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Alafia River State Park |
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Lithia, Florida |
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This park offers some of the most challenging off-road bicycling trails in Florida. Once the site of a phosphate mine, the reclaimed land has unique topography that offers some of the most radical elevation changes in Florida. Equestrians and hikers can explore 20 miles of trails that travel through mixed hardwood forests, pine flatwoods, and rolling hills. Bird-watchers and nature enthusiasts will delight in the abundance of wildlife along the trails. Scattered lakes and the south prong of the Alafia River provide opportunities for canoeing and fishing. Picnic pavilions, a playground, horseshoe pit, and volleyball court are available. |
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Alfred B. Maclay Gardens State Park |
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Tallahassee, Florida |
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These beautiful ornamental gardens were first planted in 1923 by Alfred B. and Louise Maclay after they purchased the property for their winter home. A masterpiece of floral architecture, the gardens feature a picturesque brick walkway, a secret garden, a reflection pool, a walled garden, and hundreds of azaleas and camellias. Lake Hall provides opportunities for swimming, fishing, canoeing and kayaking. Only boats without motors or with electric motors are allowed. Pavilions and grills along the lake shore provide the perfect setting for a picnic. For walking enthusiasts, two short nature trails meander through the woods overlooking the lake. Hikers, bicyclists, and equestrians can enjoy five miles of multi-use trails winding through the woods surrounding Lake Overstreet, located on park property adjoining the gardens. |
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Allen David Broussard Catfish Creek |
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Haines City, Florida |
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Located on the Lake Wales Ridge, ADB Catfish Creek State Park contains some of the rarer habitats in Florida, and is home to several species of protected animals. The park offers six miles of hiking trails along with eight miles of equestrian trails; meandering through scrub, sandhill and flatwoods habitats to name a few. Wildlife viewing in the park is exceptional. |
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Amelia Island State Park |
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Jacksonville, Florida |
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An easy drive from Jacksonville, the park protects over 200 acres of unspoiled wilderness along the southern tip of Amelia Island. Beautiful beaches, salt marshes, and coastal maritime forests provide visitors a glimpse of the original Florida. Amelia Island State Park is the only state park in Florida to offer horseback riding on the beach; a 45-minute riding tour through the forest and along the Atlantic Coast beach. Although the view from the park is breath-taking in itself, most of our visitors come for the fantastic fishing opportunities. Fishermen can surf fish along the shoreline or they can wet their line from the mile-long George Crady Bridge Fishing Pier which spans Nassau Sound. Visitors can also stroll along the beach looking for seashells or relax and watch the numerous bird species that feed in the area. |
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Anastasia State Park |
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St. Augustine, Florida |
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Anastasia State Park is a picturesque getaway near historic St. Augustine. With 139 shaded campsites and four miles of one of the most pristine beaches in Florida, Anastasia State Park is an absolute paradise. Come make some memories with friends and family telling tales and stories around the campfire while mouthwatering food is cooking on the grill. Take a lazy walk along the beach and leave all your cares behind. What better way to spend a weekend than relaxing at the beach. Whether you like fishing, hiking, kayaking, bird-watching or looking for shells on the beach, Anastasia State Park has something for everyone.
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Anclote Key Preserve State Park |
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Dunedin, Florida |
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Blue-green Gulf waters lap gently along the preserve´s beautiful four-mile-long beach. Located three miles off the coast of Tarpon Springs, this park is accessible only by private boat. Visitors must bring water and supplies; there are no provisions on the island. The park is home to at least 43 species of birds, including the American oystercatcher, bald eagle, and piping plover. A picturesque 1887 lighthouse stands as a sentinel on the southern end of the island. Visitors can swim and sunbathe at the beach, then fire up a grill and enjoy a picnic. |
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Avalon State Park |
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Ft. Pierce, Florida |
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One of the state's newest seaside parks, Avalon has more than a mile of increasingly rare undeveloped beachfront. The park provides habitat for many species of wildlife. Threatened and endangered sea turtles, like the loggerhead, Atlantic green, and leatherback, nest on the beach during the spring and summer. Dune crossovers protect the fragile dune ecosystem. They welcome swimmers, snorkelers, fishermen and sunbathers for beach recreation.
