John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park | Florida

Cannon Beach

Mike’s Score: This was my favorite park of the trip. Incredible location and so many cool water activities offered by the park. Plenty of campgrounds available at a fair price with all the right amenities including laundry. Highly recommend this park! 5/5

Location

Street Address: 102601 Overseas Highway (MM 102.5) | Key Largo, FL 33037

Phone Number: (305) 451-6300

Park Description

Established in 1963, John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park was the first undersea park in the United States. John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park, and the adjacent Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary, cover approximately 178 nautical square miles of coral reefs, seagrass beds and mangrove swamps. The park extends 3 miles into the Atlantic Ocean and is approximately 25 miles in length. These areas were established to protect and preserve a portion of the only living coral reef in the continental United States. The park was added to the National Register of Historic Places on April 14, 1972.

The park contains a wide variety of tropical vegetation, shore birds and marine life. While the mangrove swamps and tropical hammocks offer visitors a unique and interesting experience, it is the coral formations and associated marine life that most park visitors come to enjoy. The coral reef at John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park are among the most beautiful and diverse of all living communities.

Source | Coral Reef Park Company, Inc.

Source | Coral Reef Park Company, Inc.