National parks and state parks in Florida are an ideal way to savor the natural beauty of the Sunshine State. Some are free or relatively inexpensive.
In Florida, some national parks require an entry fee, and some national parks are always free.
These are the fee-free days at U.S. National Parks for 2020:
- January 20: Martin Luther King, Jr.
- April 18: First day of National Park Week
- August 25: National Park Service Birthday
- September 26: National Public Lands Day
- November 11: Veterans Day
Florida’s national parks that are always free
- Biscayne National Park, Miami
- De Soto National Memorial, Bradenton
- Fort Caroline National Memorial and the Timucuan Preserve, Jacksonville
- Fort Matanzas National Monument, St. Augustine
- Gullah/Geechee Cultural Heritage Corridor, stretching from North Carolina to Jacksonville
- Big Cypress National Preserve, Ochopee
- Timucuan Ecological & Historic Preserve, Jacksonville
National Parks with fees, except on fee-free days
- Canaveral National Seashore (one of the most beautiful beaches in Florida)
- Castillo de San Marcos National Monument, in St. Augustine
- Dry Tortugas National Park, 70 miles west of Key West
- Gulf Islands National Seashore, at the Mississippi-Florida border
- Everglades National Park, south of Miami
Everglades National Park in Florida is America’s third largest National Park at 1.5 million acres. The park provides important habitat for numerous rare and endangered species like the manatee, American crocodile, and the elusive Florida panther. Popular activities include photographing birds, hiking and observing wildlife, and ranger-guided tours.
Especially for Kids. At participating National Parks, kids can participate in the Junior Ranger program. Participating parks provide a FREE booklet that describes all sorts of age-appropriate activities in the park. When they’ve completed the tasks, they are awarded an official Junior Ranger badge.
Entrance fees to extremely popular parks are in the $20 to $25 range for private cars. Many of the smaller parks, historical sites and recreational areas have lower fees, and 265 sites are always free. Another way to save if you’re planning a trip that includes multiple national parks, is to consider the $80 annual pass that provides entrance to all national parks, national wildlife refuges, national forests, and many other Federal lands – more than 2,000 in all.
Find a Park by going to the National Park Service website and using the search tool or interactive map. You can search for parks in your state or parks that feature activities you like, such as camping, fishing or hiking, as well as educational programs and historic sites.
Information about Florida State Parks is on the website.
