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LOOKING FOR THE ULTIMATE FLORIDA BUCKET LIST?
My Florida bucket list started out manageable, it’s gotten very quickly out of hand now that I live here. Like, so out of hand.
And I can’t wait to do all the things! While this is outdoor-focused, there are so many other cool things to do in Florida, too.
I’m constantly finding new places to go in Florida, and new hikes to do and I’ll keep updating this as I find and do those things.
I’ve got this broken up as my original Florida bucket list and my updated 2023 additions. I’m not including every single thing I have on my Florida bucket list map but I will include a lot.
Like I said, this is oriented more toward fans of nature and the outdoors. I did try not too keep it too Gainesville area oriented though since I know most people aren’t visiting that area.
But, as i do things around here and get posts about them up, I’ll most likely add them because it really is a beautiful area!
Anyway, I hope this gives you some ideas of fun outdoorsy things too add to your own Florida bucket list!
Travel Services I Recommend:
AllTrails – This is my favorite hike tracking app.
America the Beautiful – The national park pass is essential.
Booking.com – This is great for finding and booking hotels.
Get Your Guide – I recommend Get Your Guide for booking tours.
National Park Obsessed – This is the best national park planner.
Skyscanner – Skyscanner is great for finding and booking flights.
Enterprise – This is my rental car recommendation.
See all my resources here.

Florida bucket list (original)
This section is my original Florida bucket list. I’ve made pretty good progress on this part! But some of it is still patiently waiting to be done.
And some of it is fairly expensive which is why it will probably take a little longer to do. But that’s ok, I have time!
- See manatees
- Kayak on the Ichetucknee
- Visit Everglades National Park
- Visit Biscayne National Park
- Visit Dry Tortugas National Park
- Camp in the Florida Keys
- Take the seaplane to Dry Tortugas
- Go to Disneyworld
- Do a ghost tour in St. Augustine
- See a rocket launch
- Go to the Kennedy Space Center

- Swim in a spring
- Snorkel
- Do a bioluminescent kayak tour in Titusville
- Visit Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge and do the drive
- Go to Wynwood in Miami
- Visit St. Petersburg
- Go to the Salvador Dali Museum
- See turtle nesting
- Go shelling on Sanibel
- Go shelling on Marco Island

- Go shelling on Cape San Blas
- Swim/snorkel with manatees at Crystal River
- Blue Spring State Park (see manatees and post linked there)
- Wekiwa State Park
- Seacrest Wolf Preserve
- Go to Catty Shack rescue in Jacksonville
- Key West Aquarium
- Caladesi Island State Park
- Explore St. Augustine
- Bahia Honda State Park

- Big Lagoon State Park
- Visit Keewaydin Island
- Hike Gator Hook Trail
Big Shoals State Park- Henderson Beach State Park
- Go birding on the Marsh Trail
- Grayton Beach State Park
- Big Cypress National Preserve
- Lovers Key State Park
- John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park

- Little Manatee State Park
Devils Millhopper Geological State Park- Weeki Wachee State Park
- Fackahatchee Strand State Park and Preserve
- Little Talbot State Park
Fort Desoto Park- Sebastian Inlet State Park
- Hike Fire Prairie Trail
- Coral Castle
- Devils Den spring

- Bike Shark Valley in the Everglades
- St. Marks Wildlife Refuge
- Shelling tour in Ten Thousand Islands
- Visit Anastasia State Park
- Visit Castillo de San Marcos
- Cape Romano dome houses (RIP, can’t do this anymore)
- The Rocks-Washington Oaks State Park
- Stiltsville
- Visit Everglades City
- Climb the St. George Island Lighthouse

- Abandoned Annie Lyttle elementary school
Gilchrest Blue Springs State ParkCamp Kolaqua boardwalk- The Holy Land Experience (RIP, can’t do this anymore)
Shelling on Clearwater BeachDrive the A1A (or at least part of it)- Blackwater River State Park
- Myakka State Park
- Delnor-Wiggins Pass State Park
Sand Key park shelling in Clearwater- Climb the St. Augustine Lighthouse
- Corkscrew Swamp
- Visit Matlacha

Florida Bucket List (2023 updates)
Oh man, my Florida bucket list has probably tripled in the last year, in the last three months alone. I have done a lot of what I’m adding but I haven’t done more of it.
MicanopyMarjorie Kinnan Rawlings State ParkGoldhead Branch State ParkFalling Creek Falls- Stienhatchee Falls
Cedar Key- Ponce De Leon Springs State Park
- Honeymoon Island State Park
- Fakahatchee Hilton
- Rock Springs Kelly Park
- Anna Maria Island
Fernandina BeachFort Clinch State Park- Seabranch Preserve State Park
- Pensacola Lighthouse
Apalachicola- Savannas Preserve State Park
- Anclote Key Preserve State Park
- Camp on Cayo Costa State Park
- Jupiter Inlet Lighthouse

- Cockroach Bay Preserve State Park
- Egmont Key Lighthouse
- Juniper Springs
- Alexander Springs
River Rise State Park- Curry Hammock State Park
- See a ghost orchid
- Ride in a swamp buggy
- Hunter Springs Park
- Rainbow Springs State Park

- Salt Springs
- Silver Springs State Park
Silver Glen SpringsSee the Pippi Longstocking houseRum Island Springs- Kanapaha Botanical Garden
- Naples Botanical Garden
- Stump Pass Beach State Park
- Gasparilla Island Lighthouse
- Don Pedro Island State Park

- Twin Oaks Conservation Area
Morningside Nature Center- Celebration
- Mt. Dora
- Super Nintendo World
- Kissimmee Prairie Preserve State Park
- Longleaf Pine Preserve
- Neptune Beach
- Palma Sola Botanical Park
- American Beach Museum

Castaway Island Preserve- Fort Mose Historic State Park
- Fort Matanzas National Monument
- Crooked River Preserve
- Peace River
- Look for shark teeth in Venice
- Clam Pass Park
- Whimzeyland
- Shell Key Preserve
- Little River Springs

Florida Natural History Museum- Ecofina River State Park
- Troy Springs State Park
- Reddie Point Preserve
- Orlando wetlands Park
- Lake Louisa State Park
- Blowing Rocks Preserve
- Disney Wilderness Preserve
- Apalachicola Bluffs and Ravines preserve
- Red Bug Slough Preserve
- Tarpon Springs
- Cassadaga
Final thoughts on my Florida bucket list
While I didn’t include a loot of the specific trails that I haven’t done yet, this is a pretty solid portion of my own personal Florida bucket list.
Have you done any of these things? Do you want to? Is there anything else I should think about adding to the list? What’s on your Florida bucket list?



Shy Wolf Sanctuary is fun. By reservation only though
That’s good to know! Thank you!
Oh man! lol I can’t believe Annie Lyttle is on your list! That place is a right of passage for those of us from JAX. Curious to how you learned about it.
I love abandoned/haunted things and probably found it on a list of things like that around Florida!