When the buzz of Key West and the bustle of Marathon grow too loud, there’s an escape just offshore — a narrow strip of paradise where the palms lean low, the water turns glassy, and the only crowds are made of herons and butterflies. Welcome to Curry Hammock State Park, the Florida Keys’ quietest treasure.
What It Is
Located in Marathon (about halfway between Key Largo and Key West), Curry Hammock State Park is a 1,000-acre preserve of untouched tropical coastline, mangrove swamp, hardwood hammock, and seagrass flats. It’s the largest uninhabited stretch of land between Key Largo and Big Pine Key, making it one of the best places in the Keys to see what this chain of islands looked like before the Overseas Highway changed everything.
What to Do
Paddle the Flats
Bring or rent a kayak and launch from the sheltered beach. Paddle along the mangroves, out to Little Crawl Key, or around shallow sandbars where rays and baby sharks glide beneath your hull. On calm days, the park’s seagrass beds are like snorkeling through glass.
Snorkeling Off the Beach
Though it’s not a coral reef park, there’s still great nearshore snorkeling here — especially at high tide. Look for sponges, crabs, barracuda, and parrotfish. The water is shallow and calm, making it ideal for beginners.
Hike the Hammock Trail
The 1.5-mile nature trail loops through a hardwood hammock filled with gumbo limbo, strangler figs, and the chirp of rare Florida Keys birds. Watch for white-crowned pigeons, mangrove cuckoos, and migrating warblers.
Windsurfing and Kitesurfing
The shallow bay and consistent breezes have made Curry Hammock a favorite for wind-powered adventure. There’s even a designated launch area for kiteboarders and windsurfers.
Watch the Sky
Bring binoculars. Fall and spring migration bring a flurry of activity. Hawks, kestrels, and songbirds make pit stops here in spectacular numbers. Butterfly watchers will also spot monarchs in season.
Camping
Curry Hammock’s 28-site campground is just steps from the ocean. It’s small, popular, and in high demand — book months in advance. Each site includes a picnic table, grill, and access to restrooms and hot showers. The campground is peaceful, shaded by native trees, and popular with RVers, cyclists, and tent campers.
Campers often wake to sunrise over the Atlantic and fall asleep to wind in the palms. Bring a hammock and a good book — and don’t plan to rush.
Good to Know
- Address: 56200 Overseas Hwy, Marathon, FL 33050
- Hours: 8 a.m. to sunset, 365 days a year
- Fees: $4.50 per single-occupant vehicle, $5 for two or more, plus 50 cents per person
- Kayak rentals available at the ranger station
- Cell service is limited — and that’s a feature, not a bug
Where to Eat Nearby
- Keys Fisheries – Iconic waterside seafood shack in Marathon. Get the lobster Reuben.
Keys Fisheries - Sparky’s Landing – Marina-side bar and grill with live music and killer conch fritters.
- The Wooden Spoon – Down-home breakfast spot with fresh-squeezed juice and big biscuits.
Why It Matters
Curry Hammock is a rare thing in the Keys — quiet, wild, and utterly unspoiled. It doesn’t shout to get your attention. It hums, gently. It’s where families find space to reconnect, where solo travelers rediscover stillness, and where the spirit of the Keys remains free of hotels and headlines.
In a chain of islands increasingly shaped by condos and cruise ships, Curry Hammock reminds us of what Florida was — and still can be.
Here’s What I’d Do:
Arrive on a weekday morning with a kayak and a cooler. Paddle out along the mangrove edge, then beach the boat for a snack and a swim. Walk the nature trail in late afternoon when the light hits golden. Grill dinner at your campsite, then lie back and watch the stars emerge, one slow blink at a time.
I once spent a day here and said five words total. They were all to a heron.
