Florida Has 175 State Parks—These Are the Most Beautiful Ones You Can’t Miss

Florida isn’t just about theme parks and city beaches. With 175 state parks scattered across the peninsula, you’ll find some of the most jaw-dropping natural beauty in America.

From crystal-clear springs to sugar-white sand and rare coastal ecosystems, these parks showcase the wild side of the Sunshine State that most visitors never see.

1. Bahia Honda State Park (Florida Keys)

Picture yourself standing on one of the most photographed beaches in the entire state, with water so blue it almost doesn’t look real. That’s exactly what awaits at Bahia Honda, where the old railroad bridge creates a dramatic backdrop against endless turquoise shallows.

Sugar-white sand feels like powder between your toes here. The beach curves gently along the Atlantic, offering protected swimming spots and some of the clearest water in the Keys.

Sunset transforms this place into pure magic. Grab your snorkel gear and explore the offshore reefs, or simply plant yourself on the shoreline as the sky erupts in orange and pink.

2. Caladesi Island State Park (Dunedin/Clearwater area)

Accessible only by boat, Caladesi Island delivers that castaway fantasy you’ve been dreaming about. Powdery Gulf beaches stretch for miles, untouched and blissfully crowd-free even during peak season.

The shallow waters here glow with that signature Gulf Coast emerald-green color. Shells scatter across the tideline, and seabirds patrol the dunes like they own the place—which, honestly, they kind of do.

Kayaking through the mangrove tunnels feels like entering a secret world. The twisted roots create natural arches overhead, and you’ll spot crabs, fish, and maybe even a dolphin cruising the backcountry channels.

3. Grayton Beach State Park (30A / Panhandle)

Grayton Beach sits along the famous 30A corridor, but it feels worlds away from the vacation crowds. Towering dunes roll like waves themselves, creating a landscape that’s both dramatic and peaceful.

What makes this park truly special are the coastal dune lakes—rare freshwater lakes separated from the Gulf by just a narrow strip of sand. Only a handful of places on Earth have these natural wonders, and Grayton showcases them beautifully.

4. Honeymoon Island State Park (Dunedin)

Named after a 1940s promotion that brought honeymooning couples to the island, this park still radiates romance and Old Florida charm. Wide, soft beaches invite long barefoot walks, and the pace here feels delightfully unhurried.

Unlike some of Florida’s more developed beaches, Honeymoon Island maintains its natural character. Sea oats sway in the breeze, and the coastline curves gently without high-rises blocking the horizon.

The Osprey Trail winds through coastal habitat where you’ll spot shorebirds, gopher tortoises, and maybe even an eagle.

5. John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park (Key Largo)

America’s first underwater state park isn’t just a beach—it’s an entire living aquarium waiting beneath the surface. Vibrant coral reefs teem with tropical fish in every color imaginable, creating scenes that look straight out of a nature documentary.

You don’t even need to be an experienced diver to experience the magic. Glass-bottom boat tours let you peer into this underwater world without getting wet, while snorkeling trips bring you face-to-face with parrotfish, angelfish, and sea turtles.

6. Ichetucknee Springs State Park (North Central Florida)

Imagine floating down a river so clear you can count every pebble on the bottom, even in six feet of water. Ichetucknee Springs delivers exactly that experience, with spring water maintaining a perfect 72 degrees year-round.

Tubing here has become legendary among Floridians. The full run takes about three hours of pure, lazy bliss as the gentle current carries you through tunnels of overhanging trees and past sandy banks.

7. Wekiwa Springs State Park (near Orlando)

Just minutes from Orlando’s theme park madness, Wekiwa Springs offers a completely different kind of Florida experience. Emerald water bubbles up from underground aquifers, creating a swimming hole framed by palms and cypress that feels wonderfully remote.

The spring pumps out 42 million gallons of water daily, feeding Rock Springs Run—one of the state’s most beautiful paddling routes. Kayakers and canoeists glide through corridors of Spanish moss and past sunbathing turtles.

Deer browse the forest edges, otters play in the shallows, and alligators sunbathe on distant banks, reminding you this is their home too.

