This is the time of year when Florida state parks are a good option for short family getaways.
By FRED MAYS
Published August 31, 2003
[Photos: Fred Mays]
Manatees float through the clear water by a viewing platform at Homosassa Springs Wildlife State Park.
ABOVE: Visitors to Silver River State Park in Marion County set up their trailer at one of the 59 campsites.
[Map: Times art]
Fall is a perfect season for ecology-based minivacations in Florida. The heat begins to wane, parks and campgrounds are less crowded, and weekend trips can be close-to-home family outings.
But if you are the spontaneous kind, you could be disappointed. Campgrounds at many of the most popular state parks are already booked full for many key weekends and holidays.
Bahia Honda State Park in the Keys, with six cabins, and Blue Spring State Park near DeLand, with its winter population of manatees, are booked into the spring.
Because the state's parks accept reservations up to 11 months in advance, you need to plan ahead.
Blue Spring park manager Danny Paul says that his cabins typically are reserved at least six months in advance, and "even the campgrounds book up six to eight months in advance for holiday weekends."
Reservations can be made at state parks on the Internet (www.reserveamerica.com) or by a toll-free telephone number, 1-800-326-3521. Other parks in Florida may have different systems. Fort DeSoto Park, a Pinellas County park, takes camping reservations only in person and for no more than a month in advance. Assuming you plan head, here are suggestions for Florida adventures.
Homosassa Springs Wildlife State Park, Citrus County
Is it a zoo? Is it a park? Whatever you want to call it, Homosassa Springs showcases native Florida wildlife. The animals are easily visible from the boardwalks that meander through the park, making this a great place for kids in strollers and people who use wheelchairs.
Homosassa Springs also is the only park where you can find manatees year-round. The permanent residents are joined during colder months by manatees that migrate to the warmer spring water. An underwater observatory lets visitors get a close-up look.
Homosassa Springs became a state park in 1989. Since then, the animal inhabitants have been restricted to native species. They include Key Deer, two 1-year-old black bear cubs and pink flamingos.
The exception to the native-species rule is a whooping crane that was recently added. These cranes were introduced into Florida about 10 years ago as part of a federal-state experiment to save the species.
When the land was in private ownership in the 1970s and '80s, it was home to some retired exotic species, but the only animal remaining from that time is Lu, a 43-year-old African hippo. It was granted honorary Florida citizenship and permanent park residency by then-Gov. Lawton Chiles.
Silver River State Park, Marion County
If you want a natural vacation experience but the thought of packing the family into a tent causes consternation, here's the answer: cabins.
Many state parks rent cabins, but none are more modern than those at Silver River. The park opened in 2001, and many of the cabins were not finished until this year. There are 10 cabins, and some weekends are still available in November, January and February. Each cabin has a large screened porch, two bedrooms, a fireplace and air-conditioning.
No trip to this park is complete without canoeing or kayaking on the river, one of Florida's most picturesque. The park does not have a boat-launch area or rentals, but private outfitters are nearby.
If you are lucky, you can spot monkeys along the river bank. Their ancestors starred in Tarzan films that were made at Silver Springs decades ago and were released into the wild when the filming was done.
Silver River is a small park in a growing urban area, but it has plenty of wildlife. We saw whitetail deer, a bald eagle, a red-shouldered hawk and wading birds in abundance. Along the river we spotted a family of monkeys, otters and alligators.
Blue Spring State Park, Volusia County
Blue Spring State Park is the home of the herd. More than 100 manatees pack the spring run from about Thanksgiving until April. It is the largest concentration of manatees in Florida.
The herd number has grown nearly every year for the past decade, and the park is packed with families watching the gentle mammals move through the clear water.
Cabin reservations are booked for the fall and winter, but campsites are available.
The park sits along the St. Johns River, making the fishing good. The spring water drops to a depth of about 90 feet, making it a prime scuba spot. The nearby St. Francis Trail in the Ocala National Forest is good for hiking and mountain biking. The uncrowded back roads of western Volusia County offer great road biking.
