If you approach Key Largo from FL 905, you’ll be driving through one of the last wild sanctuaries for the threatened American crocodile, indigo snake and Key Largo woodrat – the latter is an enterprising fellow who likes to build 4ft by 6ft homes out of forest debris. Unfortunately, this really is a refuge; the wildlife areas are closed to the public, and your chances of seeing the species we’ve mentioned from the road are negligible.
Crocodile Lake National Wildlife Refuge
Upper Keys
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
29.77 MILES
If you need to escape Miami’s constant motion, consider a green day in one of the country’s largest tropical botanical gardens. A butterfly grove,…
19.89 MILES
If you do just one walk in the Everglades, make sure it's on the Anhinga Trail. Gators sun on the shoreline, anhinga spear their prey and wading birds…
18.97 MILES
‘You will be seeing unusual accomplishment,’ reads the inscription on the rough-hewn quarried wall. That’s an understatement. There is no greater temple…
Florida Keys History of Diving Museum
28.52 MILES
You can’t miss the diving museum – it’s the building with the enormous mural of whale sharks on the side. The journey into the undersea covers 4000 years,…
John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park
9.74 MILES
John Pennekamp has the singular distinction of being the first underwater park in the USA. There’s 170 acres of dry parkland here and over 48,000 acres …
Windley Key Fossil Reef Geological State Site
26.42 MILES
To get his railroad built across the islands, Henry Flagler had to quarry out some sizable chunks of the Keys. The best evidence of those efforts can be…
8.27 MILES
Here’s one for the movie fans, particularly Bogie buffs: the lively Caribbean Club Bar is, in fact, the only place in Key Largo where Key Largo, starring…
Laura Quinn Wild Bird Sanctuary
18.45 MILES
This 7-acre sanctuary serves as a protected refuge for a wide variety of injured birds. A boardwalk leads through various enclosures where you can learn a…
Nearby Upper Keys attractions
1. Florida Keys Overseas Heritage Trail
6.27 MILES
This 106-mile bike and pedestrian trail will eventually stretch from Key Largo to Key West. About 90 miles of it are currently complete. For more info…
8.27 MILES
Here’s one for the movie fans, particularly Bogie buffs: the lively Caribbean Club Bar is, in fact, the only place in Key Largo where Key Largo, starring…
3. John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park
9.74 MILES
John Pennekamp has the singular distinction of being the first underwater park in the USA. There’s 170 acres of dry parkland here and over 48,000 acres …
12.58 MILES
Biscayne National Park may not be far from Miami, but it feels like a world removed. Encompassing a vibrant swath of biologically rich coral reef, this…
17.03 MILES
The Everglades Outpost houses, feeds and cares for wild animals that have been seized from illegal traders, abused, neglected or donated by people who…
18.06 MILES
Built in 1917, this stolid white building fulfilled many roles – city council chambers, fire department, police station – in the once tiny township of…
18.09 MILES
You could pass a mildly entertaining afternoon walking around Homestead’s almost quaint main street, which essentially comprises a couple of blocks of…
18.42 MILES
This small park is a good place to take the kids – there’s a small playground, picnic tables, grills for barbecuing, basketball courts and ball fields…