Florida Keys Wilderness

Florida Keys Wilderness consists of many islands offshore of the main chain of non-Wilderness Keys that are bisected by US 1. These islands are administered by the Fish and Wildlife Service as part of National Key Deer Refuge, Key West National Wildlife Refuge and Great White Heron National Wildlife Refuge, and they protect a seemingly endless expanse of sea, sky and islands between the gulf and the ocean south of Florida's southern mainland coast. They are characterized by flat topography which, at points, only rises to 6-10 feet above sea level. Access is limited. Although beaches exist on some of the islands, tangles of mangroves make access to most of them difficult, and most of the Wilderness islands are closed to public access to protect the sensitive wildlife resources. Portions of Boca Grande, Woman and the Marquesas Keys are open to wildlife-dependent recreation uses by the public. Access to the islands above mean high tide is permitted only with a special use permit; visitors are welcome to use the surrounding waters for boating, fishing and other permitted recreational purposes, though some islands have special buffer zones, regulations regarding use of motors, or speed zones. Climate here is characterized as tropical-maritime, with a mean annual temperature of about 77 degrees F and minimal seasonal variation: the coldest average monthly temperature, 68.9 degrees, occurs in January and the warmest, 83.8 degrees, in August. The Florida Keys experience the highest level of solar radiation in the state. Rainfall is seasonal with wet periods extending from May through October, and annual precipitation totals about 39 inches. Common wildlife on the islands includes the state-listed white-crowned pigeon, the endangered Lower Keys marsh rabbit, Key deer, iguana, loggerhead turtle, Atlantic green turtle, Atlantic hawksbill turtle, brown pelican, piping plover, roseate tern, Miami blue butterfly, reddish egret and great white heron. Common vegetation includes black, white and red mangrove, slash pines, gumbo-limbo, Florida butterfly orchid and yellowheart trees.