Long Pine Key Bike Trail
What to Expect
Safety Advisory
Eastern diamondback rattlesnakes and pygmy rattlesnakes are resident in the pine rocklands — stay on the paved trail, especially in cooler months when they sun themselves on exposed limestone near the path edges.
Summer months bring punishing heat, near-zero shade in open stretches, and mosquito swarms that can end a ride in minutes. If you visit between June and October, douse yourself in DEET and accept that conditions will be hostile.
Trail Details
Pro Tips
Ride in the morning between 9 and 11 AM from December through April — that's when the endangered butterflies are most active and the light filtering through the pines is at its best for spotting them on pineland croton plants.
Bring binoculars instead of extra water. The trail is short enough that one bottle covers it, but the birding is exceptional — painted buntings, white-crowned pigeons, and the occasional short-tailed hawk overhead reward anyone who stops and scans the canopy.
Start from the Long Pine Key campground trailhead rather than the main road access — the campground end connects to several spur paths into deeper pine rockland where you'll lose the other visitors entirely.
