The best South Florida camping can be found in these 17 public parks, which are managed by counties, the state and federal governments.
Southeast Florida
Southeast Florida Getaways
Things to do in Southeast Florida, Miami, Fort Lauderdale, West Palm Beach, Stuart and getaways to outdoor recreation, hiking, biking, trails, canoeing, kayaking, places to camp, places to stay, unique restaurants, road trips, historic places and Funky Florida.
Big Cypress National Preserve: Seven ways to experience the Everglades
Big Cypress National Preserve offers excellent Everglades experiences. It’s adjacent to the famous national park, is free and has spectacular scenery.
Dupuis preserve excels for nature, fishing and free camping in western Palm Beach County
Nature hikes, free camping, off-road bicycling, fishing and paddling are fabulous in this pair of magical wildlife areas in the far reaches of Palm Beach County
Lake Okeechobee Scenic Trail: Ideal for bicycling fast and far
Lake Okeechobee Scenic Trail, like the lake it encircles, is big. You can ride for miles on a smooth paved path with lake views and no traffic or intersections.
Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge: Wild spot to kayak, hike, bike
It’s a perfect time to explore Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge in Boynton Beach. The kayak trail has been cleared of water lilies clogging the way. You can rent or launch kayaks here, but also hike an exquisite boardwalk through a cypress forest and see birds and other wildlife on the trails.
John D. MacArthur State Park: Kayak trail to Munyon Island for beaches, mangrove tunnels
MacArthur Beach State Park offers one of my favorite kinds of kayak trails – a trip to an island reachable only by boat. To make it better, historic Munyon Island has an interesting story and great scenery.
Robert Is Here: 6 reasons to stop here on way to Everglades
Robert Is Here, just outside Everglades National Park, is a must-stop for my family on the basis of its fresh-fruit milkshakes alone. But we also love the menangerie out back, the exotic tropical fruits there for the tasting and the overall ambiance.
Kayaking St. Lucie River waterways: Many kayak trails to explore
We’ve spent several great days kayaking the waterways along the St. Lucie River in the Treasure Coast. Here are three kayak trails we like: St. Lucie south branch , St. Lucie Inlet Preserve and Ten Mile Creek.
Escape from Florida: Take the ferry to Bimini
The ferry to Bimini takes you to another world just 50 miles offshore from Fort Lauderdale. Whether a day trip or a week, there are many opportunities for snorkeling, diving, kayaking, fishing or just exploring island history. I went to see how much Bimini has changed.
Homestead Rodeo, southernmost rodeo in the continental U.S.
Florida has a surprisingly rich history of rodeos in its small towns, and the one is Homestead is special. It’s the first rodeo of the year where professional cowboys can earn points.