Gainesville is a city in North Central Florida best known as the home of the Florida Gators at University of Florida. But Gainesville is also a nature hotspot with some amazing parks. Gainesville has four completely distinct Florida State Parks within the city limit, a State Trail, and several other county parks, gardens, and even […]
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One of the oldest and largest Florida State Parks, Myakka River State Park offers a wide variety of activities and experiences that are sure to be an adventure. Just south of Tampa in Sarasota, this surprisingly wild park is just miles away from some of Florida’s best beaches. Alligators, birds, deer, otter, and more can
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Paynes Prairie Preserve State Park is a unique Florida state park just outside of Gainesville. The park encompasses over 21,000 acres of Florida wetlands and prairie, miles of hiking trails and a campground. This park has three entrances: the main entrance with the majority of trails and activities, the La Chua Trail & Alachua Sink
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Silver Springs State Park is one of Florida’s oldest tourist attractions. The park’s world famous Glass Bottom Boats have been delighting guests in central Florida since the 1870s. Silver Springs became a state park in 2013. Prior to that it was a privately owned “nature theme park” that featured zoo-type animal exhibits, entertainment and rides.
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Gilchrist Blue Springs State Park is one of North Florida’s many pristine natural springs. The crystal clear, 72-degree fresh water is perfect for swimming, snorkeling and paddling. And it’s the newest Florida State Park!
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Little Manatee River State Park is a hidden gem featuring paddling, wildlife viewing, hiking and camping. The beautiful Little Manatee River is the star of this state park. The primitive North Entrance will give you a great “Real Florida” adventure. Little Manatee River State Park is located in Hillsborough County south of Tampa and east
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Experience a Real Florida day hike through a variety of undeveloped ecosystems, with plenty of wildlife viewing and solitude at Terra Ceia. Less than an hour from Tampa, the surprisingly wild Terra Ceia Preserve State Park features 9 miles of trails through mangrove swamps, creeks, estuaries, wetlands, uplands and more. This 2,000 acre park is
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Kanapaha Botanical Gardens is a 68-acre botanical garden in Gainesville, FL that is home to Florida’s largest public display of bamboo and the largest herb garden in the Southeast. Wind your way along the 1 1/2 miles of accessible paved pathway and explore the 24 unique plant collections found throughout the gardens. Some of these
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Typically state parks get all the love, but there are a bunch of other parks around the Tampa Bay area that are just as fun. From boardwalks and observation towers to mangrove coastlines and even a birds of prey sanctuary — these lesser known Tampa Bay parks are worth a visit! Lettuce Lake Conservation Park
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Boyd Hill Nature Preserve is a park in St. Petersburg that offers a variety of fun activities and ecosystems to explore. Hike around Lake Maggiore through swamp, willow marsh, pine flatwoods, sand pine scrub and hardwood hammocks ecosystems. Also be sure to keep a lookout for alligators, birds, snakes, butterflies, gopher tortoises and more. Birds
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