Parks I’ve already gone to:
(1)Devil’s Milhopper-been there several times, descend into an ancient sink hole.
(2)Cedar Key State Monument- they’ve set up a restored old-time home there and also have a tiny museum containing historical items.
(3)Fanning Springs Recreation Area- Not bad, but we’ve been to better (however there is now a rails to trails from Trenton to this park that I am going to ride someday)
(4)Homosassa Springs- Home of a number of Manatees and awesome underwater viewing. Our Girl Scout Troop went there some years ago to see Star our adopted manatee (who sadly died the next year).
(5)Oleno State Park- You can swim here but there are a number of scary signs about alligators telling you to swim at own risk, pair this with the fact that the Santa Fe River is an opaque deep brown from tannin and you don’t actually see many people in the water. The draw to this park is the suspension bridge and trails to river rise and river sink…..the river ACTUALLY disappears under ground! Great for the trails and a nice youth camping area.
(6)Stephen Foster Folk Cultural Center- Go on the weekend!! We made the mistake of showing up on a weekday…the museum was open and we could get a mediocre view of the Suwannee River. The folk craft booths were closed. So we headed for Big Shoals.
(7)Big Shoals State Park has a nice paved path taking you approximately 3.5 miles through hammock to the bank of the Suwannee and a view of the only river rapids in Florida (we must have been there at the wrong time of year because what we saw did not look like rapids. The path is flat and extremely easy to bike. I recommend.
(8) Ravine State Gardens- Palatka, go in the Spring to hike the grounds when the gardens are in full bloom. The hike into the ravine itself is of medium difficulty, might be difficult for those out of shape folks or persons with impaired abilities.
(9)Sebastian Inlet- In St. Augustine. We biked the pathways and walked along the beach here. We will go back for kayaking the inlet in the future! Also notable, their concession stand sells the most AWESOME fish tacos.
(10) Dudley Farm- A complete 1800’s farm restored including the house, detached kitchen, barns and chicken coops. Once a year they have a “cane-grinding”. Park staff dress in period clothing while performing the day to day tasks that were necessary to operate a small farm in the 1800s.
