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Everglades landscape

National Parks in Florida

Destinations for visitors from around the world, our National Parks in Florida provide interpretation and recreation at seashores, historic sites, and vast wild spaces like the world’s only Everglades

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Grave at Timucuan Preserve

Florida’s National Parks are notable for their extreme diversity. The historic sites cover most of Florida’s history of coastal defenses with enormous fortresses such as Fort Barrancas, Fort Pickens, Fort Matanzas, Castillo De San Marcos, and Fort Jefferson, as well as the recent addition of Fort King.

Oceanfront parks like Gulf Islands National Seashore and Canaveral National Seashore protect miles of windswept wild shores. Timucuan Preserve and De Soto National Monument commemorate early European landing sites along Florida’s coast.

Three major national parks blanket much of the southern Florida peninsula. While Biscayne National Park is almost entirely made up of islands and coral reefs, Everglades National Park and Big Cypress National Preserve protect mosaics of rain-fed habitat fed by broad, shallow rivers sweeping across the South Florida landscape.

Find National Park Trails by Mileage

Florida's National Parks

The following are all of the National Parks, Preserves, Seashores, and Historic Sites in Florida administered by the National Park Service. Each of these locations have numerous trails and sometimes even separate units, as shown on the map above.

Big Cypress orchid

Big Cypress National Preserve

Big Cypress National Preserve
Biscayne National Park

Biscayne National Park

Biscayne National Park
Turtle Mound view

Canaveral National Seashore

Canaveral National Seashore
Castillo de San Marcos

Castillo de San Marcos

Castillo de San Marcos
De Soto National Memorial

De Soto National Memorial

De Soto National Memorial
Fort Jefferson at Dry Tortugas National Park (Bob Finley)

Dry Tortugas National Park

Dry Tortugas National Park
Everglades Pay-Hay-Okee

Everglades National Park

Everglades National Park
View from the top of Battery Langdon

Gulf Islands National Seashore

Gulf Islands National Seashore
Mulched path through dune habitat

Jupiter Inlet Lighthouse Outstanding Natural Area

Jupiter Inlet Lighthouse Outstanding Natural Area
Fort Caroline

Timucuan Preserve

Timucuan Preserve

Resources

The Florida Trail Guide book cover 50 Hikes in Central Florida 50 Hikes in North Florida book cover 50 Hikes in South Florida book cover Central Florida Orlando Explorers Guide book cover North Florida Panhandle Explorers Guide book cover South Florida Explorers Guide book cover

Disclosure: As authors and affiliates, we receive earnings when you buy these through our links. This helps us continue to provide public information on this website.

Favorite National Park Trails

These trails in Florida’s National Parks are the ones we recommend you don’t miss.

Great egret flying over a lily-dotted swamp

Anhinga Trail

Anhinga Trail
Eldora Hammock Trail

Eldora Hammock Trail

Eldora Hammock Trail
Battery Langdon

Florida Trail, Fort Pickens

Florida Trail, Fort Pickens
Fort Matanzas

Fort Matanzas Nature Trail

Fort Matanzas Nature Trail
Kirby Storter Boardwalk

Kirby Storter Boardwalk

Kirby Storter Boardwalk
Pinelands Trail

Pinelands Trail

Pinelands Trail
Young cypresses in dense swamp

Roberts Lake Trail

Roberts Lake Trail
Theodore Roosevelt Area

Theodore Roosevelt Area

Theodore Roosevelt Area

ALL National Park Recreation

Big Cypress tree canopy

National Park Fees

Fees apply at many of Florida’s National Parks, particularly those with heavy visitation or beach access. Everglades National Park now costs $30 to enter in a private vehicle. Entrance fee receipts are usable for up to one full week for return visits.

Your Golden Eagle / National Parks pass is good at all locations. Fourth grade students (and their families) as well as active military are eligible for free passes.

Seniors may purchase discount passes good for their lifetimes. Passes are a great bargain if you plan to visit more a few parks in a year. They are honored at National Wildlife Refuges and National Forest Fee Areas as well.

National Park Passes

National Park Articles

Articles about Florida’s National Parks, including trip reports, tips for visiting, park updates, and information about wildlife and plants. Scroll through to see all.

Palm Hammock Trail Merritt Island

Hiking in Florida

February 15, 2020//  by Sandra Friend & John Keatley

New to Florida? Florida is different. If you don’t know much about our outdoors, start here to learn what’s unique about hiking, backpacking, and camping in Florida.

Buck Lake Ocala

Celebrate National Public Lands Day

September 13, 2019//  by Sandra Friend

The last Saturday of September is National Public Lands Day, celebrated across America with fee-free entry to Federal public lands and volunteer activities at the state, local, and national level.

toxic trees florida

Florida’s Toxic Trees

June 22, 2019//  by Sandra Friend

Southeast Florida is home to two poisonous trees, the poisonwood and the manchineel. Learn how to recognize them so you don’t get too close, and find out how truly dangerous they are.

Hogtown Creek Greenway

Hiking Safely With Your Dog

May 11, 2019//  by Sandra Friend

While hiking with your dog can be very satisfying, Florida hiking has its own special perils for your best buddy. Here’s a heads-up on what to look for and where it’s best to take a hike.

