Parks, Forests & Preserves

No other state has won as many awards for the quality of its state parks, which is why picking the best Florida State Parks wasn’t easy. We did, though. Did we include your favorite?

Faver Dykes State Park offers excellent kayaking, productive fishing and woodsy camping just 15 miles from historic St. Augustine.

O’Leno State Park is a Florida treasure. It is here that the Santa Fe River vanishes, only to re-emerge a few miles south to continue its scenic crawl to the Gulf of Mexico.,

Winter season is the best time to camp in Florida’s Everglades, and there are dozens of campground choices, from the front country to the backcountry. Here’s our guide.

Autumn doesn’t bring a lot of color to the Sunshine State, but that’s only part of the fall story. We take great delight in “cool” fronts that drive out summer’s humidity.

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.

MacArthur Beach is one of South Florida’s treasures: Nearly two miles of natural, dune-lined beach with rock outcroppings and a reef that makes it a great snorkeling site.

One of the best places to enjoy nature is in a cabin in a Florida state park. But the cabins book up fast, so you have to plan ahead. Our guide explains which parks have cabins, what they offer and what they cost.

This Miami state park is a remarkable island of green where you can kayak, mountain bike, picnic and enjoy a sandy beach. There are even rustic cabins to rent. Now, the historic Blue Marlin Fish House, located on park property on 163rd Street, has re-opened and rents SUPs and kayaks on the Oleta River as well as offering sandwiches, salads and beer.

Secret beaches are the stuff of vacation dreams. But I found one — more than 5 miles of wild, broad unspoiled sandy shore, lined with thick native vegetation and without a condo or T-shirt shop in sight.