adult. Dogs are 100% welcome and enter for FREE! Click HERE for more info.
Snorkel At Sombrero Reef
One thing you cannot miss here is the amazing Keys Reef, and just 4 miles off-shore from Marathon Key you’ll find one of the absolute best snorkeling spots in the entire chain. It’s called Sombrero Reef and it’s right by a lighthouse (total bonus)! We took Jil on a snorkel trip here and she declared it the #1 experience she had in the Keys. There are plenty of other snorkel/dive spots around the Middle Keys, so you’ve got tons of spots to chose from. Whatever you do, just don’t miss this opportunity!
VISIT & PAW NOTES/ There are lots of snorkel/dive guys in Marathon and they all offer trips for around $30. We went with Spirit Snorkeling & had a great time. Unless it’s summer season I highly recommend renting a “shorty” wetsuit (~$6) plus I recommend getting out as early as you can (first boat is best). Later trips get more crowded, as do the reefs. No dogs allowed.
See Key Deer & Go Hiking/Birding (~MM 29-33)
Who doesn’t like cute, little deer especially when they only exist in ONE place in the entire world?
The endangered Key Deer are protected on 9,200 acres of land on the islands of Big Pine & No Name Key and they are well worth a day-trip. Lots of back-roads to explore here, plus there are several interesting birding & hiking trails too (check out the Blue Hole and the Mannilo & Jackson Trails just 1/4 mile north of there). As a bonus everything is dog-friendly so you can bring pooch too! We went very early AM for some hiking/birding and although we didn’t see many birds we DID spot the Deer and enjoyed some nice hikes with almost no-one else around.
VISIT & PAW NOTES/ The entire refuge is open daily and FREE to visit. There is a visitor center & several hiking trails (all trails are dog-friendly!). Click HERE and HERE for more info.
Explore Old Railroad Bridges (MM 47, MM 36)
Back in the day the Keys were only connected by railroad bridges, and it’s a piece of history worth seeing.
Built by Henry Flagler ~1910 the idea was deemed so ludicrous at the time it was mockingly nicknamed “Flaglers Folly”. But the construction succeeded and the “Overseas Railroad” became a national wonder and the main transport mechanism through the Keys right up until 1935 where a hurricane destroyed much of it. The old railroad was then abandoned and the bridges converted into roads that served automobile traffic until the new (current) highway was opened in ~1980. You can still see these historic structures all throughout the Keys.
Some of the most famous bridges are right here in the Middle Keys including the 7-Mile Bridge (MM 47) and Bahia Honda (MM 36) and they’re definitely worth a stop and some good gawking/pics. We went to all of them, and brought Polly along for some short hikes too. 7-Mile has a really cool biking trail too, but sadly it was closed for construction (should re-open later in 2017).
VISIT & PAW NOTES/ There are free parking lots at both sides of the bridges all along the Keys and some short hiking trails too. 7-Mile Bridge also has a 4-mile hike/bike trail to Pigeon Key, but it was not open when we were here. All are free to visit & dog-friendly. Click HERE & HERE for more info.
So what didn’t we do? We didn’t swim with the dolphins or hand-feed the sharks. There seems to be no end of places to do that down here, but it’s $$$ and it didn’t particularly tempt us. Personally I prefer to see the fish out in wild (the ocean) while snorkeling.
Where to Eat?
Thanks to our blog readers and local friends we got some excellent recommendations on where to go and eat out in the area.
Best Fancy Night Out -> The Hideaway Cafe (MM 58)
This is a total old-style Florida building with white tablecloths, waiters in vests, awesome wine-list and an ocean breeze overlooking the water. It’s $$$, but the food and experience is terrific. Save this one for a special evening out. No dogs allowed. Link to reviews HERE.
Best Relaxed Hangout -> Keys Fisheries & Marina (off MM 49.5)
We discovered this thanks to our RV buddies Tim&Amanda and Eric&Jeanette who arranged a meet-up here. Great little upstairs tiki bar overlooking the dock, plus super-relaxed downstairs with everything fish/ocean food-related for reasonable prices. All dog-friendly too! Link to reviews HERE.
Best Cuban Coffee -> La Niña (MM 48.5)
There are actually several Cuban Cafes in Marathon, but our fav was absolutely La Niña. Awesome rocket-fueled coffee and truly authentic Cuban sandwiches. Plus it’s such a frikkin $ deal! Outside area (2 tables) is dog-friendly. Link to reviews HERE.
