Despite what a certain mouse might have you believe, Florida isn’t all about theme parks. The Sunshine State is packed from coast to coast with some of the country’s most stunning and unique parks, including underwater wonderlands, sugar sand beaches, magical springs, old-growth forests, and swamps where dinosaurs (alligators) still roam the earth. Here are 20 of the best state and national parks in Florida that should be on your next itinerary.
Everglades National Park
Where: South Florida
What to Expect: The third largest park in the lower 48, the Everglades is the place to go if you’re only able to visit one natural wonder in Florida. You could spend a lifetime exploring the River of Grass, but there are a few class experiences no one should miss, including a fan boat ride, the Anhinga Trail (complete with views of alligators, turtles, and egrets) and a ranger-guided canoe tour through brackish water.
Size: 2,400 square miles
Amenities: Marina, boat ramps, visitor center, gift shop, campgrounds, boat/kayak/canoe/bicycle/pontoon/skiff rentals, picnic areas, cycling, hiking, nature, and canoeing trails, tours, and ranger-led programs
Pets Permitted: On a leash in limited areas including public roadways, campgrounds, and parking lots
Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
Dry Tortugas National Park
Where: Approximately 70 miles west of Key West
What to Expect: Built around Fort Jefferson, a former strategic stronghold outside the Florida Keys and the third largest fort in the country, most visitors access Dry Tortugas by the public ferry that’s included with your park ticket. Included with your trip are breakfast, lunch, a guided tour, and snorkeling equipment.
Size: 100 square miles
Amenities: Guided tours, campgrounds, picnic areas, visitor center, complimentary snorkeling equipment, and breakfast and lunch
Pets Permitted: On a leash in limited areas. Note that the ferry does not allow pets onboard.
Wheelchair Accessible: Accessibility is limited.
Canaveral National Seashore
Where: Central East Florida (Volusia and Brevard Counties)
What to Expect: On certain days, Canaveral National Seashore is most famous as a viewing point for rocket launches from the nearby Kennedy Space Center. After the free show, stroll along 24 miles of undeveloped beach, a reminder of when Florida wasn’t wall-to-wall condominiums. Be sure to check on Turtle Mound, an ancient 50-foot tall shell mound left behind by the Timucua people—it’s the earliest evidence of man at Canaveral National Seashore.
Size: 90 square miles
Amenities: Kayak/canoe rentals, nature trails, boat ramps, picnic areas, and campgrounds
Pets Permitted: On a leash at off-beach areas
Wheelchair Accessible: The park offers a variety of accessible amenities, including accessible parking and beach wheelchairs.
Biscayne National Park
Where: Southeast Florida (Miami-Dade County)
What to Expect: With more than 90% of the park underwater, Biscayne is paradise for ocean lovers. Take a guided boat tour or rent a kayak or canoe to see the area’s stunning mangrove swamps. Meanwhile, The Maritime Heritage Trail provides snorkelers and scuba divers a unique chance to discover shipwrecks, over 600 species of native fish and endangered species such as green sea turtles.
Size: 270 square miles
Amenities: Guided tours, kiteboarding lessons, boat/kayak/canoe rentals, camping, snorkeling and diving trails, boat ramps, picnic areas, Dante Fascell Visitor Center, gallery, and museum
Pets Permitted: On a leash except at Boca Chita Key and Dante Fascell Visitor Center.
Wheelchair Accessible: Mainland facilities are fully accessible.
Gulf Islands National Seashore
Where: Northwest Florida
What to Expect: Just outside the buzzing tourist destination of Pensacola, travelers can slow down and connect with nature at the Florida side of Gulf Islands National Seashore. The massive park has six sections, including Fort Pickens where you can tour a Civil War-era fort, and Perdido Key, one of the most beautiful sugar sand beaches in the country.
Size: 215 square miles
Amenities: Fort Pickens Discovery Center, park store, nature trails, campgrounds, boat ramps, picnic areas, and ranger-led programs
Pets Permitted: Pets are allowed on trails, multi-use paths, and on park roads when on a leash.
