This large state park offers great hiking and one the best campgrounds in a Florida State Park. It’s in a rural, out-of-the-way part of Central Florida where history comes alive in its 1876 cow camp.
Orlando/Central Florida
Central Florida Getaways
Things to do in Orlando and Central Florida, hiking, bicycling, kayaking and canoe, RV and tent camping, road trips, historic places and Funky Florida.
Dora Canal: It’s short but so sweet, so paddle slowly
The Dora Canal could be the prettiest one mile you’ll paddle in Florida. The waterway connects Lake Dora and Lake Eustis in Tavares, just west of Mount Dora.
Melbourne: A charming town with historic neighborhoods, breweries, kayaking at a terrific zoo
What might be our favorite Florida zoo just made the US Today list of the 10 best zoos in the US. The Brevard Zoo is not huge, but it is highly interactive, including offering kayaking on waterways through the zoo. It’s in Melbourne, a great weekend getaway destination.
Alexander Springs in Ocala National Forest: Cool swimming, easy scenic paddling plus lots of wildlife
The clear waters flowing out of Alexander Springs are the start of a great paddling trail inside Ocala National Forest. It’s an easy stream to paddle with lots of wildlife, especially birds and fish.
Mount Dora Bicycle Festival: Oct. 11-12, 2025
The Mount Dora Bicycle Festival attracts thousands for competitive rides over hill and dale. This is your guide to the festival with schedules, a list of nearby campgrounds and links to hotel and vacation home reservations.
Mount Dora: 12 things I love about this delightful town
Mount Dora has a lively downtown and a well-preserved historic district on a pretty lake. It’s a walkable small town with good dining and shopping. We love the great kayaking and biking nearby.
Outdoor adventures near Orlando theme parks: See the real Florida when visiting Disney
We know what the big draw is in Orlando, and it’s not nature. But it should be! Even if your destination is a theme park, here are 9 natural experiences and places that are memorable additions to a visit to Central Florida
For your Florida bucket list: A nighttime bioluminescence kayak trip is a summer thrill
On dark summer nights in the Mosquito Lagoon near Titusville, the water glows from bioluminescent plankton. Kayak tours help visitors see the spectacular light show.
Lake Placid Caladium Festival, July 24-26, 2026.
This small town festival celebrates a uniquely Lake Placid product: caladiums, a colorful plant grown commercially almost nowhere else. There’ll be music, food, a car show, arts and crafts and tours bus of caladium fields.
Circle B Bar Reserve: Lakeland preserve with shady trails reopens a favorite trail
All trails closed for months from last year’s hurricanes reopened this week. Twenty minutes off I-4 between Orlando and Tampa, this little-known wildlife preserve has been called “a free safari.” There are several shady trails for summer visitors.