Find the top rated birding trails in Key Largo, whether you're looking for an easy short birding trail or a long birding trail, you'll find what you're looking for. Click on a birding trail below to find trail descriptions, trail maps, photos, and reviews.
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We just rode from Key Largo to key Wat and has a great ride. The only reason I do not give the trail 5 stars is that there is a good deal of hurricane related impact on the trail and not many good sources to see just where this impact is. The good news is that there is always the option of riding on the Overseas Highway Bike Path. If you don't mind being on the road, it is excellent. Some of the off Highway paths are sensational. There are dedicated channel bike bridges, but many are not open. Be sure to look at signs for "no outlet" before you cross one of these bridges. The Channel 5 bike bridge does NOT go through. I found ample space on the side of the road for biking on the bridges. Some in our party did not. The 7 mile bridge is both exhilarating and terrifying. Uber is a viable option for the weak at heart. There is a lot of debris on the paths. Our group had 4 nail related flat tires. The amenities are great along the way and there are bike shops along the way. Riding from Key West to Key Largo, the head wind was a factor. We all agreed that we would do the trail again.
We started at the North End near the Commodore Trail entrance and rode south. There are a dozen or more free-parking spots around the circle. The trail on this end is bumpy due to large tree roots, which slows you down. Once you pass Matheson Park, (the Trail goes into/thru the park for about 2-3 blocks distance, turn into the park, stay to the right, and pick up the trail on the right), after you exit from the park you must cross the road (we missed the sign) then turn right, into a gated community onto Snapper Lane/105th Street. Having missed the trail sign, we backtracked, then stopped at the gate house to asked the gate keeper if she knew where the Old Cutler Trail was. She said she is asked that question "all the time", then directed us thru the gate she opened for us, told us to go straight for a quarter mile, then on the right, go thru an opening in the black fence where the trail resumes. From then on the trail (is very well marked) has less shade the further you go, but the surface is smooth. It crosses several intersections. with heavy road traffic. Maybe because it was a Sunday, there were lots of cars, trucks pulling boats, jet skis, etc. It was getting late (6pm) so we turned around about a mile or two from the end, stopping at a shopping center to get something to eat/drink. Overall, trail was nice, we felt safe the whole time, you pass thru some upscale neighborhoods, you never felt isolated, and if you stop at Matheson Park for awhile, you can rent a kayak or paddle board or swim. Made for a nice afternoon to cycle the trail and get some exercise, but i doubt this was a former "rail" converted to a "trail". If you are looking to cover some distance, ride to get your heart rate up, and be alone with mother nature, this would not meet that goal. The trail seems more like a shared bike/walk trail that connects all the neighborhoods along Cutler Road.
Lots of iguanas and ducks,signs that have crocodile on them and says do not feed wildlife,there should be some kind of fence.In 4.5 miles i saw only 3 cyclists.Wont be coming again as i dont like reptiles.
This is a nice ride with views of ocean and Miami skyline. Plenty of parking at the beaches and parks. Much of the trail is along the shoulder, but in the rural areas it is double lined for vehicle traffic and the bike lane is painted green, pretty cool.
My boyfriend and I went out today and really enjoyed the first several miles. We spotted over 60 iguanas and tons of ducks and really enjoyed the ride. After about 5 miles though, trash starts becoming more and more prevalent, and the neighborhood starts getting worse. At one point the water was completely covered with sludge and trash. I think we’d do the nicer half again, but I don’t think this will be one that we use for a through ride.
Disappointed, went today with my daughter (in a wheelchair) to check on the trail because is not far from home, There’s construction in the Turnpike and there are machines in the trail, there’s some construcción in the street also and made difficult finding a spot to park. Hope this will get better in the near future
With winter approaching and freezing temperatures at home it seemed like the ideal time to cycle the Florida Keys Overseas Heritage Trail. This 106.5 mile Rail-Trail offers a scenic tropical bicycling adventure without leaving the continental United States.
