How long is the walk to Pigeon Key?

This 2 mile walk from Marathon to Pigeon Key is one of the best walks in the Keys. The ramp down to the Key unfortunately closed and doesn't appear to be under repair. This is too bad as the Key would be a nice visit.

Can you walk to Pigeon Key?

Can you walk to Pigeon Key? With the reopening of the Old Seven Mile Bridge, you can again walk or bicycle to Pigeon Key. You must still pay admission to the island if you arrive via bridge.

How long is the bridge to Pigeon Key?

The 2.2-mile span serves as the gateway to historic Pigeon Key, a tiny island nestled beneath the “Old Seven” that was once home to about 400 workers constructing the railroad.

How far can you walk on 7 mile bridge?

You are only able to walk about 2.2 miles of the bridge, as the remaining part is closed off and not maintained. We learned all this information and more on our tour of the island. Today, on the island, there is a museum in one of the old homes that details the interesting history of the island.

Is Seven Mile Bridge scary?

The new seven mile bridge is so much better to travel on than back in the late 60's and early 70's bridge! One lane each way. Very scary!

Walk to Pigeon Key (7 Mile Bridge)

Can you see Cuba from Key West?

No, you generally cannot see Cuba from Key West or any part of Florida. This is essentially a question of gazing at the lands of one country from another – which, given Cuba's settlement at about 90 miles from Key West seems pretty impossible (at least through the naked eye).

Who lives on Pigeon Key?

Kelly McKinnon, executive director of the Pigeon Key Foundation, has lived for 14 years on the tiny historic island beneath the Middle Florida Keys' Old Seven Mile Bridge. Currently the personable 40-year-old is one of only four full-time island residents.

Where do you park to walk the Old Seven Mile Bridge?

Visiting the Old Seven Mile Bridge

Bicyclists can park north of the bridge in various places in Marathon and take the excellent bike trail on the bay side of the road right to the bridge. There is a little street parking on the other side of US 1, just beyond the Sunset Grille and Raw Bar.

Is 7 Mile Bridge Open Walking?

Visitors can now use the reopened section of the Old Seven Mile Bridge to walk, bike, roller blade, and more. Henry Flagler's Florida Keys Overseas Railroad was a marvel in its day, a feat of engineering connecting mainland Florida to the country's southernmost point 90 miles away in Key West.

What are the 7 Keys in Florida?

Marathon. At the mid-point of the Florida Keys, Marathon includes Boot, Knights, Hog, Vaca, Stirrup, Crawl and Little Crawl keys, East and West Sister's Island, Deer and Fat Deer keys, Long Pine and Grassy keys.

How many miles is the Florida Keys bridge?

Just southwest of Marathon, a family-friendly community known for its environmental attractions, lies the undisputed jewel of the Overseas Highway: the Seven Mile Bridge, which stretches a stunning 6.79 miles across open water.

Why is Pigeon Key famous?

The first Oversea Railway train rolled from the Florida mainland through the Florida Keys to Key West in January 1912, connecting the Keys to the mainland and each other for the first time.

What time does Pigeon Key close?

Walkers, bikers and runners can access Pigeon Key between 9am-5pm daily. Admission will be required to access the island, join a tour or use the facilities.

Can you swim at Pigeon Key?

You can also bring a picnic lunch or cooler, snorkel around the dock, or fish (catch & release only) off the dock. Visitors also enjoy birding, relaxing on our beach-front area, and swimming.

Is the bridge to Pigeon Key open?

The bridge re-opened after restoration on 1-12-2022. You can walk, bike or rollerblade the approximately 2.2 miles to Pigeon Key on the bridge and enjoy the amazing views. In the Florida Keys, there is no name better known than Henry Flagler who built the world-famous Oversea Railway in the early 1900's.

How do I get to the Pigeon Key?

Pigeon Key is accessible by walking or bicycling the reopened Old Seven Mile Bridge (an approx. 2.2-mile span) or by ferry boat, which departs from the Pigeon Key Gift Shop at 2010 Overseas Highway, mile marker 48.

Can you drive on the Old Seven Mile Bridge?

Once known as the Knights Key Bridge, the 'old' Seven Mile Bridge is no longer used for vehicular traffic but is instead a pier and pedestrian/cyclist route that just reopened as of January 2022 after extensive renovations.

Why is it called Pigeon Key?

Pigeon Key was known as Cayo Paloma (dove or pigeon) on early Spanish charts. Most believe it was probably named after the Keys white-crowned pigeon. There was little use of the 5.31-acre island until Henry Flagler needed it to complete the Seven Mile Bridge.

What mile marker is Pigeon Key?

It is located off the old Seven Mile Bridge, at approximately mile marker 45, west of Knight's Key, (city of Marathon in the middle Florida Keys) and just east of Moser Channel, which is the deepest section of the 7-mile (11 km) span. Partial view of Pigeon Key from the new Seven Mile Bridge.

How much is a ferry from Key West to Cuba?

Among them is Havana Ferry Partners, which could launch 200-passenger ferries from Key West to Havana within weeks, and later add longer, overnight trips from Miami, Fort Lauderdale, and perhaps Tampa on vessels holding 300 to 500 passengers. Ferry prices are expected to start at around $300 round trip.

How deep is the water under the 7 Mile Bridge?

So the waters under Seven Mile Bridge are only about 18 to 22 feet deep – this shallow nature helps provide the beautiful blue color of the water.

Can you take a boat ride from Key West to Cuba?

The 250 nautical mile journey will take the fast ferry about 10 hours to complete. From Key West, the sailing distance to Cuba is around 90 nautical miles, a mere 4 hours away.