Florida Parks

With over 160 state parks to choose from, Florida is known as the State Parks capital of the United States. Throughout the state one can choose from over 700,000 acres of parkland to visit. To add to the natural phenomenon Florida is also home to such famous National Parks as the Everglades National Park, Biscayne National Park, and The Dry Tortugas National Park as well as many others.

Visited by over 100 visitors each year while spanning across 1,509,000 acres, Everglades National Park is known as the largest subtropical wilderness in the United States and is the third largest National Park after Yellowstone National Park and Death Valley National Park. The Everglades is known primarily for vast semi-aquatic swamp and marshlands that is home to several endangered species including the manatee, crocodile and the infamous Florida panther. The overall length of this phenomenal oasis includes over 700 plant variations and 300 bird species as well as being the feeding ground for over 40 different species of mammals and 50 species of reptiles. The park is identified as a world heritage site as well as being an international biosphere. The Everglades is a slow moving system of rivers that flow in a southwest direction.

On the opposite side of the Floridian econiche is Biscayne National Park which harbors one of the most famous scuba diving sites in the world. Conveniently located in Florida’s Southern end, the park is ninety-five percent water that spans over 207 miles of crystal clear aqua blue water. The primary attraction of the Biscayne National Park is that it is an oasis for scuba diving and snorkeling on the vibrant coral reef. The popular glass bottom boat tour of the bay is available year round as well as boat rentals for the curious explorers to see this fish bonanza first hand which is excited about the recent addition of the lion fish which arrived on the reef via the Indiana Pacific ocean after Hurricane Andrew in 1992.

Famous for its abundant sea life, animated array of coral reefs, mystifying tales of shipwrecks and sunken treasures, the third National Park of Florida is Dry Tortugas National Park.  The park anchors off the Florida Keys and like Biscayne National Park is an aquatic oasis for divers and snorkelers. The park’s primary focal point, however, is Fort Jefferson which is a vast coastline fortress which was first visited by Ponce de Leon in 1513. As the story goes, Ponce captured 160 sea turtles at Fort Jefferson and hence gave the area the name “Tortugas” which means turtles. Spanning over 64,700 acres, this national treasure also is a major destination for bird enthusiasts who enjoy viewing some 299 species of feathered angels migrating at various times throughout the year. Of the most notable birds to be found in the Dry Tortugas National Park, there are the Sooty Tern, Brown Noddy, Brown Pelican, Magnificent Firgate bird, Masked Booby, Roseate Tern and the Mourning Dove.

Florida embraces some of the most magnificent beaches and groves in the country and is also the site of the oldest fortresses and cities in the United States.

Florida State Park list