Visiting all 175 Florida State Parks has been in the back of my mind for a long time. And it wasn’t until recently that I actually started thinking about this being a real possibility.
Even though I’m just a normal guy with a job and a family, it doesn’t mean that this goal can’t be accomplished with some strategic planning and persistence.
So why not? I say let’s do this thing.
Here are the 6 Strategies I’ve laid out for myself in getting the best experience in visiting all 175 Florida state parks:
1. Get A Florida State Park Passport Book
You need a way to keep track of all the places you have been, which at first will be easy, but may be more difficult after 100+ state parks. Luckily, you can get the official Florida State Park Passport Book to do that for you.
At each park you visit, whip out your book and have the ranger place the park’s unique stamp in you book, checking off that particular park. It’s a fun way to keep track of things.
2. Take Your Time At Each Park
It may be tempting to race through all the parks in a whirlwind in order to check them off the list. I’m sure that a determined person could visit all 175 parks within a single year, but none of the parks would actually be enjoyed or explored.
My plan is to do something significant at each park–camping, hike a few trails, paddle a river, swim in the spring, etc. I want to soak in as much of the park as I can, not race through it in a blur.
3. Knock Out The Local State Parks First
I did this naturally and I believe most lovers of Florida State Parks do this too. I started visiting state parks because it was fun, and eventually the thought struck me “Hey, I should visit ALL of the state parks!”
The local state parks are the low-hanging fruit and are the best way to jump start the quest. I have almost been to all the state parks that are within an hour drive of me. The rest of them within an hour drive will be knocked out before the end of the year.
4. Be Spontaneous
Question: So, waddu wanna do this weekend?
Answer: Leave right now for a state park!
SOOOOOO MUCH TIME GETS WASTED NOT DOING ANYTHING. Instead, be spontaneous and knock out another state park on the list. Sometimes I don’t feel like driving but there have been zero times when I have regretted driving a bit to check out another state park.
5. Plan Ahead
My camping trip to Myakka State Park was planned out about 5 months in advance, when we reserved a camping spot. I had that camping trip circled on my calendar for 5 months.
For parks that are a little further in distance, it doesn’t hurt to have a camping trip scheduled for that location months and months in advance. Speaking of camping…
6. Go Camping
The best possible way to experience a state park is by camping there. You will stay there for at least two days, sleep on top of the soil, and have sufficient time to explore the nooks and crannies of the park–not to mention have more time to paddle a river, hike a trail and sit around a campfire.
Is there anybody else out there that is going to visit all 175 parks? I sure hope so! Maybe we need to make Club 175 patches or something. For my latest state park progress, check out my state park quest.
