Beach admission in the Florida Keys depends on who runs the beach. The five state parks charge at the gate, Monroe County charges non-residents at one park on weekends and holidays, and the village and city beaches we checked posted no entry fee at all. This page puts every posted fee in one place, quoted from the operator as posted October 24, 2026.
The fee table
| Beach or park | Operator | Admission as posted Oct. 24, 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park (Cannon Beach, Far Beach) | Florida State Parks | Multiple-occupant vehicle $8 plus 50 cents per person up to eight people; $2.50 each additional person over eight; single-occupant vehicle $4.50; pedestrian or bicyclist $2.50 per person; boat ramp $10 per vessel, day use only |
| Long Key State Park | Florida State Parks | One person $4.50; two people $6; plus 50 cents per additional person; pedestrians, bicyclists and extra passengers $2.50 (each includes a 50-cent Monroe County surcharge per person) |
| Curry Hammock State Park | Florida State Parks | Hours & fees page: one person $4.50; two people $6; three people $6.50; up to eight people $9, each including a 50-cent Monroe County surcharge per person; pedestrians, bicyclists and extra passengers $2.50. Park page (as posted Nov. 1, 2026): one person $4.50; two or more people $6 |
| Bahia Honda State Park | Florida State Parks | As posted Nov. 1, 2026: $8 per vehicle (two to eight people) plus a 50-cent Monroe County surcharge per person; $4.50 single-occupant vehicle or motorcycle (surcharge included); $2.50 pedestrians, bicyclists and extra passengers (surcharge included); boat ramp $10 per boat plus park entry |
| Fort Zachary Taylor Historic State Park | Florida State Parks | $6 per vehicle (up to eight people) plus a 50-cent Monroe County surcharge per person; $4.50 single-occupant vehicle or motorcycle (surcharge included); $2.50 pedestrians, bicyclists and extra passengers (surcharge included) |
| Harry Harris Park, Tavernier | Monroe County | Non-Monroe-County residents only, on holidays and weekends: $15 per vehicle; boat ramp extra: $40 on non-holiday weekends, $60 on Monroe County holidays |
| Smathers Beach, Key West | City of Key West | No entry fee posted; parking $5 per hour Monday to Saturday 8:00 a.m. to midnight and Sunday noon to midnight |
| Simonton Street Beach, Key West | City of Key West | No entry fee posted; parking $6 per hour, 10-hour maximum |
| Anne’s Beach and Library Beach Park, Islamorada | Village of Islamorada | No fee posted |
| Sombrero Beach and Coco Plum Beach, Marathon | City of Marathon | No fee posted |
| Higgs Beach, South Beach and Rest Beach, Key West | City of Key West | No fee posted |
The 50-cent per-person surcharge
State-park fees in the Keys are not flat. Florida State Parks adds a 50-cent per-person Monroe County surcharge on top of base admission, so the price at the gate climbs with the number of people in the car. Four operator pages spell it out. Long Key’s fees each include the 50-cent surcharge per person, Curry Hammock’s hours and fees ladder says the same, Fort Zachary Taylor lists $6 per vehicle plus the surcharge per person, with its single-occupant and pedestrian rates marked “surcharge included,” and Bahia Honda, as posted November 1, 2026, lists $8 per vehicle for two to eight people plus the surcharge per person.
Pennekamp words it differently but works the same way: $8 per multiple-occupant vehicle plus 50 cents per person, up to eight people, then $2.50 for each person over eight. Parking at Pennekamp is included in the entrance fee, per Florida State Parks.
- Long Key State Park is open 8 a.m. until sunset, 365 days a year. Vehicle admission: one person $4.50; two people $6; plus 50 cents per additional person; pedestrians, bicyclists and extra passengers $2.50 (each includes a 50-cent Monroe County surcharge per person). Florida State Parks: Long Key State Park hours & fees
- Curry Hammock hours & fees page: one person $4.50; two people $6; three people $6.50; up to eight people $9, each including a 50-cent Monroe County surcharge per person; pedestrians, bicyclists and extra passengers $2.50. Florida State Parks: Curry Hammock State Park hours & fees
- Fort Zachary Taylor admission: $6 per vehicle (up to eight people) plus a 50-cent Monroe County surcharge per person; $4.50 single-occupant vehicle or motorcycle (surcharge included); $2.50 pedestrians, bicyclists and extra passengers (surcharge included). Florida State Parks: Fort Zachary Taylor hours & fees
- Pennekamp admission: multiple-occupant vehicle $8 plus 50 cents per person up to eight people; $2.50 each additional person over eight; single-occupant vehicle $4.50; pedestrian or bicyclist $2.50 per person. Boat ramp fee $10 per vessel, day use only. Florida State Parks: John Pennekamp hours & fees
- Bahia Honda State Park is open 8 a.m. until sundown, 365 days a year. Admission is $8 per vehicle (two to eight people) plus a 50-cent Monroe County surcharge per person; $4.50 for a single-occupant vehicle or motorcycle and $2.50 for pedestrians, bicyclists and extra passengers (surcharge included); boat ramp $10 per boat plus park entry. Florida State Parks: Bahia Honda State Park hours & fees
- Pennekamp has 351 designated parking spots; on weekends and holidays parking tends to fill to capacity in the early afternoon, and the park closes temporarily when full. Boat trailer parking is limited to 40 spaces. Parking is included in the entrance fee. Florida State Parks: John Pennekamp experiences & amenities
Curry Hammock: two pages, two numbers
Curry Hammock’s two Florida State Parks pages differ for groups of three or more. The park page, as posted November 1, 2026, said one person $4.50 and two or more people $6. The hours and fees page, as posted October 24, 2026, gave a longer ladder: one person $4.50, two people $6, three people $6.50, up to eight people $9, with the surcharge included in each. The two pages agree for one or two people. We treat the hours and fees ladder as the current schedule and show the other figure so you know why a carload of three or more may see two prices. If it matters to your budget, call the park at 305-289-2690 before you go.
