Don't discount this place based how little it seems (especially since there is a popular, large…read morepark across the street). But this is also not a typical park, as there is no playground or typical park amenities. They do have free parking (convenient to the beach too). The park was named after Charles "Sonny" McCoy (former key west mayor for 5 terms and Monroe County Commissioner) The "Indigenous" portion of the park's name is the concept that this park was originally designed for. They wanted to protect the native species of trees from being destroyed and fully removed by developers, so around the park are a huge variety of trees. Okay, not exactly exciting stuff yet and not much of a reason for that 5 star rating. They have a Wildlife Rescue center and a wildlife trail; which the kids always love. What sold me on this place is the brand new BOCCE BALL courts (approximately 8 of them). I very much enjoy playing and finding a professional made court is very hard to find in Florida. Most parks in Broward and Palm Beach County only have grass courts and a couple on har-tru (like a tennis court) and couple are done on artificial grass (the worst). Also the majority of parks that do have them, do very minimal maintenance so the courts are usually in a state of deterioration. These courts are made professionally (I have never seen this quality level in any public bocce ball court within 200 miles (literally). They have composite boards (so no worries regarding wood rot), they have concrete walkways (including dips to hold the out of play balls, fully lit for night play, tons of local leagues and the course material is rock sand and clay (and the play surface is incredible) Be sure to check this place out

So, as far as Key West attractions go, this popped up because it was free and off the beaten path,…read moreliterally it's in a really nondescript off the main street where the beach and pier are. I found it because I wanted to see the Key West chickens and I hadn't seen any at the point and there were a few there that I would be guaranteed to see. Besides chickens though are a lot of local species that are kept for conservation and education. It's a small space but we had fun, particularly the myna bird which could talk and was cute would kick out eggs from other birds' nests so they could lay their own. Devious little guys. It's a short loop around and while not quite a zoo you can get pretty close to a lot of the animals here; the turtle pond in particular, those guys wake up really quickly when you make any hand or arm gesture. All in all, it's a good find and definitely a quirky little find in quirky Key West.

Awesome playground right on the beach (not close to the water) with bathrooms near by. The entire…read moreplayground is gated which makes it more of a gem. There are small shaded tables on the side inside the grounds to drop all the beach bags and coolers and most of the play equipment is for climbing and balancing. We arrived right before sun down and the water was choppy with the rising tide but it was such an amazing sight to see the fishing boats arriving back to shore.

Key West is not a beach destination namely because the island doesn't have any beaches. True facts…read more Clarence Higgs Memorial Beach is an artificial beach and is really the only beach on the island besides Fort Zachary Taylor Park. Clarence Higgs beach is more of your traditional beach vacation where you can rent umbrellas and towels, play beach volleyball (there are only two courts), rent kayaks and snorkeling gear. The downside is that it isn't as picturesque as Fort Zachary Taylor Park. But that park doesn't really have any amenities. Overall, it's a decent beach. As the only traditional beach vacation spot on the island, though, it's going to be on your Key West itinerary at some point I hope.

Went to Highs Pier to view the sunrise on our last day in Key West. Easy to park. Long clean pier…read morewith benches. Beautiful view. Would recommend checking

During our four days in Key West during a 2022 cross country road trip, the Picante family enjoyed…read morea great Key West morning at Higgs beach. We arrived early and found parking near the children's playground area, and walked out onto the white sand beach with only a few other AM visitors. We did not utilize or investigate what looked like umbrellas and beach chairs for rent, and instead waded out into the bathtub temperature water with our masks and snorkels. The swim area stays shallow farther than we SoCal folks are used to in our beaches, and it is roughly enclosed by a break wall of sorts, and a long walking pier with stairs down into the water for access. Still plenty of small snapper, grouper, and other fish can be seen out near the structure of the pier and break wall. After a warm morning in the water, we left our towels on the beach and enjoyed a delicious lunch at Salute (see other review) before packing up and exploring the other great parts of Key West. We found this beach to be cleaner than Smathers beach, and maybe more laid back. Also of note: there was a marked sea turtle nest on the beach surrounded by caution tape and signage. Yet another wonder of the keys for us touristy visitors who live in Sunny SoCal with her cold California current ocean temps.

We were in Key West for one day on a cruise. Fort Zachary Taylor is about 1 mile from Mallory…read moresquare (near where you dock) so we walked. It's $2.50 if you walk in. The beach had nice sand but intermittent rocky portions. The grounds were really pretty, we enjoyed taking in some of the unique plant life that grows in this area. The fort was an added bonus. Ultimately this is a great combination of beach and history and I recommend stopping!

Absolutely gorgeous beach! It's very rocky though so wear water shoes!!!…read moreWe also got married on the east beach side and it was magical! Highly recommend! There is a snack shop with food and alcoholic drinks, bathrooms and a small souvenir shop in the middle of the beach.

Rented kayaks for the day and it was awesome! Friendly staff and the little beach is great compared…read moreto the ones out in town.

This beach sucks no facilities no bathroom just nothing hey mwr fix it and maybe more people will…read morelike to go there