Named after the late John D. Pennekamp, a Miami newspaper editor whose efforts contributed to the establishment of the Everglades National Park and the preservation of today's John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park. The park extends 3 miles into the Atlantic Ocean and is approximately 25 miles in length.
John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park and the adjacent Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary cover 178 square miles of coral reefs, seagrass beds and mangrove swamps. People from around the world come to enjoy the coral formations, shore birds and marine life and the diverse tropical vegetation.