Lake Louisa State Park

Searching for some real Florida countryside and wildlife, we made the short drive from our lovely villa on Highlands Reserve to Lake Louisa, just off the H27 and a short drive from Orlando. We had my disabled father with us and he remembered a visit there several years before. He was keen to revisit...

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My favourite State Park

I have been enjoying pondering over many favourite Florida experiences and now I have come to The State Parks.

It took us many years to discover the State Parks; in fact it coincided with when we discovered staying in a villa beat hotels by a country mile.

The first State Par...

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Wekiwa Springs State Park

Wekiwa comes from the Creek Indian world translating as ‘flowing river’. Just minutes from Orlando is this beautiful natural state park ready for exploring and offering a different slant to ‘traditional’ Florida theme parks. If you enjoy the active, outdoor life and want to see and experience natura...

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Ellie Schiller Homosassa Springs Wildlife State Park

On our last trip in April, we were determined to finally take a long promised trip to see the Manatees in their natural environment, so we did some research and decided to visit a recommended area, Crystal Springs and The Homosassa Springs area in West Central Florida.

The journey took a...

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One day out at Louisa State Park

For the nature lovers, Lake Louisa State Park is a Must Do.

Located on US Highway 27 just a few miles North of the West Irlo Bronson Memorial Highway (also known as 192) or a short drive from Orlando, this park is highly noted for its beautiful lakes, rolling hills and scenic landscapes....

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Lover’s key state park

Lover’s Key may sound like a ‘make-out’ point from a 1950’s American teen movie but in reality it’s a popular state park on the west coast of Florida. Situated a short drive from Bonita Springs near Fort Myers, it provides a great day out for Families, Lovers & lonely singletons alike. Spotting ...

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Wekiwa State Park - Florida at its Best

Decided to do something different than just the Disney World and other theme parks so thought we would visit one of Florida’s State Parks. We had heard so much about a local park called Wekiwa we decided to take a look for ourselves. We drove to Wekiwa Springs State Park, which is just north of Apop...

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Wakulla Springs State Park

This State Park -also known as Edward Ball State Park -after the financier Edward Ball like most State Parks is open year-round.

Edward Ball built the lodge at Wakulla that now serves as a hotel for anyone wishing to stay and enjoy the natural beauty of the area. Edward Ball purchased the...

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A day out at Wekiwa.

Wekiva Springs State Park is situated in Apopka (exit 94 off the Interstate 4) in Seminole.

This park is plum in the middle of the head waters of the Wekiva River and has been variously occupied by the Timucan Indians, the tourist industry, the turpentine industry and a sports club. Nowa...

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Visiting Myakka.

Myakka State Park is situated in Sarasota on the S. R. 72. This park covers 58 square miles of natural prairie and encompasses The Myakka River.

This area was once occupied by the Seminole Indians and it was they who named the river Myakka. The lands were dotted with cattle. By 1900 it h...

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Fort de Soto

Fort De Soto, a beautifully scenic state park located at the entrance to Tampa Bay, is a great day out for all ages and well worth a visit if you are heading south towards Tampa or St Petersburgh.

Located just across from Tampa Bay, Fort De Soto has earned many honors including being named a...

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Visit Lake Louisa State Park

As you head north along Highway 27 you will come across Lake Louisa State Park which is a beautiful and peaceful gathering of 6 glistening lakes and scenic landscape that spreads itself over gently sloping hills.

The Palatlakaha River, which has the distinction of being designated and one of...

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Flying to Florida with US Airways Part 5

We are halfway across the Atlantic, on a US Airways flight from Gatwick to Fort Lauderdale via Charlotte Douglas International Airport.

September 3rd, 2010

Film over I look out of the window. The sun is shining and far below I can see the sea interspersed with islands. We are over No...

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Fort De Soto Park

For those of you who want a break from the Parks I think will you enjoy Fort De Soto Park which is a large park in Pinellas County with over 1, 100 acres of recreational facilities and beautiful beaches. It is about an hour and a half from Orlando and is made up of several interconnected islands loc...

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Lake Jackson Mounds Archaeological State Park.

While the vast majority of visitors head for Central Florida and the theme parks around Orlando, there are some who travel a bit further afield to get a feel for what many, including the residents, would call ‘the Real Florida’.

So for anybody venturing further than just Kennedy Space Center...