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Bahia Honda State Park |
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Big Pine Key, Florida |
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Henry Flagler's railroad to Key West turned the remote island of Bahia Honda Key into a tropical destination. Today, the island is home to one of Florida's southernmost state parks, known for beautiful beaches, magnificent sunsets, and excellent snorkeling. Visitors can picnic on the beach and take a swim, or simply relax and enjoy the balmy sea breezes that caress the shores year-round. Anglers can fish from shore or bring a boat and launch at the boat ramp. The park's concession rents kayaks and snorkeling gear and offers boat trips to the reef for snorkeling excursions. Bahia Honda is an excellent place to see wading birds and shorebirds. The nature center can introduce nature lovers to the island's unique plants and animals. |
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Bald Point State Park |
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Alligator Point, Florida |
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Some of the most picturesque scenic areas along north Florida´s Gulf Coast can be found at this park. Located on Alligator Point where Ochlockonee Bay meets Apalachee Bay, Bald Point offers a multitude of land and water activities. Coastal marshes, pine flatwoods, and oak thickets foster a diversity of biological communities that make the park a popular destination for birding and wildlife viewing. Every fall, bald eagles, other migrating raptors, and monarch butterflies are commonly sighted as they head south for the winter. Bald Point offers access to two Apalachee Bay beaches for swimming, sunbathing, and fishing. Other activities include canoeing, kayaking, windsurfing, and hiking. |
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Big Cypress National Preserve |
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The first National Preserve in the National Park System, Big Cypress has a mixture of pines, hardwoods, prairies, mangrove forests, cypress strands and domes. White-tailed deer, bear and Florida panther can be found here along with the more tropical linguus tree snail, royal palm and cigar orchid. This meeting place of temperate and tropical species is a hotbed of biological diversity. Hydrologically, the Preserve serves as a supply of fresh, clean water for the vital estuaries of the ten thousand islands area near Everglades City. Visitors will find a recreational paradise with camping, canoeing, kayaking, hiking and birdwatching opportunities. Those passing through may be enticed to linger in this remnant of wild Florida to search for evidence of the elusive Florida panther or to watch an endangered woodstork feeding along a roadside canal.
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Big Lagoon State Park |
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Pensacola, Florida |
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This coastal park sits on the northern shoreline of its namesake, Big Lagoon, which separates the mainland from Perdido Key and the Gulf of Mexico. Natural communities, ranging from saltwater marshes to pine flatwoods, attract a wide variety of birds, especially during the spring and fall migrations. Beaches, shallow bays, nature trails, and open woodlands offer splendid opportunities for nature study. The park also beckons visitors with opportunities for camping, swimming, fishing, boating, canoeing, and hiking. Crabbing in the shallow waters of Big Lagoon is a popular activity as well. The West Beach picnic area, shaded by pines and oaks, is just the place to enjoy a relaxing meal. |
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Big Shoals State Park |
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White Springs, Florida |
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This park features the largest whitewater rapids in Florida. Limestone bluffs, towering 80 feet above the banks of the Suwannee River, afford outstanding vistas not found anywhere else in Florida. When the water level on the Suwannee River is between 59 and 61 feet above mean sea level, the Big Shoals rapids earn a Class III Whitewater classification, attracting thrill-seeking canoe and kayak enthusiasts. A smaller set of rapids downstream is called Little Shoals. Over 28 miles of wooded trails provide opportunities for hiking, biking, horseback riding, and wildlife viewing. The Woodpecker Trail, a 3.4 mile long multipurpose paved trail, connects the Little Shoals and Big Shoals entrances to the park. The river offers excellent opportunities for freshwater fishing. |
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Big Talbot Island State Park |
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Jacksonville, Florida |
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Located on one of Northeast Florida’s unique sea islands, Big Talbot Island State Park is primarily a natural preserve providing a premier location for nature study, bird-watching, and photography. Explore the diverse island habitats by hiking Blackrock Trail to the shoreline, Big Pine Trail to the marsh or Old Kings Highway and Jones Cut through the maritime forest. Launch a boat from the north end of the island to fish and tour the salt marsh or rent a kayak and take a guided paddle tour. |
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Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park |
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Key Biscayne, Florida |
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Cape Florida is the home of a historic lighthouse built in 1825 and reconstructed in 1846, the oldest standing structure in Miami-Dade County. Visitors come to the park to sunbathe, swim, and picnic on over a mile of sandy Atlantic beachfront. Biking and kayaking are also popular activities. Anglers can throw in their lines from the seawall along Biscayne Bay for some of the best shoreline fishing in the region. Guided tours of the lighthouse and lighthouse keeper´s cottage are given twice daily, Thursdays through Mondays. |
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Biscayne National Park |
