About an hour south of Miami lies the first recognized underwater park in the U.S. John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park, located in Key Largo. Comprised of 70 nautical miles of tropical hammocks, mangrove swamps, and spectacular coral reefs. The park is teeming with marine life and covered by picturesque turquoise waters. Guests from all over come to enjoy kayaking, snorkeling, birding, short hikes, glass bottom boat tours, and of course, beaches! Don’t worry about leaving at the end of the day, bring your tent, RV, or boat and stay at the campgrounds near the marina. Oh, and don’t forget to stop by the visitor center and check out the 30,000-gallon(!) aquarium.
Cheat Sheet
John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park Backstory
In the 1950s a marine biologist and a newspaper editor teamed up to save the third largest living coral reef in the world from destruction. Dr. Gilbert Voss of the Marine Institute of Miami was tired of the destruction that was taking place on the reef. Vendors were hammering out coral any way they could to sell to tourists, seashells and sponges were disappearing (not literally disappearing, really just being taken by tourists to put on shelves so they could show their neighbors in the middle of winter that they’d been to Florida) at an alarming rate. Even the seahorses weren’t safe, they were being rounded up and sold to try to keep up with the crazy back-of-the-comic-book seahorse trade, presumably. No word on what happened to the sea monkey families.
Dr. Voss along with other conservationists teamed up with the Miami Herald editor John Pennekamp. John Pennekamp was a well know conservationist himself who was key in helping to establish Everglades National Park in 1947. With the help of a major newspaper calling out the destruction to the reef and the other conservationists doing what conservationist do, the Florida Board of Parks and Historic Memorials designated a 75 square mile of Florida’s coastline as a protected area. In 1960 President Dwight D. Eisenhower proclaimed the area Key Largo Coral Reef Preserve. By the end of 1960 the Governor of Florida decided that that name didn’t have enough letters in it, so he changed it to the John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park. The park was officially opened in 1963 to the public.
Bahia Honda is another state park in the Keys that you should definitely visit. Read about it here.
Visitor Center
Before you go running to the beach, take time to check out the Visitor Center at John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park. Here you can interact with the rangers and volunteers. Ask them any question and they have to answer you (just keep it to questions about the park)! If you can’t get the information out of the volunteers, there is an auditorium that plays nature videos that you can watch and learn from. Around the room there are smaller aquariums with live coral and an assortment of smaller fish. In the middle of the room is the big attraction, their 30,000-gallon aquarium. Floor to ceiling this aquarium allows you to come face to face with the bigger reef fish, and you can stay dry while you do it.
Scuba, Snorkeling, and Boat Tours
Yes, the park offers great opportunities for all three! Daily boat tours for snorkeling and glass bottom boat tours for sightseeing on some of the most beautiful and vibrant reefs in the world. The park is located in the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary and the waters and reefs are protected so don’t grab that lobster (unless it’s lobster season and you have a permit) to take back to the campground for dinner. That goes for pretty much anything else that you see in the water.
Scuba
Want to get up and close with the Christ of the Abyss statue but you can’t hold your breath for more than 10 seconds. Hop on over to the dive shop by the marina and they can set you up with anything that you need. They offer lessons, gear rental, and tours for all, from the most inexperienced wannabe diver to seasoned pros. Whatever your needs are they will be able to meet them, and you’ll be hanging around the reef like one of the fish in no time.
Boats go out twice a day and the water depths vary from 15-50 feet. The cost is $90 for two tank/two location dives. Equipment can be rented for $35 if you book a tour. The reefs they visit include:
- French Reef
- Molasses Reef
- Snapper Ledge
- Benwood Wreck
- Carysfort Reef Lighthouse
All reservations need to be made online. See link above, or for more information call (305) 451-6300. If you need a refresher, or you want to learn how to scuba dive, they have lessons and programs that include non-certification dives all the way to a PADI Advanced Open Water course.
There is spectacular scuba diving in Key West, check out 9 Awesome Things to do in Key West.
Snorkeling
The snorkeling tours leave approximately four times a day so you should have no problem catching one that suits your schedule. The tours are approximately 2 1/2 hours long, with 1 1/2 hours of in water time getting up close and personal with the reef fish. You can get on the big boat for $38.95 with the other visitors, or you can spring for a personal guide for you and a group of up to six. Bring your own gear or rent from the park, the price for the boat includes a safety vest but no snorkeling equipment.
Don’t want to be stuck snorkeling next to Lady Fannie from Omaha? Spring for a personal water guide for $60 plus $15 for each additional snorkeler up to 6 guests total. Don’t forget that there are going to be taxes added on to those prices. To make reservations click on this handy link here.
If you don’t want to waste that 30 minutes on the boat to get to the reef, you can snorkel from the beaches. You’ll want to wear water shoes or something similar because the bottom can get a little rough. The bad news is the water isn’t as clear as it would be snorkeling the outer reefs due to the fact that it’s within the Largo Sound and not the open ocean. But the good news is that the water is calm and there’s still plenty to see in the sea grass, plus you don’t have to worry about any sharks sneaking up on you. Bonus, at Cannon Beach there are artifacts from a 1700s shipwreck just offshore.
