St. Augustine, FL
Anastasia State Park
Four miles of Atlantic beach plus a warm, shallow tidal lagoon that is close to perfect for beginner paddlers, ten minutes from St. Augustine.
- Swimming
- Ages 3+
- ~5h
- Paid
Things to Do 2–3 Hours from Orlando with Kids
13 kid-friendly adventures about 2 to 3 hours from Orlando, nearest first.
- Under 1 hour (7)
- 1-2 hours (12)
- 2-3 hours (13)
- 3-4 hours (8)
About these times. Each estimate is a straight-line measurement from downtown Orlando — the springs belt is within about 90 minutes, padded by 17% for winding roads and divided by a 55 mph average — so “about 2 to 3 hours” means roughly that, not a routed time. Traffic, where in Orlando you start, and the last few miles of park road can all move it by half an hour. Check a map before you load the car.
about 2 hr drive
about 2 hr drive
Clearwater, FL
Clearwater Marine Aquarium
A working rescue hospital rather than a display aquarium - the dolphins, turtles and otters here are patients, and you watch them recover.
- Aquarium
- Ages 2+
- ~4h
- Paid
about 2 hr 15 min drive
Tierra Verde, FL
Fort De Soto Park
Five interconnected islands with a shallow lagoon beach built for toddlers, a Spanish-American War fort, and a paddling trail.
- Swimming
- Ages 1+
- ~5h
- Paid
about 2 hr 15 min drive
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
about 2 hr 15 min drive
Sarasota, FL
Siesta Key Beach
Quartz sand that stays cool underfoot even in August, and Gulf water so shallow and calm it works as a giant paddling pool for small children.
- Swimming
- Ages 1+
- ~4h
- Free
about 2 hr 15 min drive
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
about 2 hr 30 min drive
Stuart, FL
Bathtub Reef Beach
A worm-rock reef sits just offshore and turns the water inside into a warm, calm, waist-deep pool full of fish at low tide.
- Snorkeling
- Ages 3+
- ~3h
- Free
about 2 hr 30 min drive
High Springs, FL
Gilchrist Blue Springs State Park
Florida's newest state park: a clear blue spring with a shallow sandy run down to the Santa Fe River, good for a first snorkel.
- Swimming
- Ages 3+
- ~3h
- Paid
about 2 hr 30 min drive
High Springs, FL
Ginnie Springs
Seven springs on a private stretch of the Santa Fe River, with water clear enough that snorkellers appear to float on air above the sand.
- Snorkeling
- Ages 5+
- ~5h
- Paid
about 2 hr 45 min drive
Jacksonville, FL
Big Talbot Island State Park
Boneyard Beach is littered with the bleached skeletons of whole oak and cedar trees, toppled off an eroding bluff onto the sand.
- Hiking
- Ages 4+
- ~3h
- Paid
about 2 hr 45 min drive
Fort White, FL
Ichetucknee Springs State Park
Float a crystal-clear 72-degree spring run through shaded forest on inner tubes - the classic Florida tubing trip for families.
- Tubing
- Ages 4+
- ~4h
- Paid
about 2 hr 45 min drive
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
about 3 hr drive
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