Florida State Parks | List of Parks | Page 3

Collier-Seminole State Park

Naples ( 25.992111,-81.589968 )

It was meant to be a national park, the largest natural hammock of royal palms in the United States, set aside by developer Barron Collier during his push to create the Tamiami Trail across the Everglades. The Federal government wasn’t interested, so the state of Florida stepped in and created Collier-Seminole State Park, which opened in 1947.

Colt Creek State Park

Lakeland ( 28.303776,-82.055773 )

A former 5,000-acre cattle ranch in the midst of the Green Swamp Wilderness Area, headwaters to the Hillsborough, Peace, Ocklawaha, and Withlacoochee Rivers, Colt Creek State Park is a mosaic of wetlands and uplands with extensive forest roads serving as trails

Constitution Convention Museum State Park

Port St. Joe ( 29.793400, -85.299400 )

At the Constitution Convention Museum State Park, interpretive exhibits and artifacts put a face on Florida’s frontier days, with a special focus on the historic city of St. Joseph (now Port St. Joe).

Cross Florida Greenway

Inglis, Dunnellon, Ocala,Belleview, Silver Springs, Palatka ( 29.105709, -82.094502 ) 90 miles

Stretching 90 miles from the St. Johns River near Palatka to the Gulf of Mexico, the Marjorie Harris Carr Cross Florida Greenway is a mile-wide recreational corridor with hiking, biking, and equestrian trails as well as paddling and boating access.

Crystal River Archaeological State Park

Crystal River ( 28.909798,-82.62895 )

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.

Crystal River Preserve State Park

Crystal River ( 28.908915,-82.636997 )

Established as an aquatic preserve to protect the sensitive estuaries between Crystal River, a spring-fed major river frequented by manatees, and the Gulf of Mexico, Crystal River Preserve State Park spans 20 miles of the Gulf Coast between Yankeetown and Homosassa.

Curry Hammock State Park

Marathon ( 24.746675,-80.982717 )

Bring your binoculars for fall birding at Curry Hammock State Park, where migrating raptors cruise overhead by the hundreds following a major flyover route.

Dade Battlefield Historic State Park

Bushnell ( 28.652883,-82.126207 )

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.