Text and photos by Martin Jägersand
Within viewing distance from Miami, this is a surprisingly quiet area. The NP consists of several key's of which Elliot key is the largest. You can camp on Elliot key. Backcountry camping not currenly allowed because of hurricane damages (winter 93).
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The keys form a barrier between an enclosed costal waterbody, with sandy shallow bottom, and the Atlantic on the outside. Narrow channels, with strong tidal currents link the two together. If you like we here try to beat through these straits against the current you may have to walk your boat through shallow water instead.
Outside in the atlantic are patch reefs, breaking the big waves of the Atlantic ocean, allowing the vegetation on the islands to go almost all the way to the waterline.
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Elliot key has a trail inside the tropical forest along it's full length. At the northen end of the trail we saw the foundation of this house.
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Further in in the forest we found the rest of the remains.
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Nice little spider with "thorns" on it's body. Anybody know the name?
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A zebra butterfly. Supposedily a rare sight, but they were common here.