The first National Preserve in the National Park System, Big Cypress has a mixture of pines, hardwoods, prairies, mangrove forests, cypress strands and domes.
It?s a moody place, Biscayne National Park. Some days, Biscayne Bay's shallow waters are glassy smooth, a window on another world. Other times, the wind whistles and whips, creating white waves that bite like teeth at an angry sky.
Canaveral National Seashore is on a barrier island which includes ocean, beach, dune, hammock, lagoon, salt marsh, and pine flatland habitats. The barrier island and adjacent waterways offer a blend of plant and animal life.
Almost 70 miles (112.9 km) west of Key West lies a cluster of seven islands, composed of coral reefs and sand, called the Dry Tortugas. Along with the surrounding shoals and waters, they make up Dry Tortugas National Park.
Spanning the southern tip of the Florida peninsula and most of Florida Bay, Everglades National Park is the only subtropical preserve in North America.
More than 80 percent of Gulf Islands National Seashore is under water, but the barrier islands are the most outstanding features to those who visit.
In a rural setting, the lake features rugged ravines, cypress ponds, limesinks and hardwood and pine forests. Nationally known for its largemouth bass and wide variety of plant and animal life, this lake also offers very good birdwatching.
Located at the center of South Florida's heartland, Lake Okeechobee is Florida's largest lake and the second largest freshwater lake in the United States.
Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary supports one of the most diverse assemblages of underwater plants and animals in North America.
Florida has three National Forests comprising over 1.25 million acres. The Apalachicola and Osceola National Forests are in the northern half of the State, while the Ocala National Forest is located in central Florida.