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John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park

Photo: Sebastian Carlosena / CC BY-SA 3.0 · source

🌊 Lakes & rivers

John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park

Key Largo, FL · Florida Keys

About

The first undersea park in the country protects 70 nautical square miles of living coral reef off Key Largo, and the headline sight sits in 25 feet of water: Christ of the Abyss, a 9-foot bronze with arms raised toward the surface. Glass-bottom boats run for anyone staying dry, while snorkel and dive trips head out to Molasses Reef and the statue; back on shore there are mangrove kayak trails, a saltwater swimming lagoon, and short hammock walks at mile marker 102.5.

Highlights

Christ of the Abyss bronze statue in 25 feet of waterGlass-bottom boat tours over the reefSnorkel and scuba trips to Molasses ReefMangrove kayak and canoe trailsSaltwater swimming lagoon and hammock walks

Getting there

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Curated guides that feature John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park.

Florida State Parks26 places

Florida State Parks

Florida's park service runs about 175 state parks, and these are the ones worth planning a trip around. Wild barrier islands and sugar-sand beaches, deep springs and dark caverns, 19th-century forts and prairies where bison still roam, from the Panhandle's emerald coast to the coral reefs of the Keys. The definitive short list, not the whole directory.