Caspersen Beach
Governor Crist again dubbed July as Florida Parks & Rec month to keep in synch with National Parks & Recreation Month. Honestly, most other states can only celebrate it in the summer months … we can celebrate year-round!
While mid-summer is not the ideal time to take long hike, these are the days – when storms aren’t bearing down – when we can get out early and enjoy a hike AND a swim afterwards. Lucky us to have so many springs and beaches to pair up with easy nature walks. Here are some of my favorites hike & swim pairings:
Blackwater River State Park, near Pensacola
Wakulla Springs State Park, south of Tallahassee
Big Talbot Island @ Blackrock Beach, north of Jacksonville
Juniper Springs in the Ocala National Forest
Smyrna Dunes Park, New Smyrna Beach
Caladesi Island State Park, Dunedin
Coquina Baywalk, Bradenton
Caspersen Beach Park, Venice
All Florida State Parks will offer free entrance on July 17, so if you’re not a passholder, get out there and explore a new one! Got an iPhone? My Florida State Parks app can help you pick the proper park for your family’s favorite activities. It’s only $1.99 and packed with photos … plus GPS-enabled to help you pick parks by proximity … so grab a copy!
