Boating in the Florida Keys

The Florida Keys run as a chain of islands between the Atlantic reef tract and the shallow waters of Florida Bay and the Gulf. Almost everything you will do here, from snorkeling a reef to poling a flat, happens inside a national marine sanctuary with its own rules. This page explains the areas, the sanctuary rules that matter most to boaters and how to plan a safe trip.

The Keys, area by area

Upper Keys

Key Largo and Islamorada sit closest to the mainland and to the Miami area, so they are often the first stop for trailer boaters. John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park in Key Largo protects roughly 72 square nautical miles of ocean. It has a boat ramp, dock slips and mooring buoys in Largo Sound through its dockmaster, plus snorkel and dive trips for those who prefer not to take their own boat to the reef. Islamorada is known for its flats, backcountry and offshore fishing.

Offshore of Key Largo, the Key Largo Dry Rocks-Grecian Rocks Sanctuary Preservation Area is home to the "Christ of the Deep" statue, often called Christ of the Abyss. NOAA describes it as a 9-foot bronze statue in a sand channel on the offshore side of Key Largo Dry Rocks, in less than 25 feet of water. Mooring buoys surround the reef, and NOAA warns that boats must go around the outside of the buoys, because cutting across the preservation area to reach them leads to groundings on the reef. See diving and snorkeling in Florida before you get in the water.

Middle Keys

Marathon is the hub of the Middle Keys, with long bridges, channels between the Atlantic and Florida Bay, and open water on both sides. Curry Hammock and Long Key State Parks are here; both are better suited to paddlers than to powerboats. See boat camping for details.

Lower Keys and Key West

Bahia Honda State Park has two boat ramps and a protected marina, with access to both the Atlantic and the Gulf side; once out of the marina area, boats must stay 400 feet from the park shoreline. Looe Key, offshore of the Lower Keys, is one of the sanctuary's protected reef areas with large-boat mooring buoys. Key West is a working harbor as well as a destination, so expect larger vessels in its main channels and give them room.

Dry Tortugas

Dry Tortugas National Park lies about 70 miles west of Key West and can be reached only by boat or seaplane. Its centerpiece is Fort Jefferson on Garden Key, which the NPS calls the largest masonry fort in the western hemisphere. Visitors who stop at Garden Key pay the park entrance fee, and the park is cashless. The NPS calls the trip an open-ocean crossing with no land in sight, and lists NOAA charts 11438 and 11434 for the route. No food, water or fuel is available in the park, so bring everything for the full trip plus a few spare days. Overnight anchoring is allowed only in sand bottom within one nautical mile of the Garden Key lighthouse; anchoring is not allowed in the park's Research Natural Area, where mooring buoys are for day use of up to two hours. Some areas are closed to visitors. Check in with a ranger at Garden Key.

Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary rules

The sanctuary uses marine zoning to protect coral reefs, seagrass and wildlife while keeping most areas open to boating, fishing and diving. These rules are enforced by state and federal officers. The summary below is based on NOAA's sanctuary pages; the full text is in 15 CFR 922 Subpart P.

Rules that apply everywhere in the sanctuary

• Do not anchor on living coral.
• Do not run your boat in a way that strikes coral or seagrass or causes prop scarring.
• Outside marked channels, go no faster than 4 knots with no wake within 100 yards of residential shorelines, stationary vessels and navigational aids marking reefs.
• Go idle speed, no wake within 100 yards of a divers-down flag, and fly a dive flag when you dive or snorkel.
• Do not discharge sewage, treated or untreated, or trash, and keep your marine sanitation device secured against discharge.
• Do not remove or damage coral or live rock, or feed fish, including sharks.

Zone types

The sanctuary has several zone types with different levels of protection, including sanctuary preservation areas on the ocean side, conservation areas, restoration areas and wildlife management areas. In sanctuary preservation areas, conservation areas and restoration areas, fishing and taking anything is generally prohibited, and so is touching or standing on coral. Some wildlife management areas are no-motor or limited-access zones. NOAA's regulations page notes that new anchoring prohibitions in several zone types take effect in 2027, so check the current rules before each season.

Mooring buoys and anchoring

The sanctuary's mooring buoys are white balls with a blue stripe. More than 600 are available on a first-come, first-served basis at no cost. Standard 18-inch buoys support boats up to 59 feet; larger 24-inch buoys for boats from 60 to 100 feet are at a few sites, including Looe Key and several popular wreck sites. Sanctuary rules reserve the large-boat buoys for large vessels and keep large vessels off standard buoys.

