Key Largo’s coastal trails invite you to walk paths where mangroves bend deliberately over turquoise waters, and the breeze carries salt and sunlight like an energized whisper. These hikes are routes through a wild environment that demands respect—wetlands that dare you to notice their subtle movements and shoreline edges where the ocean's currents push forward with quiet persistence.

Start with the Florida Keys Overseas Heritage Trail, which weaves through Key Largo’s coastal stretches. Expect approximately 12 miles total if covering the Key Largo section, with flat terrain making it accessible for most. The trail consists of paved and natural surfaces running along the Atlantic and Florida Bay, offering scenic views and pockets of exposed mangrove roots that create natural obstacle zones for alert hikers.

For a more focused coastal hike, try the Dagny Johnson Key Largo Hammock Botanical State Park trail. This 1.2-mile loop moves through upland tropical hardwood hammock—a rare ecosystem fiercely holding its ground between sea and development. The trail remains mostly flat with packed soil, bordered by lush greenery and occasional wildlife sightings like herons or the elusive Key Largo woodrat.

Wildlife here is an active player. You’ll find the shoreline alive with osprey scouting overhead and occasional manatees navigating nearshore waters. The mangrove branches, always shifting, are homes to raccoons and other small mammals that watch quietly. Bring binoculars if you want to catch closer insights into this community alive with constant motion.

Hydration is critical. The subtropical sun waits patiently to test your preparation. Wear sturdy, breathable footwear designed for mixed terrain—expect some muddy or wet sections. Early mornings and later afternoons provide cooler temps and softer light for both hiking and photography. Midday heat, especially from June through September, can be unrelenting.

Besides providing solid trail info, Key Largo’s coastal routes offer an outdoor lab to study coastal ecology, where tides and winds are players influencing your pace and path. Every step is a negotiation with the environment, a chance to engage fully with what is fiercely itself.

Plan your adventure to include: arrival early to beat heat and crowds, sturdy footwear for occasional slippery roots, a reusable water bottle filled and ready, and insect repellent to manage the persistent mosquitoes. Each trail bends in its personality—some reveal quiet forest stretches, others spread raw views of endless ocean corridors.

Respect the environment. Stick to paths designed to minimize erosion and disturbance. Take only photos, and leave footprints that tell of a visitor who understood the wild’s subtle challenges. Key Largo’s coastal hikes offer more than movement—they invite an awareness of relationships between land, water, and life moving relentlessly together.