Snorkel, kayak, scuba, beach... - THIS IS THE PLACE! This is an absolute gem and I am almost hesitant to say this as I want to make sure that it stays the way it is. Amazing facilities to use for visiting the beach, kayaking mangroves or going on a snorkeling tour boat ride. We had a blast and would definitely repeat. Please note that snorkeling or scuba tours are completely dependent on tide, weather condition and other tours underway. Please be sure to have conversations with the booking desk about specific customer preferences of snorkel locations or scuba spots. We were very fortunate to have a low tide and get a solid spot to see the coral reef. We were not able to see the Christ statue but enjoyed out time immensely.

A very worthwhile stop on any trip through the keys. It has a mini-aquarium, charter rides to the coral reef, kayak and paddle board rentals, public recreational beaches, informational trails, gift shop, bathroom with showers, and camping (though it fills up in advance). I walked all, but the mangrove trail as it was destroyed during my visit in January 2024 - they ate relatively short but very informative. I also chartered a snorkeling trip to the barrier reef with Joel and Lucas. They were great guides, and the experience was highly memorable. If you'd prefer to stay dry, there are also glass bottom boats.

We decided to stop by here on our way out for a little kayaking on our last day in the Key’s. Perfect ending to our 2 week vacation down here 😢 The rentals were reasonably priced. The traffic getting in and the parking lot was pretty busy.. The staff working the kayak’s were super helpful and friendly. The waters were beautiful and navigating through all the mangroves was a lot of fun! Unfortunately, we didn’t see any Manatee’s, but still had a great time enjoying the scenery and being in the great outdoors! Would probably rent paddle boards next time we’re down in the Key’s. Definitely recommend checking out!

John Pennekamp had so much to offer, my friends and I came back twice during our trip!! We started off swimming and snorkeling in all three of the park's beach accesses, but after hearing how incredible the snorkeling tour was, couldn't resist trying it for ourselves. The snorkeling tour was THE best part of our trip down to the Keys hands down!!! Sonya, Travis, and JD were incredibly knowledgeable and guided us through the park and procedures seamlessly. They even "arranged" dolphins on our way back! An absolutely incredible, once in a lifetime experience I will be raving to fellow visitors to come. I only wish they offered longer tours, because 2.5 hours was just not enough!! A must-see for sure.

What a great park to visit, they have a lot to offer and most off all the staff was super friendly! The awareness about reefs in an important one in the region. The nature is beautiful and they have a nice little beach to snorkle from. It's not as nice as out in the Sean, but even when the visibility is 0 out there you get a chance to see some here. They have these barracudas who as not scared of you and swim right under you. The park offers kayaks, snorkeling, and diving tours as well. There are campgrounds and lots of little activities.

Great place to spend the day! Kayaking, snorkel, to a rentals available! The beaches weren't super nice to relax at as they had just been hit by a storm, but the hiking trails and areas around the park are very beautiful with the mangroves. A very natural state park with lots of fun history. Sunken shipwreck to explore in the swimming area which was pretty cool!

The visitor center is 5 stars. Great aquarium, amazing displays, and very clean. I would 100% recommend visiting it. The beach area was small and very crowded even in the off season. It would be fine if you wanted a quick dip in the ocean. Lots of chaotic parking and large groups of people in the beach and picnic areas. The kayak and paddle board rentals were accessible and could be purchased in the gift shop.

Nice state park. There are 2 small beaches and a very nice aquarium area to observe sea life. The gift shop was rather pricey but had a large selection of souvenirs. The park offers boat tours, snorkeling & kayaking. We were disappointed in the hiking trail.

We were out way to Key West and took a stop here. It's best to book for any activities like snorkeling, boat ride, Scuba Diving, Kayaking etc in advance because due to rush on holiday there would be less chance of getting tickets for any activities. It has beaches, gift shop, aquarium, fun activities, nature trails, shelters, parking and restroom. It has an entry ticket.

We actually stopped in here twice this visit. Lovely state park. Definitely #2 on our state park list. So many fun activities and snorkeling. Food truck and gift shop on site. Make sure you check out the aquarium too! Beautiful and educational. But by far snorkeling was our favorite here. Once in a lifetime experience. Highly recommended.

We played by ear, and it paid off! The staff was very accommodating for our day to day reservation status. They followed the rules to a tee, yet created gold star customer service. Loved the activities and the atmosphere, nearby restaurants are easily accessed by bike. Bathrooms are clean and we felt very safe.

For a small fee you can stay all day or leave then come back. A cool visitor center with a small aquarium, a shop and you can book kayaks or a boat tour. Stay at the beach and do some swimming or have a walk along the path. Bring your insect spray. It’s a great way to experience the Key style without going down too far.

We did the snorkeling trip and kayaked on the kayak trails and really enjoyed both. Snorkeling guides very friendly and helpful and kayak trails easy to navigate with map they provide. Beach areas not great but the activities seem to be what you come here for. Cute little aquarium on site as well.