8. Blue Spring State Park (Orange City)

Set within jungle-like greenery, the spring creates a scene that feels more like a tropical paradise than Central Florida.

Every winter, West Indian manatees migrate here seeking the spring’s constant 72-degree warmth. Between November and March, dozens of these gentle giants gather, offering visitors an incredible wildlife spectacle.

Boardwalks let you observe manatees from above without disturbing them. Swimming is allowed during summer months when the manatees have returned to warmer coastal waters, giving you a chance to experience that impossibly blue water firsthand.

9. Weeki Wachee Springs State Park (Spring Hill)

Famous for its vintage mermaid shows, Weeki Wachee is also home to a first-magnitude spring that produces some of Florida’s most stunning natural scenery. The spring’s clarity is absolutely unreal—you can see fifty feet down into the limestone cavern where water gushes forth.

The Weeki Wachee River might be the prettiest paddle in the entire state. Narrow channels wind through untouched wilderness, with water so clear it creates a floating-on-glass sensation.

10. Myakka River State Park (Sarasota area)

One of Florida’s largest and oldest state parks, Myakka sprawls across 58 square miles of pure wilderness. Massive prairies stretch to the horizon, wetlands shimmer in the sun, and ancient oak hammocks create islands of shade in the open landscape.

The scenery here feels epic in scale. Unlike Florida’s coastal parks, Myakka showcases the state’s interior beauty—wide skies, endless wetlands, and wildlife everywhere you look.

Don’t miss the canopy walkway, which lifts you into the treetops for panoramic views across the park. Alligators sun on riverbanks below, wading birds stalk the shallows, and the wild Florida of centuries past feels very much alive.

11. Jonathan Dickinson State Park (Hobe Sound/Jupiter)

Diversity defines Jonathan Dickinson, where sand pine scrub meets river swamp and coastal habitat. The park protects 11,500 acres of ecosystems you won’t find anywhere else in South Florida, creating a naturalist’s paradise.

Huge skies dominate the landscape here. Without tall trees blocking the view, clouds seem to stretch forever, and sunsets paint the entire horizon in brilliant colors.

12. Anastasia State Park (St. Augustine)

History and nature blend beautifully at Anastasia, where four miles of Atlantic beach wrap around America’s oldest city. Shifting dunes create an ever-changing landscape, while tidal salt marshes provide critical habitat for countless birds and fish.

The beach here feels wild and natural compared to more developed stretches of the Florida coast. Wind-sculpted dunes rise and fall, sea oats dance in the breeze, and the waves roll in with that distinctive Atlantic rhythm.

13. Torreya State Park (Bristol / Panhandle)

Nothing about Torreya feels like typical Florida. Steep bluffs tower 150 feet above the Apalachicola River, creating dramatic elevation changes you’d expect in Appalachia, not the Sunshine State.

The terrain here is genuinely shocking if you’re used to Florida’s flatness. Hiking trails climb and descend through ravines, past hardwood forests, and along ridgelines with sweeping river views.

Fall brings something incredibly rare for Florida—actual autumn color. Leaves turn gold, orange, and red, creating a seasonal display that draws visitors from across the state. It’s a completely different side of Florida most people never know exists.

14. Florida Caverns State Park (Marianna)

Most people don’t associate Florida with caves, which makes Florida Caverns such a delightful surprise. This is one of the only places in the state with accessible limestone caverns, complete with stalactites, stalagmites, and otherworldly rock formations.

Cool air greets you at the cave entrance—a welcome relief from Florida heat. Inside, the temperature stays around 65 degrees year-round, while colorful mineral deposits create natural artwork on every surface.

Guided tours lead you through this underground wonderland. Your guide explains how water carved these chambers over millions of years, creating a hidden landscape that feels completely unexpected beneath the pine forests above.

15. St. Andrews State Park (Panama City)

Even among Florida’s many gorgeous beaches, St. Andrews stands out. The water here glows with an almost neon-blue intensity that seems too bright to be real, while sugar sand stretches in every direction.

Shell Island sits just across a narrow channel, accessible by boat or strong swimmer. The combination of pristine beach, incredible water color, and easy access makes St. Andrews a Panhandle treasure worth planning your trip around.