Paddling Mosquito Lagoon

A Paddle I Will Never Forget

March 1, 2019//  by John Keatley

Taking on a remote stretch of the Indian River Lagoon paralleling the wildest part of Canaveral National Seashore, our group of paddlers turns back until only two kayakers are left, fighting the wind to reach our goal.

Every Kid in a Park pass

Every Kid Outdoors

February 21, 2019//  by Sandra Friend

Got kids? If any of them are in fourth grade, they can get a free pass to ALL Federal public lands good for the whole family through the end of August. Here’s how.

Florida Trail, Big Cypress

Crossing Big Cypress

February 4, 2019//  by Sandra Friend

It’s Florida’s roughest, wettest, weirdest backpacking trip, best tackled with friends. Along this 30 mile stretch of the Florida Trail in the heart of Big Cypress National Preserve, immersing in the swamp is the point of the hike. Sandra tackled it as the final stretch of her multi-year 1,110-mile section hike of the Florida Trail, end-to-end.

Reflections on the National Park Centennial

August 29, 2016//  by Sandra Friend

Reflections on our National Parks during the Centennial celebration this week, with a wander through Canaveral National Seashore in both New Smyrna Beach and Titusville

National Parks Passport

The Well-Traveled National Parks Passport

December 18, 2015//  by John Keatley

With the 100th anniversary of our National Parks happening in 2016, it’s time to dust off your National Parks Passport and start collecting proof of your park visits!

John photographs a liguus tree snail in Everglades National Park

Adding to the Life List

July 21, 2015//  by John Keatley

Although John is a native Floridian, our research trip to South Florida became an opportunity for him to see many natural “firsts” in Florida that most people have on their life lists.

Ten Thousand Islands mangrove atoll

Ten Thousand Islands

June 26, 2015//  by Sandra Friend & John Keatley

Where the waters of Big Cypress and the Everglades meet the Gulf Coast, the Ten Thousand Islands are a maze of mangrove forest: the second largest mangrove forest in the world, bested only by Bangladesh

Primrose at Doe Lake

Going primitive with Primrose

March 27, 2015//  by John Keatley

How do you car camp in a Volkswagen camper when you have no power? It takes a little ingenuity to keep electronics powered and a lantern to keep you up past hiker midnight

Kicking off Hiker Season with Primrose

January 29, 2014//  by John Keatley

On January 5th, we loaded up Primrose and headed south, traveling parallel to the Florida Trail for much of the trip, starting out at Christmas. Driving south of Tosahatchee, we continued through the Deseret Ranch where we spotted our first two Florida Trail thru-hikers walking up the highway. Although they are not keeping online journals, …

The 2014 Florida Trail thru-hiker Kickoff

January 10, 2014//  by Sandra Friend

When we started hearing a lot of buzz about friends and friends of friends headed to the Florida Trail this season, we figured that our new book The Florida Trail Guide and the talks we’d done at venues like ALDHA and Trail Dames had worked some magic. Sure enough, nearly a dozen people we knew …

Florida Trail Southern Terminus marker installed

December 13, 2013//  by Sandra Friend

Since its debut on a hand cart this January during the thru-hiker season kickoff at Oasis Visitor Center, we’ve been eagerly awaiting the permanent placement of the Florida Trail Southern Terminus marker in Big Cypress National Preserve. The marker was put in place yesterday, December 12. Said Bob DeGross, Chief of Interpretation and Public Affairs …

Hiker feed

In the Dark

January 11, 2013//  by John Keatley

After our wonderful reception at the I-75 rest area, several hikers decided to backtrack a bit and camp.  I decided to push on and try for a few more miles.  I was rested and filled with good food. It wasn’t long after I made it through the north I-75 gate to Nobles Road that the …

JK signs in at Oasis (photo: JoNell Modys/Naples Marco Island Everglades CVB)

Crossing the Big Cypress

January 9, 2013//  by John Keatley

On Friday, our group of Florida Trail hikers left our group camp at Trail Lakes Campground and, with Chuck Norris and Tigger providing transportation, headed to the Florida Trail at Oasis Visitor Center in Big Cypress National Preserve. We were there for the FNST Southern terminus monument dedication. Lots of folks from the Loxahatchee Chapter …

New Florida National Scenic Trail terminus dedicated

January 4, 2013//  by Sandra Friend

This morning marked the first time that Florida Trail thru-hikers could get their picture taken in front of a terminus marker as found, say, on Springer Mountain in Georgia or Mt. Kathadin in Maine. Although the monument isn’t in place yet – the chunk of limestone hadn’t arrived – here’s a look at the marker …

Cross Seminole Trail urban bike path

Hike Safe When Hiking Alone

November 13, 2012//  by Sandra Friend

Hiking solo? Here are suggestions how to watch after your own personal safety when you walk in the woods or on urban trails alone

Big Cypress in summer

Summer in Big Cypress

July 13, 2011//  by Sandra Friend

Vibrant, green, and blooming – there’s no better time to visit Big Cypress National Preserve than in the summer months, when the gentle flow of collected raindrops across the landscape nourishes the sawgrass prairies and cypress strands

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Big Cypress Swamp. East Coast Greenway. Everglades National Park. Florida National Scenic Trail

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