Things to do in Florida
55 places worth stopping for and 16 places to stay on a road trip through Florida.
See and do
Walk · Homestead
Anhinga Trail
Short boardwalk with close-up alligators, anhingas and herons.
Swimming hole · Fort White
Ichetucknee Springs State Park
Tube down a clear spring-fed river on a summer day.
- History
History · Key West
Dry Tortugas National Park
A remote 19th century fort on a coral island, reached by ferry from Key West.
Scenic drive · Miami
Shark Valley Tram and bike loop
A 15-mile paved loop through sawgrass, best done by bike with an alligator on the verge.
- Walk
Walk · CopelandHidden gem
Fakahatchee Strand Preserve State Park
Big Cypress Bend boardwalk and the 'Swamp Walk' country, with rare orchids.
Swimming hole · ChieflandHidden gem
Manatee Springs State Park
First-magnitude spring with a swimming area, boardwalk and campground.
- Swimming hole
Swimming hole · WillistonHidden gem
Devil's Den
Snorkel or dive inside a limestone sinkhole with a skylight.
- History
History · Marathon
Old Seven Mile Bridge and Pigeon Key
Walk or cycle the old railroad-era bridge out toward a tiny historic island.
Activity · Key Largo
John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park
America's first underwater park, with snorkel and glass-bottom boat trips to the reef.
Beach · Sarasota
Siesta Key Beach
Powdery white quartz sand and warm shallow water.
- Scenic drive
Scenic drive · Sanibel
J.N. Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge
A four-mile wildlife drive through mangroves, spoonbills and herons.
- Swimming hole
Swimming hole · Crystal River
Three Sisters Springs
Manatee refuge spring in winter, reached by shuttle from a city lot.
Town · Cedar KeyHidden gem
Cedar Key
Old fishing village at the end of the road, known for clams and sunsets.
Wildlife · Orange City
Blue Spring State Park
Winter manatee refuge on the St. Johns River, with tubing in summer.
Town · ApalachicolaHidden gem
Apalachicola
Old oyster town with historic streets and seafood shacks.
Beach · St. George IslandHidden gem
St. George Island State Park
Long quiet beach and a campground on a barrier island.
- Beach
Beach · Port St. JoeHidden gem
St. Joseph Peninsula State Park
Empty beach, dunes and campground on a wild peninsula.
- Beach
Beach · TitusvilleHidden gem
Canaveral National Seashore
24 miles of undeveloped beach beside Kennedy Space Center.
Beach · Key West
Fort Zachary Taylor Historic State Park
Key West's best swim beach inside a Civil War fort, with good sunset views.
Wildlife · Wakulla Springs
Wakulla Springs State Park
Riverboat tour over one of the world's largest springs, gators included.
- Beach
Beach · Santa Rosa Beach
Grayton Beach State Park
Wild dunes, a coastal dune lake and camping on 30A.
History · Pensacola Beach
Fort Pickens, Gulf Islands National Seashore
1830s fort and quiet beaches at the tip of Santa Rosa Island.
History · St. Augustine
Castillo de San Marcos
Oldest masonry fort in the US, with walkable ramparts.
- Swimming hole
Swimming hole · Ocala
Juniper Springs Recreation Area
A spring-fed run in the Ocala National Forest with a historic mill.
- Beach
Beach · DunedinHidden gem
Caladesi Island State Park
Undeveloped barrier island reached by ferry, with quiet beaches.
- Swimming hole
Swimming hole · De Leon Springs
De Leon Springs State Park
Swim in a spring and make your own pancakes at the old mill.
- Lake
Lake · Silver Springs
Silver Springs State Park
One of the largest spring systems in the world, with glass bottom boat tours.
- Wildlife
Wildlife · Titusville
Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge
Wildlife drive next to Kennedy Space Center, with manatees, gators and birds.
- Walk
Walk · Naples
Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary
Long boardwalk through old growth cypress with herons and gators.
- Wildlife
Wildlife · Homosassa
Homosassa Springs Wildlife State Park
Walk beside manatees at an underwater observatory in a spring.
- Roadside oddity
Roadside oddity · Homestead
Coral Castle
A castle sculpted from coral rock by one man, who left no explanation of how.
- Roadside oddity
Roadside oddity · Weeki Wachee
Weeki Wachee Springs
Mermaid shows in a natural spring since 1947.
- Wildlife
Wildlife · Big Pine KeyHidden gem
Blue Hole, Big Pine Key
Freshwater quarry pond with alligators, turtles and Key deer nearby.
Scenic drive · OchopeeHidden gem
Big Cypress Oasis Visitor Center and Loop Road
A back road through cypress swamp, far fewer people than the Everglades proper.
Roadside oddity · Islamorada
Robbie's of Islamorada
Hand-feed giant tarpon from the dock for a few dollars.
Museum · ChokoloskeeHidden gem
Smallwood Store Museum
1906 stilted trading post on a Gulf island, preserved as a museum.
Swimming hole · DunnellonHidden gem
Rainbow Springs State Park
Waterfalls, gardens and a clear spring river for tubing and kayaking.
- Cave
Cave · MariannaHidden gem
Florida Caverns State Park
Guided tours through a lit limestone cave, with a spring-fed swim hole.
History · St. AugustineHidden gem
Fort Matanzas National Monument
Small Spanish fort reached by a free ferry across the river.
