Outer Island, a unique and beautiful five-acre island in the Thimble Islands, has been a destination for hundreds of years and is the only island in that group open to the public as part of the Stewart B. McKinney National Wildlife Refuge, where people can directly interact with plants and wildlife. In 1995, it became a destination for environmental education and recreation when architect and artist Elizabeth Hird donated the island, her home of 30 years, to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service so that the public could experience it. It is known as a center for environmental education as well as breathtaking views.

Photo: Conrad Ward