Hi there!
There are a few state parks in the Florida Keys.
And going to these state parks are some of the best things to do in the Florida Keys!
State parks can give you a variety of Florida experiences, including short nature walks with views, fun snorkeling experiences, kayaking, beaches, camping, and picnic spots!
No matter what your choice of activity is, state parks in the Florida Keys offer amazing picture perfect views!
They can make for perfect day trips from Key West, Key Largo, Islamorada, or Marathon.
I have been to over 40 state parks in Florida, including 2 weeks camping in state parks in the Florida Keys, and these are my favorite state parks that are located from Key Largo to Key West!
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The list below generally goes in order as you’re driving south from Key Largo to Key West!
1. John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park, Key Largo
John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park is one of the most popular state parks in the Florida Keys.
And yes, there is coral reef at John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park!
But, you can’t see the coral reef from shore!
This state park in the Florida Keys is considered mostly to be an underwater park.
In order to see the coral reef that John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park is known for, you need to take a boat ride out to the reef!
This means that a John Pennekamp tour includes an epic boat ride in the Florida Keys to see amazing water color!
You can see the underwater life by getting in the water or by staying dry.
You have the option to take a snorkeling tour or a glass bottom boat tour.
And yes, both are worth it so you can get that boat ride in the Florida Keys and take a ride out on the ocean!
If you will be driving to Key West though, you will pass by one of the best snorkeling spots in the Florida Keys, so you may want to wait until you start driving south to do a snorkeling tour! That’s coming up later on the list!
And then, if you are interested in seeing a small shipwreck, you can do snorkeling from shore at John Pennekamp State Park… and then maybe you will see some underwater life while you are at it!
👆 Shipwreck shore snorkeling in the Florida Keys: Snorkeling around the site of the Spanish shipwreck of 1715 in John Pennekamp State Park.
See more about this state park in the Florida Keys:
- Snorkeling in John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park
- Glass bottom boat tour
- John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park campground
2. Windley Key Fossil Reef Geological State Park, Windley Key
For a look at fossilized coral reef, you can make a stop at Windley Key Fossil Reef Geological Park.
You can take a walk to see the ancient coral reef in its original location.
🌴🐠
3. Long Key State Park, Long Key
Side note!
Here are some popular activities you need to know about to get some very-Florida experiences! Read the reviews on the partner websites listed below!
🐠 You can swim with colorful fishies in the Florida Keys!
The most popular snorkeling tours are the snorkeling tours in Key Largo and the snorkeling tours in Key West!
Read the reviews for more of the best Key West tours on viator and the best Key West tours on getyourguide.
🐠 If you're going snorkeling (or to the beach!), here are things you must consider packing for Florida!
You can find these things on Amazon. I am an Amazon Associate.
- Swimsuit or swimming shirt aka rash guard
- rash guard: swim set for women and swim shirt for men
- Water shoes
- Waterproof phone case (so you can capture pictures of fishies underwater!)
- cheapo phone case OR waterproof camera
- I also have this "camera" wrist float to attach to my cheapo waterproof phone case so my phone won't sink to the bottom of the ocean in case I somehow let go of it. (Mine does stay afloat - test this for yourself before completely trusting it!)
- Swimming goggles or snorkeling mask set
- Reef-safe(r) sunscreen
- lightweight travel towel
I also like to go snorkeling with a personal swim float buoy. Not only does it help to keep me visible, but it makes for a perfect way to rest out in deeper water! Oh, and it also serves as a dry bag so I can take stuff into the water with me.
Another way I have taken valuables into the water with me is to wear a travel money belt that I don't mind getting wet with salt water (it's not waterproof but I have several so I just use one of them) and then I put things in a ziplock freezer bag, and put that freezer bag in the money belt.
There are also designated waterproof waist pouches that you can store your valuables and take into the water with you.
How to save money on your trip
I tend to use booking.com or hotels.com to look for the cheapest hotels. You can also try the expedia hotels site (good for car rentals too) or see if you like any of the vrbo vacation rentals.
Search for the cheapest car rentals at the Miami airport.
/end side note
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Long Key State Park can be a perfect picnic stop!
There are picnic tables that are right along the water so you can eat with views!
Or just sit and enjoy the views from Long Key!
There are kayak rentals at Long Key State Park.
4. Curry Hammock State Park
Curry Hammock State Park does have a little day use picnic area and access to the shoreline, so you can come and enjoy the views.
Kitesurfing is a thing at Curry Hammock State Park.
You can also rent kayaks.
But mostly, Curry Hammock State Park is another state park in the Florida Keys that can allow you to go camping near the ocean.
The Curry Hammock State Park campground is for RV camping and tent camping.
Depending on your campsite, it is just a couple minutes walk to the shoreline!
5. Bahia Honda State Park
So you now know that you need to drive as far as Seven Mile Bridge.
And since you have made it to Seven Mile Bridge, you can make Bahia Honda State Park your turnaround point if you decide you don’t want to go all the way to Key West!
It will be just a few minutes further.
Bahia Honda State Park is one of the most popular state parks in the Florida Keys.