We enjoyed the day! It had rained most of the night before and morning we came, so we didn’t opt to pay for any options as the water was all kicked up and visibility was going to be poor. We walked the Wild Tamarind Trail which was a cute short walk. Then we enjoyed Cannon Beach. The highlight was snorkeling (we brought our own) from the beach to the mock Spanish shipwreck. I wish I had a waterproof camera as we saw some cool things! Then we venture over to Far Beach and sat under the beautiful palm trees.

Sweet state park! We parked our live aboard on the west side of Key Largo and took in our dinghy. There is a great canal to the east side into the mangroves. There are several boat launches for public use and we were able to park our dinghy and go check out the park after checking in with the harbor master, who is excellently nice. The docks are under construction so there may be little to no boat parking. The harbor master is in a small dive shop and the nearby is a bigger gift shop with some great selections of clothing and swim gear. Tons of snorkel gear. If there isn’t something in your wanted size, adult or child, ask and they have more available. They have tours for snorkeling, glass bottom boats(closed Monday and Tuesday) multiple swim areas, a small aquarium that was left me wanting more! The swimming was fun but beware, creatures are abound including a beach iguana garbage disposal :) There is camping but we didn’t see the facilities though everything we saw was pretty great. I will definitely return! Thanks for a great experience.

Nice State Park. Lots of parking lots and two nice beaches to swim and snorkel a little bit. They offer different boat tours and you can also rent kayaks and all the gear you need. They have restrooms and you can take a shower to get the salty water off. The visitor center is also an aquarium and you can learn quite a bit. The staff is friendly and helpful. Our snorkeling tour was canceled due to the wind so we decided to do a Glassbottom Boat Tour. It was really nice, informative and we saw lots of fish and even a shark and a moray eel.

First time at John Pennekamp... started with kayaking around the mangroves in the morning. Not able to rent a boat due to the wind, but did do the 3:00 snorkeling tour. Joel and Art were great. Explained everything thoroughly and just down to earth guys. Appreciated their knowledge and desire for safety for all. Had our own gear, as we've snorkeled many times before. Fins up people! It was discouraging to see people kicking the coral/standing on it, despite being told not to. Many fish, some lobsters and barracuda were seen. Overall, great day in nature.

This is the state park in key largo which is the first keys from Miami. You can come here if you’re visiting Everglades. The visitor center also has an aquarium, which is great for kids. The park has beautiful views of the water, potential chance to catch a glimpse of Crocs! Though we didn’t. There’s a $2.5 Per person fee, but totally worth it. Nicely maintained grounds and friendly staff

Beautiful park that offers kayak rentals, boat and snorkeling tours. They have a store and a snacks available. There is a beach area and a hiking trail. It is a good time. Only about 1.5 hrs from Ft Lauderdale. I would recommend you to rent kayaks ahead online at the park’s site and arrive at opening time. You can always bring lunch or go to a restaurant nearby. You are allowed to reenter the same day. When kayaking they provide you with life vests and a map, I had phone service thru the whole trail.

Loved it! We went just to relax, we didn’t take advantage of any of the amenities. Restrooms were nice, beaches were clean. One of the trails had educational signs about the trees. We had a great time. The little aquarium was a nice surprise.

Definitely not “dog-friendly”, but still thankful they allowed dogs… no where to take on long walk to burn off energy without hot pavement or passing people scared of a tall dog on the short walking trail. Kayaking the mangrove water trail was amazing, saw stingrays, and multiple species of fish & birds. Dogs are allowed on rental kayaks (they’re all “open-style”- so I stacked beach towels under my pup to cover the hard plastic ridges & holes), but no dogs allowed on their rental powered fishing boats.

I HIGHLY recommend the snorkeling tour! When we out the weather permitted and we were able to snorkel at the site where Jesus statue was. The coral looked vivid, colorful, and in a good shape - much better than the light house site in Key West. Other than the tour, there lots of small fish I. Cannon beach. The water there wasn't as clear, but there was no wave and was very family friendly.

Always a pleasant place to visit. I've done the snorkeling and the kayaking here and both are excellent. The snorkeling guides are very friendly and good at their job and make a lot of jokes. The coral reefs are pretty to look at in their cool fish there as well.

We had fun exploring. They have clean rest rooms and plenty of vending. You can rent a kayak or go scuba diving. We didn't do any activities UT We enjoyed the beach.

This is right off the main road. There is an admission fee, I posted a pic of this. Make sure to bring your water shoes, lots of rocks in the waters. You’ll see mostly little fish near the shoreline. You can go out and snorkel, which I didn’t do, but I’m sure you would see more fish. If you go to the beach where the cannons are and go out and snorkel, there’s some cannons under water out near the buoy. Plenty of parking. Concessions and a gift store within walking distance. Bathrooms are in the same vicinity. During this visit we noticed tourists here. We went on a Monday so it was not too crowded.