- Curry Hammock park page: one person $4.50; two or more people, $6. See all fees. Florida State Parks: Curry Hammock State Park
- Curry Hammock hours & fees page: one person $4.50; two people $6; three people $6.50; up to eight people $9, each including a 50-cent Monroe County surcharge per person; pedestrians, bicyclists and extra passengers $2.50. Florida State Parks: Curry Hammock State Park hours & fees
- Curry Hammock State Park: 56200 Overseas Highway, Marathon, FL 33050; 305-289-2690. Florida State Parks: Curry Hammock State Park
Arriving on foot or by bike
Walking or cycling in is the cheapest way through a state-park gate in the Keys. Florida State Parks posts $2.50 per person for pedestrians and bicyclists at Pennekamp, and $2.50 for pedestrians, bicyclists and extra passengers at Long Key, Curry Hammock and Fort Zachary Taylor, with the 50-cent surcharge already included at those three, as posted October 24, 2026. Solo drivers have their own line too: $4.50 for a single-occupant vehicle at Pennekamp, Long Key and Curry Hammock, and $4.50 for a single-occupant vehicle or motorcycle at Fort Zachary Taylor. Boaters pay separately at Pennekamp, where the ramp is $10 per vessel, day use only.
Harry Harris Park: resident and non-resident rates
Monroe County’s Harry Harris Park in Tavernier charges admission to non-Monroe-County residents only, on holidays and weekends, at $15 per vehicle, as posted October 24, 2026. Launching a boat costs extra: $40 on non-holiday weekends and $60 on Monroe County holidays, which the County says include contiguous weekend days and the two-day July lobster mini-season. Active military, disabled veterans and immediate family are waived with proper ID (Monroe County FAQ).
- Harry Harris admission is charged to non-Monroe-County residents only, on holidays and weekends: $15 per vehicle. Boat ramp (in addition): $40 on non-holiday weekends, $60 on Monroe County holidays (which include contiguous weekend days and the two-day July lobster mini-season). Active military, disabled veterans and immediate family are waived with proper ID. Monroe County, FL: Parks & Beaches FAQ (Harry Harris Park)
Beaches with no posted entry fee
The Village of Islamorada posted no fee for Anne’s Beach or Library Beach Park, the City of Marathon posted none for Sombrero Beach or Coco Plum Beach, and the City of Key West posted none for Higgs Beach, South Beach or Rest Beach / C.B. Harvey Park when we checked on October 24, 2026. Parking is the cost to watch in Key West. The City of Key West posts Smathers Beach parking at $5 per hour, Monday to Saturday 8:00 a.m. to midnight and Sunday noon to midnight, with residential permits valid four hours once per day and no overnight parking. Simonton Street Beach parking is $6 per hour with a 10-hour maximum, as posted October 24, 2026.
- Smathers Beach amenities: beach volleyball nets, restrooms, shower facilities. Parking is $5 per hour Monday-Saturday 8:00 a.m. to midnight and Sunday noon to midnight; residential permits are valid 4 hours once per day; no overnight parking. City of Key West: Smathers Beach
- Simonton Street Beach (0 Simonton Street, Key West) is a small downtown beach with a recreational boat ramp, open 7:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m.; restrooms open 7:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.; parking $6 per hour with a 10-hour maximum and limited boat-trailer parking. City of Key West resource directory: Simonton Street Beach & Parking Lot
Fees change
Every figure on this page is the operator’s own wording as we read it on October 24, 2026. Florida State Parks pages block many automated readers, so ours were captured from the published park pages and should be rechecked in a browser before any trip where the price matters. Each row of the beach finder links the page the fee came from.
How much does John Pennekamp cost?
Admission is $8 per multiple-occupant vehicle plus 50 cents per person for up to eight people ($2.50 each additional person), $4.50 for a single-occupant vehicle, and $2.50 per pedestrian or bicyclist; the boat ramp is $10 per vessel for day use.
Can you swim at Harry Harris Park in Tavernier?
Yes. Monroe County's 21-acre oceanfront Harry Harris Park (Mile Marker 92.5) has a protected beach and swimming area plus a playground, pavilions, grills and restrooms. It is open sunrise to one-half hour after sunset; non-county residents pay $15 per vehicle on weekends and holidays.
How much is Bahia Honda State Park?
Bahia Honda State Park (36850 Overseas Highway, Big Pine Key) charges $8 per vehicle and is open 8 a.m. to sunset, 365 days a year. The park may close when day-use areas reach maximum capacity, so arrive early on weekends and holidays.
How much is parking at Smathers Beach?
Parking at Smathers Beach is $5 per hour, Monday through Saturday 8:00 a.m. to midnight and Sunday noon to midnight. Residential permits are valid four hours once per day, and there is no overnight parking. The beach itself is open sunrise to sunset with restrooms from 7:00 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.
Source: City of Key West: Smathers Beach
Why do so many Keys beaches charge per person?
Florida State Parks in Monroe County add a 50-cent per-person Monroe County surcharge on top of base admission, so most state-park fee schedules here scale with vehicle occupancy (for example Fort Zachary Taylor: $6 per vehicle up to eight people plus the surcharge). Marathon and Key West city beaches posted no entry fee when checked on October 24, 2026, though paid parking applies at Smathers.
Source: Florida State Parks: Fort Zachary Taylor hours & fees
Dates, rules and hours can change. The organisers have the final word: Florida State Parks (official site)