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Dry Tortugas National Park – What’s on Offer

Bearing in mind it is remotely situated some seventy miles from Key West in the Gulf of Mexico and is only accessible by cruise ship it is not surprising that a trip to Dry Tortugas National Park can be considered to be quite an adventure.

The visitor can, of course, just settle back and enj...

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Dry Tortugas National Park

We had read that a trip to Dry Tortugas National Park was one of the top ten things to do when visiting the Florida Keys. It certainly hadn’t been on our itinerary but as we had a day to spare in Key West it seemed too good an opportunity to miss.

The Dry Tortugas are a small cluster of isla...

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Fort De Soto State Park

Florida has over 600 State Parks and miles and miles of beautiful beaches and Fort De Soto State Park combines these two outstanding natural attractions in one spot.

For the second time since 2005 the Pinellas County beach has been named as the nation’s best beach by Dr. Stephen Leatherman a...

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Florida Caverns State Park

As Florida has over 160 state parks covering some 700, 000 acres you are never very far away from one of the states areas of natural beauty and while the majority of visitors will probably base themselves in the Orlando area there are some who will want to venture further afield. This short article ...

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Bulow Creek State Park and Historic Plantation House.

Florida’s State Parks cover a massive 700, 000 acres, approximately the size of England’s Peak National Park plus Exmoor and Dartmoor. As there are over 160 state parks to visit in Florida, each with its own special charm and beauty, it would take the average tourist a long, long time to see them al...

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Blue Spring State Park

For a great day out away from the hustle and bustle of the Theme Parks why not visit Blue Spring State Park in Seminole county. The park lies to the north east of Orlando, an hours drive from the main attractions. Blue Spring State Park covers more than
2, 600 acres and includes the largest spri...

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Topsail State Preserve

Topsail Hill State Preserve is situated on Santa Rosa Beach which is 10 miles east of Destin. This is an the romantically named Scenic Highway.

There are over 1600 acres to enjoy at this State Park and it is named after the highest dune If you are looking from the Gulf, this dune looks exact...

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Tomoko State Park

Tomoko State Park is located 3 miles north of Ormond Beach in Volusia County. As in most cases, this area was once occupied by Native Americans who would have been drwan to the area for its rich fishing opportunities. Later, in the seventeen hundreds a British man took up residence. More of him late...

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Southern Florida’s State Parks

The average traveller, whether they be from overseas or North America, is probably unaware that Florida has over 160 State Parks. While the majority head for the famous Theme Parks of Orlando they fail to realise that Florida offers a huge variety of simpler pleasures for the days when an alternativ...

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Washington Oaks...A History

Washington Oaks State Park is situated in Palm Coast in North Ocean Shore Road.

You will not be amazed to hear that this site was once occupied by the Native American. In fact their midden forms a hill at the park today. Middens (or mounds) were the rubbish tips of the Indian and is formed o...

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Central Florida’s State Parks

Despite Florida having over 160 State Parks they are not nearly as well known, to the average traveller, as the National Parks such as the Everglades or the ever-popular theme parks of Orlando. However the Florida State Parks cover approximately 700, 000 acres plus over a hundred miles of sandy beac...

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Yellow Bluff

Yellow Bluff Historic State Park is situated in North Jacksonville. This park is quite small and encompasses only one point three acres on the north side of St John River. The terrain varies from flat to gently rolling and is all sand.

Yellow Bluff is the one to choose for those of you inter...

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Werner Boyce Salt Springs

Werner Boyce Salt Springs State Park is in Port Richey, west Pascoe County on the Gulf Coast of Florida.

Werner Boyce covers something over 3, 400 acres (some under water) and some sea front (about 4 miles) Only 600 acres are upland, the rest is either wet land or actually under water.
<...

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Windley Key Fossil Reef: A history

Windley Key Fossil Reef Geological State Park is situated quite close to Islamorada at m. m. 85. 5 on Windley Key.

The rubbish tips known as middens reveal that this area was occupied by various Native American groups in times gone by.

In the mid nineteenth century, a Conch family ca...

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YELLOW RIVER MARSH

Yellow River Marsh Preserve State Park is one mile north of intersection of the C. R. 191 and the C. R. 281. This is where the Blackwater Bay and the Escombia Bay are separated by Garcon Point.

This area was occupied for centuries by the Native AmericanS known as the Creek Indians. The explo...

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YULEE SUGAR MILLS

Yulee Sugar Mills Ruins State Park is situated on Tiger Tail Island on Crystal River about 3 miles west of the City of Homossassas.

