HOMESTEAD, Fla. – Gray skies, early dusks, and biting cold—not to mention
snow, sleet, and slush—can give the blues to residents of temperate zones
and regions farther north. Although winter doesn’t officially start until
the solstice on December 21, the strategies with which our furred and
feathered friends cope with the season already hold appeal.
Hibernation—taking a day off from work for “a long winter’s nap”—sounds
tempting, but you’ll probably have more fun if you opt for migration south,
even in the abbreviated form of a getaway trip.


At Biscayne National Park in southeast Florida, you can exchange winter
blues for the sun-flooded blue of a subtropical sky and the glittering blue
of Biscayne Bay. This color-saturated park—nature’s version of Marc
Chagall’s America Windows—provides a home for animals like manatees,
crocodiles, and dolphins. You might spot a peregrine falcon while
bird-watching, and a guided trip to one of the park’s keys—former coral
reefs, which, since sea levels sank in the last ice age, have become
forested islands—will introduce you to mahogany, gumbo limbo, and other
tropical plants.


Rangers lead daily walks and talks with subjects such as wildlife (think
sharks and manatees) and the items that wash ashore in the park. Like
ranger programs, Biscayne’s annual Family Fun Fest, which starts this
weekend, combines learning and fun. The event, now in its 10th year, runs
on the second Sunday of every month from December through April.


You can get a panoramic view of Biscayne from the top of the lighthouse on
Boca Chita Key, and you can surround yourself with the park by camping on
one of its islands. You can even immerse yourself in this special place by
snorkeling in the waters of Biscayne Bay or on offshore reefs.


For a moment, think of yourself as a casting director, assigning roles for
a pageant in which the national parks appear as cities of the world.
Yellowstone might be London, with Old Faithful as iconic as Big Ben.
Biscayne would surely be Venice. This marine park, like that city’s
network of canals, lends itself to boat travel. Boat trips generally run
daily. Concessioner-operated boats take visitors to campsites, and campers
who own their own vessels are welcome to use them. Another watercraft, the
canoe, can carry crocodile-watchers along the park’s shoreline of
mangroves.


If you’d rather be under the water than on its surface, however, Biscayne’s
coral reefs await you. There you’ll discover not only the corals
themselves but also sponges, fish, and other inhabitants of a world as
intricate and colorful as Venetian glass.

NPS

P.O. Box 1052 Islamorada, FL 33036
305-664-2540

Driving Directions

Windley Key Fossil Reef Geological State Park is located on Windley Key at Mile Marker 85.5 near Islamorada.

4810 S.E. Cove Road Stuart, FL 34997
772-219-1880

Driving Directions

St. Lucie Inlet Preserve State Park is located in Port Salerno, on the Intracoastal Waterway, 2/3 of a mile south of the inlet.

4810 SE Cove Road Stuart, FL 34997
772?219?1880

Driving Directions

Seabranch Preserve State Park is located in Eastern Martin County about 10 miles south of Stuart. Access to the park is from S.R. A1A near the VFW parking lot.

9551 Gumbo Limbo Lane Jensen Beach, FL 34957
772-398-2779

Driving Directions

The Environmental Education Center is located approximately 2 miles east of US 1 on Walton Road in Port St. Lucie.

P.O. Box 1052 Islamorada, FL 33036
305-664-2540

Driving Directions

San Pedro Underwater Archaeological Preserve State Park is located in 18 feet of water, approximately 1.25 nautical miles south from Indian Key at GPS coordinates: 24 degrees 51.802?N 80 degrees 40.795?W

3400 N.E. 163rd Street North Miami, FL 33160
305-919-1846

Driving Directions

Oleta River State Park is located at 3400 N.E. 163rd St, off I?95 in Miami.

P.O. Box 776 Long Key, FL 33001
305-664-4815

Driving Directions

Long Key State Park is located at Mile Marker 67.5, 67400 Overseas Highway in the Florida Keys.

P.O. Box 1052 Islamorada, FL 33036
305-664-2540

Driving Directions

Lignumvitae Key Botanical State Park is located one mile west of U.S.1 at Mile Marker 78.5. Access is by private boat or charter boats at nearby marinas.

P.O. Box 487 Key Largo, FL 33037
305-451-1202

Driving Directions

John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park is located on US highway 1 at mile marker 102.5, north of Key Largo in the Florida Keys.

3109 East Sunrise Boulevard Fort Lauderdale, FL 33304
954-564-4521

Driving Directions

Hugh Taylor Birch State Park is located on East Sunrise Blvd. in Fort Lauderdale, off A1A.

905 Shorewinds Drive Fort Pierce, FL 34949
772-468-3985

Driving Directions

Fort Pierce Inlet State Park is located four miles east of Fort Pierce, via North Causeway.

P.O. Box 487 Key Largo, FL 33037
305-451-1202

Driving Directions

The main entrance, and marked nature trail at Dagny Johnson Key Largo Hammock Botanical State Park, is located on Monroe County Road 905, approximately one-half mile north of CR 905's intersection with US Highway 1 at Mile Marker 106.

56200 Overseas Highway Marathon, FL 33050
305-289-2690

Driving Directions

The park is located along both sides of U.S. 1 starting at Little Crawl Key, Mile Marker 56.2, 11 miles west of Long Key. The entrance to the facilities is on the ocean side of U.S. 1.