This is where you will find another icon of the Florida Keys, the Old Bahia Honda railway bridge. You can actually see the old bridge if you do continue your drive without stopping at Bahia Honda State Park.
You’ll see it as you continue your drive to Key West.
But if you do stop at Bahia Honda State Park, you can get a classic view of the old bridge.
And you can also get amazing views of the Atlantic Ocean!
There are also beaches in Bahia Honda State Park for swimming.
You can also try snorkeling in Bahia Honda State Park for a chance to see some underwater life.
Emphasis on CHANCE!
The fish are wild and they do what they want when they want!
That said, I did have some fun snorkeling experiences in Bahia Honda State Park!
Bahia Honda State Park also has picnic tables so it can make for perfect stop for a picnic with views!
There are kayak rentals at Bahia Honda State Park.
If you will be at Bahia Honda State Park for sunset, then this can also make for a sunset spot in the Florida Keys.
Bahia Honda State Park has 3 campgrounds.
All campgrounds have waterfront campsites… although not all campsites are waterfront!
👆 Best RV camping in the Florida Keys: oceanfront Bahia Honda State Park campsite!
There are also waterfront cabins in Bahia Honda State Park.
Again, good luck getting a reservation!
See more about this state park in the Florida Keys:
- Things to do in Bahia Honda State Park
- Bahia Honda State Park beaches
- Bahia Honda State Park campgrounds
6. Fort Zachary Taylor State Park
Fort Zachary Taylor State Park is the state park in Key West.
Yes, there is a historic fort to visit at Fort Zachary Taylor Historic State Park where you can learn about US history in Key West.
What makes Fort Zachary Taylor State Park one of the popular places in Key West is its beach.
It’s a popular place to go for one of the best beaches in Key West.
It is also one of the best beaches to go snorkeling in the Florida Keys on your own!
For the best chance of having a fun Florida Keys state park snorkeling experience at Fort Zachary Taylor State Park, be sure to go swimming around any of the mounds of rocks you see!
You can see the rocks from shore, and there are several mounds.
I did have a fun Florida state park snorkeling experience at Fort Zachary State Park by swimming around the different groups of rocks!
See more about this state park in the Florida Keys:
Cost of Florida state parks in the Florida Keys
In general, Florida state parks have an entry fee.
This ranges from around $3 to $8 per car for the state parks on the list below.
If you plan on making this the year of visiting many Florida state parks, then there is also an annual Florida state park pass that you can buy when you arrive at any Florida state park that is staffed.
Even with the Florida state park pass, you may or may not be charged an extra 50 cents for the county tourism fee for any of the state parks in the Florida Keys.
Florida state parks also have picnic tables so they can also make for a perfect stop for a picnic.
So stop by a Publix grocery store for prepared food or picnic food and eat your meal outdoors with views!
👆 You can go for a picnic with ocean views at a state park in the Florida Keys! I stopped by Publix for an easy meal to eat at Long Key State Park. Except… salad is not a good meal option for a picnic by the ocean because the lettuce may blow away! 🤣
You can find a Publix in the Florida Keys.
This includes Key Largo, Islamorada, Marathon, and Key West.
Also, there are state parks in the Florida Keys that offer kayaking, including kayak rentals.
So if kayaking in the Florida Keys interests you, be sure to look further into that!
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Camping at Florida state park campgrounds
👆 Driving to a Florida Keys state park that has RV camping?!
There are state parks in the Florida Keys that offer camping.
This includes tent camping and RV camping… and car camping, van camping, etc!
Finding open campsite availability at state park campgrounds in the Florida Keys is known to be (very) difficult.
State park campgrounds in the Florida Keys are often fully booked 11 months in advance when campsites open up for booking!
But don’t worry, not all hope is lost if you aren’t capable of planning that far in advance. (And even if you were, it’s also known to be difficult. Reports indicate campsites can get snatched up within the first 5 minutes… or less!)
If your Florida Keys road trip is just a few months, weeks, or even days away, cancellations do happen. You just have to get lucky and search for campgrounds immediately after someone cancels.
Your “luck” will increase the more you search, and the closer you are to your travel date.
Searching over and over (and over 😜) does really work. I spent 2 weeks camping in the Florida Keys in Florida state parks!
In case you are not able to find availability and/or you just want to get something booked, a good back-up campground near the Florida Keys can be Long Pine Key campground in Everglades National Park. This is just outside Homestead FL. I camped there for one night and the campground was practically empty even when campgrounds in the Florida Keys were full.
I have found camping availability open up weeks away, days away, and even the day before. There was one day that I was looking for a campsite for the next night and ALL state park campgrounds in the Florida Keys had availability!!! (Decisions! Which to stay at?!)
So, while it’s not something to depend on, it’s something you can look for.
1 night stays will generally be easier to find than multi-night stays.
You will find the greatest difficulty in finding open campgrounds for Saturday nights.
HAPPY VISITING A STATE PARK IN THE FLORIDA KEYS!
More Florida state parks:
- Florida state parks with cabins
- Best state parks in Southwest Florida
- Best state parks in the Florida Panhandle
- Best springs in Florida
- Best snorkeling spots in the Florida Keys
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