State Parks


  Home    Travel

Alabama Alaska Arizona Arkansas California Colorado Connecticut
Delaware Florida Georgia Hawaii Idaho Illinois Indiana
Iowa Kansas Kentucky Louisiana Maine Maryland Massachusetts
Michigan Minnesota Mississippi Missouri Montana Nebraska Nevada
New Hampshire New Jersey New Mexico New York North Carolina North Dakota Ohio
Oklahoma Oregon Pennsylvania Rhode Island South Carolina South Dakota Tennessee
Texas Utah Vermont Virginia Washington West Virginia Wisconsin
Wyoming

Florida State Parks


Dade Battlefield State Park

3/20/2022 As the day waned, and we being 30-40 minutes behind plan, we moved on further west to Bushnell for a stop at the Dade Battlefield NHL and SP. Also called the Dade Massacre site, it preserves the Second Seminole War battlefield where Seminole warriors fought soldiers under the command of Major Francis L. Dade in 1835. The VC was closed here, but we did take a pleasant walk down the woodsy trail where Dade and his men were attacked by Seminoles, and saw the vertical cannon markers to where some men had fallen.

The park entrance ...
State Park Image
... and sign
State Park Image
Ken Photoing ...
State Park Image
... the NHL plaque
State Park Image
Some historic info ...
State Park Image
... including reenactment
State Park Image
A nice trail ...
State Park Image
... to see some monuments
State Park Image
Dade monument
State Park Image
Ken and me
State Park Image


Edward Ball Wakulla Springs State Park

3/21/2022 On the road again on the Big Bend NSB we continued to Wakulla Springs and Wakulla Springs NNL in Edward Ball Wakulla Springs SP. Paleo Indians are known to have camped at this, the state's deepest artesian spring, 12,000 years ago, where they hunted mastodons, bison, and other ancient animals. While still quite attractive, this park and springs is more recreation oriented. Like in Silver Springs there were glass bottom boats. There is also swimming, along with a tower where kids can show off and jump into the springs from different levels. As a bonus however we bagged our second intentional NNL plaque.

Me photoing ...
State Park Image
... the park sign
State Park Image
"The Lodge at Wakulla Springs"
State Park Image
Another Lodge view
State Park Image
Nice sign with the Lodge
State Park Image
Ken photoing ...
State Park Image
... the NNL plaque
State Park Image
Beautiful panorama
State Park Image
Kids having fun
State Park Image
Glass bottom boats
State Park Image
Can you see ...
State Park Image
... the Manatee?
State Park Image
Ken and me at the docks
State Park Image


Florida Caverns State Park

8/20/1997 ... then walked around nature trails at Florida Caverns State Park.

The park sign
State Park Image
Me on the trail
State Park Image


Fort Mose State Historic Park

3/20/2022 Having plenty ahead, we drove back north of town a little to Fort Mose SHP for the Fort Mose Site NHL. Runaway slaves from the Southern colonies escaped to freedom in this first free Black settlement legally sanctioned in what would become the U.S. This site is also in the Gullah-Geechee Cultural Heritage Corridor NHA [FL]. We took a walk along a boardwalk over the swampy area for a view to where the two consecutive fort sites had been. We then checked out a series of interpretive panels about the history of the enslaved Africans and Spanish influence.

The park sign
State Park Image
Me near ...
State Park Image
... the boardwalk
State Park Image
Good interpretive info
State Park Image
View of wildlife ...
State Park Image
An aerial view ...
State Park Image
... of the fort area
State Park Image
FL state info
State Park Image
More interpretive ...
State Park Image
... fort info
State Park Image
Ken photoing ...
State Park Image
... the NHL plaque
State Park Image
Some info on ...
State Park Image
... Gullah-Geechee
State Park Image


Fort San Marcos De Apalache State Park

3/21/2022 From there a very short drive in St. Marks to the Fort San Marcos De Apalache NHL and SP. This is the historic site of a wooden 17th century Spanish colonial fort, from 1753 a stone fort controlled by Great Britain, Spain, and the U.S. We took a walk around this area as well, in a pretty spot at the confluence of the Wakulla and St. Marks Rivers, checking out ruins of various structures.

The park sign
State Park Image
Ken photoing ...
State Park Image
... the NHL plaque
State Park Image
Some fort remains ...
State Park Image
... near the pretty rivers
State Park Image
Ken ...
State Park Image
... and me checking out ...
State Park Image
... more remains ...
State Park Image
... of the fort
State Park Image
More remains ..
State Park Image
.. with a 360 degree shot of me and Ken ...
State Park Image
... and a regular picture
State Park Image


Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings State Historic Park

3/21/2022 then returned on our route to Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings House and Farm Yard NHL and SHP in Cross Creek. This was the 1929-1953 home of the Pulitzer Prize-winning (for The Yearling) Florida author. Although we planned to keep things moving here, we just had to spend some time wandering around - it was really pretty. Lots of orange trees with new fruit and some on the ground already, animals like roosters, some excited inquisitive ducks and a cat, and the nice home and other outbuildings on pretty grounds made it an enjoyable place to stroll around.

The park sign
State Park Image
Interpretive info ...
State Park Image
... about Ms. Rawlings
State Park Image
Me photoing ...
State Park Image
... the oranges
State Park Image
Ken photoing ...
State Park Image
... the NHL plaque
State Park Image
Barn/shop area ...
State Park Image
... and the main house
State Park Image
Sprawling Rawlings house
State Park Image
Nice 360 degree
State Park Image
Ken and me
State Park Image
One of our animal friends
State Park Image


Paynes Prairie Preserve State Park

3/21/2022 From there we went to another enjoyable and more time-consuming stop than expected - Paynes Prairie Preserve NNL and SP, a freshwater marsh in one of the state's largest sinks, the Paynes Prairie Basin. We took an enjoyable stroll through dense woods of both “regular” and palm trees, only to emerge at the edge of a large marshy prairie. We climbed an observation tower and enjoyed the views of the prairie where, although we didn’t see any, there apparently could be bison, wild horses and alligators. We also got photos of our first intentional NNL plaque (we accidentally got one at Bear Butte previously, thinking it was NHL!)

The park sign
State Park Image
Our map to the tower
State Park Image
Nice VC
State Park Image
Me photoing the prairie by the tower
State Park Image
A nice panorama ...
State Park Image
... and close-up of the prairie
State Park Image
Weird and cool 360 degree
State Park Image
Another prairie view
State Park Image
Ken and me on the tower
State Park Image
The back of the VC ...
State Park Image
... with Ken photoing ...
State Park Image
... the NNL plaque
State Park Image


Silver Springs State Park

3/21/2022 We got on the Florida Black Bear NSB and immediately stopped in Silver Springs at Silver Springs NNL and SP. This is the largest artesian spring in the world and the site of the oldest commercial tourist attraction in Florida. It was still early with not many people, and we enjoyed the views of the spring with a low mist hanging over it in the sunshine. There were a few kayakers heading out and more preparing to set out. Unfortunately, some construction prevented us from finding our new goal of the NNL plaque - oh well. From there we continued past our desired turn to do another 5 miles or so of the NSB ...

The park sign outside ...
State Park Image
... and inside
State Park Image
One more with Ken and me
State Park Image
Some nice views ...
State Park Image
... with early fog
State Park Image
Glass bottom boat area
State Park Image
Almost looks eerie ...
State Park Image
Me photoing ...
State Park Image
... the route and sign
State Park Image
A sign close-up
State Park Image
A couple of views ...
State Park Image
... along the Byway
State Park Image


Wekiwa Springs State Park

4/8/2009 Wekiva Wild & Scenic River