National Key Deer Refuge Nature Center

The visitor center and staff are a wealth of information. This is the center not only for the National Key Deer Refuge, but also where you can get information about the other 3 wildlife refuges in the keys: Key West, Crocodile Lake, and Great White Heron. The refuge spans several keys and over wild areas interspersed with residential housing. We drove and visited the Blue Hole and out to No Name Key. We did see some key deer in both residential and wilderness areas. Bring bug spray.

The visitor center and national refuge trails were excellent - we saw key deer and an alligator. The guides in both the visitor center and the trails were very helpful. One note - the visitor center is about a mile from the two viewing areas. There is the Blue Hole, an abandoned quarry that is now a freshwater pond. We saw deer, alligator and birds there. A bit past the blue hole trail are two other nice trails to walk. It took us less than an hour to see both areas.

Drive slow and look for houses with buckets of water for the deer. We saw 8 and a fawn coming out of the bush for water. Go in the morning or sunset when it's cool enough. They go deep once it gets hot.

Stopped at the visitors center after hiking some of the trails nearby. Their bathrooms were immaculate, brand new, and air conditioned. Brand new visitors center has a small room with natural history exhibits which were all well done. The real star were the rangers who were staffing the place. They were so kind and informative.

Don’t recommend coming without a car if you’re not willing to do a LOT of walking, but the guide at the visitor center recommended us places to walk on the island to best see deer and we saw a ton of them while spending the day trekking around.

Stopped in close to closing but the staff still took time to walk us through where we could drive to see the Key Deer. When we are in the area, we will make sure to stop by earlier as the small store was already closed.

Wow. We were traveling to Key West and decided to stop and visit the National Key Deer Refuge. The ranger inside the office told us that we might see a deer, if we are lucky. She explained to us that they are active dawn a d dusk, normally. We drove up to the Blue Hole, parked there and surprise: we saw our first deer, she was eating and was not afraid to see us. Walking on the trail we saw an alligator, a "small" 8 ft alligator that was looking for some food. We also saw a smaller deer and then driving from the blue hole back to the main road 3 more. This was an incredible experience, please drive slowly as they jump in the street unexpectedly.

Saw a Key Deer! Bought a couple T-Shirts that are nice quality. Docent was a friendly dude.

Now this is a great place to stop and learn about the state wildlife, as well as get very knowledgeable and thorough recommendations for where to explore, walk and spot key deer. It also offers a cool hands-on experience with fossils, bones and replicas for kids - and adults - to engage with, learn from. Parking is plentiful, and employees are so kind, funny and welcoming.

Ok let's get a couple things straight: 1.) this IS NOT a national park 2.) this IS NOT a state park 3.) this IS NOT a theme park This is a national wildlife refuge. This property exists not for visitor entertainment and indulgence but to protect and preserve wildlife . Sorry for the rant - a lot of people get upset that they don't have a Disney world experience and maybe that's because they don't truly understand and /or respect the purpose of this refuge. The refuge is located in the Lower Florida Keys (Big Pine), a hundred mile stretch of islands that extends south and west from south Florida. Habitats in the refuge consist of pine rockland forests, tropical hardwood hammocks, freshwater wetlands, salt marsh wetlands, and mangrove forests. National Key Deer Refuge is home to more than 20 endangered and threatened plant and animal species, including the well known Key Deer. Please note there are no big signs that indicate the area is a refuge . There is residential neighborhoods and public sector businesses throughout so it's not like a sectioned off park . The wildlife are not in cages on display . They are in their natural habitats within the refuge and you may not get to see them. There is the Blue Hole you can visit and May spot something but please don't harass the wildlife or enter people's yards because you see deer grazing . This is the only refuge in the keys that is accessible by car while being open to the public so please respect the wildlife and the people who live here . The visitor center is a great place to start to learn more about the refuge and the Key deer. If you have a Blue Goose national wildlife refuge passport you can get it stamped here for all the Key refuges. They have very clean restrooms , small gift shop , informative displays , maps and staff on hand to answer questions. Manage your expectations and you will enjoy this area !

