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Make family time unforgettable with 71 outdoor adventures across Florida—designed to spark curiosity and inspire wonder.
Getting kids outdoors and active in nature provides a wealth of benefits. It boosts creativity, improves physical health, builds confidence, and fosters a lifelong love of nature—not to mention strengthening family bonds! From lighthouses and gardens to wildlife refuges and coastal trails, Fresh Air Family: Florida is your guide to rewarding family adventures across the Sunshine State. Whether you’re spotting manatees in Crystal River, exploring the caverns of North Florida, or snorkeling among coral reefs in the Keys, every destination has been carefully chosen and personally explored by debut author and Florida-based travel writer Marcea Robinson Cazel.
This parent-friendly travel guide is packed with honest advice, fun facts, and thoughtful tips to help you make the most of every outing. Each listing includes age recommendations, accessibility info, local history, and STEAM-inspired ideas to help kids of all ages connect with the natural world in meaningful ways.
Created in collaboration with Fresh Air Family—an award-winning nonprofit dedicated to outdoor education and family adventure—this inspiring travel guide invites you to slow down, look closer, and experience Florida’s wild beauty together.
Inside you’ll find:
- 71 outdoor destinations, organized by region
- Helpful tips to make each trip a bonding experience
- Age-specific activity ideas and STEAM opportunities
- Nature facts, regional history, and stories that bring each place to life
Debut author Marcea Robinson Cazel is a Florida-based freelance travel writer who has spent many years learning more about the diverse state she calls home. A cultural explorer at heart, she approaches travel with curiosity and a deep respect for history. Her travels often include soft adventures like kayaking, exploring museums, and any chance to spot her favorite locals: manatees. This book reflects her long-held belief that everyone has something new to learn by exploring their own backyards.
Panhandle
- Pensacola Lighthouse & Maritime Museum, Pensacola
- St. Andrews State Park, Panama City
- Navarre Beach Marine Sanctuary, Navarre Beach
- Topail State Park, Santa Rosa Beach
- Florida Caverns State Park, Marianna
- Apalachicola National Estuarine Research Reserve, Eastpoint
- Cape St. George Light Museum, St. George Island
- Gulf Specimen Aquarium, Panacea
- St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge, St. Marks Island
- Edward Ball Wakulla Springs State Park, Wakulla Springs
- Tallahassee Museum, Tallahassee
- Goodwood Museum & Gardens, Tallahassee
- Alfred B. Maclay Gardens State Park, Tallahassee
North Florida
- Right Whale Watching, Amelia Island
- Fort Clinch State Park, Fernandina Beach
- Cummer Museum Gardens, Jacksonville
- Tree Hill Nature Center, Jacksonville
- Marine Discovery Center, New Smyrna Beach
- Marine Science Center, Ponce Inlet
- Ponce de Leon Inlet Lighthouse & Museum, Ponce Inlet
- Ichetucknee Springs State Park, Lake City
- University of Florida Bats, Gainesville
- Florida Museum of Natural History, Gainesville
- Retirement Home for Horses at Mill Creek Farms, Alachua
- Payne's Prairie Preserve State Park, Micanopy
- Cedar Lakes Woods & Gardens, Williston
- Fort Mose State Park, St. Augustine
- St. Augustine Eco Tours, St. Augustine
- Colonial Quarter, St. Augustine
Central Florida
- Kennedy Space Center, Cape Canaveral
- Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge, Merritt Island
- Bok Tower, Lake Wales
- UCF Arboretum, Orlando
- Kissimmee Prairie Preserve State Park, Kissimmee
- Dinosaur World, Plant City
- Weeki Wachee State Park & Mermaid Show, Weeki Wachee
- Crystal River National Wildlife Refuge, Crystal River
- Busch Gardens Tampa Bay, Tampa
- Florida State Fair, Tampa
- TECO Manatee Viewing Center, Apollo Beach
- Brooker Creek Preserve, Tarpon Springs
- Caladesi Island State Park, Dunedin
- Florida Botanical Gardens, Largo
- Tampa Bay Watch Wildlife Boat Tour, St. Petersburg
Southwest Florida
- Florida Railroad Museum, Parrish
- Sarasota Jungle Gardens, Sarasota
- Marie Selby Botanical Gardens, Sarasota and Osprey
- The Mound House, Fort Myers
- Ford and Edison Winter Estates, Fort Myers
- Calusa Nature Center & Planetarium, Fort Myers
- J.N. "Ding" Darling National Wildlife Refuge, Sanibel Island
- Rookery Bay, Naples
- Naples Zoo, Naples
- Treasure Seekers Shelling Tour, Marco Island
- Big Cypress National Preserve, Ochopee
South Florida
- Loggerhead Marinelife Center, Juno Beach
- Morikami Museum and Gardens, Delray Beach
- Gumbo Limbo Nature Center, Boca Raton
- Bonnet House, Fort Lauderdale
- Hugh Taylor Birch State Park, Fort Lauderdale
- Deering Estate, Miami
- Vizcaya Museum and Gardens, Miami
- Miami Beach Botanical Garden, Miami Beach
- Biscayne National Park, Key Biscayne
- Cape Florida Light/Bill Baggs Florida State Park, Key Biscayne
- John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park, Key Largo
- Marathon Turtle Hospital, Marathon
- National Key Deer Refuge, Lower Keys
- Audubon House & Tropical Garden, Key West
- Florida Keys Eco Discovery Center, Key West
- Key West Tropical Forest & Botanical Garden, Key West