Funny Guy Goes Off on Florida and Mother Nature

Ichetucknee Springs State Park, Fort White (near Jacksonville)

Get The Big To-Do

Your guide to staying entertained, from live shows and outdoor fun to the newest in museums, movies, TV, books, dining, and more.

Want to head someplace that's about as un-New England-y as you can get? This one's a candidate — a landscape of springs, shaded hammocks, and wetlands that serves as a haven for intriguing species of wildlife like softshell turtles and limpkins. This 2,669-acre park is most lively from May into September, when the 6-mile Ichetucknee River (fed by the springs) is at its fullest, creating a perfect zone for river tubing. But since the water temperature is consistently about 72 degrees (positively balmy by New England standards), tubing is available year-round.

Have all the fun: If you're a cave certified diver, explore the inky Blue Hole (a.k.a. Jug Spring) from October through March. Even snorkelers can catch a glimpse of the park's underground cave system; it starts 40 feet below the surface, and encompasses nearly 600 feet of serpentine passages. Paddle the river (rent a canoe, kayak, or paddleboard), hike the lush forest trails, and look for river otters, wood ducks, and myriad creatures that inhabit this glorious space. $6 per vehicle; 120875 SW US Highway 27, Fort White; 386-497-4690.

Call it the anti-Miami Beach: Cayo Costa is an undeveloped stretch of sunbaked sand, great for beach camping and kayaking (with possible manatee sightings). VISIT FLORIDA

Cayo Costa, west of Pine Island (off the coast of Fort Myers)

Since visiting this park several years ago, it has become Diane's Happy Place. One glimpse at this 9-mile strand of undeveloped beachy gorgeousness, and you'll get it: Cayo Costa is Florida at its glorious, sunbaked best, a strand of sugary sand dotted with shells and driftwood, lapped by the Gulf of Mexico. Accessible only by boat or kayak (a ferry service runs to the island from mainland locations), this barrier island is a former fishing ground of Calusa Indians. Surf fishing is still a popular pursuit.

Have all the fun: Paddle through a canopy of mangroves into Manatee Hole, a favorite gathering spot for West Indian manatees (you'll see their snouts first). The island has 6 miles of trails for bicycling and hiking (bike rentals are available). Look out for gopher tortoises as you go. Skip the one-room rental cabins and book one of the 30 primitive campsites. A tram will transport you and your gear to the camping area, where there's potable water and a restroom with cold water showers. You can sleep in a hammock! (And you must. Book sites 8, 9, 15, or 22 for this.) There's a small camp store near the ranger station with snacks and supplies. $2 per person (not including ferry transport); 4 nautical miles west of Pine Island; 941-964-0375.

Florida beaches get all the love, but there's plenty of beauty within Florida's interior, like Silver Springs State Park in Ocala. VISIT FLORIDA

Silver Springs State Park, Ocala

Florida's coastlines get all the glory, but, surprise: This sublime park is located in the north-central part of the state, at the western edge of Ocala National Forest. A 4,660-acre National Natural Landmark, it features one of the world's largest freshwater springs — 30 spring vents that form the 5.4-mile Silver River.

Have all the fun: A glass-bottom boat tour is an oh-so-Florida way to see the crystalline water and foliage-cloaked riverbanks, but a gentle kayak or canoe paddle is the best way to tune into its slow rhythms. (Rentals are available at the park.) Paddle a 1.1-mile loop around Ross Allen Island, or do the 5-mile (each way) route from the park's main entrance canoe launch to Ray Wayside Park. They also offer blazed hiking trails (try the red-blazed 2.2-mile Sinkhole Trail), 4.5 miles of off-road (fat tire) bicycling trails, and 59 campsites. The rustic vacation cabins, on-site ($110 per night) book up quickly. Visit a re-created 19th-century pioneer village, open on weekends at holidays, at the Silver River Museum and Environmental Education Center, located within the park. $8 per vehicle; 1424 NE 58th Ave., Ocala; 352-236-7148.

You'll have to go underwater to see the actual coral reef, obviously, but there are plenty of ways to explore John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park in Key Largo. This outdoor wilderness is located about an hour by car from Miami. VISIT FLORIDA

John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park, Key Largo

That underwater wedding that we mentioned earlier? It happened here, at America's first undersea park. Located about an hour's drive from Miami in the Upper Keys, the park is 25 miles long, extends 3 miles into the Atlantic Ocean, and encompasses 70 nautical square miles.

Have all the fun: Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the park offers nature trails, a visitor center with saltwater aquariums, and a theater that plays nature videos. Cannon Beach fronts the ocean. But the major draw is, of course, the coral reef and all its wonders: 600 species of fish, 70 species of coral, and marine invertebrates galore. There's a PADI dive center on site, and certainly diving is the best way to see it all, but not the only way. Snorkel trips go out to the reef four times a day for about 2½ hours. They even offer a wheelchair-friendly snorkeling vessel. Gliding alongside coral and reef fish is lovely, and you'll likely get a look at Christ of the Abyss, a 9-foot bronze statue that sits 8 to 10 feet below the surface of the water. And since this is Florida, you know there's a glass bottom boat tour available. Beyond the park's 42 campsites, there are several places to stay in Key Largo — even an underwater lodge. $8 per vehicle, plus 50 cents per person, not including watersports; 102601 Overseas Highway, Key Largo; 305-676-3777.

Myakka River State Park offers 37,000 acres of Florida gorgeousness. Few can resist the narrated boat tour with gator-spotting. VISIT FLORIDA

Myakka River State Park, Sarasota

One of the state's oldest and largest parks, Myakka River has some cool features. First, there's the Myakka Canopy Walkway, the first public treetop trail in North America. Standing 25 feet above the ground and extending 100 feet through the hammock canopy, the oak-and-palm walkway leads to a 74-foot tower. It's a perfect perch from which to view raptors soaring above the live oaks and sabal palms, and take in the vastness of this 37,000-acre park, a vibrant panorama of wildflower-dotted prairies, wetlands, and pinelands. Back at ground level, there's another intriguing feature: alligators. They're residents of the Myakka River (Florida's first state-designated Wild & Scenic River), and when the water is low, you'll see them basking in the sun at the river's edge.

Have all the fun: Admire the scenery (keep an eye out for giant gators) on the wildly popular Myakka River Tour (adults $20; ages 3-12 $12) airboat cruise. Tram tours and biking and hiking on sandy trails round out the activities list, allowing immersion in this exquisite environment of palm trees, live oaks, and water. Don't want to leave? Spend the night; the park has three campgrounds with 90 campsites. $6 per vehicle; 13208 State Road 72, Sarasota; 941-361-6511.

---

Diane Bair and Pamela Wright can be reached at bairwright@gmail.com

mcgeespat1956.blogspot.com

Source: https://www.bostonglobe.com/2022/02/03/lifestyle/mother-natures-magic-kingdom-floridas-best-state-parks/

Share this post