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.
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.
Resources
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Favorite National Park Trails
These trails in Florida’s National Parks are the ones we recommend you don’t miss.
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 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.
Hiking in Florida
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.
Celebrate National Public Lands Day
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.
Florida’s Toxic Trees
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.
Hiking Safely With Your Dog
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.
A Paddle I Will Never Forget
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 Outdoors
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.
Crossing Big Cypress
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
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
The Well-Traveled National Parks Passport
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!
Adding to the Life List
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
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
Going primitive with Primrose
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
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
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
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 …
In the Dark
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 …
Crossing the Big Cypress
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
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 …
Hike Safe When Hiking Alone
Hiking solo? Here are suggestions how to watch after your own personal safety when you walk in the woods or on urban trails alone
Summer in Big Cypress
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