Other buoys you will see:

Buoy	Looks like	Meaning
Mooring buoy	White ball, blue stripe	Free mooring; tie up here instead of anchoring
Boundary buoy	Yellow, about 30 inches, no line	Edge of a protected zone; do not tie up
Spar buoy	Tall white cylinder, orange symbols	Information, hazards, no-motor zones or access limits

If no mooring buoy is free and you are outside a no-anchor zone, anchor in sand away from coral and seagrass. For longer stays, note that Florida law designates Monroe County as an anchoring limitation area: boats anchored within 10 nautical miles of a public mooring field or designated anchoring area must move and reanchor at least every 90 days, with distance limits on the new location (s. 327.4108, F.S. (opens in a new tab)).

Flats, backcountry and shallow water

Florida Bay and the Gulf side of the Keys are very shallow, with seagrass flats, mud banks and narrow channels. Much of Florida Bay is within Everglades National Park, which has its own boating rules. A few habits keep you off the bottom and out of trouble:

• Run marked channels and read the water; brown water over grass or mud is often too shallow to run.
• Plan shallow crossings for rising or high tide, using NOAA tide predictions for the nearest station.
• If you touch bottom, stop and do not power off, which scars seagrass. Pole, wade or wait for the tide.
• Learn the bay boats and flats boats that suit this water if you are choosing a boat for the Keys.

For snorkeling and dive planning, including dive flag rules, see diving and snorkeling in Florida.

Access, ramps and marinas

The Overseas Highway connects the islands, and boat access is spread along it: state park ramps such as Pennekamp and Bahia Honda, county and municipal ramps and many private marinas. Parking for trucks and trailers is often the limiting factor, especially on weekends and holidays; Bahia Honda notes that its trailer parking can fill and stop launching. Use our boat ramps and marinas guides to find and compare options, and call ahead for transient slips, fuel and pump-out.

Weather, currents and seasons

The Keys sit between the Atlantic and the Gulf, and conditions can differ on each side. Winter fronts bring strong winds and rough seas, while summer is calmer but has squalls, thunderstorms and the hurricane season from June through November. NPS warns that a tropical storm can form in the Gulf in any month, which matters most on long runs such as the Dry Tortugas.

Currents run hard through the channels between islands and under the bridges, and the Gulf Stream flows offshore of the reef. Check the marine forecast for both the Atlantic and Gulf zones, and see Florida marine weather for how to read it. Before any trip, review boating safety.

Frequently asked questions

Can I anchor on the reef in the Florida Keys?

No. Anchoring on living coral is prohibited throughout the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary. Use a mooring buoy where one is available, or anchor in sand away from coral and seagrass where anchoring is allowed.

Do mooring buoys in the Keys cost anything?

No. The sanctuary's mooring buoys are free and first come, first served. Standard buoys are for boats up to 59 feet; larger buoys at a few sites serve boats from 60 to 100 feet.

What do the yellow buoys on the reef mean?

Large yellow buoys mark the boundaries of protected zones such as sanctuary preservation areas. You may not tie up to them, and special rules apply inside, including no fishing.

How far is the Dry Tortugas from Key West by boat?

The National Park Service puts Dry Tortugas National Park about 70 miles west of Key West, across open water with no food, water or fuel available in the park.

Official sources

1. NOAA — Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary Regulations (opens in a new tab)
2. NOAA — Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary Buoy Program (opens in a new tab)
3. NOAA — Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary Marine Zones (opens in a new tab)
4. Florida State Parks — John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park, Experiences & Amenities (opens in a new tab)
5. Florida State Parks — Bahia Honda State Park, Experiences & Amenities (opens in a new tab)
6. NOAA — Key Largo Dry Rocks-Grecian Rocks Sanctuary Preservation Area (opens in a new tab)
7. National Park Service — Dry Tortugas National Park (opens in a new tab)
8. National Park Service — Dry Tortugas Boating (opens in a new tab)
9. Florida Statutes s. 327.4108 — Anchoring limitation areas (opens in a new tab)

Checked against these sources on October 2, 2026. Rules change — confirm current requirements with the official source before you rely on them.