Florida Hikes

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

Swimmers along sand bluff on tannic river

Swimming in Florida

Locations along trails and in Florida parks and preserves where swimming is permitted, particularly in our springs.

Gilchrist Blue Springs State Park

Cradling a collection of spectacular springs in a forested glen along the Santa Fe River, Gilchrist Blue Springs State Park is one of the finest places to experience springs up close

Grayton Beach State Park

Cradled in a cocoon of coastal dunes, Western Lake shimmers in the sun. At Grayton Beach State Park, it's the focus of both passive and active recreation.

Green Cove Spring Park

Green Cove Springs   0.8 miles

Swim in the perpetual flow of Green Cove Spring in a spring-fed swimming pool, the centerpiece of a landscaped riverfront park beneath old growth oaks along the St. Johns River.

Hart Springs Park

Trenton   3.2 miles

Cool, clear water bubbles up from deep below where a boardwalk offers views of the Suwannee River and 3.2 miles of hiking trails cross a floodplain forest dotted with sinkholes.

Henderson Beach State Park

Dunes as white as ski slopes tumble towards the Gulf of Mexico at Henderson Beach State Park, a precious slice of natural waterfront along the crowded sweep of developed beaches in Destin.

Hillsborough River State Park

With footpaths and picnic grounds built by the Civilian Conservation Corps, Hillsborough River State Park delights with miles of scenic trails, a swinging bridge, and the froth of river rapids.

Honeymoon Island State Park

An offshore getaway accessible by car, bike, or paddle, Honeymoon Island State Park offers white sand beaches along the Gulf of Mexico.

Hugh Taylor Birch State Park

Fort Lauderdale   2.8 miles

Amid a tropical forest near the Atlantic Ocean, Hugh Taylor Birch State Park is the former estate of Chicago attorney Hugh Taylor Birch, stretching to the Intracoastal Waterway.

Hunter Springs Park

Crystal River   0.3 miles

Besides access to its namesake spring for swimmers, Hunter Springs Park is also a popular put-in for paddlers headed to Three Sisters Springs.

Ichetucknee Springs State Park

Branford   3.4 miles

A swimming hole as a work of natural art, the deep gash in the earth that is Ichetucknee Spring glows an unearthly robin's-egg blue, cradled in a limestone bowl within a leafy glen.

Jetty Park

With white sand dunes and a beautiful oceanfront, Jetty Park is the closest beach to Cape Canaveral that stays open during launches at Kennedy Space Center: the viewing's great daytime or night.