On a Saturday morning at John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park, two Key Largo residents can have very different days. One tows a skiff to the ramp and finds one of the park's two ramps closed and much less room to park the trailer. The other drives in for a swim at Cannon Beach and finds freshly renourished sand. Same gate at 102601 Overseas Highway, same $8 vehicle fee plus 50 cents per person.
The construction behind the fences is hard on boaters and has mostly left everyone else alone. This fall, a Key Largo resident's plans for the park mainly depend on one question: whether there's a trailer hitched to the car.
What the construction actually closed
Florida State Parks posted the current limits effective July 22, 2026. One of the park's two boat ramps is closed, the boat sewage pump-out station is closed, and boat-trailer parking has been "significantly reduced due to construction activities." The notice doesn't say which ramp is closed, and it gives no reopening date.
The construction documents explain why the closures land where they do. In its Q&A with construction bidders, the Florida Department of Environmental Protection listed the road work in scope:
- A new roadway into the east side of the park
- Reconfigured parking for the visitor center and beach area
- Reconfigured parking by the boat ramp, plus resurfacing
- A temporary access road to Far East Beach
The boat-ramp parking lot is on that list, so trailer parking was always going to shrink. The same document answers the question beachgoers care about. Asked whether the Far Beach access road and picnic pavilions would stay open during construction, DEP answered, "Yes, it will remain open." It also said the park as a whole stays open, "existing exhibits building and concessionaire building" included.
Florida State Parks lists the park's hours as 8 a.m. until sunset, 365 days a year.
The side of the park that got better
The beaches were renourished during construction. In a Sept. 23, 2026 update, the Friends of John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park reported that Cannon and Far Beaches "have been renourished," a project funded by the Monroe County Tourist Development Council. Florida State Parks still lists both as swimming beaches.
Neither trail appears on the closure list. The state's park guide describes the Mangrove Trail as a boardwalk loop at the south end of the Far Beach parking lot and the Wild Tamarind Trail as a loop at the east end of the park. The July notice names only the ramp, the pump-out and trailer parking.
The reef trips are also still listed as running. The state guide lists glass-bottom boat trips three times a day and snorkel trips four times a day, weather permitting. The park concession takes online reservations and asks visitors to call for the latest schedule. It also rents kayaks, canoes and paddleboards. For a resident with no boat to launch, a paddle rental from the concession dock gets you onto the water without dealing with the crowded ramp lot.
The current visitor center and aquarium, open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., are also on a timeline. DEP's project documents say the existing visitor center will be demolished only after its living organisms are moved to the new building. That means the aquarium most Key Largo families know will stay open until its replacement is ready to take the animals.
Where the boats go in the meantime
Monroe County's eight county-owned boat ramps are open to the public and free for county residents. Two are within easy reach of Pennekamp:
| Option | Location | What the county lists |
|---|---|---|
| Harry Harris Park | 50 Beach Road, Tavernier | Concrete double ramp to the Atlantic, parking for 20 trailers, first-come, first-served. Non-residents pay vehicle and ramp fees on weekends and holidays. |
| Mike Forster Memorial Park | Key Largo | Listed among the county's boat ramps; check details with the county before you go |
Harry Harris has 20 first-come trailer spots, so the same timing applies there as at Pennekamp: arrive early on weekends.
Finding a pump-out takes more work. A Monroe County handout lists Pilot House Marina and Key Largo Anglers Club as Key Largo pump-out locations. Key Largo Kampground Marina and Playa Largo Resort & Spa are listed as guest-only. The handout dates from 2019 and tells boaters to confirm equipment status with each marina before heading over, which is good advice now that the park's station is closed. For boats on anchor, On The Hook Marine Services says it is contracted by Florida DEP to provide free pump-outs to anchored vessels throughout Monroe County. Call to confirm coverage before relying on it.
Why this is a long project
The work is building the Discovery Center & Aquarium, a $52 million facility that broke ground on April 22, 2026, and is scheduled to be finished in fall 2028. DEP's 2025 bid documents estimated 18 months of construction starting Jan. 2, 2026. The fall 2028 date was announced later and is the current target.
Keys Weekly reported on Oct. 2, 2026 that Monroe County commissioners approved $2 million toward the project. That's the largest single contribution to a capital project in the Florida State Parks Foundation's 33-year history. Plans call for more than 23,000 gallons of aquarium space for native marine wildlife. The building will also support continuing coral work by Mote Marine Laboratory, whose scientists have restored more than 200,000 corals to Florida's reef. The park sees about 400,000 visitors a year.
No end date has been posted for the ramp, pump-out and trailer-parking limits, and the building they make room for is scheduled to open two years from now. A boater who has always launched at Pennekamp would do well to make one of the county ramps a regular stop.
A fall calendar that doesn't need a trailer
Most of Key Largo's fall events happen on foot, on land or on the water as a spectator. The lecture series takes place in the park itself.
- Taste the Keys, Oct. 1 to 31. Prix-fixe menus and a Signature Dish Showdown decided by public vote. The Key Largo Chamber's trolley tour on Oct. 15 runs from 5 to 9:30 p.m. and stops at Snook's Bayside, Sol by the Sea, Lido 73 and Mrs. Mac's.
- REEF Fest, Oct. 15 to 18. Held at the REEF Ocean Exploration Center, 98380 Overseas Highway. Most events are free with registration.
- MarineLab's Haunted Lagoon, Oct. 24. Free, 6 to 8:30 p.m.
- "Delicate Balance of Nature" lectures at Pennekamp, Oct. 26 and Nov. 16. A talk on snakes, then a talk on sponges, each 6:30 to 8:45 p.m.
- Owl-o-ween, Oct. 30. Free, 4 to 8 p.m. at the Laura Quinn Wild Bird Sanctuary, 93600 Overseas Highway in Tavernier.
- Key Lime Products grand opening, Nov. 19. A Chamber ribbon-cutting from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at 95200 Overseas Highway.
- Key Largo Bridge Run, Dec. 5. The 15th annual 5K and 10K, starting at 7:30 a.m. on Jewfish Creek Bridge.
- Key Largo Boat Parade, Dec. 12. Free, 5 to 9 p.m., with Sundowners at 103900 Overseas Highway listed as the venue.
For dog owners and field users, the other big construction project in the Upper Keys is at Rowell's Waterfront Park. Monroe County closed it starting Sept. 21 "until further notice" for Phase 2 work and expects to finish in December. Keys Weekly reported that the work adds a dog park with fencing, park lighting, upgraded turf on the multiuse field, more parking, dog-water stations and picnic tables.
If you own in Key Largo and spend part of the year away, ramp closures and crowded trailer lots are the kind of thing a local team can keep track of for you. BHHS Knight & Gardner Realty offers House Watch and property management through our Islamorada office and three others across the Keys, so someone close by is checking on your home and your dock while the Pennekamp work continues. Contact us to set it up before the season gets busy.