Glass Bottom Boat Tour
Have you ever thought “if only there was a way to see these beautiful reefs with all the marine life surrounding them and not get wet”? Well, if that’s more your style, climb aboard the Spirit of Pennekamp. It’s a 65′ high-speed catamaran that’ll whisk you the 3-8 miles to the offshore reefs in comfort. You can put your worries away because the tours are under the dreaded 3-hour limit at 2 1/2 hours. You can enjoy the views of various shallow reefs along with 129 of your closest friends and never get a drop of water on you.
The 2 1/2 hour tours leave John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park three times a day and costs $32 for adults and $19 for ages 4-11. Making reservations is easy, just click here and pick your date and time, and give them your money.
Beaches
There are two relatively small beaches at John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park, Cannon Beach and Far Beach. They are not on the ocean, but rather the Largo Sound. So, your tradeoff is that you get calm, shallow waters to swim in, but it’s not the clear turquoise waters associated with the Florida Keys. Both have convenient facilities nearby.
Cannon Beach is the most popular of the two, canons from the 17th century are located on either side of the beach. Snorkelers will find artifacts from a 17th century shipwreck about 100 feet offshore as well.
Far Beach is located on the far side of the park (see what they did there?). There’s a little more shade on Far beach, and it also has a mat installed across the beach for wheelchair accessibility.
Kayaks, Canoes, and Paddleboards
Bring whatever you’ve got, there are fantastic mangrove trails to explore. The kayak launch is just over the bridge to the left. Calm and clear waters in the 2 1/2 miles of trails allow you to see a variety of marine life. Bring your snorkel gear with you and jump in the water to really get up close and personal. Sting rays, Mangrove Snappers, and Manatees are frequent sightings. Keep an eye out in the mangrove trees as there will be plenty of shorebirds such as Herons, Egrets, and Osprey to view. You can’t fit your kayak into your Ford Fiesta, you say? Don’t worry, they rent kayaks and canoes, along with life vests, and snorkel gear. Pro tip: if you bring your own kayak, ask at the kayak rental stand for a map of the kayak trails.
You can also kayak and paddleboard in the Sound, protected waters keep the waves down, just look out for diver down flags as there can be snorkelers out there.
Interested in Kayaking closer to Miami? Biscayne Bay is a fabulous place to kayak. Here is where to launch your kayak.
Camping at John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park
There are 42 campsites that you can reserve, if you’re fast enough that is. Campsites go quickly and they sell out far in advance. The best way that I’ve found is to either be completely flexible and check availability a couple of times a week, or you can make reservations 6 to 9 months in advance. The Florida State Park reservation website is here, or call 800-325-3521 and speak to a real person, no word on how long the hold time is though.
All sites have electric, with water and sewer hookups for you RV’ers. There are picnic tables and grills at all the sites. There are two bathrooms with showers located within the campgrounds.
You can also stay at the marina overnight in your boat. Slips are available, or you can anchor to a mooring buoy in the Sound. Just make sure to check in and pay at the marina.
Boating
The majority of the park is underwater, 72 square nautical miles of ocean, so bringing a boat will really open up John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park to you. There’s a boat ramp at the marina, it’s $10 to use it. The marina also rents power boats in four-hour and eight-hour intervals.
Hiking
There are two-short nature trails to hike in the park, the Wild Tamarind trail and the Grove trail. There is a third trail, a boardwalk that cuts through the mangrove, but it is closed for repairs right now.
The Wild Tamarind trail starts in the hardwood hammock and spits you out in a citrus grove. It’s six-tenths of a mile long and winds through tropical hardwood trees. When you get to the citrus grove, park yourself on a bench and check out the butterflies that visit the grove.
The Grove trail is half as long, it’s a three-tenths of a mile loop. Keep your eye out for native species that live in the forests of the Florida Keys. Bonus, a lot of the trees have plaques if front of them explaining their value to the area and information about the tree.
Fishing
Fishing is allowed from the shore in the park at designated areas, and of course you can fish from a boat. But be sure to check with the park rangers first because the park is in the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary and there may be protected areas. A saltwater fishing license is required.
Park Store
Don’t forget to pick up some souvenirs to remind you of your trip when you’re stuck inside in January and it’s 15 degrees outside. You’ll find local artwork to hang on the walls, t-shirts, hats, and swimsuits. Also, if you forgot anything, pretty much all that you need for the day can be found in the store. Sunscreen, drybags, flip flops, snorkel gear, and beach towels are all available.
Come and see what you’ve been missing. With over 600 species of fish, multiple types of shorebirds, and 70 species of coral in 70 nautical miles of crystal-clear turquoise ocean, you’re sure to see something new every time you visit.
