Connecting Key Largo to Key West, the Florida Keys Overseas Heritage Trail has been under construction for more than a decade. It parallels US 1 and utilizes the old route  of the historic Overseas Railroad. According to DEP, more than 400,000 people make use of some portion of the route each year. DEP has allocated $19 million towards the project over the next two years, with the ambitious goal of fully opening the route for bicycle and pedestrian use by 2013. This is one of the more expensive trail projects in Florida due to the number of bridges involved, and the fact the route is paved. If you haven’t checked it out yourself, there are some nice, lengthy stretches in Key Largo, Long Key, and Marathon. Long distance hikers utilize the trail as a starting point for the East Coast Trail, connecting to the Florida Trail, trails in Alabama, the Appalachian Trail, and the International Appalachian Trail to connect Key West to Cape Gaspe, Quebec (and beyond to Newfoundland, for some), by foot, a journey that takes nearly a year.