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Windley Key Fossil Reef Geological State Park, Islamorada

4.4
#3 of 9 in Parks in Islamorada
Geologic Formation · Hidden Gem · Park
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Windley Key Fossil Reef Geological State Park is a Florida State Park located at mile marker 85.5 near Islamorada. It was a former quarry used by Henry Flagler in the early 1900s to help his building of the Overseas Railroad. Following the railroad's completion, it was a source for decorative stone pieces called Keystone. Now on display are exposed sections of fossilized coral, as well as some of the original quarry machinery. The Hurricane Monument at Mile Marker 82 in Islamorada is constructed of keystone from the quarry.

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Windley Key Fossil Reef Geological State Park reviews

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TripAdvisor traveler rating 4.5
312 reviews
Google
4.5
TripAdvisor
  • Was a pretty cool walk thought the woods and got to see neat trees. It was raining so we didn't get to enjoy all the areas but had a good time anyway. The officers were very nice. 
    Was a pretty cool walk thought the woods and got to see neat trees. It was raining so we didn't get to enjoy all the areas but had a good time anyway. The officers were very nice.  more »
  • This is a great little geological park and an interesting part of the history of the FL Keys. The visitor’s center does a great job of telling the story of the railroad and the area. And the trails... 
    This is a great little geological park and an interesting part of the history of the FL Keys. The visitor’s center does a great job of telling the story of the railroad and the area. And the trails...  more »
Google
  • We always enjoy fossil parks but I wasn’t sure what to expect. Our verdict: this place is very cool. The formations within the coral reef are unlike anything I have seen before. I really enjoy the patterns found in nature. The kids like to be able to see and touch fossil formations. It’s one thing to study fossils and visit the Smithsonian (which we 100% love!) but it is an entirely different experience to be outside and running fingers along the geological formations. In addition to the reef fossils, Winfrey has a really neat collection of nature trails and old abandoned coral reef quarry equipment. I’d recommend see this in connection with the Discovery Center’s (different place not far down the road) movie on how trains came down the islands. A note about the Florida Park rangers who staff this park: they are an incredible resource. They were passionate in explaining details about the fossils and plants, exceptionally well-versed in the natural history of the area, and all-in-all great people. They made our visit come alive.
  • Really cool fun interesting park. Not very big so don't expect to be here all day. But it has a nice walking trail and some really cool history about the area. It's basically a limestone quarry that was used back in the 1900s. Some of the equipment was abandoned and still there.

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