Florida

Start at King's Landing. Here you can either drop your own kayaks in or choose to rent. Kayak/Canoe rentals are $30 for the day. Using your own kayak is $20, if you choose to have them pick you up at Wekiva Springs and shuttle you back. During summer months, get there early (before 11), as they typi...

Before entering South Lido County Park, take a left turn on Taft Drive for the kayak launch area. Parking is available at the end of the road. Multiple companies offer kayak and stand up paddle (SUP) rentals and tours at the launch site, but feel free to bring your own. Launch your kayak or SUP betw...

Egmont Key Sate Park is only accessibly by boat, so be sure to book ahead if you need a ride. Several tour companies offer relatively cheap rides to and from the island, paired with snorkeling excursions at the ruins on the west side of the island. The island ferry departs from Fort De Soto State Pa...

A few hours north and many worlds away from Disney, the Santa Fe River winds its way through the woods of north central Florida, headed for the Suwannee River. This is the real Florida. Although the river is dark during most of the year (except the dry summer months), there are dozens of crystal cle...

At Ichetucknee Springs State Park, there are 2 main entrances - to get to Blue Hole (aka Jug Hole), go to the NORTH entrance. This is also where the main headspring is. If you accidentally go to the south entrance, you are only a few miles away, don't worry! Ask for directions at the guard shack. Yo...

When the ocean becomes too cold for the manatees, they take refuge in the 70 degree water at Three Sisters Spring. So, the best time to see the manatees in the spring is just after a cold front has come through. We also learned that they will swim back out to the ocean before low tide to avoid becom...

Sombrero Reef is a coral reef 8 miles offshore from Key Colony Beach. Launch your private boat from the free 33rd Street Public Boat Ramp or book a catamaran tour from Marathon. Tie your boat off on one of the 11 mooring buoys on the South side of the 142 foot Sombrero Key Lighthouse. Get your water...

Located near Orange City, Florida, Blue Spring State Park is the largest spring on St. Johns River. Here you can come in and rent full snorkel gear (snorkel, mask, flippers), tubes to lazy river down if that's more your style and many other activities. At the website you can see all that the park ha...

Phil Foster Park has a large parking lot, but on weekends or during peak hours looking for a spot can get competitive, so leave yourself a little extra time to meet your target "in the water" time. If you're like me and you don't have your own snorkel gear, rentals are available from the Force-E Div...

Venturing along the industrialized highway leading to Big Talbot Island will have one wondering how there could be any hope for a natural experience on the outskirts of Jacksonville. However, just 14 miles from the busy interstate, Big Talbot Island has plenty of hiking and biking trails, fishing ho...

Blue Springs Park is a privately owned property that encompasses a few springs along the Santa Fe River, you can learn more here . The main, Blue Spring, has a large swimming area lined with white sand beach. The main feature is a 12ft high platform over the main spring. Since the spring is upwards ...

Parking is open and free for all designated spots within the state park. At the end of the parking area, there is a gate with a large brown sign. This sign reads "St. Joseph Peninsula State Park / Wilderness Preserve Access." This is where the trail begins. The trail is easy to follow with yellow ma...

The Weeki Wachee River begins its 7.4-mile journey at the world famous Weeki Wachee spring. Named by the Seminole Indians who inhabited the land around the body of water in the early 1800s, Weeki Wachee means “winding river” or “little spring.” One of Florida’s 33 first magnitude springs, the underw...

Starting in the parking, lot you are going to follow the road back to the ranger station and from there you can pick up the Dune Ridge trailhead. Once on the trail you can take a look at the sign with a map and small description of the trail. This hike is very straightforward and it is difficult to ...

Starting at Fort Maitland Park, free entrance and parking, unload your water transport unto the designated area. Be mindful of other people as this is a popular spot to unload big boats as well as small crafts. In general, it is easy to get out of the bay made by the lake on this particular spot, Do...

Virginia Key North Point Trails offers 8.2 of mountain bike trails ranging from novice to advanced and expert. There is a variety of cool features and bridges to ride on, overlooking the beach and Downtown Miami. The trails are constantly maintained as there are volunteers every weekend. Virginia Ke...