Big Pine Key
By Nancy Moreland, Visit Florida
Say “South Florida” and high-rise, high-fashion, high-intensity images might spring to mind. But three hours south of Miami, South Florida reveals its simpler side on Big Pine Key. Sandwiched between the National Key Deer Refuge and Great White Heron National Wildlife Refuge, it’s an oasis of natural simplicity with no malls, zero nightlife, and island-wide speed limits limited to 45 mph.
Time Traveling at the Big Pine Key Fishing Lodge
For instant immersion into the land of laid-back, stay at Big Pine Key Fishing Lodge and Campground. Wedged on a coral outcropping between the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic Ocean, the destination has attracted fishermen and families since 1959. Wholesome diversions—shuffleboard, family movie nights, craft lessons— evoke a more leisurely era while the rooms are ’50s Florida down to the terrazzo floors and jalousie windows.
A Refuge for Nature Lovers
“With 8,500 acres and miles of hiking trails, Big Pine allows visitors to experience a variety of Florida habitats, from hardwood hammocks to mangrove forests and shoreline,” says Jim Bell, a volunteer at the National Key Deer Refuge Visitor Center.
Two don’t-miss spots include Long Beach Trail and the Blue Hole. Adjacent to the Fishing Lodge, Long Beach Trail leads to a primitive beach dotted with tidal pools. Further inland, the Blue Hole appears like a mirage in the Florida forest. The old limestone quarry is a rare freshwater commodity on an island surrounded by salty seas. It attracts Key deer, alligators, and tourists hoping to see them.
Backcountry Beauty
Your Big Pine explorations may begin on land but shouldn’t end there.
“In the backcountry waters, you get the sense you’re in the middle of nowhere minutes after taking off in your kayak,” Refuge Ranger Kristie Killam says.
On Bill Keogh’s backcountry tours, kayakers travel by motorboat to outer islands before launching into clear, knee-deep waters. “Paddling over sponge and grass flats, we see stingrays, sea turtles, baby sharks, and other marine life,” Keogh says.
No Name Pub
To fuel your adventures, visit the notorious No Name Pub. The 1930s grotto-like building has been a bar, brothel, bait shop, and general store. Inside, the walls and ceiling are papered with enough dollar bills to jump-start the owner’s retirement. The pub prides itself on being a nice place if you can find it and judging from the out-of-state plates in the parking lot, plenty of people have.
Decidedly low-key, the Lower Keys of Big Pine and No Name are not the place to see and be seen, unless you want to see Florida’s natural beauty and be seen by people who feel the same.
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