Mile Markers in the Florida Keys

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The Florida Keys

Mile Markers (MM) - 

are small green rectangular sign 

marking how many miles to the end 

of US1 in Key West.  

If you make it to Key West, 

make photo at the US1 end sign.

Located along the Overseas Highway from Key West to Key Largo are commonly given as mile marker. The Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) maintains mile marker signs every mile along the highway over the keys. Businesses along the highway began listing their locations by mile markers, adding decimal part to more precisely indicate locations between mile markers signs. Outside of Key West and the City of marathon street addresses along the highway are based on the mile markers, using a four-to-six digits number (with no decimal point); the numbering patterns is as follows. 

• The first three (or four) digits denote the approximate mile marker
• The last two digits denote a particular address; and even digit denotes an address in the Atlantic Ocean side while an odd digit denotes an address on the Florida Bay/Gulf of Mexico Side. 

As an example, the Tropical Research Laboratory of Mote Marine Laboratory has a physical address of 24244 Overseas Highway. The first three digits indicate that it is near mile marker 24.2 (it is located on Summerland Key) while the last two digits indicate that it is located on the Atlantic Ocean side of the highway.

    

126.5 = Junction U.S. 1 with CR-905 to/from Card Sound.     alternate route,  $1.00 bridge toll, if southbound.  Less traffic, more relaxed ride.

126.0 = End/Begin two-lane "18 Mile Stretch." If southbound, please drive carefully. 
 (passing zone 118-121 & 114-116)


112.5 = MONROE COUNTY LINE -



109.3 & 108 = Osprey bird nest, Oceanside  


107.2 = Jewfish Creek drawbridge. Exit/enter Key Largo. Begin "18-Mile Stretch." If northbound, please drive carefully.

106.5 = Card Sound Bridge Alternate route, $1.00 bridge toll, northbound to Homestead.
    

105.4 = Winn-Dixie Shopping Center, gulfside 
  


104.1 = Caribbean Club, gulfside. The set for the 1948  movie Key Largo was modeled for this location. 


103.5 = Kings Kamp  Campground (305)451-0010


102.8 = John Pennekamp State Park (Oceanside) CAMPING diving & snorkeling boat tours, glass bottom boat, kayak rentals, & nature trails.

101.5 = Publix Grocery Store at Tradewinds Shopping center, Oceanside ,        ………*.Calusa Campground (305) 451-0232,                                                       ………*.Key Largo Kampground & Marina  (305) 451-1431

101.2 = Hibiscus Park, Oceanside. The was the center of the 1880s community  


99.8 = Key Largo Post Office- ZIP 33037, gulfside 


98.0 = Everglades Park Ranger Station, gulfside. 
 Shell World  

97.6 = Ridetide Campground (305) 852-8481


95 to 100 = early community of Rock Harbor, small railroad depot was also here.

 
95.2 = Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary building. 



93.8 = Wild Bird Center, gulfside (305) 852-4486


92.6 = Harry Harris Park oceanside.  Small beach with clear water, grassy area with shade trees.


91.9 Old Tavernier Post office; Old Settlers Park, oceanside Tavernier Hotel, oceanside. This was the center of the early community of Tavernier. Its depot was in the median just south of the post office. 



91.3 = Tavernier Town Shopping Center, Mariners Hospital, Post Office - ZIP 33070, gulfside 


91.0 = Tavernier Creek Bridge; Tavernier Creek Marina, Plantation Marina, gulfside 


85.5 = Snake Creek Draw Bridge; Coast Guard Station, gulfside Enter Windley Key 


85.3 = Windley Key State Fossil Reef Geological Site, gulfside                                                             .  .  .  .  84.3 Community of Quarry thrived during construction of the railroad)

84.2 = Theater of the Sea; Holiday Isle Resort oceanside.  
 


82.6 = Islamorada Post Office- ZIP 33036, oceanside 


81.6 = Morada Bay Beach Café & Bar, bayside (305) 664-0604

81.5 = Hurricane Monument was constructed as a Hurricane

81.2 = Worldwide Sportsman; gulfside;

81.3 = Green Turtle Inn; Oceanside. Part survived the 1935 Hurricane.


80.0 = Roadside park, gulfside


79.8 = Tea Table Relief Bridge. Papa Joe's Marina, gulfside; Bud and Mary's, oceanside. The north  
approach washed out during Hurricane Donna, 1960. 


78.0 = Indian Key Bridge. Lignumvitae Key Botanical Site (State) gulfside in distance. Lignumvitae Key Boat Ramp gulfside; Indian Key Archaeological Site, San Pedro Underwater State Park and Alligator Lighthouse, oceanside at a distance. This is area is of historic significance. The islands of Indian Key, Lignumvitae Key and Alligator Lighthouse are prominent artifacts. 