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Biscayne National Park offers mangrove shoreline, crystal clear waters, emerald isles, and living coral reefs. The park is accessible by boat or by car. Biscayne National Park is the largest marine park in the National Park System, with 95% of its 173,000 acres covered by water. The park protects four primary ecosystems. Along the mainland shoreline of Biscayne Bay lies the longest stretch of Mangrove Forest on Florida's east coast. Though only a small part of the park, mangroves are critically important to the park's food chain. Biscayne Bay, the park's namesake, is a broad, shallow body of water teeming with life. Its southern end, still relatively pristine, provides abundant recreational opportunities. The Florida Keys are ancient coral reefs left exposed when sea levels dropped (for more information on the park's geology, see Geology Fieldnotes — Biscayne). The northernmost 50 or so islands, untethered by roads or bridges, offer a glimpse into what all of the Keys looked like before development. The world's third-longest Coral Reef tract begins in Biscayne National Park. Home to over 200 species of fish and countless other marine plants and animals, it is one of the best-preserved reefs in Florida. |
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Blackwater River State Park |
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Holt, Florida |
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A favorite destination for canoeists and kayakers, Blackwater River offers opportunities for a variety of outdoor recreation. The river is one of the purest sand-bottom rivers in the nation, making this park a popular place for swimming, fishing, camping, and paddling. Shaded campsites are just a short walk from the river, and visitors can enjoy a picnic at a pavilion overlooking the river. Nature enthusiasts will enjoy strolling along trails through undisturbed natural communities. In 1980 the park was certified as a Registered State Natural Feature for possessing exceptional value in illustrating the natural history of Florida. Atlantic white cedars line the river and one of them was recognized in 1982 as a Florida Champion tree, one of the largest and oldest of its species. |
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Blue Spring State Park |
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Orange City, Florida |
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Join the fun, its summer at Blue Spring State Park, hot days, cool refreshing spring water, and a great opportunity for kids and parents to cool off in the spring. Bring your swim gear, pack a picnic lunch, and bring the whole family for a picnic and family fun in the Florida sun! The largest spring on the St. Johns River, Blue Spring is a designated Manatee Refuge and the winter home (mid-November through March) to a growing population of West Indian Manatees. For centuries, the spring area was home for Native Americans. In 1766 it was visited by Colonial American botanist John Bartram, but it wasn´t until 1856 that it was settled by Louis Thursby and his family. The Thursby house, built in 1872, remains standing. |
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Brevard Community College Planetarium & Observatory |
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Cocoa, Florida |
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The Brevard Community College Planetarium & Observatory features a large-format movie theater that plays science films to the public and to school groups. There are exhibit halls featuring hands-on science and historical artifacts from human spaceflight. They also house the premier planetarium in East-Central Florida and a rooftop observatory featuring a very large telescope which is free and open to the public every weekend. A classroom seating 35 students and a portable "starlab" planetarium round out the varied spaces in the building. |
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Brevard Zoo |
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Stroll through the shaded boardwalks of Latin American and Native Florida. We feature over 200 animals representing more than 60 species including alligator, crocodile, giant anteater, tapir, marmoset, jaguar, eagle, river otter, exotic birds and more. Located in Melbourne. |
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Bulow Creek State Park |
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Ormond Beach, Florida |
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This park protects one of the largest remaining stands of southern live oak forest along Florida's east coast. The reigning tree is the Fairchild Oak, one of the largest live oak trees in the south. For more than 400 years it has been a silent witness to human activities along Bulow Creek, including the destruction of the neighboring Bulow Plantation during the Second Seminole War in 1836. Several trails allow hikers to explore the interior of the park, where visitors can see white-tailed deer, barred owls, and raccoons. The Bulow Woods Trail, nearly seven miles long, takes hikers to Bulow Plantation Ruins Historic State Park. Visitors can picnic in a shady pavilion or at a table on the lawn within view of the Fairchild Oak. Located five miles north of Ormond Beach on Old Dixie Highway (County Road 4011).
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Bulow Plantation Ruins Historic State Park |
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Bunnell, Florida |
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In 1836, the Second Seminole War swept away the prosperous Bulow Plantation where the Bulow family grew sugar cane, cotton, rice, and indigo. Ruins of the former plantation-a sugar mill, a unique spring house, several wells, and the crumbling foundations of the plantation house and slave cabins-show how volatile the Florida frontier was in the early 19th century. Today, a scenic walking trail leads visitors to the sugar mill ruins, listed on the National Register of Historic Sites. The park has picnic facilities and an interpretive center that tells the plantation's history. A boat ramp provides access for canoes and small powerboats to scenic Bulow Creek, a designated state canoe trail. Anglers can fish from the dock or a boat. |
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Busch Gardens Tampa Bay |
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Busch Gardens Tampa Bay is a family adventure park offering an array of attractions based on exotic encounters with the African continent. Busch Gardens provides a blend of rides, a zoo featuring more than 2,700 animals, live shows, restaurants, shops and games. |
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Caladesi Island State Park |
