Gulf coast

St. Andrews State Park (Panama City Beach)
https://www.floridastateparks.org/parks-and-trails/st-andrews-state-park
What you’ll find:
Coastal dunes, emerald-green water, tidal pools, seabirds (pelicans, terns), shore fish, sea oats, dune wildflowers, seasonal monarch migration.

 

Topsail Hill Preserve State Park (Santa Rosa Beach)
https://www.floridastateparks.org/parks-and-trails/topsail-hill-preserve-state-park
What you’ll find:
Rare coastal dune lakes, tall white dunes, longleaf pine flatwoods, pitcher plants, scrub habitat, deer, gopher tortoises, migratory songbirds.

 

Honeymoon Island State Park (Dunedin)
https://www.floridastateparks.org/parks-and-trails/honeymoon-island-state-park
What you’ll find:
Pine flatwoods, mangrove edges, shell beaches, osprey nests, bald eagles, dolphins offshore, native grasses and wildflowers.

 

Fort De Soto Park (Pinellas County)
https://pinellas.gov/park/fort-de-soto-park/
What you’ll find:
Mangroves, seagrass flats, tidal lagoons, shorebirds (roseate spoonbills, herons), nesting seabirds, rays, crabs, coastal hammock plants.

 

Myakka River State Park (Sarasota County)
https://www.floridastateparks.org/parks-and-trails/myakka-river-state-park
What you’ll find:
Freshwater marshes, river floodplains, prairies, alligators, wading birds, oak hammocks, seasonal wildflowers, open sky landscapes.

 

Oscar Scherer State Park (Osprey)
https://www.floridastateparks.org/parks-and-trails/oscar-scherer-state-park
What you’ll find:
Florida scrub habitat, scrub jays (resident population), sandy trails, native wildflowers, flatwoods, seasonal wetlands.

 

Gasparilla Island State Park (Boca Grande)
https://www.floridastateparks.org/parks-and-trails/gasparilla-island-state-park
What you’ll find:
Barrier island dunes, sea grapes, palms, historic lighthouse grounds, shorebirds, seasonal tarpon migration offshore.

 

Cayo Costa State Park (near Cape Coral)
https://www.floridastateparks.org/parks-and-trails/cayo-costa-state-park
What you’ll find:
Undeveloped barrier island, shell beaches, coastal hammocks, sea turtles (nesting season), shorebirds, driftwood ecosystems.

 

Estero Bay Preserve State Park (Estero)
https://www.floridastateparks.org/parks-and-trails/estero-bay-preserve-state-park
What you’ll find:
Mangrove forests, estuarine waters, mudflats, juvenile fish nurseries, wading birds, kayaking trails through tidal ecosystems.

 

Big Cypress Bend Boardwalk (Fakahatchee Strand Preserve)
https://www.colliercountyfl.gov/your-government/divisions-f-r/parks-and-recreation/parks/big-cypress-bend-boardwalk
What you’ll find:
Cypress swamp, orchids and bromeliads, alligators, ghost orchids (rare), epiphytes, shaded wetlands, quiet old-growth forest feel.