Florida, best known as the Sunshine State, is located along America’s East Coast. It is arguably the most touristy state in the southeastern U.S. It is home to the city of Miami, which makes it the home to Miami’s famous art scenes and Latin-American cultural influences. The state is bordered by the Atlantic to the East and the Gulf of Mexico to the West, and that gives it hundreds of miles of beaches.
Cities along the beaches are known for their amazing nightlife and entertainment culture. Orlando, a city in central Florida, is famed for dozens of theme parks, notably Walt Disney World and the Magic Kingdom.
All the facts mentioned above make Florida popular among tourists from across the world. But Florida is more than that. There are many facts about the state that many outsiders don’t know. This article focuses on 8 surprising facts for traveling to Florida this fall.
1. Outdoor facts
· If you’re able to mount your truck bed bike rack for this season – there are over 9,200 miles of hiking and off-road biking trails in Florida.
· Paddling trails in Florida are in excess of 4000 miles.
· There are 175 state parks and a dozen national parks in Florida, one national scenic trail, and 37 state forests and 3 national forests.
· The largest subtropical wilderness in the United States, the Florida Everglades Park, is located at the southernmost tip of Florida. The park stretches for 1.5 million acres, consisting of mangrove forests, marshes, wetlands, and hardwood hammocks.
· Florida is home to Kissimmee Prairie Preserve State Park. This is the only state park in the US that has been certified by the IDSA (International Dark-Sky Association).
· Florida is your status to go if you are a golfer. The state has over 1,200 golf courses, which makes perfect sense that the state hosts the World Golf Hall of Fame and Museum.
2. The highest point in Florida
The whole state is basically on the beach. It is interesting that the highest point in Florida, Britton Hill is in the Florida Panhandle, is only 345 feet above sea level.
3. The furthest you can be from a beach is 60 miles
There is a gorgeous beach 60 miles or less from your location, no matter where you are in Florida. Basically what that means is that you are free to find the best place to stay for your getaway in Florida, for your budget, and still be less than 2 hours from the beach. All family vacation rentals in Florida, for example, are just a stone-throw away from the beach. They are affordable, comfortable, located in tranquil neighborhoods, and they offer unbeatable privacy for family getaways.
4. The bioluminescent kayaking night tours
Bioluminescent kayaking tours will take you to the Indian River Lagoon at night where you will see the river’s famous bright blue-green glow. You can book a regular kayak or a family rafts any time of the year.
5. Florida is home to America’s oldest city
St. Augustine is a small city in Northern Florida. It was founded by Spanish explorers over 450 years ago, making it the oldest city in the US. The city is unique for its European-established settlement.
6. Shark tooth hunting is a thing in Florida
Tourists and locals go for fossilized shark tooth hunting along the rock formations along Venice Beach. All kinds of sharks have lived in Florida’s beaches over the years, so you can find all kinds of shark teeth even from species that have been extinct for over ten million years.
7. You can swim with manatees
You can book manatee snorkel tours into the spring fed Crystal River or Blue Springs State Park at any time of the year. The weather in this region is most favorable for swimming with manatees from January through March, but you can bet on finding manatees in Florida any time of year.
8. An underwater laboratory
About 5 miles from Key Largo, the Aquarius Reef Base sits 62 feet below sea level. This is the only lab in the world that sits atop the ocean floor. The underwater laboratory is covered in algae, but it has been crucial to the study of its surrounding marine ecosystem.
Florida’s weather is warm throughout the year, and that makes it your perfect travel destination any time of year. The chilly weather of winter doesn’t last 3 weeks, so any time is summer in Florida. You already are familiar with the many attractions that the Sunshine State has to offer, so the 8 facts above should only be 8 more reasons to visit Florida. Make it happen this year!