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Dunedin, Florida |
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One of the few completely natural islands along Florida´s Gulf Coast, Caladesi´s white sand shores have been rated as the nation´s #1 best beach. Beach lovers can enjoy swimming, sunbathing, and beachcombing. Saltwater anglers can fish from their boats or throw a line out into the surf. Nature enthusiasts watch wildlife while hiking the three mile nature trail through the island´s interior or paddling a three mile kayak trail through the mangroves and bay. |
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Camp Helen State Park |
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Panama City Beach, Florida |
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The park is bordered on three sides by the Gulf of Mexico and Lake Powell– one of the largest coastal dune lakes in Florida. Coastal dune lakes are extremely rare worldwide; in the United States they occur only along the Gulf Coast. Prehistoric middens and mounds indicate that humans lived in the area more than 4,000 years ago. From 1945 until 1987, Camp Helen was a company resort for employees of an Alabama textile mill and some of the buildings are now being restored. Natural areas range from coastal dunes and salt marshes along the Gulf to freshwater wetlands and sand pine scrub along the lake. Activities include swimming, beachcombing, nature study, hiking, and both freshwater and saltwater fishing. |
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Canaveral National Seashore |
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Canaveral National Seashore is on a barrier island which includes ocean, beach, dune, hammock, lagoon, salt marsh, and pine flatland habitats. The barrier island and adjacent waterways offer a blend of plant and animal life. Records show that 1,045 species of plants and 310 species of birds can be found in the park. Endangered species include, but are not limited to, loggerhead, green and leatherback sea turtles, West Indian Manatee, Southern bald eagle, wood stork, peregrine falcon, eastern indigo snake, and Florida scrub jay. The park has two districts and the Seminole Rest Site. The North District is in Volusia County, near New Smyrna Beach, Florida. Seminole Rest is also located in Volusia County in Oak Hill, Florida. The South District, in Brevard County is near Titusville, Florida. Visitors may enjoy walking the nature and historical trails during the cool winter months. Throughout the year opportunity for recreational activities include; lagoon and surf fishing, boating, canoeing, surfing, sunbathing, swimming, hiking, horseback riding and backcountry camping. |
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Caribbean Gardens, The Zoo in Naples |
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Caribbean Gardens features a natural path almost a mile in length winding past rare and beautiful animals residing within a 52-acre jungle of exotic plants first planted in 1919. In this tropical setting, you'll see lions, kangaroos, and monkeys, plus endangered African wild dogs and Asian deer. The Primate Expedition Cruise takes you through islands inhabited by monkeys, lemurs, and apes.
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Cayo Costa State Park |
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Boca Grande, Florida |
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With nine miles of beautiful beaches and acres of pine forests, oak-palm hammocks, and mangrove swamps, this barrier island park is a Gulf Coast paradise. The park is accessible only by private boat or ferry. Visitors may see manatees and pods of dolphins in the waters around the park, as well as a spectacular assortment of birds. On the island, visitors can swim or snorkel in the surf, enjoy the sun, and picnic in the shade. Shelling is especially good during the winter months. Nature trails provide opportunities for hiking and off-road bicycling. Saltwater anglers can fish from their boats or throw a line out into the surf. An amphitheater provides educational programs about the islands ecology and history. |
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Cedar Key Museum State Park |
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Cedar Key, Florida |
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Picturesque Cedar Key, on Florida's Gulf Coast, was a thriving port city and railroad connection during the 19th century. The museum contains exhibits that depict its colorful history during that era. Part of the collection has sea shells and Indian artifacts collected by Saint Clair Whitman, the founder of the first museum in Cedar Key. Whitman's house is located at the park and has been restored to reflect life in the 1920s. A short nature trail gives visitors the opportunity to see wildlife and birds, as well as native vegetation. Small gray squirrels, doves, mockingbirds, blue jays, woodpeckers, and green tree frogs can be seen on the museum grounds and along the walking trail. |
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Cedar Key Scrub State Reserve |
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Cedar Key, Florida |
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Salt marshes on the Gulf of Mexico give way to a succession of swamps, hardwood forests, pine flatwoods, and scrub, providing splendid opportunities for nature study and wildlife observation. The scrub is dominated by species such as sand live oak, myrtle oak, and Chapman's oak, along with rusty lyonia, and saw palmetto. Hikers and off-road bicyclists who want to experience a mosaic of Florida habitats will find it on the miles of trails that wind through the park. The shallow waters and numerous creeks near the salt marshes are ideal for canoeing and kayaking. Rental canoes and kayaks are available in the city of Cedar Key. |
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Central Florida Zoological Park |
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Visit a variety of animals and take in the many educational programs at the Central Florida Zooological Park, located in Lake Monroe, Florida. |
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Charlotte Harbor |
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Punta Gorda, Florida |
