Ride Big Pine Key, keep it open

Access and rules

No water access is implied. Convoys go only to launches the chapter has confirmed as legal and permitted.

• Monroe County states plainly: there is no water access from the park.
• Anything on this site that reads like a launch would be false. There is no launch here.
• Reservations run through the Monroe County facilities system. Fees are paid by check to the Monroe County Board of County Commissioners.
• Larger events require a certificate of liability naming the county as additionally insured, and events over 250 people across more than one day require a public assembly permit.
• Monroe County operates several free public boat ramps on Big Pine Key, including the Eden Pines ramp at Bittersweet Avenue and the Koehn Avenue ramp at the north end of Koehn Avenue.
• Bahia Honda State Park, about seven miles northeast at MM 37, has a two-lane boat ramp with trailer parking. The chapter confirms each convoy destination as a legal, permitted launch before listing it.

Sources: Monroe County Boat Ramps; Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission boating guide; Monroe County facility listing; Monroe County, Big Pine Community Park

Ecology and habitat

Education first: right-of-way, habitat awareness and self-rescue taught on land before anyone rigs.

Good to know

Location, facilities and history.

• Big Pine Community Park is at 31009 Atlantis Road, at the end of Sands Road, Big Pine Key, FL 33043.
• Open daily from 7:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m.
• The waterfront park includes tennis courts, a playground, a skate park, ball fields, bocce, basketball and handball courts, and a fitness trail.
• The community park meeting room has a concession stand, restroom access, ample parking and 11,000 square feet of space, available at an hourly rate.
• A smaller room is also rentable with a published hourly rate and refundable deposit.

Sources: Monroe County facility listings; Monroe County, Big Pine Community Park