Layton Trail is a Long Key State Park hidden gem
Share
On 5 Oct 2025, we were in Islamorada, Florida to work with the Florida Department of Environmental Protection and Florida State Parks to conduct a coastal cleanup at Long Key State Park however, king tide moved in and we had to shift priorities! When we arrived at the Park, the Ranger informed us that much of the park was currently underwater, so we would transition over to working on Layton Trail, a beautiful quarter-mile hiking trail through Florida hardwood and mangrove hammocks, culminating in a stunning walk next to Florida Bay.
Since king tide had flooded the shoreline section of Layton Trail, we worked from the beginning of the trail and worked towards the shoreline, allowing the Bay tide to recede. After a grueling and incredibly sweaty 2.5 hours of cleaning, we managed to remove a total of 103lbs of trash and marine debris, including 75 yards of fishing lines and more than 20 feet of marine rope! We managed to remove dozens of engine oil bottles, hundreds upon hundreds of metal and plastic bottle caps, and my favorite: a half dozen different kinds of flip-flops. Due to the incredibly dense hammock around us, we stopped after 2.5 hours because I simply too hot and exhausted to continue.
Thank you so much to Ranger Lewis for helping us to coordinate this cleanup between Jeepers Keepers, Inc. and the Florida Department of Environmental Protection. We look forward to coming back in 2026 and making an even bigger impact!