By Cheri Sicard
The video below from Sunshine State Insider proves there is far more to Florida than Disney World! It shares ten unusual places you probably did not even realize existed. Check it out when planning your next Florida trip.
10 unusual places in Florida to visit
Below are what our hosts call Florida’s best-kept secrets.
#1. Florida Caverns State Park: Located in the northern panhandle, this state park offers a spectacular caving experience.
#2 Dry Tortugas National Park: In the Florida Keys: The mammoth and historic Fort Jefferson, part of the park, is the largest brick structure in North America!
#3 Egmont Key State Park: Near the mouth of Tampa Bay, you’ll find another, not quite as large, historic fort here, along with lots of wildlife, as it is a wildlife preserve.
#4 Paynes Prairie Reserve State Park: This park is home to wild horses and even a wild bison herd. Yes, in Florida!
#5 Devil’s Millhopper Geological State Park: This geological state park is home to one of the widest and deepest sinkholes in the state. You can walk to the bottom, where a miniature rainforest micro-climate thrives.
#6 Kelly Park – Rock Springs: Near Orlando, why do a theme park version when you can enjoy an all-natural lazy river tube ride here?
#7 Big Talbot Island State Park: Near Jacksonville, this is one of the few uncrowded Florida beaches to be found. It also offers some of the most unique beach scenery anywhere, especially “Boneyard Beach,” sporting tons of driftwood washed up on the sand.
#8 USS Oriskany: If you are a SCUBA diver, you must check out the world’s largest artificial reef. It is a sunken 44,000-ton, 888-foot aircraft carrier just off the coast of Pensacola.
#9 Hillsborough River State Park: Near Tampa, this is one of only two places in the Sunshine State with river rapids. It offers excellent hiking, bass fishing, and kayaking, but it also has lots of gators.
#10 Jose Marti Park: A postage-stamp-size park in Tampa, this is a memorial to Cuban hero Jose Marti. But what makes the park so interesting is that the land is actually owned by the Cuban government and is considered part of Cuba. It is the only piece of land inside of the U.S. that is considered a foreign territory. Anyone can visit, though—no passport or visa is required.
Have you visited any of these places? Leave your thoughts in the comments below.
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