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Ringing Charlotte Harbor like a necklace of mangroves, the park provides vast areas of unspoiled scenery and vital habitat for many varieties of wildlife. The upland areas of the park are accessible at pedestrian walk-through's available in each section of the park. The Charlotte Harbor Environmental Center (CHEC) Charlotte Harbor Environmental Center is located within the park. The park also manages more than 80 miles of Charlotte Harbor shoreline. Most of it is shallow water fringed by mangroves. These areas provide amazing opportunities to view wading birds, manatees, dolphins and other wildlife. It is best accessed by kayak or canoe and there are many opportunities to access the Preserve from Placida, El Jobean, Port Charlotte, Punta Gorda, Cape Coral, Matlacha, Pineland, Bokeelia and St. James City. Portions of two paddle trail systems wind through the park. |
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Collier-Seminole State Park |
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Naples, Florida |
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This park features a wealth of vegetation and wildlife typical of the Everglades, plus a forest made up of tropical trees. Although rare elsewhere, the Florida royal palm is a common tree here. The park is also the site of a National Historic Mechanical Engineering Landmark which was dedicated by the American Society of Mechanical Engineers in 1994, the Bay City Walking Dredge. Built in 1924, it was used to build the Tamiami Trail highway (U.S. 41) through the Everglades, linking Tampa to Miami. Hiking, bicycling, and canoeing trails offer opportunities for visitors to explore the park´s remarkable wilderness. The park has canoe rentals along with a boat ramp that provides access to the Blackwater River, where anglers can enjoy both freshwater and saltwater fishing. |
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Colt Creek State Park |
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Lakeland, Florida |
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Purchased from the Overstreet Family in May of 2006, this 5067 acre park nestled within the Green Swamp Wilderness Area and named after one of the tributaries that flows through the property was opened to the public on January 20, 2007. For over 60 years this property was managed as a cattle ranch by the Overstreet family. Past activities on the land also included lime rock mining, timber harvesting, citrus production and turpentining. Comprised mainly of Pine Flatwoods, Cypress Domes and open pasture land, this piece of still pristine wilderness is home to many animal species including the American Bald Eagle, Sherman’s Fox Squirrel, Gopher Tortoise, White-Tail Deer, Wild Turkey and Bobcat. |
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Crystal River Archaeological State Park |
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Crystal River, Florida |
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National Historic Landmark, this 61-acre, pre-Columbian, Native American site has burial mounds, temple/platform mounds, a plaza area, and a substantial midden. The six-mound complex is one of the longest continuously occupied sites in Florida. For 1,600 years the site served as an imposing ceremonial center for Native Americans. People traveled to the complex from great distances to bury their dead and conduct trade. It is estimated that as many as 7,500 Native Americans may have visited the complex every year. Although primarily an archaeological site, the park sits on the edge of an expansive coastal marsh. Anglers may catch saltwater and freshwater fish. As part of the Great Florida Birding Trail, the park offers bird-watchers the chance to observe a variety of birds. The park has a boat tour of the river every Friday, weather permitting. |
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Crystal River Preserve State Park |
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Crystal River, Florida |
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A place of exceptional natural beauty, the undisturbed islands, inlets, backwaters, and forests of this preserve are especially cherished by nature lovers and photographers. The park borders 20 miles of the northern Gulf Coast between the two cities of Yankeetown and Homosassa. Visitors can hike or bicycle along nine miles of trails or study the native wildlife and plants on the two-and-a-half mile interpretive trail. Anglers can walk down a short path to the Mullet Hole for a relaxing afternoon of fishing. Paddlers can launch a kayak or canoe into the waters of the scenic Crystal River to see the park from the water. |
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Curry Hammock State Park |
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Marathon, Florida |
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This park is made up of a group of islands in the Middle Keys, with public access to swimming, a playground, picnic tables, grills, and showers on the ocean side of Little Crawl Key. The hardwood hammocks found on these tropical islands support one of the largest populations of thatch palms in the United States. Mangrove swamps, seagrass beds, and wetlands provide vital habitats for tropical wildlife.
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Dagny Johnson Key Largo Hammock Botanical State Park |
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Key Largo, Florida |
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Once slated to become a condominium development, this park contains one of the largest tracts of West Indian tropical hardwood hammock in the United States. The park is home to 84 protected species of plants and animals, including wild cotton, mahogany mistletoe, and the American crocodile. Exploring the park´s trails gives visitors a chance to see some of these rare species of plants and animals. Over six miles of nature trails provide a wealth of opportunities for birdwatchers and photographers. Most of the park´s trails are paved and accessible to both bicycles and wheelchairs. Signs along a self-guided nature trail provide information about the park´s ecosystem and wildlife; ranger-guided tours are also available. |
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De Leon Springs State Park |
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DeLeon Springs, Florida |
