Long Key sits between Islamorada and Marathon, and its public beach is a single place: the natural Atlantic shoreline inside Long Key State Park. There is no town beach here and no city park with sand that we could confirm. What the park offers is quieter than the developed beaches up and down the chain. Florida State Parks lists swimming, kayaking, bird-watching, picnicking, flats fishing and snorkeling along the shoreline, with two hiking trails. This page covers the hours, the fees, and the two notices that decide whether a visit works on a given day, all read on October 24, 2026.
Long Key State Park at a glance
| Beach | Operator | Hours (as posted Oct. 24, 2026) | Entry fee (as posted Oct. 24, 2026) | Dogs | What is there |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Long Key State Park shoreline | Florida State Parks | 8 a.m. to sunset, 365 days a year | Vehicle: one person $4.50; two people $6; plus 50 cents per additional person; pedestrians, bicyclists and extra passengers $2.50 | Not posted on the pages we checked | Natural Atlantic shoreline; swimming; kayak rentals at the ranger station; two hiking trails; picnicking; birding |
Beach finder
Every public beach here, as the operators post it
1 public access points, each with the hours, fees and dog rule its operator published, read on October 24, 2026. A feature only shows when the operator lists it.
Long Key
Long Key State Park shoreline
- Run by
- Florida State Parks
- Hours
- 8 a.m. to sunset, 365 days a year
- Fees
- Entry fee Vehicle: 1 person $4.50; 2 people $6; +$0.50 each additional person; pedestrian/bicyclist/extra passenger $2.50 (each incl. $0.50 Monroe surcharge)
- Dogs
- No dog rule posted on the operator page
- Picnic shelters
- Effective 2026-09-26: may close portions of the day for King Tide tidal surge flooding
- Effective 2026-07-12: primitive camping and Golden Orb trail closed for construction
Source: Florida State Parks: Long Key State Park hours & fees, checked October 24, 2026
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The park is at 67400 Overseas Highway, Long Key, and its phone is 305-664-4815.
Hours and fees
Florida State Parks lists Long Key State Park open 8 a.m. until sunset, 365 days a year, as posted October 24, 2026. Vehicle admission on the park’s hours and fees page, as posted October 24, 2026, is $4.50 for one person and $6 for two people, plus 50 cents per additional person. Pedestrians, bicyclists and extra passengers pay $2.50. Florida State Parks notes that each of these figures includes a 50-cent Monroe County surcharge per person.
That surcharge is why Keys state park fees climb with every passenger. A carload pays more than a couple, and the difference is set per head. Our beach fees page lines up every operator’s schedule in one place.
- Long Key State Park is open 8 a.m. until sunset, 365 days a year. Vehicle admission: one person $4.50; two people $6; plus 50 cents per additional person; pedestrians, bicyclists and extra passengers $2.50 (each includes a 50-cent Monroe County surcharge per person). Florida State Parks: Long Key State Park hours & fees
- Long Key State Park: 67400 Overseas Highway, Long Key, FL 33001; 305-664-4815. Florida State Parks: Long Key State Park
The King Tide notice
This is the notice to read before you drive out. Florida State Parks posted a notice effective September 26, 2026 saying Long Key State Park may be closed for portions of the day due to tidal surge flooding from King Tides. It does not give a schedule. The park’s page is the place to check on the day, and the park phone is the backup.
Our practical advice: if you are driving from Key Largo or Key West just for this beach, check the Long Key State Park page the morning you leave. If the notice is still up and you cannot get through to the park, have a second beach in mind. Anne’s Beach in Islamorada and the beaches in Marathon are the nearest operator-confirmed options in each direction.
- Effective September 26, 2026: Long Key State Park may be closed for portions of the day due to tidal surge flooding from King Tides. Florida State Parks: Long Key State Park Know Before You Go
What is closed for construction
A separate Florida State Parks notice, effective July 12, 2026, closed all primitive camping and the Golden Orb hiking trail for construction. The notice covers camping and that one trail. It does not close the shoreline. With the Golden Orb trail out, plan around the other trail and the water.
- Effective July 12, 2026: all primitive camping and the Golden Orb hiking trail at Long Key State Park are closed for construction. Florida State Parks: Long Key State Park Know Before You Go
What to do at the shoreline
Florida State Parks describes swimming, kayaking, bird-watching, picnicking, flats fishing and snorkeling along a natural Atlantic shoreline. Kayak rentals are available from the ranger station. This is a natural shoreline inside a state park, not a developed city beach, so plan the day around the paddle and the birds as much as the swim.
None of the Florida State Parks pages we read posted lifeguards, and none of the beach operators in this guide posts them anywhere in the Keys. Treat the water as unguarded.
- Long Key State Park offers swimming, kayaking (rentals available from the ranger station), bird-watching, picnicking, flats fishing and snorkeling along a natural Atlantic shoreline, with two hiking trails. Florida State Parks: Long Key State Park
- Not confirmed: None of the beach operators we checked posts lifeguards; swim at your own risk and confirm with the operator.
What the park pages did not say
- Dogs: not posted on the pages we checked on October 24, 2026. Call the park before bringing one.
- Boat ramp: the pages we read gave kayak access but no ramp details.
- Mile marker: the park page we read gives the street address but not a mile marker, so we do not quote one.
Before launch we re-open every Florida State Parks page in a browser to confirm hours, the vehicle fee, the surcharge and the closure notices. If the King Tide notice changes, this page changes with it.
Nearby beaches
North of Long Key, the closest public beaches are Anne’s Beach and Library Beach Park in Islamorada. South, Marathon has two city beaches and Curry Hammock State Park. To compare all of them by fee, dogs and facilities, use the beach finder.
Is Long Key State Park open right now?
The park is open 8 a.m. to sunset year-round, but under a notice effective September 26, 2026 it may be closed for portions of the day due to tidal surge flooding from King Tides, and since July 12, 2026 all primitive camping and the Golden Orb hiking trail have been closed for construction. Check the park's page before driving out.
Source: Florida State Parks: Long Key State Park Know Before You Go
Dates, rules and hours can change. The organisers have the final word: Florida State Parks (official site)