Let's start.by saying Joe (and especially his wife (sorry I not sure I ever caught her name). Have done a great job of informing and directing and keeping the place clean. This spot can be an ideal resource for information on the Key Deer and local wildlife. Now on to the bad - for us (on the area they directed us to)... we saw, no deer, no wildlife (except for a bird or two (high flying), no bugs (that could be a good thing, no lizards (not even the small ones), barely any flowers... must have been time of day 11-1 and time of year early December.

Great area to drive around SLOWLY late afternoon or dusk to see the deer in their natural habitat. Nothing to see at the Blue Hole but many deer in the area.

Great stop to learn more about Key Deer and other animals in the area. The nature center is free and has AC, clean bathrooms, recycling, and some hands on exhibits too (the microscope with different bugs and specimens was my favorite). The employees were friendly and helpful. If you're looking to see deer, come here for the info. The deer aren't actually here, but instead they tell you where to go. There's also a gift shop and a video.

Nice center. Watched the 12 minute film. Looked at the different exhibits and spoke extensively with the women volunteer and her husband. Very friendly and knowledgeable people. Nice bathrooms

Awesome back country charter outfit. Park your provision, put on the sunblock & enjoy. You & your family will have a great time. Don't forget tip!

Saw loads of deer even in the middle of the day. People at the refuge house are so kind and told us where to find deer, hiking trails, and where we could find Great White Herons.

Despite the name bearing the name of a Deer, it's hard to imagine that such a remote island would have a populous deer population enough to give it the geographical name of Deer Key. Almost midway between Key Largo and Key West- you'll find this tiny slip of green area where nature is fortunately still making itself pronounced. There's a visitor section where you can go ask all the questions your merry heart can come up with while a friendly staff member will respond to your inquiries in a warm Floridian manner. The keys is a rustic strip of Florida perfectly combing all the great aspects of the sunshine state with a touch of a remote feel. Take a drive around this place and you'll see what I'm referring to. Its scenic and should be explored during your visit down south.

YELP INSIDER TIP FROM DOREEN (AKA AZN PERSUASION): Go to the visitor center to get a map. They suggest dawn/dusk to see key deer. ******* We got lucky and saw 2 deer mid day at noon. We saw them in the residential area in folk's lawns eating plants and drinking or hanging out. Cute deer!

Very beautiful place with beautiful wildlife! We saw many key deer as well as pelicans, cormorants, raccoons, and even some winter warbler species. Several alligators, anoles, and mangrove salt marsh snakes too which were all great to see. The refuge is a very unique ecosystem, with dry pine scrub habitat meeting the beautiful salt marshes and mangroves at the water. It was a little busy, and that took away from it a lot, but i can totally understand why when it is one of the most scenic areas in the Keys. Please respect the land and all its organisms if you go, it really is a wonderful place!

There is no deer , but at the blue hole you can spot an alligator, maybe. Not worth your time, keep going.

Bob is a dear! (pun intended) nice center to get information on the deer and where to find them. We saw about a half dozen deer total. Saw them on the sides of the road, people's yard and also in the Blue Hole area recommended. Great spot to relax and watch the turtles and maybe even see a gator. The deer aren't shy, but please don't feed or touch them!

The deer will literally let you pet them and take close up pictures. In a 20 minute walk we saw no less than 20 different deer. It made the hunter in me go nuts. Yum ...venison. You can also see 3 foot iguanas, gators, birds, and mutant mosquitoes. Keep that last one as a warning. The mosquitoes are impervious to mortal weapons. You were warned. You can get some great pictures, and also some coconuts. Oh, and the traffic laws must be obeyed. I hear that you can be fined $20,000 for hitting a deer. Of course that also means no hunting...Sigh