Bahia Honda State Park, Monroe County
When Henry Flagler's overseas railroad construction crews got to Bahia Honda Key in the early years of the 20th century, they stopped work. Officially they were trying to figure out how to span the deepest channel in the Keys. But they probably also wanted to spend time hanging out on the Keys' best beach.
Bahia Honda State Park is an island in the middle Keys, just south of the famed Seven Mile Bridge. The beaches are neither very wide nor long, and the sand was replenished a few years ago after erosion because of hurricanes.
The slope of the beach is indiscernible for perhaps 100 yards into the Atlantic; meanwhile, the water is barely knee-high on an adult. And there is no pounding surf or tugging currents because of the protection of an off-shore reef. Snorkeling is great, and youngsters can watch fish and other small sea critters scurry for cover.
Florida Caverns State Park, Jackson County
This park is an opportunity to impress the kids. Just remember that stalactites grow from the ceiling down, stalagmites from the floor up.
Florida Caverns is the only place in the state where you can walk through an underground limestone cavern that is millions of years old. The limestone formations grow at the rate of about 1 cubic inch a year.
A ranger-led tour is a gentle walk of about a quarter-mile underground, to a depth of 60 feet. The tour lasts 30 to 40 minutes. No strollers are allowed in the cave. Kids have an advantage: They don't bump their heads nearly as much as adults do.
- Fred Mays is a freelance writer who specializes in Florida environmental and adventure travel topics. His Web site is www.floridaunplugged.com
If you go
Cabin rates are for four people per night. Additional occupants, up to six, are $5 each per night. Campsite rates are for four people per night and at the high end include an electricity fee. Additional fees are levied per night for more than four people at a campsite, more than one car per cabin or campsite, and pets in campsites. No pets are permitted in cabins, and some parks do not permit pets in campgrounds. Some discounts for length of stay, groups, senior citizens and the disabled are available. For more information, go to www.floridastateparks.org/alphabetical.htm or call the individual parks phone numbers for those in this story are given below. For camping reservations, go to www.reserveamerica.com or call toll-free 1-800-326-3521. Bahia Honda State Park is the toughest ticket in the system. Cabins and campsites are nearly fully booked until next summer. You might have a chance at a midweek campsite or grabbing a weekend cancellation.
The park is off U.S. 1, about 12 miles south of Marathon.
Campsites: 80. No pets allowed. Rates: $19-$21 per night. Cabins: Six. Rates: Seasonal, $85-$110.
Contact the park office at (305) 872-2353. Blue Spring State Park is at Orange City, about 40 miles northeast of Orlando. Take Exit 114 off Interstate 4 and follow the signs. Campsites: 51. Rates: $15-$17. Cabins: Six. Rate: $50.
Contact the park office at (386) 775-3663.
Homosassa Springs Wildlife State Park is 75 miles north of Tampa on U.S. 19. Its operating hours differ from those of other state parks: 9 a.m.-5:30 p.m. The last tickets are sold at 4 p.m. Admission: $7.95 ages 13 and older, $4.95 ages 3-12, free younger than 3.
There is no camping. Information about campsites and other lodgings in Citrus County is available at www.hsswp.com/info/campinfo.html or from the Citrus County Chamber of Commerce at 352 726-2801. Contact the park office at (352) 628-5343. Silver River State Park is east of Ocala, 1 mile south of State Road 40 on State Road 35.
Contact the park office at (352) 236-7148. Florida Caverns State Park is three miles north of Marianna, off U.S. 90 on State Road 166. From Interstate 10, take Marianna Exit 136 or 142, go north and follow signs to the park.
In addition to the regular park admission fee, there is a fee for the cave tour: $5 ages 13 and older, $2.50 ages 3-12, free younger than 3. The park does not have cabins. Seasonal camping fees range from $10-$14. Contact the visitors center at (850) 482-9599.
ABOVE: Visitors to Silver River State Park in Marion County set up their trailer at one of the 59 campsites.
