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Paynes Prairie is an unpredictable Florida treasure, boasting herds of wild horses and bison, nearly 300 species of birds and a unique ecosystem that visitors will enjoy exploring. The park’s eight trails, including the 16-mile paved Gainesville-Hawthorne State Trail, allow one to explore the park’s interior and observe wildlife, while a 50-foot high observation tower provides for panoramic views.

Class II rapids are a rarity in Florida, but you can find them at beautiful Hillsborough River State Park. Just minutes from downtown Tampa, this diverse park offers a refuge from city life with seven miles of nature trails and ample places to cool off in the water.

Huge trees and fern-covered sinkholes line Sinkhole Trail, the boardwalk that leads visitors to Florida's highest waterfall. Falling Waters Sink is a 100-foot-deep, 20-foot-wide cylindrical pit into which flows a small stream that drops 73 feet to the bottom of the sink.

Surrounded by quiet woods and huge trees, anglers can spend a relaxing afternoon fishing on the river. The Santa Fe River goes underground in O'Leno State Park and reemerges over three miles away in River Rise Preserve State Park before resuming its journey to the Suwannee River.

One of Florida's first state parks, O'Leno State Park was developed by the Civilian Conservation Corps in the 1930s. This historic park along a rustic North Florida river offers the perfect escape into the wilderness.

High bluffs overlooking the Apalachicola River make Torreya one of Florida's most scenic places. The park is named for an extremely rare species of Torreya tree that grows only on the bluffs along the Apalachicola River.