Sugar Loaf Shores Airport – Sugarloaf Key's Private Aviation Strip
Sugar Loaf Shores Airport at Summerland Key offers another example of the Florida Keys' remarkable concentration of private airstrips, where the practical challenges of island living create genuine demand for personal aviation. Sugarloaf Key and nearby Summerland Key sit in the Lower Keys between Big Pine and Key West, in a zone of residential communities whose residents have historically been among the most self-reliant in Monroe County. The strip at Sugar Loaf Shores serves this community with quiet, minimal-infrastructure private aviation access.
The Lower Keys' ecology is particularly sensitive — Big Pine Key hosts the endangered Key deer, and Sugarloaf Key encompasses nesting habitat for several protected bird species. Pilots using airstrips in this area should be attentive to low-altitude wildlife during approach and departure, and ground operations should avoid disturbing adjacent natural areas. The FAA designates FAA identifier 7FA1 for this private strip, differentiating it from the public-use facilities at Key West (EYW) and Marathon (MTH).
What is the FAA identifier for Sugar Loaf Shores Airport?
Sugar Loaf Shores Airport is assigned FAA identifier 7FA1, a Florida-specific designation format indicating a private-use general aviation facility in Monroe County.
Is Sugar Loaf Shores Airport near Key deer habitat?
Yes. Big Pine Key's Key deer National Wildlife Refuge is adjacent to this part of the Lower Keys, and Key deer are occasionally present even on Sugarloaf and Summerland Keys. Wildlife awareness during operations is important.
What type of aircraft can operate at Sugar Loaf Shores Airport?
Light single-engine piston aircraft are the typical users. The strip's dimensions and private-use nature limit operations to smaller, lower-performance aircraft appropriate to island strip environments.
Sugar Loaf Shores Airport - 7FA1 Contact Information
Address, Phone Number, and Hours for an Airports in Summerland Key, Florida.
| Name | Sugar Loaf Shores Airport - 7FA1 |
| Address | 17001 Overseas Highway, Summerland Key FL 33042 Map |
| Phone | (305) 745-4386 |
| Website | |
| Hours |
Map of Sugar Loaf Shores Airport - 7FA1
Private Aviation in the Ecological Heart of the Lower Keys
The Sugarloaf–Summerland Key area of the Lower Florida Keys is one of the few places in the continental United States where a private pilot can land, walk to the water's edge, and watch a Key deer pass through the mangroves — all in the span of a morning. Sugar Loaf Shores Airport exists in this remarkable ecological setting, serving residents who have chosen life at the edge of the continental United States in exchange for some of the most spectacular natural surroundings on earth.
Monroe County's aviation infrastructure in the Lower Keys depends heavily on private-use strips like Sugar Loaf Shores to bridge the gap between Key West International and the scattered residential communities spread across dozens of individual keys. FDOT's aviation planning for Monroe County recognizes these strips in the county's aviation network inventory, and the FAA's Flight Standards District Office in Miami provides oversight for private-use Florida airports. Pilots planning visits to the Lower Keys should review current NOTAM activity for the active Restricted Areas associated with Naval Air Station Key West operations.