DK Travel : Miami : The Keys : Outdoor

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Golf

Golf courses are not as ubiquitous in the Keys as in the rest of Florida, but there are several good ones, for example on Marathon Key at MM 53.5 oceanside or a more expensive course on Key West.
Gumbo Limbo Tree

This unmistakable tree is found all over the Keys – called the “tourist tree” because its bark is red and peeling.
Herons

These elegant birds include the great blue heron (white phase, too), the little blue heron, the tri-colored heron, the greenbacked heron, and the blackcrowned night heron.
John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park

Most famous for its stunning offshore coral reef, where snorkeling, scuba diving, and glassbottom boat rides are great favorites.
Key Deer

The diminutive Key deer (max. 32 in/81 cm tall) are found primarily on Big Pine and No Name keys. Docile and endearing, these tiny animals have returned from the brink of extinction in the last 40 years.
Key Largo Hammocks State Botanical Site

The largest remaining stand of tropical West Indian hardwood and mangrove is a refuge for protected indigenous flora and fauna.
Lignumvitae Key State Botanical Site

Access is by boat only to this virgin hardwood forest home and gardens built by William Matheson. Call the Long Key Recreation Area to arrange a tour.
Long Key State Park

Features include a boardwalk through a mangrove swamp next to a lagoon where you can see water birds. Snorkeling is good in the shallow waters off the beach.
National Key Deer Refuge

Fewer than 50 of these diminutive creatures were left until this refuge was established in 1957. Now there are estimated to be about 800. Drive very slowly.
Other Endangered Species

These include the American crocodile, the Key Largo wood rat and cotton mouse, Schaus swallowtail butterfly, and roseate spoonbill, all of which have either been hunted to near extinction or lost their habitats due to human encroachment.