Biscayne National Park, Florida

95 percent of Biscayne National Park is water. So yeah, you need a boat. Currently, the park doesn’t offer boat tours or kayak rentals (they are “working to resolve the issue”). So find, borrow, or rent a boat, and prepare to be blown away by Biscayne. Four distinct ecosystems make up one of the world’s most unique and fragile environments, including a mangrove shoreline and part of the third-largest living coral reef. There are hundreds of species of vibrantly-hued fish and exotic plant life in Biscayne. You may even spot an endangered animal living among the reefs. The American crocodile, Florida manatee, wood stork, white-crowned pigeon, and five different types of sea turtles are a few under federal protection at the park. Biscayne was nearly lost to urban development in the 1960s. Today, the Miami skyline shimmers faintly on the horizon, a reminder of how close the island came to succombing to subdivisions. Yet throughout 10,000 years of human history and under threat by category 5 hurricanes, Biscayne National Park has remained a sacred and otherworldly place. Now, go find that boat.