Florida Keys Overseas Heritage Trail
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9/15 FloridaStateParks.org/floridakeys FloridaGreenwaysAndTrails.com. (305) 853-3571 (305) 3 La Croix Court, Key Largo, FL 33037 FL Largo, Key Court, Croix La 3 of the Florida Keys Overseas Paddling Trail, visit Trail, Paddling Overseas Keys Florida the of Florida Keys Overseas Heritage Trail Heritage Overseas Keys Florida of Greenways & Trails. For maps and descriptions and maps For Trails. & Greenways of Division of Recreation and Parks and Recreation of Division Paddling Trail, a project coordinated by the Office the by coordinated project a Trail, Paddling Florida Department of Environmental Protection Environmental of Department Florida 1500-mile Florida Circumnavigational Saltwater Circumnavigational Florida 1500-mile the environment. The Trail is a segment of the of segment a is Trail The environment. the recreational opportunities that minimally impact minimally that opportunities recreational and ecology of the Keys while providing while Keys the of ecology and The “blueway” introduces visitors to the history the to visitors introduces “blueway” The Overseas Heritage Trail. Trail. Heritage Overseas the growing sport of kayak and canoe touring. canoe and kayak of sport growing the of Recreation and Parks as part of the Florida Keys Florida the of part as Parks and Recreation of a paddling destination for those involved in involved those for destination paddling a Department of Environmental Protection’s Division Protection’s Environmental of Department The Florida Keys Overseas Paddling Trail offers Trail Paddling Overseas Keys Florida The Historic Places and are managed by the Florida the by managed are and Places Historic have been listed on the National Register of Register National the on listed been have Trail all of the remaining 23 Flagler Railroad Bridges Railroad Flagler 23 remaining the of all Florida Keys Overseas Paddling Paddling Overseas Keys Florida into an economically viable destination. Today destination. viable economically an into transformed the wilderness of the Florida Keys Florida the of wilderness the transformed program for alternative transportation. alternative for program of this momentous occasion. The railroad The occasion. momentous this of Department of Transportation through a federal a through Transportation of Department streets of Key West for a weeklong celebration weeklong a for West Key of streets capital improvements is provided by the Florida the by provided is improvements capital the World.” Ten thousand celebrants crowded the crowded celebrants thousand Ten World.” the and many organizations. Funding for these for Funding organizations. many and heralded by the press as the “Eighth Wonder of Wonder “Eighth the as press the by heralded of the Trail, in partnership with Monroe County Monroe with partnership in Trail, the of railroad to Key West where the project was project the where West Key to railroad the design and construction of the remainder the of construction and design the On January 22, 1912, Henry Flagler rode the rode Flagler Henry 1912, 22, January On existing trail and bridges and is responsible for responsible is and bridges and trail existing Keys section of his Florida East Coast Railroad. Coast East Florida his of section Keys and Parks maintains approximately 85 miles of miles 85 approximately maintains Parks and By 1905, Flagler had begun construction on the on construction begun had Flagler 1905, By “All American Road.” The Division of Recreation of Division The Road.” American “All Cuba, the Panama Canal and South America. South and Canal Panama the Cuba, designated as a National Scenic Highway and an and Highway Scenic National a as designated promote a cultural and economic connection with connection economic and cultural a promote Trail federally been has which 1, Highway U.S. envisioned a railroad across the sea that would that sea the across railroad a envisioned and visitors. The Trail’s corridor closely parallels closely corridor Trail’s The visitors. and the great City of Miami existed, Henry Flagler Henry existed, Miami of City great the health and economic benefits for Keys residents Keys for benefits economic and health recreation and historical reflection. Before reflection. historical and recreation transportation route and providing recreational, providing and route transportation providing opportunities for fishing, sightseeing, fishing, for opportunities providing continuous multi-use trail, offering an alternative an offering trail, multi-use continuous of the Florida Keys Overseas Heritage Trail, Heritage Overseas Keys Florida the of Heritage designed to link communities with a safe and safe a with communities link to designed The old Keys bridges form a central component central