Elliott Key Harbor Loop

Elliott Key is the largest island in Biscayne National Park and the only one accessible by private boat or the park's ferry service with a maintained trail network. The Harbor Loop encircles the northern portion of the island through a dense tropical hardwood hammock — a rare forest community that once covered much of the Florida Keys and now exists primarily in protected areas. The canopy is composed of gumbo limbo, mahogany, pigeon plum, and strangler fig, with an understory of wild coffee and marlberry that provides dense cover for migratory birds.

Elliott Key holds a particular conservation history: in 1968, developers opposed to the proposed national park attempted to bulldoze a road through the island's center to reduce its park eligibility. Park advocates replanted the "spite highway" and the forest has largely recovered, though ecologists can still identify the scar in the vegetation pattern decades later. The island's shoreline on the ocean side offers excellent snorkeling on the nearshore reef, accessible from the beach at the harbor. White-crowned pigeons, ospreys, and in winter a variety of warblers enliven the hammock. The island has basic facilities including a campground, picnic area, and restrooms.