By James Witt
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Stumped trying to find ways to keep your kids busy this summer? Log off the internet and surround yourself with flowers, plants, and trees in one of Florida’s 39 State Forests. You don’t have to be a nature buff to enjoy the forests with your kids. There are plenty of opportunities here to keep them busy.
The Florida National Scenic Trail spans about 1,500 miles along the southern tip of Florida to the panhandle – from Big Cypress National Preserve to the Gulf Islands National Seashore. No matter what area of the Sunshine State you call home, you’ll find a place to hike, bike, swim, paddle, and enjoy nature. Pack a picnic lunch, snacks, and a lot of water to travel the trails of Florida’s forests.
Biking
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Family bike trips are a nice way to enjoy time together (without spending any money). Many of Florida’s State Forests have bike riding trails for novice and experienced riders. (Tip: Watch for signage that tells you how long the trail is – children may not be up to a 5-mile bike ride). Older kids may enjoy a longer trek on the Cross Seminole Trail, Lake Okeechobee Scenic Trail, or the Nature Coast Trail.
Paddleboarding, Swimming, and Natural Wonders
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Bring a kayak or paddleboard for a cruise on one of the many rivers through Florida’s State Forests. Krul Day Use area in Blackwater River State Forest is a great place to enjoy the water: swim in designated areas only.
Blackwater River, Lake George, and Lake Talquin State Forests are perfect places to enjoy the water among stately cypress trees. Most have boat ramps, docks, and places to fish. Twin Rivers State Forest along the Withlacoochee and Suwannee rivers offers excellent paddleboarding and canoeing.
Camping and Horseback Riding
Summer is a great time for camping, especially under cooling forest canopies. Find the best spots through Florida’s state forests camping reservations. Bring your own tent or rent a cabin. Some campsites have stalls to bed down your own horses.
Birdwatching
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The nesting season in late spring is a great time for birdwatching on Florida’s State Forests. Bring along a pair of binoculars for spotting birds in their natural habitats. Consider purchasing a pair of child-sized binoculars – they’re easier for small hands to grasp.
You might spot a few bald eagles, wood storks, painted buntings, and burrowing owls. Look out for red-cockaded woodpeckers that may be nesting in hundred-year-old trees marked with white bands of paint. Red-cockaded woodpeckers are living all over Florida’s woodlands.
Encourage your children to point out birds for you to photograph. If you don’t have a high-resolution camera, your cellphone will do!
Scavenger Hunt & Hike
How many native flowers, trees, and shrubs can you find? Hold a contest and see who can photograph the most blanket flowers, black-eyed Susans, columbines, and passion flowers. Encourage them to find a flower from every color of the rainbow. Just remember to take only pictures and leave only footprints in our State Forests.
Here’s a cool find: Pitcher plants are carnivorous species in the Blackwater River State Forest. They ingest small insects through their trumpet-shaped greenery. Check out the rubbery red or yellow blooms and unusual leaves. Pitcher plants bloom along roads and in damp pine woods starting in late March.
Autumn may be a more colorful time for leaf-lovers, but spring, summer, and winter are prime for glossy foliage. Help your kids spot and photograph various kinds of greenery for a nature scrapbook. Teach them to identify and avoid poison ivy, poison oak, and poison sumac.
Remember to bring along sunscreen and bug spray. Wear hats to protect against the sun and possible falling debris (like bird poop!). Stay on marked trails and take only photos. Leave the flowers and leaves alone for others to enjoy.
There are 422 times more trees on Earth than people, and the many things to do in state forests will keep your kids busy and engaged in nature. Just remember … good things come in trees.
James Witt is a botanist and writer who is proud to call himself a native Floridian. He’s even prouder of the fact that he only plants botanicals native to Florida. He’s passionate about preserving the ecosystem and keeping invasive species from destroying the Everglades.