Save
You must be signed in to save park lists.
Your Park Lists
add New List
Add Photo
You must be signed in to add photos.
state route ranger badge
Florida
17

State of Florida Parks

responsive menu icon
USA Parks
Florida
Southeast Region
Great White Heron National Wildlife Refuge
Walk on the Beach © stateparks.com
Bahia Honda © stateparks.com
Old Railroad Bridge
Search
Availability
Calendars
Availability Search
GREAT WHITE HERON NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE
GREAT WHITE HERON NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE
28950 Watson Boulevard
Big Pine Key, Florida   33043
Email: park email button icon
Great White Heron National Wildlife Refuge was established in 1938 as a haven for great white herons, migratory birds, and other wildlife. The refuge is located in the lower Florida Keys and consists of almost 200,000 acres of open water and islands that are north of the primary Keys from Marathon to Key West. The islands account for approximately 7,600 acres and are primarily mangroves with some of the larger islands containing pine rockland and tropical hardwood hammock habitats. This vast wilderness area, known locally as the "backcountry," provides critical nesting, feeding, and resting areas for more than 250 species of birds.

Great white herons are a white color-phase of great blue herons and are only found in the Florida Keys. The refuge was created to protect great white herons from extinction since the population was decimated by the demand for feathered hats. Protection of great white herons was successful, and these magnificent powder-white birds can be observed feeding on tidal-flats around hundreds of backcountry islands each dawn and dusk.

Three species of sea turtles rely on the backcountry for feeding and nesting. Endangered Green sea turtles and threatened Loggerhead sea turtles are the two documented species that successfully nest in the refuge. Hawksbill sea turtles are known to feed in seagrass beds throughout the refuge, but nesting has not been observed.
FACILITIES AND ACTIVITIES OVERVIEW
Day-UseFishingyes


Location
Great White Heron National Wildlife Refuge is located near Key West


Visitor Comments, Memories and Reviews
write a review
Share On

Area Campgrounds
Big Pine Key Resort
33000 Overseas Highway
Big Pine Key, FL
305-872-2351
Castaways RV Park
70 Father Tony Way
Big Pine Key, FL
Bluewater Key RV Resort
2950 Overseas Highway
Key West, FL
305-745-2494
Geiger Key Marina, RV Park & Fish Camp
5 Geiger Road
Key West, FL
305-294-1230
Breezy Pines RV Estates
29859 Overseas Highway
Big Pine Key, FL
305-872-9041
Sun Outdoors Sugarloaf Key
311 North Johnson Road
Summerland Key, FL
305-745-1079
Sugarloaf Key / Key West KOA Holiday
251 State Road 939
Sugarloaf Key, FL
800-562-7731
Big Pine Key Resort
33000 Overseas Highway
Big Pine Key, FL
305-872-2351
Nearby Hotels
Booking.com

Directions
Great White Heron NWR is accessible only by boat. However, the refuge is administered as part of the National Key Deer Refuge headquartered on Big Pine Key, which is 100- miles south of Miami. The visitor center is located A?-mile north of the traffic light on Key Deer Boulevard in the Big Pine Key Shopping Plaza.

state route ranger badge
Florida
17

State of Florida Parks

X