Windley Key Fossil Reef Geological State Park

About Windley Key Fossil Reef Geological State Park

The petrified coral was sold to the Florida East Coast Railroad, which used the stone to build the Henry Flagler Overseas Railroad. During the construction of the railroad in the 1960s, the quarry was used to produce an exquisite gem called Keystone.

Today, along the eight-metre high quarry wall, visitors can see a cross-section of the ancient corals and learn how the quarry worked, and samples of its machinery are preserved in the park.

Visitors can also enjoy the island's natural attributes by following the five short, self-guided trails.

Educational exhibits on the history of the site show a wide range of historical information about the quarry and its history, as well as an extensive fossil collection.

Various Indian tribes inhabited the Keys before the first European explorers arrived, and Middens and other remains were found on the island documenting the early human occupation of the islands.

The Conch family moved to the Key Keys at the end of the 19th century, settled in Key West and founded a small farming and fishing community. In a remote area of the Florida Keys, about 1,000 feet from the shore of Lake Okeechobee, it is one of only a handful of fossil-bearing sites in Florida.

The Russell family owned Umbrella Key (Windley's former name) in the mid-19th century and lived in the land until it was sold to Florida East Coast Railway for $852.80 in 1908.

The railway was completed in 1912 and the quarry and Windley Key station continued to serve in many ways. The quarry wing was then used after the final completion of the Overseas Railway to supply the approaching bridge at the intersection of the tracks of US Highway 1 and Florida East Coast Railway, as well as the station's water supply.

On the way back, supplies of polished keystones were diverted back to the mainland and local trains stopped at Windley Key to collect much needed fresh water to and from the island, as well as mail and passengers.

Keystones and decorative bricks are on display at several buildings in the United States, including the Capitol, the Capitol in Washington, D.C., and the White House in New York City. Local examples include the Windley Key Historic District, a public park and a museum at the University of Florida.

For professional geologists and curious visitors, the park offers a unique opportunity to compare living corals today with their fossilized ancestors. Clean, cut quarry machines show perfectly preserved petrified specimens, and the quarry has been in operation since the 1960s. The limestone quarry also shows the thin soil layer that supported the rich botanical life that thrived in the subtropical environment of the Keys. Today, this quarry is a treasure trove of preserved geological gems, such as fossils, bird fossils, reptiles and amphibians, and coral remains.

The Alison Driver Environmental Education Center features a Natural History Museum, a visitor center and an interactive exhibit on the history of the Keys and Florida.

A conference room on the second floor can be reserved for school group meetings and a picnic table is set up in the quarry in the park, although the shade tables are limited. The Visitor Centre is open daily from 10 am to 5 pm and open to the public from 9 am to 4 pm.

Ranger tours are also offered, and along the way, visitors can observe and experience the site's natural and cultural resources. The park has a tropical hardwood hammock that winds through the park from the visitor center to the visitor center and back.

Windley Key Fossil Reef Geological State Park is located on the west side of the Delaware River, north of New York City, New Jersey.