Geology of Duck Key

In the pre-history era of our Earth, the ocean east of Miami and southwest of the tip of the Florida Peninsula was a dense coral forest filled with flora, fauna, and other marine life. Over time, glaciers across the globe changed their formation and this caused lower sea levels. The result was that the coral forests died off leaving calcium carbonate or what we commonly know as limestone. This limestone forms the Florida Keys to include Duck Key. Higher levels of limestone deposits are what form the islands but the entire underwater area around the southern Florida peninsula is an ancient coral forest.

 The Seven Mile Bridge

The Seven Mile Bridge, built in 1982, connects Duck Key with Knight’s Key. Knight’s Key is one of the Keys that make up the City of Marathon. It ranks with the longest bridges ever constructed and is an engineering marvel. It has an impressive length of 10,887 meters and a span of 41 meters. This and other bridges are what make up U.S. Highway 1, otherwise known as the Overseas Highway, which connects the lower Florida Keys. There are actually two bridges here. The other bridge was built as part of the Florida East Coast Railway’s Key West Extension between 1909 and 1912. The railway extension was known as the overseas railroad and is no longer operational today.

What to Do On and Around Little Duck Key

Around mile marker 39 (right after you cross the Seven Mile Bridge) you will find the Little Duck Key Beach. This is said to be a quaint beach complete with restrooms and picnic shelters. There is also the Little Duck Key Veterans Park at mile marker 40. This is a pet-friendly beach where that also has picnic areas and restrooms.

Continuing on to Key West and not too far from Little Duck Key is Ohio Key. This Key has a camping area named the Sunshine Key Camping Resort. This is a full-service camping area with a swimming pool, restaurant, and other facilities. Actually, at one time, Ohio Key was named Little Duck Key and nowadays some refer to the former as Sunshine Key. Also on Ohio Key is the National Key Deer Refuge. This is an area designated for the protection of the Key deer species as well as other forms of wildlife found in this area

Just after Duck Key, around mile marker 37, you can visit the Bahia Honda State Park. Here you can do much more. They have camp sites available and even cabins. There is also a marina complete with dive shop for those who would like to take in a little snorkeling or scuba diving. You can also enjoy other activities such as hiking, snorkeling, swimming, camping, fishing, boating, or just having a simple picnic.