The Seven Mile Bridge seen from Little Duck Key

Clear water and sandy beach at Little Duck Key (1975)

Beach at Little Duck Key in the Lower Florida Keys (1975)

Aerial view of the Seven Mile Bridge running to Little Duck Key

Chapters / Florida Keys Open, 1 of 1 remaining

Ride Veterans Memorial Beach, keep it open

Oceanside at the west end of the Seven Mile Bridge. Free to park, free to walk on, flats that run out forever.

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7 riders call this homeKiteVeterans Memorial Park, Monroe County

Everything you need to know about Veterans Memorial Beach

Live conditions

Why riders love it

What brings people here, from the people who manage it and the people who ride it.

Kiteboarding at this beach is documented by local watersports retailers rather than by the county: a large area of shallow flats, clean wind, and the ability to walk back to shore.
Those same sources warn that north wind here is offshore and can be dangerous, and recommend booties for sharp objects in the shallows.
This is rider knowledge, not official guidance. Treat it accordingly.

Sources: Elite Watersports (commercial, non-official). Attributed deliberately.

See the wind right now

Access and rules

County rules differ park to park and can change with a single vote. The chapter is the group the county can call, and gets launch rules confirmed in writing.

State beach access records list no entrance fee and no parking fee, with 18 regular parking spaces and about 1,830 feet of frontage.
The park is listed by the county as ADA accessible, with a beach wheelchair available.
Shelter reservations for groups of eight or more go through Monroe County Parks and Beaches on (305) 453-8726.
A boat ramp is across the road from the beach access.

Sources: Florida beach access records; Monroe County facility listing; Monroe County; Florida beach access records

Read the local rules

Ecology and habitat

Cleanups on crowded beaches, respect for dunes and mangroves, and wind-window and right-of-way basics so riders are an asset on a shared shoreline.

The beach is a known birdwatching spot, including pelicans and snowy plovers.
There are no lifeguards.

Sources: Beach directory listings; county listing shows no lifeguard

Fund stewardship here

Good to know

Location, facilities and history.

Veterans Memorial Park is at 39900 Overseas Highway, Little Duck Key, FL 33043, at the west end of the Seven Mile Bridge around mile marker 40.
It is an oceanside Monroe County park.
The park reopened in March 2019 after extensive damage from Hurricane Irma in 2017. The parking lot and beach are open to the public.
Restrooms with shower facilities, picnic tables, barbecue grills and pavilions are on site. Shelter reservations are recommended for groups of eight or more.
The park is open daily from 7:30 a.m. to sunset.

Sources: Monroe County; Monroe County; Monroe County annual report

Meet the riders

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Veterans Memorial Beach

Rideable winds run from N to SSW over a wide area of flat, standable water.

Source: Elite Watersports

Know the spot

Veterans Memorial Beach

From October to May, winds average 15–25 knots.

Source: Elite Watersports

Know the spot

Veterans Memorial Beach

Water runs from about 70°F to 85°F between winter and summer.

Source: Elite Watersports

Know the spot

Why Veterans Memorial Beach needs a chapter

Florida Keys

Veterans Memorial Beach sits at the west end of the Seven Mile Bridge, facing open, shallow water that works in winds from north round to south-southwest. From October to May the trades fill in reliably, and a rider in trouble can usually stand up and walk back.

7riders call this home

Kitedisciplines riding here

Veterans Memorial Beach chapter, World Wind Sports

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Florida Keys

It is also free: no entrance fee and no parking fee. That makes it one of the most open doors into the sport in the Florida Keys, and open doors like this close when a beach gets crowded, a kite hits something, or nobody answers for the riders.

7riders call this home

Kitedisciplines riding here

Veterans Memorial Beach chapter, World Wind Sports

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Florida Keys

A chapter keeps the door open. It gives Monroe County one group to call, puts trained riders on the beach, and runs cleanups so the people who manage the park see kiters as part of looking after it.

7riders call this home

Kitedisciplines riding here

Veterans Memorial Beach chapter, World Wind Sports

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The riders, schools and crew of Veterans Memorial Beach

Riders from Marathon, Big Pine Key, Key West and the schools that teach them.

See the rider directory Talk on the board

WWSThe chapterKeeps a free public beach open to riders by being the group the county can call.WWSThe chapterRuns stewardship and keeps trained eyes on the water at a beach with no lifeguards.WWSThe chapterRuns sponsored certification weekends — trained, self-policing riders, with instructor certification for qualifying stewards and members.WWSThe chapterKeeps a free public beach open to riders by being the group the county can call.WWSThe chapterRuns stewardship and keeps trained eyes on the water at a beach with no lifeguards.WWSThe chapterRuns sponsored certification weekends — trained, self-policing riders, with instructor certification for qualifying stewards and members.

Inna GenouonLevel 2H, Marathon

Brian ConopaskLevel 3J, Key West

Sara NeumannLevel 2I, Key West

Braelie Ray Prescott-ArrudaCertified rider, Key WestJJp MccabeLevel 3M, MARATHONJJohn BouchardLevel 3J, Key WestSStephen HanesLevel 3L, Key West

Inna GenouonLevel 2H, Marathon

Brian ConopaskLevel 3J, Key West

Sara NeumannLevel 2I, Key West

Braelie Ray Prescott-ArrudaCertified rider, Key WestJJp MccabeLevel 3M, MARATHONJJohn BouchardLevel 3J, Key WestSStephen HanesLevel 3L, Key West

iSportsKiteiLocal authorityVeterans Memorial Park, Monroe CountyiKnow thisLittle Duck Key, west end of the Seven Mile Bridge. No entrance fee, no parking fee.iKnow thisKeeps a free public beach open; stewardship and certification behind it.iKnow thisThe cheapest way into the sport in the Keys.iSportsKiteiLocal authorityVeterans Memorial Park, Monroe CountyiKnow thisLittle Duck Key, west end of the Seven Mile Bridge. No entrance fee, no parking fee.iKnow thisKeeps a free public beach open; stewardship and certification behind it.iKnow thisThe cheapest way into the sport in the Keys.

Live conditions

Wind right now at Veterans Memorial Beach

Full forecast

Fund the chapter holding access at Veterans Memorial Park, Little Duck Key. You can too.

Your gift keeps the chapter running and the beach cared for: cleanup supplies, signage, certification weekends and the costs of being the group the park can call.

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