New Turkey Key

Located in Everglades National Park, New Turkey Key is an island which has multiple unnamed white-sand beaches and sparse forests. New Turkey Key is a part of the Ten Thousand Islands archipelago. 

New Turkey Key does not have lifeguards or any other amenities except restrooms and sitting areas, so plan accordingly. 

New Turkey Key offers many fun activities including sunbathing, beachcombing, camping, fishing, wildlife watching, hiking, swimming, kayaking, canoeing, paddleboarding, jet-skiing, surf-skiing, and boating. If you are planning to enter the water near New Turkey Key, we recommend being careful as the water here is known to have dangerous rip currents. In addition, New Turkey Key and the area around it are known to have unpredictable storms throughout the year. Depending on the time of the year, you can view many kinds of animals in the water near New Turkey Key including sea turtles, manatees, and dolphins. Sea turtles often use the beaches in New Turkey Key as a seasonal nesting spot. New Turkey Key also has two tent campgrounds - these campgrounds offer an amazing waterfront camping experience. However, if you are planning to camp in Pavilion Key, please note that you need to have a wilderness camping permit for the same.  You can visit the National Park Service’s website for more information regarding permit rules. The water around New Turkey Key is an amazing fishing spot and you can catch many kinds of fish here. However, if you are planning to fish in the water near New Turkey Key, please make sure that you follow the local fishing regulations.

Getting to New Turkey Key is difficult - the only way to visit New Turkey Key is via boat or kayak/canoe. To visit New Turkey Key, you need to first reach the Gulf Coast Visitor Center of Everglades National Park. This center is present near 815 Oyster Bar Lane in Everglades City. You can use the boat and kayak/canoe launch to launch your watercraft in the water. You can use an aquatic passageway named Indian Key Pass to travel to New Turkey Key - New Turkey Key is present to the south of this aquatic pass. If you are planning to visit New Turkey Key, we recommend becoming familiar with the local water currents and tides as it would help in making your boating and kayaking/canoeing trip smoother. In addition, we also recommend informing the National Park Service authorities present in Gulf Coast Visitor Center about your visit before embarking on your boating/canoeing/kayaking trip to New Turkey Key.

There are many attractions near New Turkey Key in the nearby mainland Collier County. Museum of the Everglades is set in a 1920s building and it is a part of the United States’ National Register of Historic Places. This museum offers a unique insight into the vibrant history of the Everglades region. Smallwood Store is a historic store/museum which was built in 1906. This historic site is a part of the United States’ National Register of Historic Places. Smallwood Store has a variety of interesting exhibits which highlight the history of South-western Florida’s early settlers. Smallwood Store also has a gift shop. The Skunk Ape Research Headquarters is operated by Dave Shealy, who has dedicated his life towards gathering information about a local cryptid named the Skunkape.   The Skunk Ape Research Headquarters also has live animals featuring many kinds of animals including snakes, turtles, and birds and it also has a gift shop featuring Skunkape themed memorabilia. If you are looking for another attraction near New Turkey Key, Wooten’s Animal Sanctuary & Alligator Park is home to many animals including lions, tigers, otters, turtles, and over 100 alligators. In addition, the park also offers live alligator shows and airboat tours, and swamp buggy tours of the vibrant Everglades region.

If you get hungry, there are many great restaurants near New Turkey Key in the nearby mainland Collier County.  City Seafood Restaurant & Market has a rustic ambiance and it offers a memorable waterfront dining experience. This restaurant also serves excellent locally sourced seafood. City Seafood Restaurant & Market is especially known for offering delicious stone crabs on a seasonal basis. HAVANA CAFÉ  is a Cuban restaurant with an outdoor dining area. In addition, the restaurant is known for serving amazing Cuban dishes, along with delicious salads, sandwiches, desserts, and breakfast dishes. If you are looking for another good and affordable restaurant near New Turkey Key, Island Cafe serves excellent dishes for breakfast, lunch, and dinner including pancakes, biscuits and gravy, sandwiches, wraps, seafood, pastas, burgers, steaks, and pizza.

If you are looking for a hotel near New Turkey Key, there are many great options in the nearby mainland Collier County. If you are looking for an upscale hotel, the 4-Star Hilton Marco Island Beach Resort and Spa is a 40-minute drive way from Everglades City. This hotel offers many amenities including two restaurants, a lounge, a pool, a spa, a fitness center (open 24 hours a day and seven days a week), two tennis courts, an activity program for children. A more affordable hotel is the 3-Star Captain's Table Resort that offers many amenities including a pool, pool towels, a picnic area, a nearby gift shop, nearby complimentary bike rentals, and a nearby guest laundromat. If you are looking for another good and affordable hotel near New Turkey Key, the 2-Star Ivey House Everglades Adventures Hotel offers many amenities including a pool, landscaped courtyard garden, and complimentary breakfast.