This mill was once owned by David Levy Yulee and covered over 5000 acres. The plantation grew various kinds of produce, cotton and of course sugar cane.

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St Sebastion River Preserve

St Sebastion River Preserve State Park is situated in Fellsmore on Floridas C. R. 507. Since 1995 the Parks department has been adding more acreage to the site until as we speak it encompasses some 22000 acres (or 35 square miles)

The original quest was to look after the water shed at the Ind...

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Stump Beach Pass

Stump Beach Pass State Park is situated in Charlotte County on the south end of Manasota Key. This park encompasses 245 acres and became a State Park in 1971. However, it did not get its carpark and amenities til much later in 2000.

Many of you will at some time rent a home in Englewood and ...

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Suwanee River State PARK

Suwannee River State Park is situated on the U. S. 90 about 13 miles west of Live Oak.

The Suwanee River runs from Texas to the Gulf Coast of Florida and eventually tips out near White Springs.

Back in the day this river was full of paddle boat steamers which carried their cargos. Th...

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Florida Panther joins a State Park.

Those of you who have been to Homossassas will be pleased to hear that they have just welcomed a brand new arrival. A Florida Panther has just taken his place among all the happy wild animals that call this State Park home.

His name is Don Juan and he is the only Florida Panther to live in a...

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St Lucie State Park

St Lucie State Park is located in Port Solerno under a mile south of the inlet on the intra coastal water way. This is on the Atlantic Coast of Florida.

This park is special since it can only be accessed by boat. Once here, you will enjoy the tranquility of unspoilt beaches, lush forests and...

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ST ANDREW STATE PARK

St Andrews State Park is located in Panama City, 3 miles east of the highway 392. This is one of the older State Parks having been run by them for more than 50 years. It has a previous history of being used by the military.

There are now more than 1200 acres for you to enjoy whether it be sw...

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SKYWAY PIER

Skyway Pier State Park is located to the south and north of the bridge. This is on the I. 275. in St Petersburg.

This is obviously entirely one for the anglers among you and the opportunities and location are second to none. They proudly boast to any one who will listen that the pier is the ...

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Sebastion Inlet Park

Sebastion Inlet Park is located at Melbourne Beach on the A1A.

The first known humans to inhabit the area were the Paleo Hunters. Later, the Native Americans who captured the English Quaker, Jonathan Dickinson, lived here. They were the hunter/ gatherers called the Ais Indians.

By 17...

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SILVER PARK

Silver Park State Park is situated east of Ocala on the S. R. 35, i mile south of S. R. 40. This is in Marion County. This park covers 5000 acres.

The occupation of this area can be traced back 12000 years when it was lived in by the Native Americans known as the Paleo Indians.

Move ...

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San Marcos de Appalache Historic State Park

San Marcos de Appalache Historic State Park is situated in St Marks in Old Fort Road and is off the S. R. 363.

There is a rich seam of history associated with this park and it has been bitterly fought over.

The main action took place from 1528 when the first ships made by white men w...

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SAVANNA PRESERVE

Savanna Preserve State Park is located at Jensen Beach in Port St Lucie. This is roughly 2 miles east of the U. S. 1

This is one of the largest of the east coast savannas and has the distinction of being virtually intact. The savanna stretches for 10 miles from Ft Pierce to Jensen beach.
...

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SEABRANCH PRAIRIE

Seabranch Prairie State Park is located in Cove Road about 10 miles south of Stuart. You can reach this park via the S. R. A. 1. A

The U. S. P. of this park is having the most natural communities within a small area (one mile)Here you can see scrubby flat woods, mangrove swamp, a bay gill com...

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RIVER RISE

River Rise State Park is situated within another State Park, namely O Leno State Park. It is located six miles north of High Springs off the U. S. 441.

River Rise is set on the Sante Fe River it is where the river emerges after having made the previous 3 to 4 miles under the ground from O. L...

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ROCK SPRINGS

Rock Springs State Park is located in Sorrento, some 30 miles north of Orlando so it makes a perfectly reasonable day trip from the attractions area and a good contrast to the wonderful hubbub of the parks.

This park contains an amazing 30 miles of trails that can be walked, biked or explore...

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SAN FELASCO HAMMOCK

San Felasco Hammock Preserve State Park is situated in Alucha, just east of the I. 75 over pass and 4 miles north of Gainseville. This park covers 6900 acres of the natural Florida.

This park is the home to one of the last mature forests in Florida and houses many champion trees. There are 1...

