Stretched across Key Largo’s northern wilds in Monroe County, Dagny Johnson Key Largo Hammock Botanical State Park is a tropical escape where hammocks rule. Spanning 2,421 acres, this park’s ranger station, picnic pavilion, and restrooms—like those at Port B Remote—anchor a raw slice of Florida Keys nature. For adventurers craving trails, rare flora, or a quiet picnic, it’s a hammock haven off County Road 905.
Ranger Station and Pavilion Life
The ranger station is your park pulse—staffed with know-how on Dagny’s quirks, from its 84 protected plant and animal species to its 1990 naming for activist Dagny Johnson, who fought sprawl here. Nearby, the picnic pavilion sits shaded by West Indian hardwoods—gumbo limbo and poisonwood—offering tables under a canopy where trade winds hum. It’s your spot to eat with a view of the park’s limestone bedrock, carved by ancient coral reefs.
Once slated for condos, this land flipped to a state park in 1982 after Johnson’s push—it’s now one of North America’s largest tropical hammocks. The pavilion’s a base for spotting key deer or rare butterflies like the Schaus’ swallowtail.
Restrooms and Hammock Wild
Restrooms keep it practical—two setups dot the park, one near the pavilion, another at Port B Remote by the backcountry. They’re simple, supporting your trek through 6 miles of trails looping past strangler figs and sinkholes. The Port Largo Canal’s old scars—dug in the 1960s—hint at development that never came, now reclaimed by mangroves and herons.
It’s rugged—90% hardwood hammock with pockets of salt marsh and dunes. Over 100 bird species, like white-crowned pigeons, cruise through, and spring’s migration lights it up. No beach here, but the quiet’s pure Keys—untouched and timeless.
Plan Your Visit
The park’s open daily, sunrise to sunset—ranger station, pavilion, and restrooms are there year-round. Call 305-451-9570 for updates or trail conditions. A Florida State Parks pass gets your vehicle in; day options work too. Hit the Florida State Parks website for more, then take CR 905 north from US-1—10 minutes from Key Largo’s bustle—to dive in.
From hammock trails to pavilion shade, Dagny Johnson Key Largo Hammock Botanical State Park is Florida’s wild soul. Pack binocs or a bike—Keys nature’s waiting.
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