a form bridges Keys old The The FKOHT originated as a local initiative local a as originated FKOHT The Historic Bridges Bridges Historic transportation corridor and recreational pathway. recreational and corridor transportation serving the communities as a linear, alternative linear, a as communities the serving Overseas Overseas West, Key to Largo Key from extending trail Keys. The vision is that of a 106-mile scenic 106-mile a of that is vision The Keys. facility that will ultimately traverse the Florida the traverse ultimately will that facility (FKOHT) is a multi-use bicycle and pedestrian and bicycle multi-use a is (FKOHT) The Florida Keys Overseas Heritage Trail Heritage Overseas Keys Florida The Florida Keys Keys Florida Overseas Heritage Trail Heritage Overseas The Florida Keys Florida The Long Key (MM 71 to 62) About 8 miles of bike path runs from Channel 5 Bridge to Long Key State Park and the Long Key Historic Fishing Bridge. The Tom’s Harbor Channel Historic Bridge and the Tom’s Harbor Cut Historic Bridge are currently used for fishing. Cantilevered platforms have been constructed on several of the historic bridges to provide space for fishing and facilitate access to the Trail where it crosses the bridges. The Trail will eventually connect Long Key to the City of Marathon. Key Largo Lower Keys (MM 106.5 to 91) (MM 40 to MM 5.2) Shaded in places by tropical vegetation, a 15.5- The trail section connecting Seven Mile Bridge mile bike path runs by numerous businesses and to Stock Island is broken into several sections parks. Side trips to John Pennekamp Coral Reef with some still in the design phase. The Trail will State Park, Key Largo Community Park and Harry eventually traverse a series of historic bridges Harris Park provide opportunities for recreation from Bahia Honda State Park to Key West. The south and relaxation along the way to Islamorada. end of the Seven Mile Bridge features a fishing pier and access to a small beach at Veterans Park. Islamorada The historic bridges can be used for fishing. (MM 91 to 71) Existing bike paths are located on Big Pine Key, Ramrod Key, Big Coppitt Key, Lower Sugarloaf Key, The islands that make up the Village of Islamorada Saddlebunch Keys and Stock Island. Please see have 20 miles of bike path which, in some areas, Marathon map. Many of the existing bike paths are short are on both sides of U.S. Highway 1. South of (MM 62 to 40) sections at this time, however, in some areas, Tavernier Creek, the old state road, parallel there are connections to alternate paths that to U.S. 1, provides a less traveled alternate An 11-mile bike path runs from Grassy Key past provide much longer bike rides and phenomenal route. Founders Park and Windley Key Fossil Curry Hammock State Park and Crane Point Museum opportunities for viewing wildlife. Reef Geological State Park serve as trailheads. to the Seven Mile Bridge at the southwest entrance to Indian Key Historic State Park, Lignumvitae Key the City of Marathon. Knight’s Key, at the base of the Key West Botanical State Park and San Pedro Underwater Seven Mile Bridge, is the entrance to Pigeon Key—a (MM 5.2 to MM 0) Archaeological Preserve State Park offer tiny island that once served as a construction camp interesting paddling side trips. The Channel 2 and for the Flagler railroad workers. The Pigeon Key From Stock Island, the Trail continues into Key West, Channel 5 historic Flagler railroad bridges are museum features a rich collection of photographs where travel by bike around the celebrated City popular fishing sites. and artifacts from the Flagler era. The Seven Mile of Key West is well established. In Key West, there Bridge has a narrow five-foot shoulder and heavy are many historic and cultural points of interest to vehicular traffic. Side trails down Coco Plum Drive explore including Fort Zachary Taylor State Park, and Sombrero Beach Road offer scenic views of local Key West Botanical Garden, Bayview Park, Higgs beaches. Beach and the famous monument marking the Southernmost Point in the continental United States. Photos by John Moran U.S. 1 Key to Map: Map is not to scale TO MIAMI CARD SOUND RD Existing Florida Keys Overseas Heritage Trail Aquatic Preserves TO N KEY LARGO or Alternate Path Dagny Johnson U.S. Highway 1 Boat Ramp Key Largo Hammock Chamber of Commerce Botanical State Park Trailhead or Rest Area Information Center Garden Cove Historic Bridge-Fishing Mangroves Rattlesnake Key MM 105 Bridge open but gapped Islands Key Largo MM Adams Waterway Pedestrian/Bike Bridge closed Mile Marker visitors must seek alternate route Florida Department of Environmental Protection, Division of Recreation and Parks John Pennekamp Coral Reef Florida Keys Overseas Heritage Trail Office: (305) 853-3571 State Park MM 100 FloridaStateParks.org/FloridaKeys Friendship Park