Big Pine Key & The National Key Deer Refuge

The Key deer is the smallest subspecies of the North American white-tailed deer. Isolated on the Lower Florida Keys following the retreat of Wisconsin-era glaciers over 10,000 years ago, the deer adapted to harsh island conditions through 'island dwarfism'. Adult bucks stand just 28 to 32 inches tall at the shoulder and weigh 60 to 75 pounds, while does weigh only 45 to 55 pounds.

Hunted nearly to extinction by the 1950s when fewer than 50 animals survived, the establishment of the National Key Deer Refuge in 1957 sparked an extraordinary conservation comeback. Today, a stable population of roughly 800 to 1,000 deer thrives on Big Pine Key and neighboring islands. They are gentle, naturally curious animals often seen grazing on native silver palm berries, sea grape leaves, and garden shrubs in quiet residential neighborhoods along Key Deer Boulevard and Wilder Road.

Located two miles north of US-1 on Key Deer Boulevard, the Blue Hole is the only significant body of fresh water in the Florida Keys. Originally excavated in the 1920s as a limestone borrow pit to supply roadbed ballast for the Overseas Highway, the quarry tapped deep into Big Pine Key's unique freshwater lens.

A flat wooden boardwalk and observation deck overlook the deep blue water, which is inhabited by two resident American alligators, Florida softshell turtles, green iguanas, and schools of invasive blue tilapia. In the surrounding hardwood forest, look for white-crowned pigeons, red-bellied woodpeckers, and seasonal migrating warblers.

Hidden on neighboring No Name Key (accessed via a short wooden bridge off Watson Boulevard), the No Name Pub is one of the most eccentric drinking establishments in the United States. Founded in 1931 as a general store and bait shop, it evolved into a tavern where local fishermen began stapling signed dollar bills to the walls in the 1970s so they would always have money for beer when returning from multi-day trips.

Today, every square inch of the walls, ceiling beams, lamps, and doorframes is covered in overlapping, autographed one-dollar bills—estimated at well over $90,000 in physical legal tender. The pub serves outstanding stone-baked tavern pizzas, smoked fish dip, and ice-cold pitcher beers.