601 Howard England Way
Key West
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Fort Zachary Taylor Historic State Park is 87 acres of a little bit of everything tucked away in a corner of Key West. There is the namesake Civil War era fort and the history it represents. There are the birds any time of the year but especially during migration seasons, when our avian friends make one last stop to gather strength for, or to recuperate from the great flight over the seas. And there are the beaches, by accounts the best in Key West.
The park is a bit out of the way, sequistered from the hubbub of the city by a portion of the Key West Naval Air Station. There is an easy to traverse nature trail through a hardwood hammock. Birding is good enough to qualify for as a stop on the Great Florida Birding Trail; species seen during our visit include red-bellied woodpecker, black-and-white warblers, Cape May warblers, prairie warblers, black-bellied plovers and various gulls. Rare plants included inkberry and Mexican prickly poppy.
Nearby the park is the Florida Keys Eco-Discovery Center, which provides a journey through the Florida Keys Marine Sanctuary in air-conditioned splendor. There is plenty of parking, restrooms, drinking water and food vendors. There is an admission fee and hours vary by the time of year.
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