Wheelchair Accessible: Some historic areas are not accessible.
Marjorie Harris Carr Cross Florida Greenway
Where: Central Florida
What to Expect: Stretching across Central Florida all the way from St. Johns River to the Gulf of Mexico, this greenway transformed one of the nation’s biggest incomplete public work projects into a sprawling 110-mile corridor that has some of the state’s highest concentration of biking and hiking paths. The diverse terrain crosses sandhills, salt marshes, maritime hammocks, and more. There’s even something for equestrians—many of the 244 miles of trails can be explored on horseback.
Size: 110 miles long
Amenities: Campgrounds, equestrian staging area, trail rides, fishing platforms and docks, playground, picnic areas, basketball court, paved and unpaved multi-use trails, and boat ramps
Pets Permitted: Pets must be leashed.
Wheelchair Accessible: The park offers a variety of accessible amenities, including paved trails.
Bahia Honda State Park
Where: The Florida Keys
What to Expect: One of the most famous beaches in The Florida Keys, Bahia Honda State Park is particularly popular with campers—and for good reason. Imagine stargazing on the sand and rolling out of bed in the morning into gin-clear water before kayaking out to Little Bahia Honda, an adorable limestone island. Daytrippers love this idyllic park as well for its wonderful snorkeling and shelling.
Size: 0.82 square miles
Amenities: Campgrounds, marina, snorkeling tour, picnic areas, kayak rentals, and nature trail
Pets Permitted: Pet access is highly limited.
Wheelchair Accessible: The park offers a variety of accessible amenities, including a beach wheelchair and wheelchair lift for some cabins.
De Leon Springs State Park
Where: Central Florida (Volusia County)
What to Expect: Mistaken by explorer Ponce de Leon as the long sought-after Found of Youth, these refreshing springs may not grant you immortality, but they’re still well worth a visit. After a swim in the bubbling, turquoise water, tour the lush park and neighboring Lake Woodruff National Wildlife Refuge on a pontoon boat, and grab lunch at the Old Sugar Mill Pancake House—located in a 100-year-old replica of the park’s 1830s sugar mill—featuring cook your own pancakes on a table griddle.
Size: 1 square mile
Amenities: Birding and hiking rails, boat tours, boat ramps, canoe/kayak rentals, restaurant, visitor center, interpretative exhibit, picnic areas
Pets Permitted: Pets are welcome if leashed.
Wheelchair Accessible: The park offers a variety of accessible amenities, including a swimmer chairlift and all-terrain wheelchairs.
Crystal River Preserve State Park
Where: Central West Florida (Citrus County)
What to Expect: The only place in the world where you can snorkel alongside manatees, Crystal River Preserve floats to the top of many bucket lists. After coming face-to-face with these magnificent mammals, learn more about their environment on an eco-tour boat ride or hike through the park’s nine miles of trails in untouched scrub, pinewood, hardwood forest, salt marsh, and mangrove island habitats.
Size: 8 square miles
Amenities: Boat tours, canoe/kayak launches, cycling and nature trails, and picnic areas
Pets Permitted: Pets are allowed if leashed.
Wheelchair Accessible: The park offers a few accessible amenities, including boat tours and picnic areas.
Big Shoals State Park
Where: North Central Florida (Hamilton County)
What to Expect: The largest whitewater rapids in Florida, Big Shoals provides an adventure for thrill-seekers. Here the Suwannee River transforms into Class III rapids when the water level is between 59 and 61 feet above mean sea level, making the ride appropriate for experienced canoers and kayakers only. If that sounds too intense, you can watch from viewing platforms, or enjoy a day of mountain biking, horseback riding, birding, and bat watching.
Size: 2.5 square miles
Amenities: Mountain biking, hiking, and equestrian trails, canoe launch, and picnic areas
Pets Permitted: Pets are allowed if leashed.
Wheelchair Accessible: Accessible facilities are limited to picnic areas.