The trail runs on Henry Flagler’s old railroad from mile marker 106 in Key Largo to mile marker 0 in Key West, Florida parallel to US Route 1. While more than 75 miles of the rail-trail were paved, several large sections of the trail and bridges were recently damaged by hurricane Irma. Unfortunately, much of the damage has not been repaired yet. As a result, cyclists are forced on to the roadway on bike lanes or narrow shoulders with the usual road debris and hazards. I did experience a flat.
So, riders beware! Although this trail is classified as a rail trail, it is not for the faint of heart when it comes to riding on the road. Expect a lot of road cycling on a busy highway with cars and large trucks speeding by alongside of you. In addition, the trail continually changes from side to side along US Route 1 forcing cyclists to cross the highway.
Ken
CycleAcrossAmerica.com
Good for exercise or commute / use the train. Not for “family fun”
Nice trail overall that goes through some great neighborhoods. It’s a little noisy as Cutler is a very busy street, but at least one is safely on the path. I’m from the Northeast and hate riding the streets in Miami since drivers are very distracted here and not respectful of bikers compared to other parts of the country. This trail is a good way to still enjoy cycling here. I would recommend a ride to the Pinecrest farmers market on Sundays. There’s a lot of great street food there!
My wife and I took the trip together and really enjoyed it. We started at Key Largo by parking our vehicle (free of charge with advance arrangements) at the Key Largo Chamber of Commerce/Visitor's Center. We unloaded our bikes here and started at 6 AM pedaling south from mile marker 106. We were in Key West at 4 PM. Other than a few blinding rainstorms, the trip was uneventful. We enjoyed an extra day and night in Key West, then headed north. Knowing that wind conditions are tougher going north, we planned the return trip in 2 days - smart planning! 50 miles into the 20-25 mph winds was all we wanted to tackle in one day. All along the way, you'll find great little restaurants, shops, etc. On the way north, we decided not to tempt our fate a second time on the 7 mile bridge. Here's a secret...the Lower Keys has a bus service with stops scattered all throughout the Keys. Buses have bike racks on them, and for just a few bucks you can put your bike on the bus and ride across the 7 mile bridge, or through any other areas that you wish not to bike. One more tip...we took a long time in advance studying Google Earth satellite and street views to get a good idea of what we were up against. Very good tool to help you see the bike path, bridges, etc.
I was pleased to also see a bit of construction going on as well on the bridges. Yes, several of the bridges are closed as other posts have pointed out, but it's all about finding the funds for these infrastructure projects. I will look forward to the day when the trail is complete and bikers can be totally separate from traffic.
All in all, it was a great 212 mile trip (less 10 miles on the bus!)...if you like biking in a tropical environment, this may be the trail for you.
This is my first time biking the Overseas Heritage Trail and I normally don't bike anywhere besides dedicated bike trails. I biked the trail on Thu/Fri April 20-21.
I had my wife drop me off in Key Largo on day 1 and I biked to Marathon. The bike trail and lanes were really well thought out and the few times I had to cross the street really were not a big deal. Just waited for an ebb to the traffic and easy peasy. I was happily surprised at how wide the bike lanes were.
Day 2 started with biking over the 7-mile bridge and for the most part of this ride, I rode on the oncoming side of the road. This part of the ride did not have as many miles of dedicated bike trails and a number of the pedestrian bridges were closed forcing me to bike over the bridges. I had no issues with this as there was more than enough space (4-6+ ft) keeping me away from cars. There were a number of sections of this part of the trail where I had to ride on the road/curb but for the most part, I typically had a 4+ ft curb. My preference is to ride against oncoming traffic (on the curb or bike lane) as I feel if someone swerves off the road, I at least will see it and have time to get out of the way. I made sure to keep a blinking light on the front and rear of the bike and the two times I saw a car start swerving onto the curb, they immediately corrected as I assume they saw me and my blinking light. Both drivers had their cell phone in their hand as they passed.
I used the comments on this site to prepare for the ride and hope my comments provide help for others. I thoroughly enjoyed the trip and most likely will bike the entire trip in one day the next time.
Dan
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