These state parks with camping along the Gulf coast feature Florida’s most beautiful beaches.
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Fort De Soto Campground: Hard to get. Worth the trouble.
Nearly half of the 236 campsites at Fort DeSoto are waterfront, allowing you to launch a kayak from your back yard. And while these sites are hard to get, the price is right.
Corkscrew Swamp in Naples: Explore exquisite cypress forest via state’s best boardwalk
The Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary in Naples, an Audubon Society preserve, takes you on a hike via boardwalk with good wildlife viewing and exquisite scenery. In summer, you might get a peak at the rare ghost orchid blooming.
In spring, see wood storks nesting up close at Wakodahatchee in Delray
One of the best places to see wood storks and other wading birds nesting up close in spring is Wakodahatchee Preserve in Delray Beach. In February to April, dozens of storks build nests close to an easy-to-walk .75 mile boardwalk.
Tiger Creek Preserve helps make Lake Wales Ridge a hiker’s heaven
Hikers should discover the Nature Conservancy’s Tiger Creek Preserve, one of several sites located on Florida’s “central highlands,” a beautiful, hilly landscape with many appealing trails.
Upstream on Estero River is a gem for kayakers near Naples and Fort Myers
The Estero River upstream from Koreshan State Park is a beautiful two-hour round trip with magnificent arching oak trees and wildlife in the Naples/Fort Myers area.
Hillsborough River State Park offers historic charm, shady campground, lots to do outdoors
Hillsborough River State Park has been closed since October after getting slammed by Hurricanes Helene and Milton.
St. Lucie River South Fork deserves discovery, especially by South Florida paddlers
The St. Lucie River is not a well-known kayaking destination — and it should be. It’s wild and gorgeous — a jungly forest of old live oaks thick with airplants and Spanish moss. After paddling about two hours, you reach a remote area where you can picnic and take a hike.
Eco-tents in Flamingo: Glamping in Everglades National Park
For decades, the only way to stay overnight in Everglades National Park was to camp with your tent or RV. But a few years ago, an alternative was introduced at Flamingo — 20 eco-tents, a cross beween a tent and a cabin, with beds and linens but using a central bath facility.
Fabulous Florida wilderness camping: Paddling Flamingo to Cape Sable
Cape Sable is 11 miles from Flamingo, the end of the road in Everglades National Park. It’s a wild and wonderful destination for a canoe/kayak camping adventure.
Best boardwalks in Florida provide easy access for all
Boardwalks allow everyone to explore Florida’s natural beauty, including people in wheelchairs and families with strollers. Here are 16 of our favorite boardwalks in South Florida.
Best camping in Southeast Florida parks
The best South Florida camping can be found in these 17 public parks, which are managed by counties, the state and federal governments.