Beach

by Barbara Ann Weibel at Hole In The Donut Travels

The fact that the beach at Harry Harris Beach is man-made makes it no less attractive than other Florida Keys beaches. In fact, the coral rock barrier that surrounds beach protects it from wave action and large fish. With its protected lagoon, wide expanse of white sand, half-moon sweep of stately palms, covered picnic tables, BBQ grills, showers, and bath house, this Tavernier beach approaches perfection. And that is no small compliment in the Keys, where beaches are few in number and marginal in quality.

A rock jetty creates this placid man-made lagoon in Harry Harris County Park

But that’s not all! This pleasant County facility also has playground equipment, basketball courts, a softball field, volleyball net, a bike path, and even an in-line skating park for sports enthusiasts, while boaters will find an excellent boat ramp that provides access to both Key Largo and Islamorada.

Palms, pavilions, and picnic facilities dot the sand beach

To reach Harry Harris County Park turn east on Burton Drive at the 92.5 mile marker on the Overseas Highway and follow it to the end. The park is open every day of the year from sunrise to sunset.

On Saturday, Sunday, and Federal Holidays, an entrance fee of $5 per person is charged for non-residents over the age of 16.

Photos courtesy of Barbara Weibel

by Barbara Ann Weibel at Hole In The Donut Travels

Kayaks rest on the beach, waiting to be rented

In the early 1900’s, Long Key Fishing Camp drew the rich and famous – including renowned author Zane Grey – who came for the area’s world-class bonefishing. When the Labor Day Hurricane of 1935 hit, winds of 200+ miles per hours devastated the Middle Keys, bringing this glamorous era to an end.

Today Long Key State Park, site of the once-luxurious fishing resort, provides an opportunity for visitors to experience the “Real Florida” – to sunbathe on uncrowded beaches, canoe through a chain of lagoons, or hike trails in a pristine, uncrowded environment.

Three trails are located within the park. The Golden Orb Trail, named after a giant native spider that weaves an enormous, intricate web that appears to be “stitched”up the center, is a leisurely one-hour walk. The Layton Trail, located on the Gulf side of the park, takes about 20 minutes to walk. The final trail is the Long Key Lakes Canoe Trail, which covers a shallow, saltwater lagoon. Canoe and kayak rentals are available for this self-guided, one-hour paddle.

The park is also a year-round birdwatchers paradise. During the winter and spring, migratory birds are plentiful. Roseate spoonbills, snowy egrets, reddish egrets, raptors are among the species regularly spotted in the area. Long Key is listed in the Great Florida Birding Trail for the white-crowned pigeon.

Waters recede at low tide, exposing broad swaths of sand flat ocean bottom

Although the old fishing camp has long since disappeared, Long Key is as popular as ever with saltwater anglers. The park is a favorite site for bonefish, permit, and tarpon fishing.

The highlight of Long Key State Park is its 60 full-service campsites on the main beach overlooking the Atlantic Ocean. In addition to water and electric hookups, a dump station is available and three restrooms provide hot showers for campers. Campers who seek a more remote experience will love the primitive camping sites that front Atlantic tidal flats along the Golden Orb Trail. Each of these raised wooden platforms provide a roof and a picnic table, but are otherwise open to nature.

Primitive camp sites enjoy oceanfront views from relatively remote locations along the Golden Orb Trail

Long Key State Park officially opened in 1969. It encompasses nearly 1,000 acres and is located at mile marker 67.5 on Long Key, midway between Islamorada and Marathon in the Florida Keys.

Photos courtesy of Barbara Weibel

by Barbara Ann Weibel at Hole In The Donut Travels

Sombrero Beach in Marathon, Florida, may be the quintessential example of a multi-use beach. Am I talking swimming, snorkeling, sunbathing, picnicking, volleyball, barbecuing, and climbing on playground playground equipment? Well, all those things can be done at this beach, but that’s not what I was referring to.

Sombrero is a multi-use beach because humans are not the only ones that use it. Between April and October each year, Loggerhead turtles crawl up onto the beach at night to lay their eggs in the sand. During these months, city workers remove tables and park benches from the beach, nesting areas are roped off, and local officials and volunteers patrol the beach at least once a day to ensure nests are not disturbed. The rest of the year belongs entirely to humans and their canine friends, who are welcome as long as they are leashed (the dogs, not the humans).

