County owned Clarence Higgs Beach Park (the "Park") is located on the Atlantic Ocean adjacent to the Waldorf Astoria's Casa Marina Resort, in Key West, Florida, the southernmost city in the continental United States, and comprises approximately 16.5 acres of ocean front vista. From its clear turquoise waters to its beautiful sandy beaches and its tropical vegetation, Higgs Beach Park is one of the most inviting public beach parks in Florida because of its diverse array of activities and offerings. Within the Park, there is a Civil War Era Fort (listed on the National Register of Historic Places), Salute! On the Beach, a lovely beach side café which features a lighter, Caribbean-influenced take on Italian classics - with fresh breads, vegetables and local seafood and reportedly, the largest African Refugee Burial Ground in this hemisphere as well as one of the largest Aids Memorials in the Country.
Higgs Beach Park is truly unique on many fronts as it hosts the only shore-accessible underwater marine park in the United States and is also the terminus of the Florida Overseas Heritage Trail, one of only 31 nationally designated All American Highways in the United States.
Activities available to park users include swimming, snorkeling, sunbathing, beach volleyball, tennis, pickleball and a Children's Playground. Tropical Water Sports, a beach concessionaire, offers a broad array of beach accessories for rent including beach chairs, umbrellas, kayaks, and paddle-boards, among others. Additionally, the historic civil war era fort known as the West Martello has served as the home of the Key West Garden Club for over 50 years and offers free self-guided tours of almost 2 acres of beautiful gardens with an ocean breeze and view. For animal lovers, the Park hosts a large and actively utilized dog park with separate runs for small and large dogs.
