Cabins near Fort Lauderdale

Most parks have a lot of land, with maybe a river running through them or lakes in the middle. Biscayne National Park is the exact opposite: It’s mostly water with a few spots of land. Ideal for boating, canoeing, or kayaking, this is where you’ll find North America’s only living coral barrier reef. Dive among the wealth of biodiversity, including moray eels, sea turtles, anemones, dolphins, and more. Make advance reservations at Elliot Key Group Campground if you want campsite grills, showers, and drinking water.

North of Fort Lauderdale, just past the nightlife scene in West Palm Beach, Jonathan Dickinson State Park is the largest state park in southeast Florida. A nature lover’s paradise, its 11,500 acres of preserved coastal land are home to 13 natural habitats. Explore some of them via hiking trails, boat tours, canoeing, or even horse-pulled wagon and watch the landscape transition from mangrove swamps to coastal sand hills, pine scrub forests, and upland lakes. The Elsa Kimbell Environmental Education and Research Center offers family programming, great for learning more about the area’s history. Don’t forget to visit the former home of Trapper Nelson, known as the “Wildman of the Loxahatchee.”