77.0 = Robbie's Marina,  gulfside; For a few $ you can buy a bucket of fish and feed the Tarpon.  These fish can grow up to 6 feet & jump for the fish.  Hungry Tarpon is a restaurant that is hit or miss when it comes to food. 

73.6 = Boy Scouts Sea Base, gulfside; Gulfside was the location of Camp 3 for the WW-1 veterans. Many perished in the 1935 hurricane. 


73.4 = Anne's Beach, Oceanside. Gulfside is Veteran's Island, which is the grown over approach to the veteran's bridge piers. 


73.0 = Off shore on the gulfside can be seen the remains (8) of the concrete bridge piling built by the WW-1 veterans.


70.0 = Fiesta Key KOA Campground (305) 664-3796


68.5 = Layton, Long Key Post Office - ZIP 33001 



67.5 = Long Key State Park, Oceanside 
(CAMPING)  305-664-4815

65.8 = Henry Flagler's Long Key Fishing Camp occupied the southwest end of Long Key. American author, Zane Grey, vacationed and wrote while at this location in the early 1900s.

62.9 = Conch Key, fire station 


62.2 = Walker's Island (Little Conch Key)

59.9 = Enter/leave City of Marathon; 

58.9 = Grassy Key, Dolphin Research Center


56.2 = Curry Hammock State Park 
 (CAMPING)  305-289-2690

54.6 = Coco Plum 


54.0 = Publix Oceanside


52.0 = Marathon County Airport, bayside


50.0 = Museum of Natural History, Sombrero Beach, oceanside 


48.7  = Fisherman's Hospital, Oceanside; Library, 


48.3 = Post Office ZIP 33050 oceanside. 


47.5 = Knight's Key Campground (305) 743-4343

47.0 = Begin/end of Seven Mile Bridge, Marathon City limits. To Pigeon Key (old 7-Mile Bridge), gulfside. Pigeon Key visitor's center   àDon’t miss Sunset Bar & Grill right under the bridge.  Open for Breakfast, lunch, and dinner.  Great happy hour, beach area, and best of all… a heated POOL!!  Have a drink and enjoy their pool. *Sunset Grille 8am-10pm  305-396-7235

 
44.8 = Pigeon Key, gulf side,  Historic Rail Road camp.  Boat ride out to an   historic island.  Snorkeling

43.9 = Moser Channel, apogee of Seven-Mile Bridge. Sombrero Light House seen at a distance, oceanside 


Fishing dive boats

40.0 = End/begin Seven Mile Bridge 


39.9 = Veterans Memorial Park, oceanside 


38.8 = Sunshine Key Campground 


36.8 = Bahia Honda State Park, oceanside. 
 (CAMPING) 305-872-2353

36.0 = Bahia Honda Bridge (4-lanes) old railroad camelback bridge, ocean 


34.5 = Girl Scout Camp, oceanside. 


34.1 = Camp Sawyer, Boy Scouts, oceanside. 


34.0 = West Summerland Key 


33.0 = Big Pine Key Fishing Lodge 305-872-2351

30.2 = Big Pine Key traffic stop light; gulf to Key Deer Rd. and Wilder Road. Shopping Ctr, Prison, Preserve, No Name Key turnoff, gulfslde. Continue to No Name Pub, if you can find it. Bogie Channel Bridge (Old Wooden Bridge)  


28.0 = Torch Channel Bridge 


27.0 = Ramrod Key. 


24.8 = Summerland Key Post Office - ZIP 33042

21.0 = Lazy Lakes Campground 305-745-1079  311 Johnson Road, Sugarloaf Key

20.0 = KOA Suglarloaf Key Campground oeeanside 
 (CAMPING) 305-745-3549

17.0 = Blinking light, Sugarloaf Blvd ocean, gulfside; Sugarloaf Airport and Bat Tower. 


11.2 = Shark Key 



8.5 = Tourist welcome center 



5.0 = Stock Island,

3.9 = Traffic light. End/begin 4-lane.  Bear left for Flagler Street; Airport; Martello 
Towers, Higgs Beach and Casa Marina. Bear right for N. Roosevelt; Truman Avenue, Fort Taylor


3.0 = Sears Town shopping plaza


2.3 = Salt Run Bridge, N. Roosevelt, Key West 


1.7 = Palm Ave; U.S.C.G. Group; NAS Trumbo 


1.0 = About South Street 


0.0 = Key West Post Office-ZIP 33040. 
  *Picture of US1 Mile Marker 0!!!

• ~~Please let me know if any of the information is incorrect as business are always opening & closing.  Also, if you find something you loved in the Keys, let us know and we will add to our list for others to enjoy.

Everglades Airboat Tour

Florida Oldscool Camper Rentals 

takes an 

Airboat Tour in the Everglades

From zipping through the mangroves to having a pelican land on our boat, it was a super day. If you are a photography buff or just like the more natural "Real" side of Florida, and airboat ride is so  much fun!

