America has many state parks to offer those that enjoy the outdoor life and the majority of these parks offer the standard outdoor activities of hiking, camping and trekking. While these are great activities, if you are looking for a state park that is a little more unusual, the John Pennekamp’s Coral Reef State Park in Florida is one to consider. Rather than being on dry land, as is the case with most state parks, this was the first underwater state park in America. The park is located in the Key Largo area and covers a large area which includes seagrass beds, mangrove swamps and Atlantic Ocean waters. The park has a range of water attractions to offer those that visit and is generally rated as one of the most popular state parks in Florida.
The history of the John Pennekamp’s Coral Reef State Park dates back to the mid 1900’s. The coral reefs off Key Largo had long been recognized as an important ecosystem and an impressive natural wonder of America. There were plans to try and protect them by designating them a state park as early as the 1930’s. This was led by the Everglades National Park Commission, although opposition by a number of parties to the idea meant it didn’t come to fruition at the time.
The Everglades National Park however was established in 1934 to protect its landscape, although the reefs of Key Largo were not included in this. A couple of decades later in the 1950’s the reef has still not been given protection and many people were becoming concerned about the damage that was being done to them. Items such as seashells, sponges and coral were being removed from the reef on a wholesale scale to be used as souvenirs for tourists and small marine life was also being taken.
The damage that was being done brought two men together to lead an effort to try and gain protection for the reef. The two men were Dr. Gilbert Voss who worked for the Marine Institute of Miami and John Pennekamp who worked for the Miami Herald. Their efforts over a number of years put pressure on the Florida Board of Parks and Historical Memorials to make the area of the reefs a protected park, which would put a stop to the damage that was being suffered by the marine environment. This eventually led to success and in 1960 the area was designated a permanent preserve and the then President, Dwight D. Eisenhower named this the Key Largo Coral Reef Preserve.
However, the original name of the preserve only lasted a short time and the Governor of Florida, Leroy Collins was to change the name to the John Pennekamp’s Coral Reef State Park in recognition of the part that Pennekamp played in gaining preserve status for the reef. The park itself was officially opened in 1963 and has been a popular tourist attraction in Florida ever since.
These days the John Pennekamp’s Coral Reef State Park ranks as one of the top parks in the Florida area and is visited by more than 1 million people each year. There are a variety of activities that can be enjoyed on a visit, with snorkeling and scuba diving being a popular way for people to see the reef. There are also glass bottom boat tours of the area and other activities to enjoy include fishing, canoeing, swimming and wildlife spotting, with many marine animals making the reef their home.
If you are looking for a an interesting natural setting to visit in Florida, then the John Pennekamp’s Coral Reef State Park is one of the top attractions available. It has an interesting history and with the many activities that can be enjoyed on a visit it can be a great place for a day spent in and on the water.
Further details of the John Pennekamp’s Coral Reef State Park can be found at http://www.pennekamppark.com/
Resources – John Pennekamp’s Coral Reef State Park, Wikipedia
