Crystal River, FL
Three Sisters Springs
The only place in the US where you can legally snorkel alongside wild manatees, plus a boardwalk view for families staying dry.
- Snorkeling
- Ages 6+
- ~3h
- Paid
Winter Adventures with Kids in Florida
We pulled these 21 winter adventures out of our full catalog of kid-friendly spots in Florida. Every listing has the ages it suits, what it costs, how long to budget, parking notes, and what to pack.
21 adventures found
Homestead, FL
Royal Palm and the Anhinga Trail
A half-mile boardwalk over a gator hole where alligators, anhingas, herons and turtles sit within a few feet of the rail.
- Hiking
- Ages 2+
- ~2h
- Paid
Sarasota, FL
Myakka River State Park
A canopy walkway suspended in the treetops, an airboat across an alligator lake, and one of Florida's oldest and largest state parks.
- Nature
- Ages 3+
- ~5h
- Paid
Williston, FL
Devil's Den Spring
Snorkel inside a collapsed underground cavern lit by a single opening in the roof - a prehistoric spring reached by a staircase.
- Snorkeling
- Ages 6+
- ~2h
- Paid
Altoona, FL
Alexander Springs Recreation Area
A first-magnitude spring in Ocala National Forest with a rare gently sloping sand bottom - the easiest spring entry in Florida for small kids.
- Swimming
- Ages 2+
- ~4h
- Paid
Boynton Beach, FL
Arthur R. Marshall Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge
The last intact northern Everglades, with two short boardwalks over cypress swamp and sawgrass marsh and alligators on the levee at dawn.
- Nature
- Ages 3+
- ~3h
- Paid
Bristol, FL
Torreya State Park
Hundred-and-fifty-foot bluffs over the Apalachicola River, on trails with real elevation change - Florida hiking that does not feel like Florida.
- Hiking
- Ages 7+
- ~4h
- Paid
Chiefland, FL
Manatee Springs State Park
A first-magnitude spring running into the Suwannee River, with winter manatees, a boardwalk through cypress swamp and easy swimming.
- Swimming
- Ages 3+
- ~3h
- Paid
Dunedin, FL
Honeymoon Island State Park
Drive-on barrier island with calm Gulf swimming, excellent shelling, an osprey trail and one of Florida's best dog beaches.
- Swimming
- Ages 1+
- ~4h
- Paid
Dunnellon, FL
Rainbow Springs State Park
Swim in a wide, shallow first-magnitude spring with a sandy entry, waterfalls and a paddling run - one of Florida's easiest springs with toddlers.
- Swimming
- Ages 2+
- ~4h
- Paid
Hobe Sound, FL
Jonathan Dickinson State Park
Paddle Florida's first Wild and Scenic River through cypress, and climb the sand pine ridge for a view over the whole coast.
- Kayaking
- Ages 5+
- ~5h
- Paid
Homosassa, FL
Homosassa Springs Wildlife State Park
An underwater observatory puts you at eye level with wild manatees and thousands of fish inside a first-magnitude spring.
- Nature
- Ages 2+
- ~4h
- Paid
Islamorada, FL
Anne's Beach
A free roadside beach with warm, ankle-deep water for hundreds of feet and a boardwalk through mangroves - made for toddlers.
- Swimming
- Ages 1+
- ~2h
- Free
Islamorada, FL
Windley Key Fossil Reef Geological State Park
Walk through a quarry cut into 125,000-year-old coral reef, with fossil coral heads standing out of the sawn rock walls.
- Nature
- Ages 5+
- ~2h
- Paid
Jupiter, FL
Blowing Rocks Preserve
At high tide on a windy day, waves force seawater fifty feet into the air through blowholes in the largest limestone outcrop on Florida's coast.
- Nature
- Ages 4+
- ~2h
- Paid
Marathon, FL
Sombrero Beach
A free, shaded, sandy municipal beach in the middle Keys with calm shallow water, a playground and real palm-tree shade.
- Swimming
- Ages 1+
- ~3h
- Free
Miami, FL
Shark Valley, Everglades National Park
A fifteen-mile paved loop through sawgrass prairie where alligators lie on the path, ridden by bike or tram, ending at an observation tower.
- Biking
- Ages 4+
- ~4h
- Paid
Orange City, FL
Blue Spring State Park
Hundreds of manatees winter in this spring run from November to March, watched from a boardwalk. Swimming opens once they leave.
- Nature
- Ages 2+
- ~3h
- Paid
Sanibel, FL
Bowman's Beach
One of the best shelling beaches in America, on an island that faces the wrong way on purpose. Come at low tide after a storm with a mesh bag.
- Swimming
- Ages 2+
- ~4h
- Paid
St. George Island, FL
St. George Island State Park
Nine miles of undeveloped barrier island beach with almost nobody on it, plus calm bay-side water and excellent shelling.
- Swimming
- Ages 2+
- ~5h
- Paid
Thonotosassa, FL
Hillsborough River State Park
Class II rapids - genuinely rare in Florida - viewed from a suspension footbridge, plus canoe rentals in a CCC-built park near Tampa.
- Kayaking
- Ages 5+
- ~4h
- Paid