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PUMPKIN HILL

Pumpkin Hill Preserve State Park is situated in Pumpkin Hill Road in Jacksonville (on the I. 95)

This is one of Floridas more wild parks with 4000 acres to enjoy. This park is special for its long contiguous coastal upland.

Pumpkin Hill is formed of basin swamp, depression marsh, scru...

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RAVINE GARDENS

Ravine Gardens State Park is situated in Palatka and covers 59 acres. As the name suggests, this park is famed for its Ravine Garden.

This is one of only 9 New Deal Era Structures and indeed the only one that features formal gardens.

The ravine took many thousands of years to develop...

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Peacock Springs

Peacock Springs State Park is situated in Lurville on 180th street 17 miles south of Live Oak on the SR51. This park covers 228 acres.

If you had tried to visit this area over 1000 years ago, well, you could not! In the 11th century the land was naturally raised from the ocean floor to sit o...

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PERDIDO KEY

Perdido Key State park is situated just off S. R. 292 15 miles south west of Pensacola on Floridas Gulf Coast. It is one of the barrier islands and covers 247 acres.

Barrier Islands provide gorgeous beaches and this is no exception. You can access the beach via a boardwalk which does a great...

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PONCE DE LEON

Ponce De Leon Springs State Park is on the C. R. 18. A half mile south of the U. S. 90. It has been the hub of all sorts of events since the nineteen twenties.

This area was originally owned by the Smith Gill family and it was they who built a defence wall for the springs in 1927 to prevent ...

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PAYNES PRAIRIE

Paynes Prairie Preservation State Park covers an impressive 21000 acres and is situated in Miconopy about 10 miles south of Gainseville.

It was the first State Preserve in Florida (having been so designated in 1971) and is geologically unique and houses an abundance of wildlife.

They...

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PAYNES PARK

Paynes Park State Park is situated in Bowling Green on the Tamiami Trail.

This is an important area in the history of the pioneer life of Florida. A trading past was built for the Seminole Indians to protect them from aggravation with the settlers. Sadly, inside a year this post had been inv...

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Ochlocknee River

Ochlocknee River State Park is located on the U. S. 319 4 miles south of Sopchoppy (yes really! ) and it is the site of the meeting of the Ochlocknee River and Dead River.

A literal translation of Ochlocknee means yellow river and it earned this name from the mix of brackish waters, tide and...

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Oleno State Park

Oleno State Park is situated on the Sante Fe River on U. S. 441 in High Springs.

Sante Fe River is a tributory of the Suwanee River. Within the grounds of the park the river vanishes underground only to reappear in the River Rise Preserve State Park 3 miles away.

In times past a brid...

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OLETA RIVER

Oleta River State Park is situated in north Miami at 3400 n. e. 163 street (off the I. 95)

This area dates back as far as 5000 B. C. when the Native Americans known as Tequesta Indians made this fertile area their home. This was the perfect place for the hunter gatherers with its riches from ...

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OLUSTEE BATTLEFIELD

Olustee Battlefield State Park is situated on U. S 90 50 miles west of Jacksonville and 15 miles east of Lake City.

This park is the historic place where the biggest civil war battle took place. The date was the 20th of february 1864 and 10000 troops took part in a bloody 5 hour skirmish. At...

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NAPLES......STATE PARKS ON A TANKFULL

If you are staying in Naples then you will want to investigate the new State Parks initiative of One Tankfull Adventures.

First on the list for me would be Stump Pass Beach State Park Here you will be in awe of the view of the Gulf of Mexico and its mile of just gorgeous beach. Good shelling...

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Lake Louisa State Park - A Great Day Out

Despite passing it every time we went up Highway 27 we had never visited Lake Louisa State Park so this time we made the decision to go so one Sunday morning off we set.

Drive 5 miles north on Highway 27 from Highway 192 and you will find this beautiful state park, noted for its six beautifu...

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The Dry Tortugas National Park

The Dry Tortugas is one of Florida’s three National Parks. Visitors to Florida will almost certainly know of the Everglades National Park and may possibly have heard of the Biscayne National Park, but the Dry Tortugas are much less well known, mainly due to their remoteness.

This park is mad...

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Beautiful Lake Louisa State Park

Lake Louisa State Park is situated off H27 approximately 15-20 minutes north of the I4 junction. Set in the northeast corner of the Green Swamp, a vast wetland in Central Florida, Lake Louisa is the largest in a chain of thirteen lakes connected by the Palatlakaha River.

