Hike Bike Paddle Camp Florida with authors Sandra Friend and John Keatley as your guides
Museums in parks and natural settings, showcasing Florida history, cultural heritage, and the arts
At Crystal River Archaeological State Park, a paved interpretive trail winds through a ceremonial mound complex built more than 2,500 years ago. The park is the home of Florida’s only petroglyph.
The Second Seminole War began amid the longleaf pines at Dade Battlefield Historic State Park, where on December 25, 1835, Major Francis Dade left Fort Brooke – located in what would become Tampa -and led his troops north on the military road to Fort King, Ocala.
Commemorating the landing of Spanish explorer Hernando De Soto, De Soto National Memorial is a significant archaeological site where the Manatee River flows into Tampa Bay.
For a ramble through a authentic Florida pioneer homestead, visit Dudley Farm Historic State Park, which interprets the life of the 1800s Florida family that lived here
At Eden Gardens State Park, lush cultivated gardens surround the historic Wesley House, a restored antebellum plantation home built by timber baron William Henry Wesley in 1897.
Tropical gardens from the 1920s grow lavishly around the historic winter homes of Thomas Edison and Henry Ford at the Edison & Ford Winter Estates in Fort Myers
Where the Wakulla and St Marks Rivers meet, explore San Marcos de Apalache Historic State Park, a small piece of ground with a deep history under five flags.
Highlands Hammock State Park is home to the Florida CCC Museum, which recounts the story of the Civilian Conservation Corps contributions to Florida, particularly to the state park system
A dip into Florida’s only show cave at Florida Caverns State Park brings on an instant sense of cool. Opened in Marianna in the 1930s by the hardworking Civilian Conservation Corps, the tour route wraps through more than a dozen rooms with their own distinct and colorful landscapes.
To learn about the storied past of the forestry industry in Florida, stop in the Forest Capital Museum State Park, where one of the highlights is a pioneer homestead.
At the site of the original French settlement in Florida, explore the rich natural and cultural history of the region at the Timucuan Preserve visitor center, Fort Caroline, and its interpretive nature trail.
Fort Clinch State Park offers camping by the sea, and extensive bike trails along a slender peninsula. But the main reason to visit is its namesake. Fort Clinch is one of the largest brick structures in Florida, and a must-see for architecture buffs.
