Parks & Forests

Articles and photos about unique Florida state parks, national parks and wildlife refuges, state and national forests, featuring unique opportunities for outdoor recreation, including camping, RV camping, fishing, paddling, hiking, biking, bicycling and beaches.

Historic, Parks & Forests, Scenic drives in Florida

Nine ways ways to find the real Florida — 15 minutes off I-75

by Bonnie Gross

You don’t have to drive hours off the interstate to find Florida’s natural beauty and funky history. You can find treasures within 10 minutes of these I-75 exits.

Florida Roundups, Parks & Forests, Photography

2018 Winners of the Florida State Parks Summer Photo Contest

by Bob Rountree

Florida State Park’s “Summer 2018 Photo Contest” received 2,716 entries submitted between July 1 and Sept. 30, 2018.

Florida Roundups, Parks & Forests

2019 free days in national & state parks

by Bonnie Gross

Budget-minded travelers would be wise to take advantage of free days at national park, especially Everglades National Park, whose entrance fee is going up again in 2019. Here are free days in 2019.

Camping, Florida Roundups, Parks & Forests, Scenic drives in Florida

Fall Camping: As the humidity breaks, get into your groove outdoors

by Bob Rountree

When the weather breaks, Floridians come out of the air conditioning and flock to campgrounds before the snowbird invasion. Our choices for fall camping include four picks on the Florida-Georgia line, four in Central Florida and four more in South Florida.

Bike & Hike, Camping, Central Florida, Featured Articles, Historic, Parks & Forests

Lake Kissimmee State Park: Where Old Florida lives on

by Bonnie Gross

This large state park in a rural, out-of-the-way part of Central Florida, preserves Old Florida cracker history. It offers great hiking trails and camping plus lakes to explore by kayak or canoe. Wildlife, from deer to alligators to sandhill cranes to eagles, is abundant.