Traveling From Key Largo to Key West

The Florida Keys are known for splendid, azure blue waters, spectacular sunsets, local artists and a diverse, island culture. The Florida Keys Overseas Heritage Trail (FKOHT) is a designated National Recreation Trail that offers bicyclists, pedestrians, paddlers and anglers a firsthand experience of these scenic vistas and the colorful communities along US 1, a National Scenic Highway and All American Road.

Key Largo (MM 106 TO 90)

Shaded in places by tropical vegetation, a 15.5-mile paved trail currently runs by numerous businesses and parks. Side trips to John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park, Key Largo Community Park and Harry Harris Park provide opportunities for recreation and relaxation along the way to Islamorada. Plans for this section of the Trail include repaving, as well as the addition of striping and signage for enhanced trail visibility.   

Islamorada (MM 91 TO 71)

Islamorada has 10 miles of existing trail along U.S. 1. The Old Highway parallels US 1 south of Tavernier Creek Bridge, providing a less traveled shoulder as an alternate route through the Village. The Trail ends at the highway bridges through the Village and must be crossed using the existing shoulder. The bike path ends at MM on Craig Key. To continue south, one must use the highway and bridge shoulders. 

Founders Park and Windley Key Fossil Reef Geological State Park are trailhead locations. Other State Parks in the area are Indian Key Historic State Park, Lignumvitae Key Biological State Park and San Pedro Underwater Archaeological Preserve State Park. The Channel 2 (MM 72) and Channel 5 (MM 70) Historic Bridges are popular for fishing.  

Long Key (MM 71 TO 63)

About 3.5 miles of trail connect the City of Layton to Long Key State Park and the Long Key Historic Bridge. The Trail continues across Long Key Bridge. Tom’s Harbor (MM 62) and Tom’s Harbor Cut (MM 60) Historic Bridges are popular fishing bridges which, in addition to the Long Key Bridge, have been retrofitted with cantilevered fishing platforms.

Marathon  (MM 63 TO 40)

An 11-mile bike path runs from Grassy Key through Curry Hammock State Park to the Seven Mile Bridge at the southwest entrance to the City of Marathon. The highway on the Seven Mile Bridge has a five-foot shoulder. Knights Key, at MM 47, is a trailhead for the FKOHT and part of the old Seven Mile Historic Bridge that leads to the island of Pigeon Key and its museum which features a rich collection of photographs and artifacts from the Flagler railroad era.

 Lower Keys (MM 40 TO MM 11) 

The trails south of the City of Marathon are scheduled for construction over the next three years. From the south end of the Seven Mile Bridge at MM 40, the Trail will eventually traverse three historic bridges to Bahia Honda State Park, Spanish Harbor historic bridge and onto Big Pine Key, where there is a one-mile segment of existing trail. At this time, travel between islands in this area requires use of the highway bridge shoulders, which range from four to ten feet in width. An alternate route, Old Highway SR 5A in Cudjoe and Summerland, provides a path away from vehicular traffic, however, the bridges connecting these islands must still be crossed by way of the shoulders. A section of the Trail at MM 15 connects Lower Sugarloaf Key to Big Coppitt Key, MM 10, crossing the five Saddlebunch Historic Bridges.

Key West (MM 10 TO MM 0)

There is a section of trail on Big Coppitt Key and the Rockland Historic Bridge that has been retrofitted for bicycle and pedestrian use. From Stock Island, at MM 5.2, the Trail continues into Key West where travel around the City of Key West by bike is already well established. In Key West, there are many historic and cultural points of interest to explore including Fort Zachary Taylor State Park, Key West Botanical Garden, Bayview Park, Higgs Beach and the famous monument marking the Southernmost Point in the continental United States.