Best Farmers Market -> Big Pine Flea Market (MM 30)
The best place to shop for local deals and fresh produce. Only open on weekends 8AM-2PM. Not officially dog-friendly, but people seem to bring them anyway? Link to website HERE.
There are lots of other spots we missed (and which were recommended to us) including the No Name Pub, Square Grouper and a few other spots. We might yet make it there before we leave tho’..
Best Dog-Friendly Beaches
The Middle Keys are particularly dog-friendly and we had no end of places (Crane Point, the old bridges) hiking trails (at Big Pine) and restaurants where we could bring Polly while we were here, but we also wanted some beach-time where we could go for a dip. None of the RV Parks (incl. the State Parks) had beaches that were dog-friendly, but thankfully we found several cool beaches which were and all just a few miles away:
Sombrero Beach (MM 50)
Located just down from the Publix off MM50 this beach is a lovely spot to bring doggie, swim, snorkel and just generally hang in the sand. FREE and 100% dog-friendly! Link HERE.
Coco Plum Beach (down Coco Plum Drive, off MM 54.6)
A relaxed and natural beach with very low visitation. Great place to just walk the sand and shallow waters with pooch. FREE and 100% dog-friendly! Link HERE.
Quite a lot of outings in a fairly short time, don’t you think? But the adventures are not over yet. Next I take you down to Key West and then across the great green-blue ocean to the remotest Key of all. Coming soon…..
Useful External Links:
- Florida Keys On The Cheap -> Great blog post by our friends Watsons Wander
- Visit Marathon Key -> Visitor website incl. restaurants & sightseeing in Marathon
- Snorkel Middle Keys -> Detailed guide to all the best snorkel spots
- Dog-Friendly Florida Keys – great little guide on the best places to go with paws
- National Deer Key Refuge -> all about Deer Key & visiting the refuge
Love the pelican photos and that last shot is amazing Nina! Great blog!
What a great post! Thanks for your insights into traveling the Keys. I just wish we had seen this BEFORE we went to the Keys. Apparently we’ve been on a parallel path with you two. We enjoyed meeting you at Larry and Penny Thompson in Miami, and appreciated your review of Everglades/Flamingo where we spent two nights. We must have arrived at John Pennekamp the day you left since we were in site 7 and recognized some of the rigs I could see in your YouTube review of that campground. We could only get in one night at Bahia Honda and are envious of your week there. We stayed at Bluewater Key RV near Key West for five days and also did the fabulous seaplane flight to the Dry Tortugas. As you said creme de la creme. So we are looking forward to your next post. Great prose and wonderful photography!
Greg and Sue
How wonderful to hear from you again! I thought of you when we took the sea plane over to Dry Tortugas and wondered how your trip had gone. So glad you had a good time. Good travels north to you and maybe we’ll cross paths again.
Nina
One thing I would add is Sombrero Reef is the third largest barrier reef after one in Belize and Australia … Loved hanging out with the two of you in absolutely perfect weather…
Technically it’s the whole Florida Keys Reef (the entire stretch along the islands) that’s the 3rd largest, of which Sombrero Reef is a small portion. But yes, it’s pretty cool 🙂 And it was great to have you here!
Nina
I did not know that… thanks for clarification! And it was great to be there…
Amazing photos of such a unique and beautiful place. Sounds like grand fun!! The turtles – oh the turtles :-)))
I was lucky enough to see a sea turtle when I went snorkeling up by Pennekamp too. Such an amazing experience! And they really do amazing work at that hospital. Never knew about the various issues and diseases that affect the turtles and how they manage them. Some of their remedies, like putting weights on the shells to help with bubble butt, are simply ingenious. I think there were over 40 patients in house when we were there. Such a treat to see and learn about them.
Nina
We’ve been to the keys about five times and missed most of what you have written about. But we have been to Key Deer and also the flea market at Big Pine. Your review are excellent and such great pictures. Thank you for taking the time and effort to put all this together! There are definitely a lot of great ideas here we will have to put on our list! I always look forward to your next post!
So glad I could put a few more items on your “list”. It’s great to have stuff to look forward to when you come back to an old favorite place.