1200 S. Crandon Blvd. Key Biscayne, FL 33149
305-361-5811

Driving Directions

Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park is located on Key Biscayne. From Miami, take I-95 to the Rickenbacker Causeway, all the way to the end.

36850 Overseas Hwy. Big Pine Key, FL 33043
305-872-2353

Driving Directions

Bahia Honda is located 12 mile south of Marathon on US1.

Ft. Pierce Inlet State Park Ft. Pierce, FL 34949
772-468-3985

Driving Directions

The park is located four miles north of Fort Pierce Inlet State Park, via Highway A1A and the North Causeway.

c/o Jonathan Dickinson State Park
16450 SE Federal Highway Hobe Sound, FL 33455
(561) 744-9814

1818 Ninth Ave. Tampa, FL 33605
813-247-6323

Driving Directions

From I-4 - Take exit 1 and turn South onto 21st Street (it's one-way) turn right onto Palm Avenue, then take the second left onto 19th Street and the very next right which is 9th Avenue. The museum is the second building on the right, a large building with a yellow brick front. From I-275 - Take it North or South to I-4 and follow the above directions.

P.O. Box 490 Port Richey, FL 34673
727 - 816-1890

Driving Directions

The park is located in the Port Richey area of Pasco County. At this time only a start-up kit consisting of a small self-composting restroom, small picnic shelter, information kiosk, and one half mile of nature trail is available to the public from the landward side. It can be reached by turning west off of U.S. Hwy. 19 at Cinema Drive. Cinema Drive dead ends at entrance of start-up kit. The main use area of the park is scheduled to begin construction sometime after the first of the new year. That entrance will be just north of Ridge Road in Port Richey.

4905 34th Street South, #5000 St. Petersburg, FL 33711
727-865-0668

Driving Directions

The Skyway Fishing Piers are located on the north and south sides of the Skyway Bridge on I-275 (US 19)

1843 S. Tamiami Trail Osprey, FL 34229
941-483-5956

Driving Directions

Oscar Scherer State Park is located on U.S.41, six miles south of Sarasota. Heading south on I-75 take exit 200. Heading north on I-75 take exit 195.

13207 S.R. 72 Sarasota, FL 34241
941-361-6511

Driving Directions

Myakka River State Park is located 9 miles east of I-75 in Sarasota on S.R. 72.

P.O. Box 7 Estero, FL 33928
239-992-0311

Driving Directions

Mound Key is managed by Koreshan State Historic Site. Koreshan State Historic Site is located off exit 123 on I75. Go west on Corkscrew Rd. cross US-41. Koreshans entrance is 1000 feet west of US-41 on the right. Mound Key is accessible by boat only. It can be reached by the Estero River and accessed at the Koreshan State Historic Sites boat ramp. It is approximately 3.5 miles from the boat ramp to the island.

3708 Patten Ave. Ellenton, FL 34222
941-723-4536

Driving Directions

Madira Bickel Mound is located off of US Hwy 19 in Palmetto. The entrance road is approximately one mile south of I-275. The site is located on Bayshore Dr. and approx. 1.5 miles after turning off US 19. Please follow posted signs.

8700 Estero Blvd. Ft. Myers Beach, FL 33931
239-463-4588

Driving Directions

Lovers Key is located at 8700 Estero Blvd., Fort Myers Beach. The park boundaries are Big Carlos Pass and New Pass. We are 10.5 miles west of I75 on exit 116.

8700 Estero Blvd. Ft. Myers Beach, FL 33931
239-463-4588

Driving Directions

Lovers Key is located at 8700 Estero Blvd., Fort Myers Beach. The park boundaries are Big Carlos Pass and New Pass. We are 10.5 miles west of I75 on exit 116.

215 Lightfoot Road Wimauma, FL 33598
813-671-5005

Driving Directions

Little Manatee River State Park is located four miles south of Sun City Center, off U.S. 301 on Lightfoot Road. From Tampa: I?75 South to Exit 240A, East to U.S. 301, Then South 4 miles, Turn Right onto Lightfoot Road, Park is on the Right From Sarasota/Bradenton: I-75 North to Exit 229, East to U.S. 301, Then North 6 miles, Turn Left onto Lightfoot Road, Park is on the Right From Pinellas County: I-275 South, cross the Skyway Bridge to I-75 North, Exit 229, East to U.S. 301, Then North 6 miles, Turn Left onto Lightfoot Road, Park is on the Right

20007 Hwy 64 East Bradenton, FL 34202
941-741-3028

Driving Directions

Take exit 220 off of I-75. Lake Manatee State Park is located 9 miles east of I-75 on State Road 64 in Bradenton, Florida.

5931 Hammock Road Sebring, FL 33872
863-386-6099

Driving Directions

Take US Highway 27 to the town of Lake Placid, turn west on County Road 621, travel approximately five miles on County Road 621 (Lake June Road) to Daffodil Road (621 merges into Poplar, then into Miller as you travel towards Daffodil). Turn south onto Daffodil road (Spur Mini Mart at this intersection), travel approximately two miles to the end of Daffodil Road, the park entrance is on your left.