Although many people are quite frightened of alligators they generally do not attack human being as they are intimidated by the vertical stance. The alligator can be discriminated from its relative the crocodile by the u-shape of its snout and the impossibility of seeing bottom teeth when its mouth is closed. The jaw is hinged, allowed it to open its mouth very wide and ingest a large piece of food.

Of course, the teeth are among the most impressive features of the 'gator'. It has 400 teeth each in its upper and lower jaws, and it is able to regenerate new teeth after old ones fall out. All of the teeth are share--it possesses no molars at all. The strength of the jaws is awesome--as much as 3000 pounds per square inch. 

If there is any animal which is synonymous with a national park it is surely the American alligator and the Everglades. The larges of about 50 reptile species in the Everglades, this animal can be found in many places throughout the park in large numbers.

Due to the global significance of Everglades National Park, it has been designated a Biosphere Reserve, a World Heritage Site, and a Wetland of International Importance.

The Everglades National Park

No matter how many alligators may appear on the front of golf shirts, the alligator's skin in black, not green. The dark color enables the cold blooded animals to absorb the sun's heat and warm its body. The hide contains hundreds of rectangular scales as well as bony plates, called scutes. Its distinctive "armor-plated" skin which it depends on for defense is made of keratin, similar to human fingernails. 

Picture of crocodile 

(below)

picture of crocodile 

(above)

I expected to see little wildlife. Before we settled in the boat a large pelican joined us; as if to say, “Don’t worry you are going to love it” Five minutes from the dock a second pelican landed on the boat.

This trip was amazing!

Not only do you drive right through the heart of the Everglades but you see tons of animals: birds, turtles, and yes alligators....lots of gators! We saw at least seven and they ranged from giant monsters to little babies.  

We loved it!

Everglades National Park

http://www.shannontech.com/ParkVision/Everglades/Everglades.html

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The Everglades National Park Monument Lake

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'The Everglades National Park'

Like no other park in the word, why else would a sunrise be any diffrent?

It is a unique experience that is like no other one I have experienced in Florida.  I always sleep with the windows unzipped so I can catch the sunrise in the morning.  I was lucky to have woken before the first ray of light and experience such a gorgeous change of color and light.     

I love how the dew in the morning captures the light.

As soon as we pulled into Monument Lake the first thing we spot is a follow VW camper.  Meet a nice guy on no schedule traveling at his leisure.  He had traveled the entire east coast from Canada down to the Keys, Flamingo and now he had set up camp at Monument Park for a few days planning his trip up the west coast of Florida.  He was excited to share his experiences and I was fascinated with his story of  a 6 foot gator taking a short cut from the canal to the lake right next to his camper!  Talk about being in the wild!  

 We paid the $16 fee and headed towards the back of the lake to grab a spot.

     

 Autumn at Monument Lake Campground

The view from out campsite

To the back of the campground was a long road used for ATV & Rangers.  We hiked the road for a good distance having a snake cross our path, some really cool wild flowers and plants.  

Sunset on the hike back to our campground at Monument Lake.

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Alligator Alley or Tamiami Trail?

Two routes across the Everglades, which route is best? 

When traveling across the bottom of the state, I usually take Alligator Alley one way the Tamiami Trail one way. My best suggestions is, if you are traveling during the day, take Tamiami Trail, if you are traveling at night then take Alligator Alley. If you are in a hurry, travel Alligator Alley.















Alligator Alley

• I-75 interstate
• Express Way - quickest route
• It starts and ends in Ft Lauderdale, not Miami

Suggestion...I usually take both routes to change it up. If you are traveling at night, I highly recommend this route. 

Tamiami Trail

• Backroads
• two lane street
• slower route - viewing
• canal with gators along the street 
• passes Big Cypress National Park
• Indian Villages
• Airboat & Alligator Tours 

Suggestion...If you are in a hurry, this is not the route for you! If you are looking for adventure, hiking the Everglades, and sight seeing take this route. This street is meant for daytime viewing, to take the slower road, enjoying the view, and taking in the vastness of the Everglades. 

cons...end up in south Miami in a busy area and it is HOT! The traffic lights seem to be in sequence to make you stop at every light! I don't recommend traveling this street at night, unless you plan to camp or stay in Everglades City. It is a dark street full of wildlife. You may end up killing something endangered.

Tamaiami Trail in the Everglades

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Driving through the Everglades on Tamiami Trail is perfect in a VW Bus!

The "Tamiami" is said to be a contraction of, Tampa to Miami 

as this road connects the two towns.