This beautif...

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Myakka State Park – Part 1

If you are staying on the Gulf coast a State Park well worth visiting is Myakka. Even if you are staying in the Orlando area you could visit here for one or two nights and stay on site, but more of that later. Myakka is one of the oldest state’ s parks and in the early part of the 20th century...

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Myakka State Park – part 2

When we had finished the boat and tram trips we decided to have lunch at the small restaurant that is there at present. We had a very good value lunch and shared a large BBQ ribs sandwich, more than enough for the two of us. While we were eating we were entertained by a very cheeky squirrel. You are...

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MIKE ROESS GOLD HEAD BRANCH STATE PARK

The Mike Roess Gold Head State Park is locted 6 miles north of Keystone Heights, halfway between Gainseville and Jacksonville on S. R. 21.

This park encompasses 2000 plus acres on the central ridge of Florida and is set in undulating sand hills. Springs emanate from a deep ravine and lakes, ...

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MOUND KEY ARCHAEOLOGICAL STATE PARK

Mound Key Archaeological State Park is located on the I. 75 in Estero and is part managed by The Koreshan State History Site. The park comprises of some 125 acres and started the process of becoming a State Park in 1961.

This was once home to the Calusa Indians and dates back some 2000 years...

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Don Pedro – A Florida State Park

Don Pedro Island is one of an extensive chain of barrier islands which skirt the coastline of the Cape Haze Peninsular.

Located between Knight Island and Little Gasparilla Island, Don Pedro is accessible only by private boat or ferry. Cars are allowed on the island but most people use golf c...

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Manatee Springs State Park.

Manatee Springs State Park is situated 6 miles west of Cheffand, off the U. S. 90 at the end of State Route 320. This is one on the many State Parks magnitude Springs.

This area was once occupied by the Timucuan Indians who were drawn to the crystal clear waters and the hunting and fishing o...

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MADIRA BICKEL MOUND

Madira Bickel Mound State Archaeological Park is situated in Palmetto, 1 mile south of the 1. 275 on Bayshore Drive. This was the first archaeological State Park site in Florida.

Situated on Terra Caerra Island, this park takes in 10 acres and is so named after Madira and Karl Bickel who don...

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MADISON BLUE SPRING

Madison Blue Spring State Park is located on the west bank of the Withlacoochee River, 10 miles east of Madison close to the GA State line. It was bought by the State from Anna Bruie in October 2000 for $1, 108, 000 (it had been previously sold in 1990 for $200, 000! ) This park has some 38 acres. A...

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LOWER WEKIVA RIVER

Lower Wekiva River State Park is situated both in Eustis and Sanford; the southern end is 9 miles west of Sanford off S. R. 46. and the north entrance is in Pine Lakes off S. R. 44.

This park covers 18000 acres of wet lands and black water streams and forms an entrance to Ocala National Park...

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LOVERS KEY STATE PARK

Lovers Key State Park is istuated in Lee County, between Fort Myers Beach and Bonita Beach on County Road 865. We once almost lost these 4 barrier islands to the developers in the 1960s and indeed preparation work had already started when commonsense came to the fore and they were rescued by the Sta...

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LONG KEY STATE PARK

Long Key State Park is situated on 67. 5, 67400 Over seas Highway in the Florida Keys on Mile Marker 67. 5. It is roughly half way between Key West and Miami.

The Calusa Indians were the first known settlers of Long Key followed by the Spanish. The Spaniards called it Rattlesnake Key because...

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LITTLE TALBOT ISLAND

Little Talbot Island State Park is located in Jacksonville, 17 miles east of mile post exit 35. 8A. This has been a State Park since 1952 and is one of the last almost undisturbed barrier islands in Florida.

This park has an English connection since it was named after Lord Baron Talbot.
...

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LAKE MANATEE RIVER

Lake Manatee River State Park is situated on Lightfoot Road, off the U. S. 301 and 4 miles south west of Sun City Center. This has been a State Park since 1987, the land having been acquired by the Parks Department in 1974.

Since that time, extra land has been added to the park and the total...

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LAKE TALQUIN

Lake Talquin State Park is situated between Quincy and Talahasse, on state route 20 in Jack Vause Landing road. It sits on 30, 000 acres made up of 10, 000 acres of lake bottom and 20, 000 acres of up lands. This land was given to the Parks department in the early 1970s by the Florida Power Corporat...