Amazing experience! Definitely worth the drive. There are a few things you need to know about deer in order to get the most out of your visit. Deer are very elusive. You should not wear any perfume/scents. Don't step on dry leaves when walking and don't speak too loudly, remember, you are in nature. The best time to see deer in early morning 6-7 am and right before sundown. During the hotter hours of the day the deer are mostly in shaded areas and will be difficult to find. *** Most of the deer are near the houses because people leave out food for them or they eat the gardens*** You might want to drive around the residential areas and look into the yards, we saw about 11 this way. It saddens me to read that some people were unable to see deer. There are many reasons why this may have happened. But my suggestions are the best way to see them. First of all, you need to visit the visitor center. The staff is friendly and helpful. There are maps that guide you to trails and ponds which you will otherwise not find on your own. The visitor center has fun displays, it's worth checking out. Drive slowly as they will be anywhere and you need to look carefully. Be aware that key deer may have ticks so do not take pets and wash your clothes as soon as possible. The pond, I don't recall the name, is very nice. We saw ducks, alligators, and tons of other birds. It's a trail that leads to a boardwalk over the water similar to the Everglades style. Keep in mind that you may not see deer if you go during hotter hours or make too much noise. Although we did not see any on the trails, I do suggest doing the trails because we found interesting things such as vultures eating a raccoon. You never know. Allow yourself 3-4 hours for this experience.

I saw more key deer during my trip to Winn Dixie on big pine key than the zero I saw while driving around the enormous purported refuge. Also spent untold minutes trying to find the visitors center on the refuge only to realize that it was back in the aforementioned Winn Dixie shopping plaza. I'm happy that the refuge is working out great for the key deer (lots of places to hide from humans I guess) but as a tourist destination I would say skip it.

My friends used to live in the area and told me stories about Key deer coming in and out of their yard freely. Thus, I was expecting a landscape covered in Cervidae. That wasn't the case. I guess I only have myself to blame for this excursion not being as majestic and magical as I may have hoped for. I really, really, really looked forward to seeing some tiny Key deer...and I did see two...off in the distance...behind some trees and shrubs. So I kinda got to experience what I came for, but I wish I'd planned it better. I made the mistake of getting to the area during the hottest part of the day. The deer are smart and know it's much better to stay in the shade than to hang around the sun beaten roads and pose for tourists. You're better off trying to get a good look at them when they are more active in the early hours of the day or as it's cooling down. Despite only seeing two teeny tiny deer off in the distance, I otherwise enjoyed the scenic ride and being able to see where my friends had resided in Big Pine before they moved to Key West. Though we didn't see many deer, I saw a ton of iguanas and that made my day. My friends also told me horror stories about deer carcasses floating around after severe storms, so I suppose it could have been worse.

We were able to see 1 key deer right off the bat. We parked at the first viewing area and the tiny deer just walked across the street to check us out. The deer was not scared at all and stayed near the cars and various people for a long time. It kept licking a woman's hand for a while. People were petting the deer and taking pictures. This being said I don't think you should touch, feed or harass the wildlife. It's not wild if you are incouraging this type of activity. Keep yourself and your kids in check. After we walked over to the pond where we were able to spot a couple of alligators near the viewing platform. We also saw turtles, birds and a crab. This is not a for profit viewing area so don't expect everything to be paved and spotless. Please don't touch the animals and pick up after yourself.

Had a great time in the refuge. I recommend checking out the hiking trails through the protected areas on both keys. Look for the brown signs and fences. Trails follow old roads from before the land became a refuge. However there are no official trail markers so be careful. We were there in mid day and the rangers said the deer would be down to stay cool but we saw a lot of deer. I'd estimate at least 10 over the three hours we were there. We were there the end of February so it wasn't as hot and the bugs were under control. Saw key deer and raccoons. The eco system was cool too and interesting to see some of the wash up from the tides and hurricanes.

LAME. the blue hole was better than the watson "wildlife" trail -- if by "wildlife" they mean mosquitoes, flies, one heron and a rock that looked like a toad. we drove out here looking to catch a glimpse of the 2-ft deer. the hike was .6 miles, not a bad hike at all. the trail is well marked, but nary a deer, toy or otherwise. there was a giant iguana (?) hanging out at the observation deck. i guess i'm not a hiker, i wanted to see critters. i recommend this trail to those interested in plant life.

