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Florida’s National Parks are notable for their extreme diversity. Oceanfront parks like Gulf Islands National Seashore and Canaveral National Seashore protect miles of windswept wild shores.
Timucuan Preserve and De Soto National Monument commemorate early European landing sites along Florida’s coast and how native peoples were affected.
Within our National Parks are enormous fortresses such as Fort Barrancas, Fort Pickens, and Fort Jefferson as well as smaller sites like Fort Matanzas and the recent addition of a reconstructed Fort King from the Seminole War period.
Three major national parks blanket much of the southern Florida peninsula. Biscayne National Park is almost entirely made up of islands and coral reefs at the northern extent of the Florida Keys.
Everglades National Park and Big Cypress National Preserve protect mosaics of rain-fed habitat fed by broad, shallow rivers sweeping across the tip of the Florida peninsula.
The following are all of the National Parks, Preserves, Seashores, and Historic Sites in Florida administered by the Department of the Interior. Each of these locations have numerous trails and sometimes even separate units, as shown on the map above.
Big Cypress National Preserve Protecting nearly three quarters of the million-acre Big Cypress Swamp, Big Cypress National Preserve is Florida's second largest and most remote wilderness. 
Biscayne National Park Florida's largest offshore park, Biscayne National Park protects living coral reefs and islands that are the northernmost part of the Florida Keys
Canaveral National Seashore Canaveral National Seashore protects 58,000 acres of maritime hammocks, dunes, and coastline north of Cape Canaveral, a natural sandy cape that formed where ocean currents meet.
Castillo de San Marcos The only remaining 17th century fortress in North America, the Castillo de San Marcos defended the Spanish colony of St. Augustine from two British sieges in the 1700s.
De Soto National Memorial Interpreting the landing of Spanish conquistador Hernando De Soto, De Soto National Memorial occupies a peninsula where the Manatee River flows into Tampa Bay. 
Dry Tortugas National Park Our friend Bob "TruckrBob" Finley shares his experience with planning, and reaching, the toughest park to visit in Florida: Dry Tortugas National Park, 70 miles offshore from Key West. 
Everglades National Park In 1.5 million acres across South Florida, Everglades National Park has outdoor experiences from accessible boardwalks and paved trails to rugged adventures in harsh wilderness.
Fort Barrancas Part of the Third System of coastal defenses built in the 1840s by the Army Corps of Engineers, Fort Barrancas is the showy centerpiece of a National Park unit inside Naval Air Station Pensacola.
Gulf Islands National Seashore Stretching across three Gulf Coast states, Gulf Islands National Seashore protects portions of the barrier islands between Navarre Beach, Florida and Gulfport, Mississippi.
Jupiter Inlet Lighthouse Outstanding Natural Area One of only three federally designated ONAs in the United States, Jupiter Inlet Lighthouse Outstanding Natural Area combines a unique location with botanical beauty and history. 
Timucuan Preserve Florida's northernmost National Park encompasses a diverse collection of historic and cultural sites on both sides of the St. Johns River in Jacksonville.National Park Fees
Fees apply at many of Florida’s National Parks, particularly those with heavy visitation or beach access. Everglades National Park now costs $30 to enter in a private vehicle. Entrance fee receipts are usable for up to one full week for return visits.
Your Golden Eagle / National Parks pass is good at all locations. Fourth grade students (and their families) as well as active military are eligible for free passes.
Seniors may purchase discount passes good for their lifetimes. Passes are a great bargain if you plan to visit more a few parks in a year. They are honored at National Wildlife Refuges and National Forest Fee Areas as well.
Florida’s Best National Park Trails
These are our picks for trails within Florida’s National Parks that you should not miss.
Anhinga Trail For most visitors, the Anhinga Trail is their first glimpse into Everglades National Park. It's short, and the alligators are right there: hard to miss
Eldora Hammock Trail Near the ghost town of Eldora, the Eldora Hammock Trail loops through the beauty of a lush coastal hammock, highlighting a semi-tropical understory in deep shade.
Florida Trail, Fort Pickens 6.9 miles. At the westernmost tip of Santa Rosa Island, the Florida Trail comes to its Northern Terminus in the shadow of the most important historic sites in Northwest Florida, Fort Pickens.
Fort Matanzas National Monument On the shores of Fort Matanzas, a significant historic site south of St. Augustine, the dunes are now swaddled in coastal hammock. Visit them on an accessible boardwalk.
Gumbo Limbo Trail At Royal Palm Hammock in Everglades National Park, the Gumbo Limbo Trail is a gentle paved path that gets you up close and personal with a tropical hammock and its oolite holes. 
Kirby Storter Boardwalk An accessible walk through the habitats of the Big Cypress Swamp, Kirby Storter Boardwalk gets you up close to the wonders of nature in Big Cypress National Preserve.
Mahogany Hammock Trail Mahogany Hammock is a tree island, a tropical oasis in the Everglades “river of grass,” where the short boardwalk trail immerses you in the jungle-like hammock.
Pa-Hay-Okee Boardwalk For a sweeping panorama of the "River of Grass" from a personal perspective, get out of your car and walk the short Pa-Hay-Okee Boardwalk at Everglades National Park.
Pinelands Trail The Pinelands Trail is a showcase for South Florida’s weird and wonderful karst, a limestone bedrock that’s full of Swiss-cheese like holes, in a tropical forest where colorful tree snails make their home.
Theodore Roosevelt Area Hike 3.1 miles looping around an ancient midden fronting the St. Johns River on this scenic hike honoring the conservation legacy of Willie Brown, who preserved his coastal forest for us to enjoy. 
West Lake Mangrove Trail At West Lake, the Mangrove Trail loops through a shady tunnel, showcasing the protector of Florida’s coastline, the mighty mangrove, along the shores of a brackish lake.Recent National Park Articles
Hiking in Florida (2/15/2020) New to Florida? Florida is different. If you don't know much about our outdoors, start here to learn what's unique about hiking, backpacking, and camping in Florida. 
Celebrate National Public Lands Day (9/13/2019) The last Saturday of September is National Public Lands Day, celebrated across America with fee-free entry to Federal public lands and volunteer activities at the state, local, and national level.
Florida’s Toxic Trees (6/22/2019) Southeast Florida is home to two poisonous trees, the poisonwood and the manchineel. Learn how to recognize them so you don't get too close, and find out how truly dangerous they are. 
Hiking Safely With Your Dog (5/11/2019) While hiking with your dog can be very satisfying, Florida hiking has its own special perils for your best buddy. Here's a heads-up on what to look for and where it's best to take a hike.