Lower Keys

Lower Keys
FAQ

Everything you need to know before your beach day.

What are the beach conditions at Lower Keys today?

Lower Keys sits on the Atlantic Ocean. Our conditions page shows today's water temperature, surf height, wind, UV index, tide times from NOAA station 8724580, and rip current risk, plus red tide and sargassum seaweed status. Everything is pulled live from NOAA and Open-Meteo and refreshes through the day.

View Live Conditions

Where do you park at Lower Keys?

Park at Lower Keys in lots like Little Torch Key Marina, Cudjoe Key Bay Access, Big Pine Beach / Bay. Our parking page maps every option with addresses, rates from Marina customer and a live crowd-based availability estimate so you can plan ahead and skip circling.

Find Parking

Where should you eat at Lower Keys?

At Lower Keys, don't miss the Hogfish Entree at Square Grouper. Our dining page pulls live ratings and hours from Google Places and highlights the local dishes worth ordering.

Explore Dining

What boat trips run from Lower Keys?

Boats leave Lower Keys from Little Torch Key Marina, including the Florida Bay Flats Charter — dolphin watches, sunset sails, kayak tours and fishing charters. Our things to do page lists the operators, departure times and prices.

See Things to Do

What's happening at Lower Keys this week?

Lower Keys hosts Square Grouper Lunch and more. Our events page pulls the current week's lineup so nothing sneaks up on you.

Check Events

How long does it take to get sunburned at Lower Keys?

It depends on the UV index and your skin. Our conditions page converts today's hourly UV forecast at Lower Keys into minutes to burn using the standard erythemal dose model, so instead of "UV 9" you get "unprotected fair skin burns in about 18 minutes", along with the strongest stretch of the day and when to reapply. Open sand and water reflect UV back at you, so the estimate includes a beach uplift.

Check Today's Burn Time

Are dogs allowed at Lower Keys?

It depends on when. Monroe County's parks allow leashed pets, but nothing may run loose on any county park or beach. Source: Monroe County, FL official FAQ and countywide park ordinances (this coordinate falls in the Summerland/Ramrod Key stretch; the nearest identified Monroe County public beach park is Ramrod Park, though the exact facility could not be pinned down with certainty, so only the county's general, park-wide rules are cited rather than anything Ramrod-specific), checked 2026-09-10.

See All Beach Rules

Can you smoke at Lower Keys?

No. A countywide Monroe County ordinance bans smoking on every county-owned public park and beach, with a narrow exception for unfiltered cigars. Source: Monroe County, FL official FAQ and countywide park ordinances (this coordinate falls in the Summerland/Ramrod Key stretch; the nearest identified Monroe County public beach park is Ramrod Park, though the exact facility could not be pinned down with certainty, so only the county's general, park-wide rules are cited rather than anything Ramrod-specific), checked 2026-09-10.

See All Beach Rules

At Lower Keys, the sun sets at 7:15 PM today — about 11h 57m of daylight. Sunrise was 7:18 AM. Live water temperature, surf height, UV index, wind and tide for Lower Keys update at the top of the conditions page.