Lignumvitae Key Botanical State Park - Indian Key Fill Route
Florida Keys · Monroe County · Lignumvitae Key waters / Lower Matecumbe seagrass flats and mangrove creeks
A 2.84-mile roundtrip from Indian Key Fill across shallow Keys flats to Lignumvitae Key, with optional mangrove-creek exploration and an island botanical/historic destination.
Current state sources verify Indian Key Fill launch, 2.84-mile roundtrip to island, 1.84-mile mangrove-creek option, landing location, fees, hours, rental providers and light-wind guidance. Moderate/intermediate rating and paddle duration remain field-validation items.
Why paddle here
- The location combines a manageable crossing, wildlife-rich mangrove creeks and a rare tropical-hardwood island experience.
Launches, parking and access
Where you actually put the boat in, how far you carry it and over what. This is the part official sources are worst at, so it is the part we say most plainly — including where we do not know yet.
Indian Key Fill public ramp
- Launch type
- Public ramp / kayak launch
- Access
- Public access
- Hours
- 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Thursday to Monday; closed Tuesday and Wednesday
- Fees
$2.50 per person island visitor fee
High confidence- Parking
parking at Indian Key Fill; capacity to verify before a field visit
High confidence
- Carry to the water
- Carry not yet measured
Nobody has checked this yet.Report the carry — How far did you carry your boat from the parking area to the water? (opens in a new tab)
- How hard that carry is
- Not yet assessed
Nobody has checked this yet.Rate the carry — How hard was that carry with a loaded boat? (opens in a new tab)
- Ground you cross
- Not yet recorded
Nobody has checked this yet.Describe the ground — What did you cross on the way — pavement, sand, stairs, loose trail? (opens in a new tab)
- Boat cart
- Not yet assessed
Nobody has checked this yet.Report cart use — Could you use a boat cart the whole way, or did you have to carry? (opens in a new tab)
- Unloading
- Not yet assessed
Nobody has checked this yet.Report unloading — Could you unload beside the water before parking, or carry the whole way? (opens in a new tab)
- Restrooms and rinse
- Not yet measured from the launch
Nobody has checked this yet.Report facilities — How close are the restrooms and showers to this launch? (opens in a new tab)
- Rules at this launch
- Island is closed Tuesday and Wednesday
- Kayak landing and floating dock sit just south of the main dock
The same physical ramp as PP-FL-016 but a different destination and a different fee, so it is recorded under this location too.
Unconfirmed at this launch — can you help?
- Was there parking, and had it filled up by the time you arrived?Report parking — Was there parking, and had it filled up by the time you arrived? (opens in a new tab)
Routes
Difficulty belongs to the route, not the location. One place can offer a beginner loop and an advanced crossing.
Mangrove creek entrance out-and-back
Not yet ratedOut and back· 1.8 mi round trip· Timing mattersPut in at Indian Key Fill public ramp.
Wind and tide across open shallow flats decide this paddle.
The research explicitly calls this a 1.84-mile roundtrip, so the basis is recorded. The Intermediate skill level is stated for the location as a whole and not for this shorter variant, so it is not carried here.
Help verify this route
Have you paddled Mangrove creek entrance out-and-back (1.8 mi)?
- How difficult did this route actually feel?Rate the difficulty — How difficult did this route actually feel? (opens in a new tab)
- What made this route easy or hard — current, distance, wind, navigation?Say what made it hard — What made this route easy or hard — current, distance, wind, navigation? (opens in a new tab)
- How long did it take you, and at what pace?Report the time — How long did it take you, and at what pace? (opens in a new tab)
Island landing route to Lignumvitae Key
Not yet ratedOut and back· Timing mattersPut in at Indian Key Fill public ramp.
Island hours are Thursday to Monday only, and wind and tide govern the flats crossing.
The Directory states 2.84 miles for this variant but, unlike the 1.84-mile creek route, does not say whether that is one-way or round trip. Parallel phrasing is not a source, so the figure is withheld rather than assumed to match its sibling.
Help verify this route
Have you paddled Island landing route to Lignumvitae Key?
- How difficult did this route actually feel?Rate the difficulty — How difficult did this route actually feel? (opens in a new tab)
- What made this route easy or hard — current, distance, wind, navigation?Say what made it hard — What made this route easy or hard — current, distance, wind, navigation? (opens in a new tab)
- How far was this route if you tracked it?Report the distance — How far was this route if you tracked it? (opens in a new tab)
- How long did it take you, and at what pace?Report the time — How long did it take you, and at what pace? (opens in a new tab)
What conditions do here
How much each factor typically governs a trip at this location.
These are not live conditions. This describes how much each factor typically governs a trip here. Always check the current forecast, tide table and river level before you launch.
- Wind
- Trip-deciding
- Current
- Minor factor
- Tide
- Trip-deciding
- Boat traffic
- Not yet assessed
- Boat traffic: Boat traffic possible in channels
Planning
- Exposure
- Open shallow flats with sheltered mangrove-creek sections
- Seasonal
- Light winds are specifically recommended; shallow grass flats require channel awareness. Mosquitoes are a consideration June-November.
- Best time of day
- Morning preferred; light-wind day
- Reservations & permits
- No special day paddle permit stated; island visitor fee applies
Hazards
Wind exposure
Wind/open flats
Oyster bars / shallows
shallow seagrass
Easy to get lost
channel navigation
Heat and sun exposure
heat/sun
Mosquitoes / no-see-ums
mosquitoes seasonally
Choose a light-wind day, leave a float plan, carry water/sun protection and use the designated kayak landing if visiting the island.
Amenities and craft
Craft suited to this water
Bringing your own boat: Yes
Amenities
- Restrooms — Yes on island
- Showers — No shower confirmed
- Picnic area — not recorded — Limited; bring what you need
- Food nearby — No food concession confirmed on island
- Drinking water — not recorded — Bring adequate drinking water
What you will see
Rentals and outfitters
Robbie's Marina / Backcountry Cowboys
RentalsHigh confidence
PaddlePin tips
PaddlePin should expose two variants: 1.84-mile mangrove-creek out-and-back and 2.84-mile island landing route.
High confidenceBest Time of Day: Morning preferred; light-wind day
High confidenceSafety Notes: Choose a light-wind day, leave a float plan, carry water/sun protection and use the designated kayak landing if visiting the island.
High confidence
Been here? Help keep it accurate
PaddlePin is researched from official sources. Paddlers who have actually been are how it stays true.
Contributions are reviewed before anything on this page changes. PaddlePin stays the researched directory — your report is evidence we check, not an edit to it.
Sources
Where this information came from, and when we last read it.
- Primary source — Florida State Parks, read
- Secondary source — Florida State Parks, read
Nearby paddling
Curry Hammock State Park - Little Crawl Key Loop
Beginner routeFlorida Keys · Monroe County · Florida Bay / Atlantic coastal waters
A compact Florida Keys paddle with a 1.5-mile mangrove-tunnel loop, lagoon, grassy flats, sandbars and short open-ocean sections.
Florida Keys · Monroe County · Mangrove trails / Largo Sound
A dedicated mangrove-paddling network in Key Largo with several miles of trails leading through mangroves and into Largo Sound.