Florida Hikes

Hike Bike Paddle Camp Florida with authors Sandra Friend and John Keatley as your guides

Alligators Paynes Prairie

Where to see alligators in Florida

Where can you see alligators in Florida? In nearly every body of water.

There are some places, however, where you will see many more than others. Here’s our list of “highly likely” places to spot an alligator while you’re wandering the trails.

Alligators Everywhere

In spring, alligators become more active as the days warm up. It's also mating season, so alligators are on the move. Expect to see them anywhere and everywhere along Florida's trails.

Anhinga Trail

Royal Palm Hammock   0.8 miles

For most visitors, the Anhinga Trail is their first glimpse into Everglades National Park. It's short, and the alligators are right there: hard to miss

Biking Tosohatchee

  miles

A 20.2-mile circuit on forest roads by bike provides a unique perspective on this 31,000-acre preserve along the St. Johns River floodplain in Christmas.

Billie Swamp Safari

With airboat and swamp buggy rides as well as interpretation of native species, Billie Swamp Safari is a nature-based attraction providing immersion into the Big Cypress Swamp.

Black Point Wildlife Drive

Winding along a narrow dirt road, Black Point Wildlife Drive offers from-your-car birding in the marshes and mud flats of Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge

Circle B Bar Reserve

Lakeland   3.5 miles

For fabulous birding and more alligators than you can count, roam the marshy edge of Lake Hancock on miles of causeways through Circle B Bar Reserve in Lakeland

CREW Bird Rookery Swamp

Naples   4.5 miles

Rich with wildlife, CREW Bird Rookery Swamp near Naples provides up to 12 miles of hiking/biking in Big Cypress habitats on tramways through a primordial swamp

Everglades National Park

In 1.5 million acres across South Florida, Everglades National Park has outdoor experiences from accessible boardwalks and paved trails to rugged adventures in harsh wilderness.

Gator growl at La Chua

In the heart of Gator Country, a deep sinkhole swallows the waters of Paynes Prairie at its northeastern rim in Gainesville: La Chua Sink. A brand new boardwalk now provides a closer look.

Gatorama

Started in 1957 as a roadside attraction to show tourists one of the two Florida experiences they wanted - alligators! - Gatorama still has that funky Old Florida feel.

Gatorland

Gatorland is not just a historic Florida attraction but an immersion into what this part of Central Florida used to be, a cypress swamp full of critters.