Dagny Johnson Key Largo Hammock Botanical State Park

Very interesting place. It gets a bit dicey after it rains so bring bug spray on damp days and be prepared to turn back from muddy areas. More signage would help.

Note: this review is solely for rainy days
The full length trail floods (the 2 mile loop) after rain and at high tide. The nature trail was muddy and also flooded. I’d recommend going on dry days, and coating yourself in bug repellent.
We couldn’t see much, and ended up running the whole way way back since the mosquitos were visibly swarming around us.
he park entrance fee is $ 2.50 and is collected via honor code. You deposit cash in an envelope and slide it into a box.
Grab a map on your way in.

Dagny Johnson is a park for those who appreciate nature. It is as close to old world Florida as you will get. There are no tours or refreshment stands or bells-​and-​whistles. It is nature. Trees and plants and naturally occurring birds and little lizards. It is usually quiet and rarely will you encounter other visitors, except on weekends.
Loved to walk my dog on the paved part under the shade of the hammocks.
There is a $ 2.50 admission fee, unless you have a FL State Parks Annual Pass, and then it is free.
If you want a park with all the amenities, skip Dagny Johnson. If you appreciate TRUE nature, this is a place for you to visit.
(Summer can be buggy!)

The largest intact Florida hard wood hammock left, this State park was rescued from a developer. Offers a 4+mile loop that you can walk or bike. You see a variety of landscapes including mangrove tidal marsh, mahogany hammock, and waterways cut from the limestone. You can take your dog for a walk here also! It’s a bit light on facilities, but has nice picnic tables and a composting outhouse. Usually manned by a state ranger or two. Secluded, off the beaten path, and beautiful!

What a great little space I stumbled upon.
While looking for things to do in the Keys, I came across this park. There is a $ 2.50 entrance fee (honor system) at the front and then you walk through to the park.
One point of confusion for me is that it’s listed as a botanical garden, but I didn’t really get that. There were a few trees marked in the beginning of the trail, but after that there was nothing.
There are two loops to the trails, but once you go to the right side of the park you don’t know if you’ve wandered into unknown territory or if what you’re on is the trail. It’s not well labeled.
What’s nice and makes up for all of that is that the place is beautiful. It’s great for a nice walk/​run or bike ride. It won’t take you terrible wrong, but it’s truly beautiful nonetheless. It’s definitely worth taking the time to walk through if you’re in the area.

This is a throwback to the keys before they were developed. Wide array of plants, spiders, birds and even crocodiles! You can easily spend two hours here hiking and seeing the sights. Old Cuban Missile crisis military base is also here decaying.
BRING bug spray!!! Also, go at low tide to see whole park.

It’s a good thing it’s technically free ($ 2.50 honor fee, sorry I was not feeling honorable) because this is literally just a walk through the woods. We only walked the half loop because I got so bored, but it might be more fun by bicycle (no motorized vehicles allowed). There is an overgrown canopy with a picnic table near the entrance, which would be kind of a cool site for an intimate lunch, if you’re not interested in being near the water.
I was pretty disappointed in the variety of plants along the trail considering this is a botanical site. Also the labels and descriptions are few and far between, so unless you’re knowledgeable in the world of trees, this might not be that interesting for you. Bird activity was also minimal during my visit. There were quite a few nice photo opportunities, but there were also a lot of forbidden areas– basically anywhere that isn’t clearly a trail. The second half of the loop has an area marked as «wetland– submerged during high tide» which I am quite curious about. I’m thinking it might be a good idea to have water-​walkers on hand for that part of the trek.
The dense woods of a tropical hammock are a nice break from seeing the low, swampy mangroves and rocky shores. However, I personally do not have the patience to wait all day for nature to just happen.