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Native Americans visited and used these springs as long as 6,000 years ago. In the early 1800s, settlers built sugar and cotton plantations that were sacked by Seminole Indians during the Second Seminole War. By the 1880s the springs had become a winter resort, and tourists were promised "a fountain of youth impregnated with a deliciously healthy combination of soda and sulphur." The swimming area is adjacent to a beautiful, shady picnic ground. Canoe, kayak and paddleboat rentals are available for a paddling tour of the spring and spring run. |
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Deer Lake State Park |
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Santa Rosa Beach, Florida |
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This park shares its name with the coastal dune lake within its boundaries. Coastal dune lakes are extremely rare worldwide and in the United States they occur only along the Gulf Coast. Southern magnolias, golden asters, woody goldenrod, and scrub oaks can be seen in this coastal dune habitat. Rare plants such as gulf coast lupine, spoonflower, pitcher plants, and Curtiss' sand grass-one of the largest populations found in Florida-are found in the park. Visitors may see splashes of color from summer wildflowers or some of the many species of resident or migratory birds and butterflies. A boardwalk across the dunes offers easy access to the beach where visitors can picnic, swim, and fish. It also offers a spectacular view of the dune ecosystem, one of 11 natural communities found in the park. |
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Delnor-Wiggins Pass State Park |
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Naples, Florida |
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One of the most popular seashore destinations in Naples, this park's mile-long stretch of white sugar sand has been rated as one of the best beaches in the nation. The beach is popular for sunbathing, swimming, beachcombing, snorkeling, and picnicking. Fishing at the beach along Wiggins Pass, where swimming is not allowed, is another popular activity. For saltwater or freshwater fishing, boaters can launch their vessels into Water Turkey Bay and travel to the Gulf or up the Cocohatchee River. Kayakers can enjoy paddling through estuaries; scuba divers can explore the hard bottom reef in the Gulf. At the north end of the island, a tower gives visitors a bird's-eye view of Wiggins Pass and the surrounding coastal habitat. |
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Devils Millhopper Geological State Park |
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Gainesville, Florida |
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In the midst of north Florida's sandy terrain and pine forests, a bowl-shaped cavity 120 feet deep leads down to a miniature rain forest. Small streams trickle down the steep slopes of the limestone sinkhole, disappearing through crevices in the ground, and lush vegetation thrives in the shade of the walls even in dry summers. A significant geological formation, Devil's Millhopper is a National Natural Landmark that has been visited by the curious since the early 1880s. Researchers have learned a great deal about Florida's natural history by studying fossil shark teeth, marine shells, and the fossilized remains of extinct land animals found in the sink. Visitors can enjoy picnicking and learn more about this sinkhole through interpretive displays. |
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Don Pedro Island State Park |
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Englewood, Florida |
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This beautiful little island is part of an extensive chain of barrier islands extending along the Gulf Coast of Florida. Between Knight Island and Little Gasparilla Island, Don Pedro is accessible only by private boat. Boaters can tie up at the dock on the bay side of the island, which is lined with mangroves. Access to the dock is through a 2.5 -foot - deep channel south of the Cape Haze power line crossing. Visitors might see endangered animals such as West Indian manatees, gopher tortoises, bald eagles, and American oystercatchers. With a mile of white sand beach, popular activities on the island´s Gulf side include sunbathing, swimming, snorkeling, and shelling. Boat and surf fishing are also favorite pastimes. For hiking and nature study, trails meander through the island´s 11 natural communities. |
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Dr. Julian G. Bruce St. George Island State Park |
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St. George Island, Florida |
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Miles of undeveloped beaches and emerald waters provide the perfect setting for this park. The park offers ample opportunities for sunbathing, swimming, canoeing, boating, hiking, camping, and nature study. Two boat ramps provide access to Apalachee Bay where anglers can fish for flounder, redfish, sea trout, pompano, whiting, and Spanish mackerel. Few parks offer better opportunities for gulf coast shelling. Shore birds such as the snowy plover, least tern, black skimmer, and willet often nest along the park´s sandy shores and grass flats. |
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Dry Tortugas National Park |
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Almost 70 miles (112.9 km) west of Key West lies a cluster of seven islands, composed of coral reefs and sand, called the Dry Tortugas. Along with the surrounding shoals and waters, they make up Dry Tortugas National Park. The area is known for its famous bird and marine life, and its legends of pirates and sunken gold. Fort Jefferson, one of the largest coastal forts ever built, is a central feature. |
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Dunns Creek |
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Pomona Park, Florida |
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Located south of a sharp bend in the St. Johns River, this is one of the newest additions to the state park system. The park's natural communities include sandhills, covered with longleaf pines and wiregrass, and sand pine scrub. These communities protect several endangered and threatened species, such as the gopher tortoise, as well as a variety of other native animals. |
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Econfina River State Park |
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Lamont, Florida |