Had an amazing experience over all at John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park. We went out on a snorkeling tour, but as we approached the reef a thunderstorm moved in. Captain Ed and Liber were the crew and they instructed everyone on safety as there was lightning in the area. Because of the storms, they decided to bring our group back in as they didn’t want to risk our safety in the water and on the boat. We were offered full refunds, or a rain check, and we decided to come back the following day (highly suggest a morning trip as summers in South Florida have thunderstorms almost EVERY afternoon). We arrived the next morning and went out again on the Dolphin and the weather was much more clear and beautiful. The crew really made the experience for us. They were very knowledgeable about the ecosystems and gave my friend a full personal snorkeling tutorial when we got the reef. It was her first time snorkeling and I felt much better having well trained and helpful staff on board to help her. Would recommend this place for anyone looking for a snorkeling trip in the South Florida area. I had been to Key West a few weeks before and this snorkeling location was actually better than that one!

We made a quick stop to John Pennekamp on our stay in late December. This state park offers numerous activities and amenities. Three areas are designated for swimming, including Canon Beach, which features remnants of an early Spanish shipwreck 100 feet offshore. This beach isn’t sandy and water shoes would be best. Camping and restrooms with hot showers are available too.

We love our kayaking adventure.. only downside was navigating between the map and the actual "trails" very easy to get turned around but we had a blast. Went rented two double kayaks and one single and 2 face masks for snorkeling and it was 124

Great experience at this state park! We were lucky enough to snag a last minute campsite reservation. Bath house was a short walk from our site. Trail from our camping loop to the marina was a nice touch too. We fished, visited the free aquarium and enjoyed the location. Would love to take a tour next time!

We had a great time on this snorkeling trip with Captain Joel and first mate Lucas. They were thorough and helpful and pointed out a leatherback turtle swimming under the boat so we could see it from in the water. It was perfect as a last minute excursion!

Beautiful aquarium and wonderful walking trail for a hike! Fantastic place to stop and relax! The trail had many plaques informing us of the types of plants and trees we were seeing as well as a brief history about the plants and trees! Highly recommend stopping in here!

So I’m just gonna rate the aquarium visitor center. I was super impressed with it. The beach and everything else was not what I was looking for personally. I think it was on the smaller and when we went it was cold and cloudy so no wildlife unfortunately. The visitor center has this theater. Lots of fish to look around at. There’s a big tank. We found a puffer fish and a lobster at the aquariums stationed around it. So pretty positive experience overall at the visitor center hopefully next time will have luck with better weather.

So much to like about this state park! Excursions were fun and well done, local exhibit was informative, and the beach area was great to snorkel at while waiting for our snorkel tour. The reef exhibit was a great place to take a break from the sun and learn about the nature of reefs and the creatures that live there. There is a bath house for rinsing off and changing clothes that’s spacious and well located The check-in shop sells a lot of things and we picked up a great tip that if you rented gear for a snorkel tour you have paid for the whole day so we grabbed the stuff and went out to cannon beach. The beach stand isn’t really loose sand until you get to the water, there’s plenty of rock an the mangroves offer a shaded side in the afternoon. There was MASSIVE Iguanas living in the mangroves and I posted a video of one that was about 3ft long just hanging out where we were sitting with our towels. Cannon beach is called that because if you swim out to the marker in the water and have snorkel gear there are a few cannons sunk out there with other maritime items and a plaque that explains the living museum… very cool. Tons of great creatures to see .. we loved it and it was a great way to be comfortable with the gear before heading to the reef off shore! Easy parking, but it is busy!

Really nice waterside park. BBQ area we chose was positioned oddly in the middle of a drive by scenic spot with a bench so every one walked or drove by us on the way there. Park has a beach and bathroom facilities [closed at time of visit]. Entrance fee isn't too bad either.

Visited the park as a day trip and had a fantastic time! The water is clear, albeit lots of sea grass to wade through right on the shoreline. Depth is perfect for bringing your goggles and snorkel and checking out the small fish that inhabit the area. The Ibises are not shy at all and we even spotted some lizards. Didn't get a chance to go kayaking or SUP easily spent several hours swimming. Love the showers and changing areas being easily accessible. Only downside was having to spend $11 on afterbite after my kiddo got stung by something.

We're only really here for snorkeling which is impossible from shore to see anything worthwhile. The snorkeling tour (went to Grecian Rocks this day) is nice but Silent World Dive Center snorkeling was even better (2 reefs, not just one). Skip and go to North North Dry Rocks. You'll still see schools of fish at Grecian Rocks, but not as many. Although the sea fans are plenty and beautiful. Some notable fish were groupers (one as long as an adult's leg), barracuda, and juvenile angelfish (blue, queen, and french). Visibility was not great and some areas were very shallow, like 3ft