The construction on the north-south section was begun in 1915. The east-west portion was originally called the 'Miami-Marco Road'. The following year, Miami's Capt Jaudon first proposed a road connection Florida's Gulf and Atlantic coasts with an eye on developing his properties in the Everglades. The notion was seconded by Tampa's who also suggested E.P. Deickey,  a name, the 'Tamyami Trail' although Gillett of Tampa claimed to have originally suggested the name. In 1919, due to financial reasons, Lee County (now Lee & Collier County) was not able to complete its portion of the Tamiami Trail. Captain Jaudon has already purchased 207,360 acres of land, mostly in Monroe County. His company, the Chevelier Corp came to the rescue and offered to build a link of the highway through its holding in Monroe County if Dade and Lee counties would agree to change the original route and re-route the Tamiami Trail through Monroe County. The proposal was accepted; the Chevelier Corporation began laying out a new route for the road, and in 1921 began construction on the new segment of the Tamiami Trail. This segment is today known as "Loop Road" (located in Big Cypress National Preserve).

In 1922, the state of Florida ran out of construction funds for the east-west portion. The following year, Barron Collier, an advertising mogul who recently diversified this holdings by investing in vearious types of businesses and milions of acres of southwest Florida wilderness, pledged that he would bankroll the completion of the Tamiami Trail; in return the State legislature would establish a new conty and name it after him. so in 1923 Collier County was created out of the southern portion of Lee County. Almost immediately contention arose over the change route. The sponsors of the new county advocated for the original route, which was completely inside the boundaries of Collier county. The State Road Department agreed with Collier County. Even so, the Board of Coutny Commissioners of Dade coutny gave their support to the Chevelier segment, since so much money had already been invested. Only a few miles of road were left to be completed.

Despite the protest, the State Road Department reinstated the original route of the Tamiami Trail to be completed. The already completed portion of roadway in Monroe county ws accepted as a "South Loop" of the Tamiami Trail. As construction of the north-south section resumed. Construction started on the east-west stretch in 1923. An east-west canal was created using explosives; the fill dirt was used to construct the roadway. 

The Tamiami Trail took 13 years, cost $8 million US, and used 2.6 million sticks of dynamite in its construction. The Tamiami Trail officially opened on April 25, 1928.

its importance to motorists of southeastern Florida has changed since the opening of Alligator Alleyto the north in 1968. Since then, traffic on the Tamiami Trail across the Everglades has lessened significantly, while urban sections of the road are now often congested.

Plans for the I-75 extension changed for two reasons; Alligator Alley needed upgrading as the then-narrow toll road was dangerous to both motorists and wildlife (most notably the Florida panther) alike; and State Road 836, with its left exits and narrow lanes, was not being built to Interstate Highway standards. As a result, construction for a rerouted I-75 in southern Florida began in 1974, now with I-75 using Alligator Alley instead of US 41 to cross the peninsula, and the configured Interstate highway would not be completed for another 19 years.

Since then, the Tamiami Trail has been designated a National Scenic Byway by the United States Department of Transportation for its unique scenery in the Everglades and the Big Cypress National Preserve.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tamiami_Trail

Future of the Everglades

Tamiami Trail was considered a feat of engineering, although there appears to have been minimal consideration of the potential damage to the Everglades by the roadway and the Tamiami Canal. Both have acted as a dam to block water flow from Lake Okeechobee to Florida Bay at the southern tip of the peninsula. As a result, the Everglades — the “River of Grass” — has had its water flow greatly diminished over the years, resulting in a devastating effect on the ecology of the region. In the 1990s, a few canals were filled and additional culverts were constructed under US 41 to help regulate water flow.

Yet, according to the United States Army Corps of Engineers, this was only a partial solution to the problems of the Everglades and the Tamiami Trail.^[9] In 2003, after considering a variety of plans involving the rebuilding of US 41/SR 90, the Corps recommended that a 3000-foot-long causeway be built near the Northeast Shark Slough northeast of Everglades National Park, all road fill removed that would otherwise be adjacent to the bridge, the 57 culverts that are already in place maintained, and the appropriate water flow rate maintained under the non-causeway portions of the Tamiami Trail crossing the Everglades.^[10] The proposed causeway is being called the Everglades Skyway by the Sierra Club, Audubon Society, World Wildlife Fund, and other organizations in an Internet-based effort to lobby Florida and United States government officials for project construction money.^[11] In December 2009, construction began on the one mile-long bridge (1.6 km) to lift a portion of the road to allow the more natural water flow into the southern Everglades.^[12][13] At theEverglades Foundation’s America’s Everglades Summit held in mid-May 2010, Assistant Secretary of the U.S. Department of Interior, Thomas Strickland, revealed that the Interior Department's National Park Service released a draft Environmental Impact Statement recommending an additional 5.5 miles of bridging the Tamiami Trail. The Everglades Foundation is a group that supports the Tamiami Trail bridging and dedicated to Everglades restoration.^[14]

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Thanks!

Dixie Phillips
Florida Oldscool Campers