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Nestled along the northern Gulf Coast, this park protects a mosaic of diverse landscapes. The Econfina River meanders like a dark ribbon through pine flatwoods, oaks and palm forests to broad expanses of salt marsh dotted with pine islands. Nature lovers can explore the scenic beauty by foot, bicycle, or horseback on nine miles of wooded trails-or drift along the river in a kayak, canoe, or boat. Trails lead to a panoramic view of coastal Florida where lush islands, sand dunes left from a bygone era, dot the horizon. The Econfina River empties into the Gulf of Mexico 2.2 miles south of the park's boat ramp. |
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Edward Ball Wakulla Springs State Park |
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Wakulla Springs, Florida |
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Home of one of the largest and deepest freshwater springs in the world, this park plays host to an abundance of wildlife, including alligators, turtles, deer, and birds. Daily guided riverboat tours provide a closer view of wildlife, and glass bottom boat tours are offered when the water is clear. Swimming is a popular activity during the hot summer months. A nature trail offers a leisurely walk along the upland wooded areas of the park. The Wakulla Springs Lodge was built in 1937 by financier Edward Ball and is open year-round. |
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Egmont Key State Park |
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St. Petersburg, Florida |
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Although this park is primarily a wildlife refuge, it can be a personal refuge - a place to relax and collect shells along secluded, pristine beaches. Accessible only by private boat, Egmont Key has a unique natural and cultural history, including a lighthouse that has stood since 1858. During the 19th century, the island served as a camp for captured Seminoles at the end of the Third Seminole War and was later occupied by the Union Navy during the Civil War. In 1898, as the Spanish - American War threatened, Fort Dade was built on the island and remained active until 1923. After touring the historic sites and trails, visitors can enjoy swimming, fishing, wildlife viewing, and picnicking. |
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Emerald Coast Science Center |
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Fort Walton Beach, Florida |
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The Emerald Coast Science Center is located in a beautiful waterfront park directly on the sound in Fort Walton Beach, Florida. Here you will find a facility for children and families with touchable, workable exhibits that teach about natural phenomena and basic scientific principles. |
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Environmental Learning Center (ELC) |
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Vero Beach, Florida |
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Take a walk on an elevated boardwalk system meandering through a mangrove forest, visit the Wet Lab filled iwth touchable exhibits and aquaria with marin life, tour the Dry Lab's exhibits, preschool play area, and interactive computers, and view the native plant gardens. |
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Estero Bay Preserve State Park |
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Estero, Florida |
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The first aquatic preserve established in Florida, this is one of the most productive estuaries in the state. The bay is home to a wide variety of wildlife, including the bald eagle. The preserve protects the water, inlets, and islands along 10 miles of Estero Bay. Visitors can canoe or kayak in the bay or on the Estero River. Miles of trails offer visitors the opportunity to hike, bicycle, or study the variety of wildlife and native vegetation protected here. There are gopher tortoises, fiddler crabs, slash pines, and live oaks. |
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Everglades National Park |
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Spanning the southern tip of the Florida peninsula and most of Florida Bay, Everglades National Park is the only subtropical preserve in North America. It contains both temperate and tropical plant communities, including sawgrass prairies, mangrove and cypress swamps, pinelands, and hardwood hammocks, as well as marine and estuarine environments. The park is known for its rich bird life, particularly large wading birds, such as the roseate spoonbill, wood stork, great blue heron and a variety of egrets. It is also the only place in the world where alligators and crocodiles exist side by side. |
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Explorations V Children's Museum |
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Lakeland, Florida |
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The mission of Explorations V Children's Museum is to provide a hands-on, fun-fillled adventure in learning for children and their families. There are three floors of mind-stretching, kid-powered exhibits featuring art, science, literature, math, health, life skills and cultures from around the world. Surprise your five senses on a “please touch” jet-stream journey of discovery at Explorations V Children’s Museum. |
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Fakahatchee Strand Preserve State Park |
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Copeland, Florida |
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Fakahatchee Strand Preserve State Park is called “the Amazon of North America.” The Fakahatchee Strand is a linear swamp forest, approximately twenty miles long by five miles wide and oriented from north to south. It hosts a wide array of habitats and forest types from the wetter swamps and prairies to the drier islands of tropical hardwood hammocks and pine rock lands. Its groves of native royal palms are the most abundant in the state and the ecosystem of the Fakahatchee Strand is the only place in the world where bald cypress trees and royal palms share the forest canopy. It is the orchid and bromeliad capital of the continent with 44 native orchids and 14 native bromeliad species. Florida panthers still pursue white-tailed deer from the uplands across the wetlands. Florida black bears and Eastern indigo snakes, Everglades minks and diamondback terrapins can still be found here. The resident and migratory bird life is spectacular and attracts many enthusiastic visitors.