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LETCHWORTH-LOVE MOUNDS STATE PARK

Letchworth-Love Mounds State Park (formerly Letchworth Mounds State Park) is found 6 miles west of Monticello in Jefferson County. It is famous for its historic mounds.

This area was once farm land, but in 1992 the land was acquired to preserve these interesting mounds. The park has been ope...

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LAKE KISSIMMEE STATE PARK

Lake Kissimme State Park is a good choice if you are staying in the Disney area as you will not have that too far to drive. It is located east of Lake Wales, off the State Route 60. This park sits on 5930 all natural acres of the real old Florida.

There are signs of occupation here from the ...

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LAFAYETTE BLUE SPRINGS

Lafayette Blue Springs State Park is located 7 miles north of Mayo, on the Suwanee River (western side) This park sits on around 200 acres and encompasses about a mile of the Suwannee River.

There are 6 natural communities here; spring run stream, flood plain forest, blackwater stream, aquat...

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LAKE JUNE IN WINTER SCRUB STATE PARK.

Lake June In Winter Scrub State Park is situated Sebring about 15 minutes from downtownn in Lake Placid. It is part of the Lake Wales Ridge whose tall sandy ridges are as a result of having been covered with sea many years ago. This created a string of sandy islands.

This has created the rar...

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Jonathan Dickinson State Park

Jonathan Dickinson State Park is located on the U. S. 1 12 miles south of Stuart and is crossed by the Loxahatchee River. This State Park offers most of what fans of the system love; boating, fishing, swimming and trailing.

Trapper Nelson is an important part of the history of this a...

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DAGNY JOHNSON KEY LARGO HAMMOCK

Dagny Johnson Key Largo Hammock State Park; what a mouthful! And what an eyeful of rare plants, a huge variety of trees, butterflies and unusual tree snails.

This park is located a quarter of a mile from the intersection of the U. S. 1 and Country Road 905 in Key Largo.

Dagny Johnson...

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KISSIMMEE PRAIRIE PRESERVE STATE PARK.

Kissimme Prairie Preserve State Park is located 25 miles north west of Okeechobee.

The introduction of the railway in 1915 meant that cattle were driven through Okeechobee en route to the rail road station.

By 1940 a company called Latt Maxcy bought up the land that the park now occu...

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LAKE GRIFFIN STATE PARK.

Lake Griffin State Park is located 30 miles south of Ocala and 2 miles north of Leesburg in Fruit Land Park. This is a good choice for those State Park fans who prefer the natural life with lots of fishing, boating and walking.

This park encompasses 520 acres of swamp land and hard wood upla...

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JOHN PENNEKAMP CORAL REEF STATE PARK

John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park is situated at mile marker 102. 5 in Key Largo and is famous for its coral reefs.

This State Park covers 70 square nautical miles and has 200 inlets and islands. Even in the winter months the sea temperatures can be in the 70s.

As recently as the...

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JOHN U LLOYD BEACH

John U Lloyd Beach State Park is located north of Hollywood off the A1A in Dania. It is named in honour of John Lloyd who was a lawyer who worked hard to obtain this area for the State Parks department.

Originally New River Sound was used by the Native Indians to access the Everglades since ...

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VISITING INDIAN KEY

Visiting Indian Key Historic State Park is made even more special because you can only access it by boat, canoe or kayak.

Situated on the ocean side of th U. S. 1, it is three quarters of a mile from the north shore of Lower Matecumbe Bay. This is a small island of some 10 acres that plays a...

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JOHN D MCARTUR PARK

John D Mc Arthur Beach State Park is situated 2 miles south of the intersections of PGA Boulevard and the US 1 in Palm Beach County. This park has an impressive 337 acres, one third of which is submerged.

It was donated to the State in the 1970s by John D Mc Arthur who was concerned about th...

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HUGH TAYLOR BIRCH STATE PARK.

Hugh Taylor Birch State Park is situated in Fort Lauderdale on East Sunrise Boulevard off the A1A and is open from 8 am to sunset every day of the year.

This Park was donated to the State by Hugh and sits nicely between an intra coastal water way and the Atlantic Ocean. This park provides th...

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Weeki Wachee to become a State Park

The 27th of January, 2008 was an historic day for the tiny city of Weeki Wachi; Mayor Robyn Anderson put her signature to a document that finally made Weeki Wachee Springs a Florida State Park. The handover will take place on November the 1st 2008 and they will start a program to bring this declinin...

