John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park
- Status
- Open (per official listing)
- Entrance fee
- Statewide rule — see below
- Day-use reservations
- None mentioned
- Dogs
- Not stated — check with park
- Camping
- 54 campsites
- Official site
- floridastateparks.org(305) 676-3777
Official page last checked Oct 29, 2026. How we keep this current
Overview
John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park is a 63,840-acre park in Monroe County, about 13 miles northeast of Islamorada, Village of Islands.
Popular activities here are snorkeling and diving, historic sites, canoeing and kayaking, boating, and swimming. On the water side, there is a swimming beach, a boat ramp, and boat or kayak rentals. For overnight stays there are 54 campsites across 3 camping areas (RV sites with full hookups, tent sites, and showers).
Fees and passes
Varies by park (mostly per vehicle; some per person/pedestrian/cyclist; some free).
Statewide fee rule from Florida's park system; this park’s page doesn’t list its own fees.
Reservations
- Day use
- No day-use reservation requirement mentioned
- Booking system
- Florida State Parks Reservation System (UseDirect / Tyler 'RDR' platform)
We link to the official booking system rather than showing live availability, which changes minute to minute.
Camping
| Campground or site type | Sites | Hookups / features | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Group | 1 | — | |
| JOHN PENNEKAMP CORAL REEF SP | 47 | 47 with water, 47 with sewer | — |
| Volunteer Restricted use: Volunteer | 6 | 6 with water | — |
Camping details from the park
Group: 1 site(s) — Group
JOHN PENNEKAMP CORAL REEF SP: 47 site(s) (47 with water, 47 with sewer) — RV/Tent, RV, Back-In, Tent, Trailer, Bus, Caravan/Camper Van, Fifth Wheel, Large Tent (9x12), Pop up, RV/Motorhome, Tent-Trailer, Truck/SUV/Van, Trailer, Bus, Caravan/Camper Van, Pop up, RV/Motorhome, Truck/SUV/Van
Volunteer: 6 site(s) (6 with water) — Volunteer
From the official park page, checked Oct 29, 2026. Site counts and prices can change; confirm when booking.
Things to do
Wildlife viewing and birdingBoatingHistoric sites and toursCampingCanoeing and kayakingFishingHikingPicnickingSnorkeling and scubaSwimming
Trails
| Trail | Length | Difficulty | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mangrove Trail | 0.27 mi | — | HikingStabilized surface |
| Wild Tamarind Trail | 0.3 mi | — | HikingStabilized surface |
| Turtlegrass Creek | 0.57 mi | — | PaddlingWater surface |
| Marina Channel | 0.26 mi | — | PaddlingWater surface |
| Grove Trail | 0.23 mi | — | HikingStabilized surface |
| The Tunnel | 0.15 mi | — | PaddlingWater surface |
| The Whip | 0.12 mi | — | PaddlingWater surface |
| Flats Loop | 0.44 mi | — | PaddlingWater surface |
| Sandy Creek | 0.28 mi | — | PaddlingWater surface |
| Jellyfish Creek | 0.37 mi | — | PaddlingWater surface |
| Taylor Creek | 1.42 mi | — | PaddlingWater surface |
| Haven Creek | 0.42 mi | — | PaddlingWater surface |
| Sound Creek | 0.48 mi | — | PaddlingWater surface |
| Ribbon Creek | 0.37 mi | — | PaddlingWater surface |
| Taylor Creek Cutoff | 0.66 mi | — | PaddlingWater surface |
| Nightmare Creek | 1.02 mi | — | PaddlingWater surface |
| Lost Man'S Creek | 0.93 mi | — | PaddlingWater surface |
| Hemingway Creek | 0.48 mi | — | PaddlingWater surface |
| Pirate Cove | 0.89 mi | — | PaddlingWater surface |
| Largo Sound | 3.51 mi | — | length summed over 2 GIS segmentsPaddlingWater surface |
| Hidden Splendor | 0.1 mi | — | PaddlingWater surface |
| Trail of Tears | 0.97 mi | — | PaddlingWater surface |
| Limbo Creek | 0.09 mi | — | PaddlingWater surface |