Nina
So sad that the bike trail on old Seven Mile was closed while you were there, Nina. That was a highlight for us. I agree on Curry Hammock over Bahia Honda…the former looks much more inviting. We did score a corner interior site in Grassy Key RV park last year that ended up working out for us. As you said, location matters…and Marathon is pretty sweet!
That location at Grassy Key is perfect. We were just down the road at Jolly Roger during the first part of our stay here and really enjoyed it. I like that side of Marathon.
Nina
Big Pine Key Fishing Lodge has a no pet rule or at least it did. This rule stopped us from booking a couple years ago.
Argh!!! I totally missed that, and you are absolutely right! No dogs allowed because of the Key Deer that roam through the campground. What a bummer. I’ll update the post to reflect this. Thanks for pointing that out.
Nina
We had a front row site at Grassy Key a few years ago. Absolutely loved our time in the Keys!
Nice! Those waterfront sites are superb.
Nina
Gorgeous photos! Love the sunsets at Bahia Honda. We too enjoyed so much our time at the Keys!
Hey guys if you haven’t yet gone north of Jupiter you will have a chance to stop and go to the Square Grouper there which just happens to sit across the waterway from the Jupiter Lighthouse which is fascinating and wonderful. There’s plenty of parking at the Lighthouse for your rig but there are other places in town as well
YES!!! Good friends of ours just recommended the Square Grouper so we are definitely going there before we leave.
Nina
Beautiful photographs! Thanks for such a good write up. I’ve been following your blog for several years now and really enjoy it.
Love your posts, been going to the keys for a couple years,now, lucky to stay in town at may sister’s place. you guys are our heros. Have done many of the adventures you have done, plus thanks for new ideas. Geiger key is another great dog beach turn at the shell station drive to the end of the road
YES Geiger Key! We actually looked into staying there, but they had zero availability. One of our good friends (also dog-lovers) told us about it. I’m going to mention them in my next post about Key West.
Nina
Fantastic photos and great information, as always, Nina! Sounds wonderful and is now solidly on our bucket list. Thanks for sharing!
We lived aboard out 40′ trawler (Two If By Sea) for 5 years, 4 of which were spent in the Marathon Key area. Our first year we spent on the hook in Boot Key Harbor, in the summers we house sat for some folks on Flamingo Island. Another great marina is the Marathon Marina and RV Resort, our boat even had a fleeting (almost non existent) cameo appearance on the Great Race 2009 show featuring the Globe trotters. If you want a great rush go North to Robbie’s of Islamarada mm77.5, where you can hand feed tarpon as big as you….they even have a live cam (view tarpon view 2 live cam). And a good thing to keep in mind when snorkeling / diving, the best part on the reefs are in the lee side of the reefs (opposite of the open ocean). The outer reefs get the brunt of the storms. You also don’t want to miss Molasses reef, Christ of the Abyss and if you are an accomplished diver there is also the Spiegel Grove to explore. I use to work for the Sanctuary Friends Foundation of the Florida Keys and if you have the time or the inclination I can hook you up with some key people in the area. Travel well, and stay out of skinny water in the National Marine Sanctuary where if you damage the coral reefs, sea grass etc the powers that be measure the damage by the mm in which they are known to be heavy handed in the fines.
What an awesome place to boat! We did see Christ of The Abyss while we were staying up north at Pennekamp (one of the highlights of our time there), but haven’t yet had the chance to snorkel Molasses Reef or Spiegel Grove. I’ll have to look into them.
Nina
You mention “old railroad bridges”. The old 7 mile and Bahia Honda bridges are old highway bridges, not railroad bridges. Both were built sometime after 1935. Whatever bridges there were from the railroad were wiped out with the 1935 hurricane. I seem to remember from when I was a child being raised in Islamorada in the 1950’s to 1962 there were a few old wood pilings left from the railroad, but I would imagine they are long gone by now.
Thank you as you put my mind at ease. I drove across the 7 mile bridge in 1973 and I thought this one looked too much like it not to be. Indeed the new one was not started until 1978. My cousin was terrified being over the water for that long so it is a trip indelibly inscribed in my memory bank.
My understanding is that the old Highway Bridges and the old Railroad Bridges are one and the same. After the 1935 hurricane, Flagler’s railroad track was heavily damaged but not wiped out. It was sold to the State which then converted the bridges to automobile use. The existing foundations were repaired and a deck was added ontop. Dismantled trackage was recycled, painted white, and used as guardrails. So the bridge you drove across back in the early 70’s was indeed the same as the original Overseas Railroad, just in rebuilt form.
