Staff Spotlight, David Hughes
Park Ranger, David Hughes
Florida Keys Overseas Heritage Trail
David Hughes first fell in love with the Florida Keys 34 years ago while on his honeymoon with wife Cindy in Key West. Years later when his daughter found herself headed south, Dave and his wife also decided it was time for a move. A native of Pennsylvania, Dave and his wife, Cindy, have made a life in Key Largo. After moving to Florida, Dave found a job with the Florida Park Service. He has been with the Florida Keys Overseas Heritage Trail for 3 years now and really enjoys the many different people he meets during his daily tasks. David loves being able to share stories of the trail with people from all over the world.
Dave has helped with several hurricane clean up efforts, the most recent being Irma. He was here working with other rangers making sure the trail was safe for pedestrians and identifying areas that were damaged. Previously, he helped with clean up efforts after Hurricane Matthew hit the east coast of Florida. He and other staff traveled north helping other parks with clean-up efforts.
Coming from an engineering industry in Pennsylvania, one of his favorite things about the Florida Keys Overseas Heritage Trail is the engineering it took to construct bridges in a time when many thought it was impossible. When Dave is not helping to maintain the 106 miles of trail running from Key Largo to Key West he can be found riding the trail on his bike or taking his boat out.
So, if you see Dave while out enjoying the park, give him a shout and let him share his favorite stories of the Florida Keys Overseas Heritage Trail with you.