- Beach
Beach · JacksonvilleHidden gem
Little Talbot Island State Park
Dunes, driftwood and a campground a short drive from Jacksonville.
Beach · Dunedin
Honeymoon Island State Park
Beaches, an osprey nesting trail and the ferry to Caladesi Island.
Roadside oddity · Weeki Wachee
Weeki Wachee Springs State Park
Roadside mermaid show in a clear spring, running since 1947.
- Swimming hole
Swimming hole · High Springs
Ginnie Springs
Clear 72-degree spring with camping, tubing and cave diving.
- Swimming hole
Swimming hole · Ponce de LeonHidden gem
Ponce de Leon Springs State Park
A small clear spring surrounded by woods, usually quiet.
Garden · Lake WalesHidden gem
Bok Tower Gardens
Hilltop gardens and a carillon tower on one of Florida's highest points.
Garden · Palm CoastHidden gem
Washington Oaks Gardens State Park
Coquina rock shoreline and a formal garden under live oaks.
- Swimming hole
Swimming hole · Apopka
Wekiwa Springs State Park
Spring-fed swimming and paddling close to Orlando.
- Swimming hole
Swimming hole · LeeHidden gem
Madison Blue Spring State Park
Small, gin-clear spring, popular with cave divers and swimmers.
- Town
Town · Tarpon Springs
Tarpon Springs Sponge Docks
Greek sponge diving heritage, with seafood restaurants and boat tours.
History · Key West
Ernest Hemingway Home
The writer's Key West house, famous for its six-toed cats.
- Walk
Walk · GainesvilleHidden gem
Devil's Millhopper Geological State Park
A 120 ft deep sinkhole with a staircase down to ferns and waterfalls.
- Waterfall
Waterfall · ChipleyHidden gem
Falling Waters State Park
Florida's tallest waterfall drops into a sinkhole.
- Beach
Beach · Boca Grande
Gasparilla Island State Park
Lighthouse beach on a barrier island known for tarpon fishing.
Roadside oddity · Key West
Southernmost Point Buoy
The photo stop at the southern tip of the continental US.
Roadside oddity · OchopeeHidden gem
Ochopee Post Office
Tiny shed on the Tamiami Trail that is the smallest US post office.
Food stops
- Restaurant
Restaurant · Card Sound Road, Key LargoHidden gem
Alabama Jack's
Open-air conch fritter shack over a mangrove canal, with live music at weekends.
- Restaurant
Restaurant · MarathonHidden gem
Keys Fisheries Market & Marina
A working fish market and waterfront restaurant just north of the Seven Mile Bridge.
- Farm shop
Farm shop · Homestead
Robert Is Here Fruit Stand
A tropical fruit stand famous for milkshakes with exotic fruit.
- Restaurant
Restaurant · TitusvilleHidden gem
Dixie Crossroads
Shrimp restaurant near Kennedy Space Center, open 11am to 9pm daily.
Places to stay
Campground · Everglades National ParkHidden gem
Flamingo Campground
Waterfront camp on the edge of Florida Bay.
Campground · Big Pine Key
Bahia Honda State Park
Beach camp in the Florida Keys.
- Campground
Campground · Sarasota
Myakka River State Park
Wild river park with a canopy walkway and airboat tours.
Campground · St. Petersburg
Fort De Soto Park
Beachfront county park camp on the Gulf.
- Campground
Campground · MarathonHidden gem
Curry Hammock State Park campground
Small, quiet bayside state park campground with kayak access and a calm beach.
- Campground
Campground · Long Key
Long Key State Park
Oceanfront camping with a boardwalk through a mangrove lagoon.
Campground · Homestead
Long Pine Key Campground
Pineland camp near Everglades' Pa-hay-okee trail, open November to April.
- Campground
Campground · HoltHidden gem
Blackwater River State Park
Sandy-bottomed river with white sand beaches for floating and camping.
- Campground
Campground · Fernandina Beach
Fort Clinch State Park
Brick fort and beach camping on the northern tip of Amelia Island.
- Campground
Campground · St. Augustine
Anastasia State Park
Wide beach, dunes and a tree-shaded campground next to St. Augustine.
- Campground
Campground · Hobe Sound
Jonathan Dickinson State Park
Scrub forest, river paddling and a lookout tower on the Treasure Coast.
- Campground
Campground · Panama City Beach
St. Andrews State Park
Beach campground with jetties for snorkelling and white sand.
- Campground
Campground · BristolHidden gem
Torreya State Park
Bluffs above the Apalachicola River with a rare tree and a mansion museum.
- Campground
Campground · SebringHidden gem
Highlands Hammock State Park
Old growth forest with a canopy walk and a loop tram.
- Campground
Campground · Naples
Collier-Seminole State Park
Camping near the Everglades edge with mangrove paddling.
- Campground
Campground · SopchoppyHidden gem
Ochlockonee River State Park
Quiet river park in the Panhandle with a scattering of sites.
More regions
- California
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- South Carolina
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- New York
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- North Dakota
- Iowa
- Louisiana
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- Ohio
- Indiana
- New Hampshire
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- Vermont
- Massachusetts
- Alabama
- Connecticut
- New Jersey
- Rhode Island
- West Virginia
- District of Columbia
- Maryland
Plan the drive, not just the stops
Roadtrip works out what the drive costs in fuel for your car, splits it into days with the best stops and places to sleep, and finds the cheapest fuel on the way.
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