National Key Deer Refuge
The National Key Deer Refuge was established in 1957 to protect and preserve the national interest in Key deer and other wildlife resources in the Florida Keys. The Refuge is located in the Lower Florida Keys, consists of approx. 9,200 acres of land. Habitats in the refuge consist of
pine rockland forest
tropical hardwood hammocks
freshwater wetlands
salt marsh wetlands
mangrove forests
It is home to more than 20 endangered and threatened plant and animal species. In addition, thousands of migrating birds pass through each year, stopping over to rest and feed. The refuge is also an important wintering ground for many North America bird species.
The endangered Key deer are the smallest subspecies of white-tailed deer that are found throughout most of North America. Key deer are unique to lower Florida Keys, they are found nowhere else in the world.
Who lives here: Key Deer, Lower Keys Marsh Rabbit, Osprey, Tree Snails, American Alligator, Butterflies
Reference:
https://www.fws.gov/refuge/national-key-deer
Park brochures
Our visit
Date: May 5, 2004
We made National Key Deer Refuge/Blue Hole as one of the stops in our day trip to Key West.
Blue Hole
Blue Hole was original excavated for use as a limestone quarry. Many of the original roads on Big Pine Key were built using the crushed limestone from this quarry. When Blue Hole became part of the National Key Deer Refuge, it was replaced with native vegetation and allowed to revert back to nature.
There are literally hundreds of freshwater wetlands like Blue Hole, filled solely by rainwater, spread throughout the Lower Keys.
Blue Hole Nature Trail
Surface: paved, rough in some areas, easy
Length: 225 feet (70 meters) around the southwest side of the Blue Hole.