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FRED GANNON ROCKY BAYOU

Fred Gannon Rocky Bayou State Park is situated in Niceville (now who could resist going to Niceville? )

This park was once a bombing practice range and is named after a man called Fred Gannon, whose efforts started turning this old range into the park we know and love today.

The best ...

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HONTOON ISLAND

Hontoon Island State Park is situated in Volusia County on the St Johns River. It is 6 miles west of Deland, just off SR44. Hontoon has been occupied for many thousands of years and has a rich history. It can only be accessed by electric ferry or boat and has a total of 1650 all natural acres to exp...

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FORT ZACHARY

Fort Zachary Taylor Historic State Park is situated in Truman Annex, Key West. South Florida. Here you will find the biggest haul of cannons in the whole of America.

This fort was named in honour of President Zachary Taylor: he died in the year that the fort started its construction (1845) H...

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FORT PIERCE INLET

Fort Pierce Inlet State Park is situated 4 miles east of Ft Pierce in St Lucie County. There are 340 acres of sand dunes, beaches and coastal hammock and you can access via the north causeway.

It is so called after a fort constructed in the second seminole war by a colonel Pierce. However, t...

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GAMBLE ROGERS STATE PARK

Gamble Rogers State Park is located 3 miles south of Flagler Beach , 18 miles north of Daytona and 30 miles south of St Augustine. It is on Floridas cooler Atlantic Coast.

Gamble Rogers was a well known folk singer and actor who sadly died on October 10th 1991. He perished attempting to resc...

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GAINSEVILLE HAWTHORNE STATE TRAIL

Gainseville Hawthorne State Trail stretches from Gainseville to Hawthorne. This once was the site for goods and passenger trains carrying fruit and vegetables as well as people from the 1860s. The State Parks department took over the land in 1988 and worked hard to create the trail which we can trav...

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GAMBLE PLANTATION

Gamble Plantation Historic State Park is located in Ellerton, South Florida, north east of Bradenton. This makes it a feasible day out from your villa in the Disney area or by the Gulf Coast.

This was the home of Major Robert Gamble way back in the mid 19th century; he had fought in the Semi...

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HENDERSON BEACH

Henderson Beach State Park is situated east of Destin on the U. S 98 in Floridas Pan Handle. This park is named after the Henderson family who lived here til 1983 and they were so keen to see this area preseved and protected that they sold it to the State Parks department for just over $13000000. A ...

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HIGHLANDS HAMMOCK

Highlands Hammock State Park is situated 4 miles west of Sebring, just off the U. S. 27, on Hammock Rd.

At one time, this land was about to be used for farming, however, some local people who were concerned about the enviroment clubbed together to buy the acres to preserve it. In 1935, it be...

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HONEYMOON ISLAND

Honeymoon Island State Park is situated in Dunedin, north of Tampa, on Floridas north west coast. The island was once called by the rather less flattering name of Hog Island and remained so until an entrepreuner put up 50 thatched holiday homes for newlyweds and renamed it.

Thr Tocobago Trib...

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HILLSBOROUGH RIVER STATE PARK

Hillsborough River State Park is situated in Thonotasassa, on the U. S. Highway 301, 6 miles south of Zephyrhills and 9 miles north of Tampa. It is one of the earlier Stae Parks and was largely worked on between 1935 and 1938.

This park is composed of hammock, fllodplain, flat woods and gras...

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See the Manatees at Blue Spring State Park

Located just off the I4 at Orange City some 20 miles north of Orlando, Blue Spring State Park is best known for its manatee migration in the winter months between November and March. During this period these endangered creatures find the waters of the St Johns River a little too cold for comfort and...

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View the wildlife in a Florida State Park

We had been staying in Saint Petersburg and after a few days decided to venture further south with no real plan in mind but thought we would head in the general direction of Naples and the Everglades.

We had all heard about the Sunshine Skyway Bridge linking Saint Petersburg and Bradenton on...

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Lake louisa State park

Lake louisa state park is just a short drive from the main part of Orlando, this wonderful park is noted for its six beautiful lakes, rolling hills, and scenic landscapes.

It is truly breathtaking and allows visitors a chance to see the REAL Florida, in all it’s glory. Lake Louisa is the...

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Skyway Fishing Pier State Park

One could be forgiven for asking where this is, and what is its significance. . . well this is the only State Park I know that is man-made and full of concrete. Still none the wiser? ? In that case I will attempt to explain.