We stopped in on a whim while we were on our way back from Key West. We stopped at the Visitor's Center and got a map and talked with the super friendly staff. They told us we probably wouldn't see any deer because it was the hottest part of the day, but we decided to drive up and see The Blue Hole and trek across to No Name Key (how can you not stop by a place called No Name Key and get a picture?!) The Blue Hole was pretty cool, and the story behind it was interesting. When we drove out to No Name Key, we were going to turn around on No Name Road (Seriously!) and there, in the driveway of some random house, were two Key Deer! They are skinny and tiny, so I mistook them for dogs at first. Definitely worth the drive if nothing else than to say you did!

We stopped on our way out of little torch key and went to both trails. The trail further past Blue Hole was a typical hike for Florida. Sadly, we saw no deer . The Blue Hole trail was very short, but had a nice observation deck. We saw two alligators, Green Heron, a diving bird, and two turtles. It was worth the stop. For a short walk, it was great!

Love love all the Key deer!! They're a nonprofit organization, so if you can donate to help them out, PLEASE DO!!

Not much going on here, but it's a peaceful spot that's great for spotting the native wildlife. We didn't seen any Key Deer or the alligators (thank God), but did spot lots of turtles, lizards, ducks, various birds and a couple of huge iguanas. Bring your insect repellent!

The Key Deer refuge is a much needed area to provide some habitat for this endangered species. The Key Deer is under pressure from the development in the area. You can see Key Deer all around the area, primarily in the cooler parts of the morning and evening. The refuge is also a great place to ride your bike and stay out of traffic.

Hurricane damage to the nature trails in this area that seemed to be keeping the wildlife away. Would not drive far for this. Best place to see the deer was in people's yards in the neighborhood. Wasn't expecting Blue Hole to be a pond. Was expecting a bit more grandeur. Still, a short walk, a little viewing dock to see a turtle in the water. Did not see the croc or alligator there. If you are passing by and like nature, make a quick stop, if not, don't drive far for this. 1/2 hour is all you need here.

This was a fun stop on our way from Key Largo to Key West. We drove to Blue Hole and saw 2 alligators! From Hwy 1 turn right at Key Deer Blvd, then go down a few miles and you'll see a sign on the road for Blue Hole. This is a pond called Blue Hole where 3 alligators are residents. They say there are many more around other watering areas. Would've given this 5 stars if there were more walking paths we could use. There were plenty but they were closed off to the public. Saw Key deer a few times while we were driving down Key deer blvd too!

Seeing the Key Deer in their natural habit was a beautiful experience. They are amazing animals and very friendly. It's obvious that they're used to being fed, although it's prohibited. We had several walk up to the car to be pet and to lick us. We got some great video and pictures and the kids said it was the best experience ever. The Key Deer are endangered and protection. However, they do live in populated areas, which means they are at risk from humans and cars. I just beg you to please observe the traffic signs and speed limit as these little guys are often hard to see and can dart out in front of you. Help keep them alive.

As others have noted, you can add this to your list of places to skip when visiting the Keys. Parts of Stock island and No Name Island are nature reserves, but you can't really walk around any of it other than Blue Hole, which had some fish and one bird. We drove around the islands a bit and saw 2 Key Deer on the road, but they ran into the bushes immediately. They're just small deer, that's it. It took about 45 minutes to drive here from Key West and was not worth it.

It's true, this isn't the most exciting spot I have ever been to. But, A) it's free, B) we saw an aligator, lots of beautiful vegetation, lizards, turtles, and birds, and C) the staff is very very nice and knowledgable. Didn't see any Key Deer, but really the only time they come out is dawn and dusk, and we were there mid-day. This is a fun, quick, low-key nature experience, perfect for all ages.

If I could do more than 5 stars I would. This is the best. Deer walked up to us and lick our hands. It doesn't get any better than that. You are not suppose to feed them. Which I didn't. It is worth it just to come to the Florida Keys to see the Key Deer.