Hontoon Island State Park is a big wild park surrounded by the St. Johns River and reachable only by boat. A free ferry operates daily. The park recently reopened its campground and rustic cabins.
Recent Articles
Florida Strawberry Festival runs through March 8
The big draw to the state’s most popular festival is a stellar entertainment lineup on the Wish Farms Stage.
Six Mile Cypress Slough Preserve: Free, wild & five minutes off I-75
Next time you travel Florida’s Gulf Coast on I-75, take a five minutes detour in Fort Myers to discover a magnificent slice of old Florida – a 1.2 mile boardwalk through an unspoiled cypress swamp called Six Mile Cypress Slough Preserve. It’s free!
Princess Place: 6 reasons to go off-the-beaten track to discover this preserve
Princess Place Preserve in Flagler County is a big, scenic park with miles of hiking, excellent tent camping, affordable cabins and a historic buiding with an intriguing story. It’s an off-the-beaten-path discovery for your Florida adventure
Gamble Rogers State Park: Oceanfront campground celebrating song and sea
Gamble Rogers State Recreation Area is an oceanfront jewel with a beachfront campground, backcountry paddle trails and prime viewing for whales who spend the winter off-shore.
Tour Nike missile base deep in Everglades National Park
The historic Nike missile site in Everglades National Park is a well-preserved relic of the 1960s Cold War. On March 7, join in a festival celebrating the Nike site and its era.
Now open: Everglades Visitor Center, gateway to Gulf waters by kayak and boat
Everglades National Park has opened its impressive new Gulf Coast Visitor Center, a new gateway to the Gulf waters for kayakers and tour boats.
Free things to do in Florida: My 10 favorite freebies for nature lovers
Many of these free things to do in Florida are off-the-beaten path spots to enjoy nature, wildlife and history — from 300-year-old forts to superb boardwalks.
Secret beaches: 7 favorite secluded beaches in South Florida
It’s easy to find a beach in Florida. It’s harder to find a hidden beach, a beach where you experience a sense of discovery and delicious isolation. Here, however, I share my favorites, discovered over many years.
Dunedin: Delightful biking, breweries, beaches and historic downtown
In Dunedin, we love bicycling the Pinellas Trail, but this charming Tampa Bay area town has more to offer, with eight breweries plus great restaurants and coffee shops in its walkable historic downtown. Twenty minutes away are two excellent state parks with award-winning beaches. Plus it’s a great place to catch a Spring Training game.
Best Beaches
Unspoiled Canaveral beaches offer solace, beauty, refuge
Canaveral National Seashore is longest undeveloped beach in Florida, 24 miles of pristine coastal sanctuary for people, birds and armadillos.
Best Camping
Princess Place: 6 reasons to go off-the-beaten track to discover this preserve
Princess Place Preserve in Flagler County is a big, scenic park with miles of hiking, excellent tent camping, affordable cabins and a historic buiding with an intriguing story. It’s an off-the-beaten-path discovery for your Florida adventure
Everglades
Tour Nike missile base deep in Everglades National Park
The historic Nike missile site in Everglades National Park is a well-preserved relic of the 1960s Cold War. On March 7, join in a festival celebrating the Nike site and its era.
Florida Gardens
Garden in West Palm Beach is a hidden treasure
The Ann Norton Sculpture Gardens are a gorgeous hidden gem often confused with the Norton Museum. You don’t have to love sculpture or rare palms to delight in this eye candy.
Tampa Bay Getaways
Pass-a-Grille, one of Florida’s best beaches in a charming historic town
The beach is spectacular here — wide white sand, clear blue-green water. But the Old Florida charm of Pass-a-Grille, a community within St. Pete Beach, is what makes it stand out.
Central Florida
2026 Florida Spring Training Guide
Baseball spring training tickets are a great idea for a last minute gift! Our Spring Training Guide points you to tickets and team schedules, as well as things to do and see nearby so you can build an itinerary.
Northeast Florida
Princess Place: 6 reasons to go off-the-beaten track to discover this preserve
Princess Place Preserve in Flagler County is a big, scenic park with miles of hiking, excellent tent camping, affordable cabins and a historic buiding with an intriguing story. It’s an off-the-beaten-path discovery for your Florida adventure
Northwest Florida
Springs and wildlife make the Chaz a special kayak trail
Kayaking the Chaz on the central Gulf Coast takes you over turquoise springs, down twisty creeks, and you might just see a manatee, otter or bald eagle. This is one of Florida’s premier kayaking rivers.
