Long Pine Key, Florida, United States

5RachNorfolk 5:00 PM Mar 4, 2012

Loved it here and went back 2 times
Hello found this place by accident when visiting The Everglades. Went to The Royal Palm Center and done the amazing Anhinga trail there and saw tonnes of animals, then was driving down the road and saw sign posts to a picnic area, so followed the signs and we were glad we did so. We found a stunning lake and picnic tables with pine trees and peace and quiet. There were also rest rooms . The place was so quiet you could hear a pin drop. While we were there we only saw 4 other people. We could see a nice camp site on the other side of the lake. We walked right round the lake and then had a picnic lunch next to the lake. We did not see any flies or bugs and were not bitten at all( time of year I guess). After our lunch( late lunch) we found another walk through the forest and palm trees which was 1 mile long and quite interesting as it was starting to get dark. We loved it here as it was so calm and quiet. Another day we decided to come back here as the ticket to The Everglades ( $10 per car lasts 7 days) was still valid and we were only staying in a hotel 10 miles away( Homestead). We bought food for a picnic and drove to the lake. Again it was very peaceful and the weather was perfect and warm and we had a great time. The toilet blocks were spotless and all you could hear were birds flying high up in the sky. We saw a few people biking past and a few people from the camp site walking around the lake. We noticed several walks around this area. There was a 7 mile hike which started at the top of the road near the entrance. All in all we loved it here. It is a place to come and chill out for a while, have lunch etc. We were quite shocked how quiet it was as it was so beautiful here. We did not see much wildlife here but just sitting by the lake and relaxing was enough. This spot is perfect for a picnic after doing The Anhinga Trail at The Royal Palm Center which we luckily did. I think The Everglades are great value too as you pay $10 per car and the ticket lasts 7 days. No other fees in the park, just the one entrance fee and you can do as many hikes and trails as you wish and come back as often as you like over the 7 days.

4The Hiking Harpist 5:00 PM Feb 24, 2020

Fun to look up at the trees and see other plant life
Long Pines do not throw a lot of shade, so this was a hot walk. That being said, it's near the beautiful Long Pine Campground and is a great way to see plant life that differs from the lower, swampier elevations. The trail is long, but you can go as far as you'd like and then turn around. Even though it was January, I saw some flowers in bloom as well as some butterflies. The view up through the pine trees made for some incredible photos.