Pennekamp Paddle Day set for Sept. 12 in Key Largo

Pennekamp Paddle Day is set for Sept. 12 in Key Largo, giving paddlers a reason to get on the water at John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park. Florida State Parks says the park was created to protect and preserve a portion of the only living coral reef in the continental United States, and park materials say it stretches three miles into the Atlantic Ocean and runs about 21 miles in length.

That makes the event a natural fit for kayaks, paddleboards and canoes. Florida State Parks lists those three activities among the park’s experiences and amenities, and a park brochure says John Pennekamp is open 365 days a year from 8 a.m. until sunset. For anyone looking for a lower-impact day in the Upper Keys, the park already has the water access and rental base to match the paddle-day theme.

The logistics are simple enough to plan around, but they matter before committing. The park’s listed address is U.S. 1 Mile Marker 102.5, P.O. Box 370487, Key Largo, FL 33037, and the park phone is 305-676-3777. The concession at 102601 Overseas Highway lists kayak and paddleboard rentals and a contact number of 305-451-6300. A posted ramp note says a $10 launch fee is paid with the entrance fee at the ranger station and is good for the day.

Pennekamp also comes with the stewardship rules that make the park work. The brochure says the collection, destruction or disturbance of plants, animals or park property is prohibited, a reminder that this is not just a recreational shoreline but a heavily used marine setting beside Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary. Florida Memory says the park was dedicated on Dec. 10, 1960, and named for Miami newspaper editor John D. Pennekamp, while Florida State Parks says John D. Pennekamp was one of the early proponents of preserving the reef and helped establish Everglades National Park.

In April, Florida State Parks Foundation said ground had broken on a new discovery center and aquarium at the park, another sign that Pennekamp remains a major public investment as well as a launch point. For Monroe County, Paddle Day offers a straightforward way to use one of Key Largo’s most accessible water parks while staying inside the rules that keep the reef in place for the next launch.