National Parks

Florida’s National Parks are major destinations for visitors from all over the world. Hiking, bicycling, and paddling trails are available in all of Florida’s National Parks.

Recreation in Florida’s National Parks

One of the gems of the National Park system, Everglades National Park, offers some of the wildest backcountry experiences in the Southeast, as does its adjoining sister park, Big Cypress National Preserve. Biscayne National Park is all about the water, while our two National Seashores – Canaveral and Gulf Islands – showcase the beach. There are a score of smaller sites within the National Park System.

National Parks in Florida

Big Cypress National Preserve

Protecting the heart of the Big Cypress Swamp, Big Cypress National Preserve was established in 1974. Exploring its lush subtropical landscapes means wading through crystal-clear swamps or paddling its channelized rivers.
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Biscayne National Park

Biscayne National Park protects the mangrove coastline of south Miami-Dade County along with living coral reefs and a handful of barrier islands that barely managed to escape development.
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Canaveral National Seashore

Canaveral National Seashore protects 58,000 acres of maritime hammocks, dunes, and coastline surrounding Cape Canaveral, a natural sandy cape that formed where ocean currents meet.
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Castillo de San Marcos

The only remaining 17th century fortress in North America, the Castillo de San Marcos defended the Spanish colony of St. Augustine from two British sieges in the 1700s.
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De Soto National Memorial

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.
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Dry Tortugas National Park

Our friend Bob "TruckrBob" Finley shares his experience with planning, and reaching, the toughest park to visit in Florida: Dry Tortugas National Park, 70 miles offshore from Key West.
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Everglades National Park

In its 1.5 million acres sweeping across South Florida, Everglades National Park offers outdoor experiences ranging from accessible boardwalks and paved trails to rugged adventures in harsh wilderness.
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Fort Caroline

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.
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Fort Matanzas Nature Trail

On the shores of Fort Matanzas, a significant historic site south of St. Augustine, the dunes are now swaddled in maritime forest, a gentle place with ancient oaks and an accessible boardwalk.
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Fort Pickens

History buffs, beachgoers, campers, and hikers looking for an oceanfront experience will enjoy all that Fort Pickens has to offer.
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Gulf Islands National Seashore

Stretching across three Gulf Coast states, Gulf Islands National Seashore protects portions of the barrier islands between Navarre Beach, Florida and Gulfport, Mississippi.
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Kingsley Plantation

One of the historic treasures of Timucuan Preserve in Jacksonville, Kingsley Plantation interprets the everyday lives of free and enslaved peoples on an early 1800s Florida plantation.
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Naval Live Oaks Preserve

Naval Live Oaks Preserve outside Pensacola was our nation’s first tree farm, established in 1828 by President John Quincy Adams to protect a significant coastal stand of live oaks for military use
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Playalinda Beach

At the south end of Canaveral National Seashore, Playalinda Beach is a popular destination for beachgoers along the Space Coast thanks to its natural beaches and views of Kennedy Space Center.
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Spanish Pond

A connector trail to the Theodore Roosevelt Area from the Fort Caroline area, the Spanish Pond Trail at Timucuan Preserve provides a 2-mile round-trip into early Florida history.
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Theodore Roosevelt Area

The Theodore Roosevelt Area of Timucuan Preserve provides one of the best hikes in the Jacksonville area, combining rugged terrain with cultural history and scenic views.
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Timucuan Preserve

A patchwork of public land on both sides of the St. Johns River in Jacksonville, Timucuan Preserve encompasses sites of historic, cultural, and ecological interest scattered between Amelia Island and Mayport.
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