Crocodile Lake National Wildlife Refuge, Wildlife refuge in Key Largo, Florida, United States.

Crocodile Lake National Wildlife Refuge covers 6,686 acres in north Key Largo, Monroe County, Florida, including 650 acres of open water. Its habitats are tropical hardwood hammock, mangrove forest and salt marsh. A white sign with a blue flying-goose silhouette and the words "Crocodile Lake National Wildlife Refuge" marks the entrance among the trees.

The refuge was established in 1980 by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service to protect American crocodile populations and their habitat. This protection measure came after the species had become severely threatened in the region.

The refuge office hands out brochures and information, and a 2,500-square-foot butterfly garden sits beside it. The natural areas themselves are closed to the public so that the threatened and endangered species on the refuge are not disturbed; the garden is what a visitor can actually reach.

The refuge office distributes brochures and information, and a 2,500-square-foot butterfly garden sits beside it. The natural areas themselves are closed to the public to protect the threatened and endangered species on the refuge, so plan to use the office and garden rather than trails or the lake shore.

The refuge holds one of only three remaining breeding populations of American crocodiles in the southeastern United States. This critically small population makes the refuge a place of international importance for the survival of the species.