| Spider Creek | 0.24 mi | — | PaddlingWater surface |
| Deception Creek | 0.34 mi | — | PaddlingWater surface |
| Stingray Creek | 0.76 mi | — | PaddlingWater surface |
| Stingray/Deception Connector | 0.05 mi | — | PaddlingWater surface |
| The Ditch | 0.12 mi | — | PaddlingWater surface |
| Newport Flats | 2.47 mi | — | PaddlingWater surface |
| Sponge Flats | 0.44 mi | — | PaddlingWater surface |
| Port Largo Flats | 5.84 mi | — | PaddlingWater surface |
| Boardwalk Creek | 0.23 mi | — | PaddlingWater surface |
| Crocodile Lagoon | 0.22 mi | — | PaddlingWater surface |
| Crocodile Creek | 0.09 mi | — | PaddlingWater surface |
Trail descriptions from the park
Mangrove Trail (Hiking) — 0.27 mi, Stabilized
Wild Tamarind Trail (Hiking) — 0.3 mi, Stabilized
Turtlegrass Creek (Paddling) — 0.57 mi, Water
Marina Channel (Paddling) — 0.26 mi, Water
Grove Trail (Hiking) — 0.23 mi, Stabilized
The Tunnel (Paddling) — 0.15 mi, Water
The Whip (Paddling) — 0.12 mi, Water
Flats Loop (Paddling) — 0.44 mi, Water
Sandy Creek (Paddling) — 0.28 mi, Water
Jellyfish Creek (Paddling) — 0.37 mi, Water
Taylor Creek (Paddling) — 1.42 mi, Water
Haven Creek (Paddling) — 0.42 mi, Water
Sound Creek (Paddling) — 0.48 mi, Water
Ribbon Creek (Paddling) — 0.37 mi, Water
Taylor Creek Cutoff (Paddling) — 0.66 mi, Water
Nightmare Creek (Paddling) — 1.02 mi, Water
Lost Man'S Creek (Paddling) — 0.93 mi, Water
Hemingway Creek (Paddling) — 0.48 mi, Water
Pirate Cove (Paddling) — 0.89 mi, Water
Largo Sound (Paddling) — 3.51 mi, Water
Hidden Splendor (Paddling) — 0.1 mi, Water
Trail of Tears (Paddling) — 0.97 mi, Water
Limbo Creek (Paddling) — 0.09 mi, Water
Spider Creek (Paddling) — 0.24 mi, Water
Deception Creek (Paddling) — 0.34 mi, Water
Stingray Creek (Paddling) — 0.76 mi, Water
Stingray/Deception Connector (Paddling) — 0.05 mi, Water
The Ditch (Paddling) — 0.12 mi, Water
Newport Flats (Paddling) — 2.47 mi, Water
Sponge Flats (Paddling) — 0.44 mi, Water
Port Largo Flats (Paddling) — 5.84 mi, Water
Boardwalk Creek (Paddling) — 0.23 mi, Water
Crocodile Lagoon (Paddling) — 0.22 mi, Water
Crocodile Creek (Paddling) — 0.09 mi, Water
Swimming
Swimming
Boating and paddling
Boat Rental & Dive Shop; Canoeing/Kayaking; Florida Circumnavigational Trail; Boat Ramp; Boat Tours; Mooring Bouys; Overnight Boat Slips; Canoe/Kayak Launch
Fishing
Fishing
A state fishing license is usually required.
Amenities
Facilities
- Showers
- Picnic shelters
- Playground
- Visitor center
- Nature center or museum
- Park or camp store
- Parking
Water
- Swimming beach
- Boat ramp
- Marina or boat slips
- Boat, canoe or kayak rentals
Camping
- Tent camping
- RV camping
- Sewer hookups
✓ listed by the park · ✕ the park says it is not available. Anything not shown here isn’t mentioned by the official source — that means unknown, not unavailable.
Getting there
- Address
- P.O. Box 487
Key Largo, FL 33037 - Nearest town
- Islamorada, Village of Islands — about 13 mi northeast (straight line)
- Coordinates
- 25.1280, -80.4100
- Phone
- (305) 676-3777
Entrances
- Main Entrance
Nearby state parks
Sources and freshness
- Florida State Parks (Florida Park Service) — park page — last checked Oct 29, 2026
- FDEP Open Data ArcGIS: Florida State Park Boundaries (PARKS_BOUNDARIES layer 0), dataset modified 2026-09-10 per the DEP open-data hub
- Wikidata
- USGS PAD-US 4.1 (boundary and acreage)
- Photo: Elkhorn coral 8 Molasses Reef 20080309.jpg — Public domain (released by the author), Jim Stuby ( talk )
“Last checked” is when our system last read the official source. No change has been detected since this page was first published. Hours, fees and rules can change without notice — confirm with the park before you go. Methodology