Florida Keys Sights
- Overview
- Places to Explore
- Sights
- Restaurants
- Hotels
- Entertainment
- Shopping
- Travel Tips
- Features
- Fodor's Choice
- Deals
- Guidebooks
National Key Deer Refuge
National Key Deer Refuge Review
This 84,351-acre refuge was established in 1957 to protect the dwindling population of the Key deer, one of more than 20 animals and plants classified as endangered or threatened in the Florida Keys. The Key deer, which stands about 30 inches at the shoulders and is a subspecies of the Virginia white-tailed deer, once roamed throughout the Lower and Middle Keys, but hunting, destruction of their habitat, and a growing human population caused their numbers to decline to 27 by 1957. The deer have made a comeback, increasing their numbers to approximately 750. The best place to see Key deer in the refuge is at the end of Key Deer Boulevard and on No Name Key, a sparsely populated island just east of Big Pine Key. Mornings and evenings are the best time to spot them. Deer may turn up along the road at any time of day, so drive slowly. They wander into nearby yards to nibble tender grass and bougainvillea blossom, but locals do not appreciate tourists driving into their neighborhoods after them. Feeding them is against the law and puts them in danger. The refuge also has 21 other listed endangered and threatened species of plants and animals, including five that are found nowhere else.
A quarry left over from railroad days, the Blue Hole is the largest body of freshwater in the Keys. From the observation platform and nearby walking trail, you might see the resident alligator, turtles, and other wildlife. There are two well-marked trails: the Jack Watson Nature Trail (.6 mi), named after an environmentalist and the refuge's first warden; and the Fred Mannillo Nature Trail, one of the most wheelchair-accessible places to see an unspoiled pine-rockland forest and wetlands. The visitor center has exhibits on Keys biology and ecology. The refuge also provides information on the Key West National Wildlife Refuge and the Great White Heron National Wildlife Refuge. Accessible only by water, both are popular with kayak outfitters.
- Address: MM 30.5 BS, Visitor Center-Headquarters, Big Pine Shopping Center, 28950 Watson Blvd., Big Pine Key, FL, 33043 | Map It
- Phone: 305/872-2239
- Cost: Free
- Hours: Daily sunrise-sunset; headquarters weekdays 8-5
- Website: www.fws.gov/nationalkeydeer
- Location: Big Pine Key
Contact Information
Travel Deals in The Florida Keys
- U.S. City Flight Sale (R/T incl. Tax) CheapOair
- 4-Star Miami Airport Hotel Hotwire.com
- 3.5-Star Hotel near Disney Main Gate Hotwire.com
- Car Rentals across Florida CarRentals.com
· Forums Trip Reports
-
I finally posted my trip report from November. Read more
-
I hope I don't annoy people by starting a trip report before the trip is finished.
This trip has hardly started. We are on an airplane from BWI to TPA at this very moment. I paid AirTran $4.95 for access Read more
·Florida Forum
-
A friend & I are thinking of taking our annual spring break to Sarasoga and Siesta Key.
Can you recommend this or would you recommend somewhere else that might have a tropical island feel?
Thanks Read more
· Travel Blog
-
Travel Tip of the Day
Navigate Costa Rica's streets easily with this tip.In towns and cities in Costa Rica, each block is assumed Read more
-
Best of the Best,
Restaurants
San Francisco's ever-evolving restaurant scene has ensured it's a mainstay on the map for foodie-minded Read more
-
Practical Travel Tips
After JetBlue increased the base fares of its tickets earlier this week, several other carriers followed Read more