From Friends of Old Seven:
https://friendsofoldseven.org/bridge/
“In 1935 Mother Nature reasserted her authority and once again charted the destiny of our islands. On Labor Day, what today we would call a Category Five hurricane hit the Upper and Middle Keys, destroying much of Flagler’s Railroad. The railroad, already in receivership, chose not to rebuild, citing financial difficulties. The county’s Overseas Road and Toll Commission purchased the right of way from the Florida East Coast Railroad and converted the single track railway trestles, which remained intact after the hurricane, into two-lane bridges for automobiles. The highway from Homestead to Key West opened for traffic in 1938”
And more from Abandoned Florida
http://www.abandonedfl.com/old-bahia-honda-rail-bridge/
“Located on the west end of Bahia Honda Key, the bridge was originally built between 1905 and 1912 by Henry Flagler as part of the Overseas Railroad. The bridge was damaged during the Labor Day Hurricane of 1935. Rather than rebuilding the bridge, the existing foundations were repaired and was converted to become part of the Overseas Highway in 1938 by adding the deck on top of the existing truss.”
Nina
Hi Nina! As always, great blog & pics with tons of super info. We spent 3 months in Florida this and really wanted to “do the Keys”. Then a friend informed us of the screw worm infestation. Upon further research we were concerned about bringing our two labbies down there and decided not to go. I am curious, since you have Molly and pay such close attention to dog friendly spots, was this a concern for you? Did you find out anything about the screw worme and if so, how did you deal with it? I apologize if this is so long. Thank you. And keep the heat blogs coming!! Happy Trails!
It’s a good question! We heard about the screw worm problem before we came and kept a VERY close eye on the situation over the winter months. We had several friends who stayed here with dogs while it was going on and went through the check-point on their way out of the Keys. It’s a low-risk infection & easily spotted if you check your dog on a regular basis so they knew what to look for. That said, the screw worm alert ended right around the time entered the Keys. They announced the area “clear” and closed the inspection point. We still check Polly for any open sores, but I’m not particularly worried about it now.
Nina
The only time I’ve ever been to the Keys was to visit the middle Keys last November. It was remarkable and not at all what I expected. (I expected constant traffic, noise, and crowds.) Marathon is lovely. Glad you enjoyed it, and thanks for the reminders about all that beauty.
We’ve certainly fallen in love with the middle keys (Marathon, Bahia Honda, Big Pine). Definitely our favorite part of the chain and we really did enjoy our time here. We’d come back in a heartbeat.
Nina
Thanks for sharing the great tips/experiences as always. The middle keys have been on my Wishful Wanderings list since I started keeping one. Now even more excited to visit someday!
Great post, Nina! Would you mind elaborating just a bit on why you didn’t think much of the interior sites at Grassy Key RV Resort? Obviously waterfront sites would be fabulous, but the price is very high. Just wondering if there’s anything specific you were referring to? Just too tight, or something else? Thank you!
The park is very small and interior sites were too close to the main road for my liking, and since they cost $110/night I’d (personally) rather go 1/2 mile down the road to Jolly Roger and get an interior site in the middle of the park there (with no road noise) for $84/night. I felt the waterfront sites were worth the splurge, if that’s what you’re looking for, but that the interior weren’t as attractive for the price. Other than the road noise and price, the sites looked great. And it’s certainly fancier (= sites are nicer) than Jolly Roger overall. Lots of folks like the park and enjoy the sites, including the interior ones. So it’s just a question of what you prefer.
Nina
Thanks for elaborating, Nina! We’d seen from google maps how close the park is to the road and wondered about road noise. It’s probably worth either paying the premium for waterfront or going to Jolly Roger for an interior site if budget requires. I do like the off-season rates a lot more, and being retired, that’s a possibility for us!
I should add that everything changes in the off-season. Lots of places (including Grassy Key RV) offer substantial discounts once winter is over, so it’s worth shopping around if you’re coming at that time. For example at Grassy Key RV the interior sites drop from $110/night to $59/night from 4/15 to 12/15. In comparison in the off season the Jolly Roger sites only drop to $65/night, but that includes their waterfront sites plus you can get Passport America 50% discount (off interior sites) for 5 nights. So, lots of seriously good deals in the low season!
Nina
A great blog and much appreciated. Truly enjoyable.