Rowell’s Waterfront Park – at mile marker 104.5 on the Overseas Highway in Key Largo – reopened Tuesday morning, in time for the Fourth of July holiday.

The 8-acre, kid- and dog-friendly park along Florida Bay, has been closed since September 2017 due to Hurricane Irma and the County’s recovery efforts.

Rowell’s is reopening as a passive park, with picnic tables, benches, a place to swim (at your own risk) and a launch for kayaks, canoes and standup paddleboards. Boats and personal watercraft are not allowed.

Admission to the park is free.

The park will be open seven days a week, from 8 a.m. to 30 minutes after sunset. The public can watch the Fourth of July fireworks from the park on Wednesday.

In the future, the park may have to close again temporarily to become a staging site for hurricane marine debris removed from canals.

The property was purchased in December 2013 for $5 million. Since then, the site has been used for events while the County works on a plan to develop it into a park the community will love. A new scenic overlook has been designed with a $125,000 grant from the Florida Department of Transportation.

For more information about the County’s parks and the available amenities, go to the County’s website:

http://www.monroecounty-fl.gov/facilities/.