Windley Key Fossil Reef Geological State Park is a

Florida State Park There are 175 state parks and 9 state trails in the U.S. state of Florida which encompass more than , providing recreational opportunities for both residents and tourists. Almost half of the state parks have an associated local 501(c)(3) non-pr ...

located at mile marker 85.5 near

Islamorada Islamorada (also sometimes Islas Morada) is an incorporated village in Monroe County, Florida. It is located directly between Miami and Key West on five islands— Tea Table Key, Lower Matecumbe Key, Upper Matecumbe Key, Windley Key and Plant ...

. It was a former

quarry A quarry is a type of open-pit mine in which dimension stone, rock, construction aggregate, riprap, sand, gravel, or slate is excavated from the ground. The operation of quarries is regulated in some jurisdictions to reduce their envir ...

used by Henry Flagler in the early 1900s to help his building of the

Overseas Railroad The Overseas Railroad (also known as Florida Overseas Railroad, the Overseas Extension, and Flagler's Folly) was an extension of the Florida East Coast Railway to Key West, a city located beyond the end of the Florida peninsula. Work on the line ...

. Following the railroad's completion, it was a source for decorative stone pieces called Keystone. Now on display are exposed sections of fossilized coral, as well as some of the original quarry machinery. The Hurricane Monument at Mile Marker 82 in

is constructed of keystone from the quarry.

Hours

Florida state parks are open between 8 a.m. and sundown every day of the year (including holidays). The visitor center is open Thursday through Monday, 8:00 am to 5:00 pm.

Gallery

References and external links

Windley Key Fossil Reef Geological State Park
a
Florida State Parks
State parks of Florida Parks in Monroe County, Florida Tourist attractions in the Florida Keys Protected areas established in 1999 Fossil parks in the United States Paleontology in Florida Paleontological protected areas in the United States {{MonroeCountyFL-geo-stub