Long Key.
- WHAT TO DO
- WHAT TO SEE
- WHAT TO EAT
Long Key sits along the Overseas Highway roughly seventy miles south of mainland Florida and ninety minutes south of Miami International Airport. It is primarily known for bonefishing across clear ocean flats, paddle routes through mangrove lagoons, and the coastal hammocks of Long Key State Park. It lacks commercial sprawl entirely. Long Key is worth visiting if you want to paddle shallow flats for bonefish and walk empty ocean-facing hammocks.
Last updated 7 Sept 2026
Field notes
Photographs · Wikimedia Commons_RMG_PV5161.jpg)
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What to do in Long Key Florida United States
Life on Long Key moves around the tidal shifts on the Florida Bay and the open Atlantic. There is no downtown strip or resort scene here, just the Overseas Highway running past hardwood hammocks, kayak launch points, and wide flats. Days belong to paddlers, anglers, and travellers seeking salt air and quiet water. It suits anyone happier with a cooler of cold seltzers and a pair of wading boots than a crowded marina bar.
24 hours in Long Key Florida United States
Start early with a kayak paddle through the State Park lagoons before the sun heats up. Stop at a roadside shack for cracked conch and key lime pie. Spend late afternoon walking the Layton Nature Trail under the gumbo-limbo canopy, then watch sunset from the Long Key Viaduct. Select 1 Day above to see it.
2 days in Long Key Florida United States
A second day lets you hire a flats skiff out of Layton to cast for tailing bonefish on the ocean flats. Afterward, cross over to nearby Islamorada for blackened mahi-mahi and fried hogfish baskets, returning to Long Key to sit quietly by the dark surf. Choose 2 Days to expand the plan.
3 days in Long Key Florida United States
With three days, take a boat charter to snorkel Tennessee Reef Lighthouse and drift over brain corals. Spend an unhurried afternoon cycling the Overseas Heritage Trail bridge span, stopping to watch eagle rays glide beneath the teal water below.
Long Key Florida United States itineraries by interest
Flats Fishing in Long Key Florida United States
Wade the shallow ocean flats off Mile Marker 67.5 with an eight-weight fly rod for permit, bonefish, and resident barracuda.
Coastal Kayaking in Long Key Florida United States
Paddle the marked lagoons and sheltered channels inside Long Key State Park, checking tides to clear the mangrove tunnels.
Nature Trails in Long Key Florida United States
Walk the Golden Orb Trail over boardwalks through coastal strand, gumbo-limbo trees, and salt marshes out to the shoreline.
Birdwatching in Long Key Florida United States
Scan the flats and mudbanks for reddish egrets, roseate spoonbills, and white-crowned pigeons feeding on low tide shoals.
Local Seafood in Long Key Florida United States
Pick up fresh stone crab claws, smoked fish dip, and fried hogfish sandwiches at nearby fish shacks along the Overseas Highway.
Cycling in Long Key Florida United States
Ride the paved Florida Keys Overseas Heritage Trail across the Long Key Viaduct with uninterrupted views of the open Atlantic.
Railroad History in Long Key Florida United States
Trace the remnants of Henry Flagler's 1908 Overseas Railroad and the site of his historic 1912 Long Key Fishing Club.
Camping in Long Key Florida United States
Reserve oceanfront tent sites at Long Key State Park months ahead to sleep steps from the Atlantic surf under sea oats.
Reef Snorkelling in Long Key Florida United States
Take a charter boat three miles offshore to the shallow coral spurs of Tennessee Reef to spot brain coral and nurse sharks.
Stargazing in Long Key Florida United States
Look upward from dark oceanfront beaches away from highway glare to view bright constellations and winter meteor showers.
Day Trips in Long Key Florida United States
Drive ten minutes north to Islamorada for tackle shops and fish houses, or head south across the bridge to Duck Key marinas.
Botanical Walks in Long Key Florida United States
Follow the short Layton Nature Trail through dense tropical hardwood hammock filled with poisonwood and pigeon plum trees.