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
Things to Do 2–3 Hours from Tampa Bay with Kids
14 kid-friendly adventures about 2 to 3 hours from Tampa Bay, nearest first.
- Under 1 hour (9)
- 1-2 hours (8)
- 2-3 hours (14)
- 3-4 hours (9)
About these times. Each estimate is a straight-line measurement from downtown Tampa, roughly central to the Gulf beaches either side, 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 Tampa 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
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
about 2 hr 15 min drive
De Leon Springs, FL
De Leon Springs State Park
Swim in a walled 72-degree spring pool, then cook your own pancakes on a griddle built into your table at the 1830s sugar mill restaurant.
- Swimming
- Ages 2+
- ~3h
- Paid
about 2 hr 15 min drive
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
about 2 hr 15 min drive
Sanibel, FL
J.N. Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge
A four-mile drive through mangrove estuary where roseate spoonbills, ibis and alligators feed at close range on a falling tide.
- Nature
- Ages 3+
- ~3h
- Paid
about 2 hr 15 min drive
Fort Myers Beach, FL
Lovers Key State Park
Manatees and dolphins in the back bay, a two-mile beach reached on foot, and a five-mile mangrove paddling trail through the tunnels.
- Kayaking
- Ages 3+
- ~4h
- Paid
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 15 min drive
Titusville, FL
Canaveral National Seashore
Twenty-four miles of undeveloped Atlantic beach next to the Kennedy Space Center, with sea turtle nests and no buildings in sight.
- Swimming
- Ages 3+
- ~4h
- Paid
about 2 hr 30 min drive
Merritt Island, FL
Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex
Stand under a real Saturn V, walk through the Atlantis shuttle exhibit, and meet an astronaut - a full day, and worth it.
- Science
- Ages 4+
- ~8h
- Paid
about 2 hr 30 min drive
Melbourne Beach, FL
Sebastian Inlet State Park
Florida's most productive saltwater fishing spot, with a walkable jetty, a calm lagoon beach for kids and surfing on the north side.
- Fishing
- Ages 4+
- ~4h
- Paid
about 2 hr 45 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 45 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
Naples, FL
Delnor-Wiggins Pass State Park
A mile of quiet Naples beach with five separate parking areas so you are never far from the car, and calm shallow Gulf water.
- Swimming
- Ages 2+
- ~4h
- Paid
about 3 hr 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