Timucuan Ecological & Historic Preserve
Where: Northeast Florida (Duval County)
What to Expect: Located just outside Jacksonville, visiting this preserve—which contains some of the last unspoiled coastal wetlands along the Atlantic—feels like stepping back in time. Stop by Kingsley Plantation on Fort George Island to learn the reality of slavery and the culture of the Gullah Geechee people and hike among live oaks and palmettos where pre-Columbian and Timucuan people once lived.
Size: 72 square miles
Amenities: Bird observation platforms, nature trails, boat launch, ferry, museum, kayak and segway rentals, audio tours, visitor center, picnic areas, campgrounds, and guided tours
Pets Permitted: Dogs are allowed on trails and ground if leashed.
Wheelchair Accessible: Certain areas of the park may be difficult to access.
Falling Waters State Park
Where: Northwest Florida (Washington County)
What to Expect: As a state with little elevation, you may not expect to find a waterfall in Florida, but Falling Waters State Park is here to prove you wrong. Locals and travelers visit to marvel at the 73-foot tall geological oddity not created by a stream and series of sinkholes—no one has been able to figure out the water’s final destination. After checking out this natural wonder, hike the local nature trails, take a dip in the lake, and watch native and migrating butterflies in the garden.
Size: 0.25 square miles
Amenities: Campgrounds, nature trails, picnic areas, playground, ranger-led talks, and interpretive exhibit
Pets Permitted: Dogs on leash are welcome.
Wheelchair Accessible: This park doesn’t have accessible facilities available.
Florida Caverns State Park
Where: Northwest Florida (Marianna County)
What to Expect: For a glimpse of Florida from a totally different angle, head to Florida Caverns State Park, the only park in the state that provides public cave tours. Wander through large underground rooms, gawk at stalactites and stalagmites, and when you’re finished, beat the humidity in the aptly-named Blue Hole spring.
Size: 2 square miles
Amenities: Equestrian, hiking, and cycling trails, stables, campgrounds, boat ramps, canoe rentals, picnic areas, guided cavern tours, interpretive exhibit, restaurant, playground, and visitor center
Pets Permitted: Pets on leash are allowed.
Wheelchair Accessible: While the buildings have accessible amenities, the cave itself is not wheelchair accessible.
John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park
Where: The Florida Keys
What to Expect: The country’s first undersea park and a Florida National Marine Life Sanctuary, John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park is truly one-of-a-kind. Here, you can experience the beauty of the natural world underwater by boat or trade in your hiking boots for some fins and try snorkeling or scuba diving. The park even has paddling trails and marine tours to help you along the way.
Size: 126 square miles
Amenities: Boat tours, snorkeling tours, dive shop/guided scuba diving, snorkeling and scuba equipment rentals, power boat rentals, boat ramps, campgrounds, hiking and paddling trails, amphitheater, restaurant, playground, visitor center, and aquarium
Pets Permitted: Pets are not allowed on beaches, tour or rental boats, or in any buildings.
Wheelchair Accessible: The park offers a variety of accessible amenities, including wheelchair-friendly snorkeling vessels and a Mobi-Mat for far beach access.
Cayo Costa State Park
Where: Southwest Florida (Lee County)
What to Expect: Accessible only by boat, Cayo Costa State Park on Captiva represents Florida at its most beautiful. Rent a rustic cabin and live the island life, swimming, fishing, snorkeling, and kayaking in crystal clear waters and hiking along an undeveloped shoreline.
Size: 4 square miles
Amenities: Cycling and nature trails, bike and kayak rentals, overnight dock, campgrounds, picnic areas, amphitheater, ranger-led programs, cabins, restaurant, gift shop, and interpretative exhibit
Pets Permitted: On a leash in limited areas.
Wheelchair Accessible: This park is accessible by boat only and has limited wheelchair accessibility.
Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park
Where: Southeast Florida (Miami-Dade County)
What to Expect: Located a short drive from downtown Miami, Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park offers a top-ranked beach, some of the region’s best shoreline fishing, and coastal trails. At the center of it all lies Cape Florida Lighthouse, the oldest structure in Miami-Dade County and a key part of the Saltwater Underground Railroad.
Size: 0.7 square miles
Amenities: Bike rentals, cycling and hiking paths, overnight dock, restaurants, fishing platforms, picnic areas, canoe/kayak launches, amphitheater, guided lighthouse tours, paddleboard rental, beach concession with chair and umbrellas, interpretative exhibit, museum, and playground
Pets Permitted: Pets are allowed in limited areas when kept on a leash.
Wheelchair Accessible: The park offers a variety of accessible amenities, including a Mobi-Mat and beach wheelchairs.
Big Cypress National Preserve
Where: Southeast Florida (Collier County)
What to Expect: Adjacent to Everglades National Park, Big Cypress National Preserve is best known for its massive cypress swamp—the last major refuge for the endangered Florida Panther. Unlike the Everglades, different elevations create vastly different habitats, which you can explore via ranger-led canoe trips, bicycle, boardwalks, off-road vehicles, nature trails, and more. With over 200 species of birds, it’s also a major destination for birdwatchers, with favorite spots including the Preserve Loop Road, Kirby Shorter trail, and Birdon Road
Size: 1,139 square miles
Amenities: Visitor centers, ranger-led canoe trips and guided walks, interpretive exhibits, gift shop, scenic drives, boardwalks, nature, hiking, canoeing, and cycling trails, campgrounds, picnic areas, and wildlife viewing areas
Pets Permitted: Pet access is very limited.
Wheelchair Accessible: Visitor centers, restrooms, campgrounds, and boardwalks are accessible to those with mobility impairments.
Honeymoon Island State Park
Where: Central West Florida (Pinellas County)
What to Expect: Boasting four miles of white sand beach and a three-mile trail through one of Florida’s last virgin slash pine stands, Honeymoon Island lives up to its idyllic name. Kayak along Pelican cove, enjoy some of the best shelling in the state, take a walk on the sand spit, or try your hand at surfing.
Size: 3 square miles
Amenities: Beach cruiser and kayak rentals, nature center, hiking trails, picnic areas, restaurant, playground, and interpretative exhibit
Pets Permitted: Pets on a leash are allowed in designated areas.
Wheelchair Accessible: The park offers a variety of accessible amenities, including elevated boardwalks and beach wheelchairs.
Blue Springs State Park
Where: Central Florida (Jackson County)
What to Expect: Visit Blue Springs from mid-November to March, when hundreds of manatees gather in the temperate waters to shelter from the cold. While a few of these gentle creatures stick around, the clear springs are more accessible to humans throughout the rest of the year. Don’t miss the guided boat tour, tubing, and snorkeling.
Size: 4 square miles
Amenities: Boat tours, campgrounds, fishing dock, hiking trails, canoe and tube rentals, picnic areas, cabins, kayak/canoe launch, concession, gift shop, and playground
Pets Permitted: Pets are allowed in designated areas.
Wheelchair Accessible: The park offers a variety of accessible amenities, including boat tours with wheelchair lifts and campsites with concrete pads.
Bulow Creek State Park
Where: Central East Florida (Volusia County)
What to Expect: Showcasing one of the largest old-growth southern live oak forests in the state, Bulow Creek State Park is home to the Fairchild Oak, a 400-plus-year-old tree that witnessed the area’s Second Seminole War. Picnic under the cathedral-like canopy and hike along the park’s interior, keeping an eye out for white-tailed deer, blue herons, and barred owls. Follow the Bulow Woods Trail to the nearby Bulow Plantation Ruins State Park, where you’ll find the historic remains of a former plantation and sugar mill.
Size: 5 square miles
Amenities: Cycling, hiking, nature, and canoe trails, interpretive exhibit and picnic areas
Pets Permitted: Pets on leash are allowed.
Wheelchair Accessible: Accessibility is limited.