We came across the Skyway Fishing Pier State Park purely by acciden...

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Myakka River State Park

Myakka River State Park is not far from Sarasota. It is possible to drive there and back in a day from Orlando but as there is so much else to see in Sarasota an overnight stay might be advisable.

We visited on our recent tour of Florida and had a wonderful day discovering Florida’s unspoilt...

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Lovely Blue Spring State Park - A Great Day Out

If you want to see some of Florida’s natural beauty, take a ride out to the Blue Spring State Park. One of many State Parks to be found in Central Florida, this is a tranquil area of Florida - a renown manatee refuge in the cooler months around December through March. Ideal for families, nature love...

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FORT GEORGE ISLAND

Fort George Island State Park is situated where the Nassau River and St John River meet in the drainage basin. It is the last in a long chain of islands and is located 16 miles east of Jacksonville

People have lived on Fort George Island for more years than any where else in Duval county. The...

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FALLING WATERS

Falling Waters State Park is situated off the S. R. 77. 3 miles south of Chipley

The waterfall at this park powered a mill during the Civil War. When the war had ended the mill fell into disuse and some lumber fell into it. You can see some of these timbers today at this park.

After t...

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FANNING SPRINGS

Fanning Springs State Park is on the U. S. Highway 19/18 right on the Suwannee River. The popular song 'Old Folks At Home' was written about this area.

Fort Fanning was created in 1838 - it was built of wood so not much of it has survived. First named Palmetto, it is now called Fanning after...

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FAVER DYKES

Faver Dykes State park is situated on Faver Dykes Rd just south of St Augustine on Floridas North Atlantic Coast.

This park now covers 1600 acres since the State Parks dep acquired an extra 226 acres in 2004. Faver Dykes was once the home of the Timucan Indians. Faver Dyke State Park is situ...

Viewed 6235 times

FOREST CAPITAL MUSEUM

Forest Capital Museum State Park is in Perry, North Florida. It is on the U. S. Highway 19 south(just beyond the city limits)

This is a slice of the old Florida and how people lived over a century ago. The museum centres on the importance of the forests to this part of Florida.

You wi...

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FORT CLINCH

Fort Clich State Park is situated on Atlantic Avenue. Fernandina Beach on Floridas north east (Atlantic)coast.

Way back in 1861, it was home to the confederate army but in 1862 the federal troops siezed it on the orders of Robert E Lee. After the civil war it was gradually wound down (except...

Viewed 6734 times

ECONOFINA RIVER

Econofina River State Park is situated in Taylor County, south of the U. S. 98 at the bottom of C. R 98. The river ends at the Gulf Coast approximately 2 miles south of this park.

This unspoilt place is a haven for fisherman, fresh water or salt and is considered to be one of the cleanest an...

Viewed 5989 times

EDEN GARDENS

Eden Gardens State Prk is locted in Santa Rosa Beach in Point Washington in Floridas pan handle. It is just off u. s. 98 on C. R 395.

This is one of those lovely State Parks where there is a house as well as lovely grounds to visitand it makes a memorable day out

During the 19th centu...

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EDWARD BALL WAKULLA STATE PARK

The Edward Ball Wakulla State Park is located on s. r. 267 where it meets s. r. 61 almost one and a half miles south of Tallahassee.

This is one of those glorious state parks with so many different features that you do not know where to start.

There is the lodge with its great restau...

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EGMONT KEY

Egmont Key State Park is located in Tampa Bay, south west of De Soto beach.

The main atraction here at this park is the working lighthouse that was built as a result of the many ships that were wrecked on the sand banks around the key.

This poor light house has quite a chequered hist...

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ESTERO BAY

Estero Bay Preserve Stae Prak is situated twixt Naples and Fort Myers on Florida south west gulf coast It has a chain of barrier islands to its west side including Long Key.

This park has 10, 000 acres and is still growing. It was rescued from the developers and as more adjacent land becomes...

Viewed 6390 times

FAKAHATCHEE STRAND PRESERVE

Fakahatchee Strand State Park is located at Copeland in Janes Memorial Scenic Drive, which is on the S. R. 29 in Floridas glorious south west.

It is a linear swamp forest that measures 20 miles by 5 miles and is specially noted for the bald cypress trees and the regal palms. There are more r...

Viewed 5735 times

DEVILS MILLHOPPER GEOLOGICAL STATE PARK

Devils Mill Hopper Geological State Park is situated 2 miles north of Gainseville, just off stste route 232.