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Falling Waters State Park |
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Chipley, Florida |
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Huge trees and fern-covered sinkholes line Sink Hole Trail, the boardwalk that leads visitors to Florida's highest waterfall. Falling Waters Sink is a 100-foot deep, 20-foot wide cylindrical pit into which flows a small stream that drops 73 feet to the bottom of the sink. The water's final destination remains unknown. Only a few miles south of I-10, the park provides travelers with a quiet, serene stop on their journey. Visitors can see beautiful native and migrating butterflies in the butterfly garden, take a dip in the lake, or have a family picnic. Hikers can experience the verdant, gently sloping landscape of North Florida. Park rangers host interpretive programs in the amphitheater. |
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Fanning Springs State Park |
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Fanning Springs, Florida |
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Located on the Suwannee River, this inviting source of cool, clear water has attracted people for thousands of years. Fanning Springs produces an average of 65 million gallons of water daily, making it one of Florida´s 33 first magnitude springs. Swimming or snorkeling in the spring is a refreshing activity on a hot day; fishing is also a popular recreation. Visitors can enter the park by boat from the Suwannee River as well as by car. Many visitors enjoy the picnic area, playground, and the park's large open areas for Frisbee, football, soccer and also for several local events. A nature trail and boardwalk overlook the spring and river. White-tailed deer, gray squirrels, red-shouldered hawks, pileated woodpeckers, and barred owls are some of the animals seen in the park. Manatees sometimes visit the spring during the winter months. |
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Faver-Dykes State Park |
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St. Augustine, Florida |
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Noted for its pristine condition, this tranquil park borders Pellicer Creek as it winds along Florida's east coast highways down to the Matanzas River. Pellicer Creek is a popular site for birding with more than one hundred bird species seen during spring and fall migrations. Songbirds, including the colorful wood warblers, along with eagles and falcons, return to nest at the park each year. Wading birds, such as egrets, wood storks, white ibis, and herons, feed in the tidal marshes and creeks. This peaceful park is also home to deer, turkeys, hawks, bobcats, and river otters. Fishing, picnicking, and nature walks are popular activities. |
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Florida Aquarium |
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With over 10,000 aquatic plants and animals
from Florida and beyond, The Florida Aquarium in downtown Tampa features 152,000 square-feet of air-conditioned fun. |
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Florida Caverns State Park |
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Marianna, Florida |
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This is one of the few state parks with dry (air filled) caves and is the only Florida state park to offer cave tours to the public. The cave has dazzling formations of limestone stalactites, stalagmites, soda straws, flowstones, and draperies. Florida Caverns is also popular for camping, swimming, fishing, picnicking, canoeing, boating, hiking, bicycling, and horseback riding. |
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Florida Institute of Technology Botanical Gardens |
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Melbourne, Florida |
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Thirty acres of lush subtropical growth and natural streams comprise the Florida Tech Botanical Gardens. The main site of the university's extensive palm collection, the Gardens are derived from a palm/hardwood hammock that Florida Tech has preserved since moving to this location. Several paved and earthen paths wind through the Gardens, allowing visitors easy access to most areas within the Gardens. Numerous Seminole-style chikis around the Gardens provide places to rest and contemplate the exotic plant species, and offer protection from summer sunshowers.
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Florida Museum of Natural History |
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Gainesville, Florida |
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The Florida Museum of Natural History, located at the University of Florida, is Florida's state museum of natural history, dedicated to understanding, preserving and interpreting biological diversity and cultural heritage. |
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Florida Oceanographic Coastal Center |
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Hutchinson Island, Stuart, Florida |
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The Florida Oceanographic Coastal Center is located on Hutchinson Island. Situated between the Atlantic Ocean and the Indian River Lagoon, the 57 acre parcel houses the Society's headquarters, library, nature trails, Children's Activity Pavilion, Rays on the Reef Ray Pavilion and the Frances Langford Visitor's Center. With its coastal hardwood hammocks and mangrove forest communities, the site provides excellent opportunities for education and research aimed at increasing the general knowledge of these unique environments. |
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Florida Solar Energy Center at the University of Central Florida |
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Cocoa, Florida |
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The Florida Solar Energy Center (FSEC) was created by the Florida Legislature in 1975 to serve as the state’s energy research institute. The main responsibilities of the center are to conduct research, test and certify solar systems and develop education programs. Tours of the facility are offered the second Thursday of every month at 2 p.m. Each tour will last about two hours and will be followed by a 30-minute video entitled "Kilowatt Ours." Visitors will have an opportunity to explore the FSEC building, one of the most energy-efficient commercial buildings in the world. Tour guides will point out some of the features that can be adopted by homeowners and businesses to make their buildings more energy efficient. Tours will include an insider's view of the wide range of research projects conducted at FSEC on hydrogen and fuel cells, buildings and energy efficiencies, the environment, photovoltaics, solar thermal energy and alternative transportation systems.
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Fort Clinch State Park |
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Fernandina Beach, Florida |
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A part of the park system since 1935, Fort Clinch is one of the most well-preserved 19th century forts in the country. Although no battles were fought here, it was garrisoned during both the Civil and Spanish-American wars. During the 1930s, the Civilian Conservation Corps began preserving and rebuilding many of the structures of the abandoned fort. Daily tours with period reenactors depicting garrison life bring the fort to life for visitors. Sunbathing, swimming, and beachcombing are popular activities at the beach. Anglers can fish from the pier or take advantage of excellent surf fishing. Hikers and bicyclists can enjoy a six-mile trail through the park. Self-guided nature trails provide opportunities to learn about and observe native plants and wildlife. |
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Fort Cooper State Park |
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Inverness, Florida |
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The sparkling waters of Lake Holathlikaha were a welcome sight to sick and wounded soldiers during the Second Seminole War. In 1836, the First Georgia Battalion of Volunteers built a stockade for the soldiers resting here, enabling the Volunteers to hold their own through several skirmishes with the Seminole Indians. The park´s diverse natural areas provide a refuge for many plants and animals, including threatened and endangered species. Fishing in Lake Holathlikaha is a popular activity; swimming is available only when the lake level is high enough. |
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Fort George Island Cultural State Park |
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Jacksonville, Florida |
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Native Americans feasted here, colonists built a fort, and the Smart Set of the 1920s came for vacations. A site of human occupation for over 5,000 years, Fort George Island was named for a 1736 fort built to defend the | | | |