3 ways to experience Florida’s great outdoors

Juniper Prairie Wilderness

Your first stop in this wilderness area, which is part of the larger Ocala National Forest, should be Juniper Springs Recreation Area. Here, hundreds of tiny bubbling springs speckle the ground beneath the oak-and-palm canopy, along with a handful of big ones. You can swim in the latter — they’re always around 72°F.

Paddlers should also check out the seven-mile canoe trip down Juniper Run. And if you don’t feel the urge to conquer the 1,000-mile Florida Trail that runs right through here, an easy walk can be found along the nature trail that parallels the run. Follow it to the end for views of the gorgeous Fern Hammock Springs.

Photo: VISIT FLORIDA

Ziplining over canyons

Ziplining above Ocala means soaring through palm-thatched canopies, across huge lakes, along sandstone ridges, and into stunningly remote areas few visitors get a chance to see. Florida is generally flat, sure, but this one-of-a-kind experience uncovers some of Florida’s only cliffs and canyons.

Canyons Zip Line & Canopy Tours combines ziplines, rope bridges, and vertical rappels (you’ll be led through them all by experienced guides who double as wildlife experts). This certainly isn’t the only ziplining experience in Florida, but it is the longest, highest, and steepest you’ll find.

Photo: Canyons Zip Line & Canopy Tours

Silver Springs State Park

Long before the age of the theme park, Silver Springs and its famous glass-bottom boats offered visitors a different kind of magic. This is one of the largest freshwater springs anywhere in the world, and you can check out the underwater wonders from the comfort (and dryness) of a boat seat. Half-hour tours run frequently — or rent a kayak or canoe and see it all at your own pace.

The park also has 30+ miles of hiking, biking, and equestrian trails for those wanting to explore on terra firma. Find it all conveniently located between the city of Ocala and Ocala National Forest.

Photo: Silver Springs State Park

Ocala National Forest

Key West may be the southernmost point in the continental United States, but did you know Florida is also home to the southernmost forest? The world’s largest contiguous sand-pine scrub forest sits within the boundaries of Ocala National Forest, as do more than 600 lakes, rivers, and springs, including a trio of crystalline springs where you can soak in year-round 72-degree waters (the aforementioned Juniper Springs are just the beginning).

Photo: Shutterstock/Gadzius

Horseback riding around Ocala

Newbies can saunter through oak-lined pastures. Pros can gallop across open fields and hop gurgling creeks. The beauty of horseback riding is in the surroundings, which in Ocala means swaying palms, moss-draped oaks, fox squirrels, and birds of prey. It’s just you and nature, no filter.

If you’ve been sticking to hiking and beaching, horseback riding is the thing that’ll mix up that family vacation — everyone can do it, from the kids to Grandma.

Photo: Peter W. Cross for VISIT FLORIDA

Blowing Rocks Preserve

This unexpected Florida landscape on Jupiter Island makes for a different kind of beach day — one that for those not in the know could be mistaken as more Aloha State than Sunshine State.

Home to Florida’s largest outcropping of Anastasia limestone — an amalgam of shell and coral shards, fossils, and sand — Blowing Rocks features natural chimney and shelf formations, along with blow holes that, under the right conditions, can shoot incoming tidal waters dozens of feet into the air. It’s great for a day of exploring, be it with snorkels, cameras, or just a comfortable beach chair.

Photo: Peter W. Cross for VISIT FLORIDA

Jonathan Dickinson State Park

This wild mosaic of a park starts with coastal sand hills that give way to upland lakes, scrub forests, and the winding Loxahatchee River — one of just two National Wild and Scenic Rivers in the state. Named for a shipwrecked Quaker merchant, the park mixes history (it was also a World War II training site) with natural serenity. Explore the latter via kayak, bike, horseback, or even horse-drawn tram.

(Note: Guided equestrian activities are offered Thanksgiving through Easter.)

Photo: Shutterstock/William Silver

Treasure Coast catamaran tour

The nimble catamarans of Riding The Waves-Treasure Coast take two guests into the dazzling nooks and crannies of these Atlantic Coast waterways on a private tour. You’ll glide through mangrove tunnels and above seagrass beds as a certified naturalist guides your way, pointing out the area’s history and whatever wildlife may cross your path. Keep an eye out for manatees, dolphins, and diving pelicans as you get yet another look at a side of Florida many visitors never see.

Photo: Riding The Waves-Treasure Coast

Stand-up paddle boarding the Treasure Coast

Hop aboard The Ohana Bus and get ready to SUP — stand-up paddle board, if you’re not already savvy to this acronym. With some of the area’s best teachers and a huge selection of boards and equipment for all ages, The Ohana Bus will have even the newest of SUPers feeling like seasoned pros. Once you’ve got the hang of things, join a guided eco-tour into quiet, lesser-known spots accessible only by paddle.

Photo: Peter W. Cross and Patrick Farrell for VISIT FLORIDA

Airboating through the Everglades

These flat-bottom, fan-driven boats glide above the Everglades’ sawgrass wetlands with supermodel-esque grace. Hop aboard and explore the country’s only subtropical preserve with an experienced Everglades Holiday Park captain. They’re as adept at alligator and osprey spotting as they are at whipping airboats around tight corners. Take a night tour to witness the brilliant glow of alligator eyes — vast galaxies of them — as they stare back at you from their watery abodes.

Photo: VISIT FLORIDA

Hugh Taylor Birch State Park

Hugh Taylor Birch is to Fort Lauderdale what Central Park is to New York City. Located between the Atlantic and the Intracoastal Waterway — with access to miles of uninterrupted beachfront — this state park is 180 acres of unspoiled wilderness set amid one of the state’s most densely populated metro areas. That is to say: You can get away from it all without going far.

From hiking, biking, and camping to snorkeling, fishing, and paddling, Hugh Taylor Birch is your Fort Lauderdale one-stop-adventure-shop, with world-class restaurants, bars, and breweries waiting for you right on the other side.

Photo: Shutterstock/Khairil Azhar Junos

Flamingo Gardens

This botanical garden, wildlife sanctuary, and museum features more than 3,000 species of rare tropical and subtropical plants — along with the state’s largest collection of native wildlife, including alligators, panthers, eagles, and its namesake flamingos. Explore hummingbird and butterfly gardens, an aviary for injured birds, and habitats for Florida black bears, otters, and sea birds. The Wray Home Museum — built in 1933 — is one of the oldest residences in this part of Broward County, balancing all this nature with a glimpse into the past.

Photo: Peter W. Cross for VISIT FLORIDA

Learning to surf

Warm and wavy, the Atlantic waters off Fort Lauderdale give surfing newbies a fun (and safe) place to learn. The area’s many surf schools offer expert advice that take the art of surfing and demystify it, helping you hop up and hang ten in no time.

One-on-one instruction is available, as are group and family classes. Seasoned surfers can take advantage of the opportunity to hone their cutbacks and aerials under the watchful eyes of talented trainers.

Photo: VISIT FLORIDA

Paddling around (and through) the city

In the “Venice of America,” the paddling options are endless. Enter Sunrise Paddleboards, who can show you the natural beauty of the area’s spectacular mangrove forests and coral reefs, or the architectural wonders of the city’s yacht-fronted mansions. If that doesn’t do it for you, how about paddle board yoga or Pilates? How about a full-moon tour with glow-in-the-dark paddles? How about tacking on a few more days to your trip to do all of the above?

Photo: Peter W. Cross for VISIT FLORIDA