With soft white sand, gentle waters, and no crowds, Sombrero Beach is a favorite with locals and visitors

Sombrero Beach is popular with vacationers and locals alike for a number of reasons. First, it is located about two miles down a residential street leading to the Atlantic Ocean side of Marathon, away from the main highway and traffic noise. On the west-facing portion of the beach, a wide ribbon of soft white sand fronts emerald waters that stay shallow for some distance before dropping off to deeper water, inviting use by both swimmers and families with toddlers. A rocky shelf along the left side of the beach attracts sea urchins, sponges, and tropical, making it an ideal snorkeling spot.

The south-facing portion of Sombrero Beach is perfect for romantic walks or viewing spectacular sunsets

At the southernmost point the beach takes a right turn. Graceful coconut palms line this part of the beach; the tips of their giant fronds drape the sand, providing welcome shade in the intense sunshine. A pier juts into the water beyond black boulders that line the shore, providing a perfect place to watch the setting sun.

Other facilities include picnic pavilions and tables, volleyball courts, barbecue pits, showers, changing areas, restrooms, and ample parking. An adjacent park has playground equipment for the kids. There is no fee to use the park or beach, and hours of operation are 7:30 a.m. to sunset. Sombrero Beach is located at mile marker 50 in the Florida Keys, in the city of Marathon.

Photos courtesy of Barbara Weibel

by Barbara Ann Weribel at Hole In The Donut Travels

Curry Hammock State Park sprawls across a group of islands, encompassing over 1,000 acres. This largest uninhabited parcel of land between Key Largo and Big Pine Key, which only became a state park in 1991, was named for Lamar Louise Curry, a well-loved Miami teacher whose father purchased large tracts of land in the Middle and Upper Keys.

What had been a beautiful but unused strip of the Florida Keys has been transformed into a wonderful multi-use park popular with sports enthusiasts of all kinds. It’s pristine beaches, which stretch for miles on both the Atlantic and Gulf sides of the Keys, are rarely crowded; beach-goers are almost guaranteed to have a large strip of soft white sand to themselves.

The shallow, protected waters of Curry Hammock State Park are an ideal place to kayak and canoe. The Florida Circumnavigational Saltwater Paddling Trail passes through the park, poviding access to beautiful mangrove creek and miles of undeveloped coastline. On windy days, the oceanfront is also a popular place with windsurfers and kiteboarders.

The beach in front of the camping area is rarely crowded

For those who prefer to stay on solid land, two miles of the Overseas Heritage Trail pass through the park. This trail follows the route of the Overseas Railroad, providing foot and bicycle access to Marathon. A moderately difficult 1.5 mile trail through the hammock is also popular with hikers.

Curry Hammock Park protects large areas of mangrove swamp, rockland hammock and seagrass beds essential to the Florida Keys’ ecosystem. The rockland hammock found in at Curry Hammock contains one of the largest populations of thatch palms in the United States, and provides vital habitat for rare and endangered animals like the white-crowned pigeon, providing great opportunities for year-round birding. Shallow-water fishing is available on the ocean and bay sides of the park.

This year the 11th Annual Florida Keys Birding and Wildlife Festival will again be held at the park. Scheduled for September 23-27, 2009, the festival will feature a variety of programs, field trips, and an environmental fair.

Grab a picnic table under a shade tree, investigate the tidal pools, or examine the intricate exposed root system of mangroves at low tide

Curry Hammock offers excellent facilities. A bathhouse with hot showers is located in the campground for registered campers only. For daytime visitors a bathhouse with a cold outdoor shower is located in the day-use area. A 28-site, full-facility campground, fronting the ocean, is open from November 1 through May 31 each year. Most sites have a gravel parking area for cars and RVs, and most have an adjoining sand area for pitching a tent.

Curry Hammock State Park is located two miles northeast of Marathon, at mile marker 56.2 on the Florida Keys Overseas Highway.

Photos courtesy of Barbara Weibel