Last Updated: May 2026
Leaving Fort Myers after the Edison & Ford Winter Estates, we headed north and inland, trading the Gulf Coast resort strip for something quieter and considerably older. Florida has two state parks that belong on any serious nature traveler’s itinerary — Highlands Hammock near Sebring and Suwannee River on the Georgia border — and we managed to catch both on the same northward push. Neither disappointed.
Highlands Hammock State Park
Highlands Hammock State Park, located near Sebring in central Florida, is among the state’s oldest and most biodiverse parks — one of eight original Florida state parks established in 1935. The park owes its infrastructure to the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC), the New Deal program that put unemployed young men to work during the Great Depression building trails, bridges, and facilities across the country’s public lands. The on-site museum tells that story well, with photographs and artifacts that convey what daily life looked like for the men who built these paths through the jungle.
The centerpiece of the park is its old-growth hammock — one of the most intact examples in Florida. Ancient oaks, some more than a thousand years old, form a closed canopy over a forest floor dense with ferns and air plants (bromeliads), cabbage palms, magnolias, and wild orange trees. Walking beneath these trees is a genuinely humbling experience. They were already centuries old when the first European set foot in Florida.
An elevated boardwalk traverses a cypress swamp at the heart of the park — one of the best stretches of trail walking we found in Florida. The park’s 9,000-plus acres encompass large pine tracts alongside the hammock, and several of the ecological communities here are designated imperiled or of special concern: Florida scrub, scrubby flatwoods, and the rare cutthroat seep. Alligators and birds are commonly seen; black bear and Florida panther are present in the park, though we didn’t spot either on our visit. The night sky above the campground, far from city light pollution, was exceptional.
Suwannee River State Park
“Way down upon the Suwannee River” — Stephen Foster’s 1851 song made this waterway the most famous river in American popular culture, though Foster reportedly never visited it. The actual Suwannee River State Park is set at the confluence where the Withlacoochee River joins the Suwannee, creating a dramatic meeting of dark tannin-stained waters. We spent two nights here and barely scratched the surface.
The park offers five trails ranging from a quarter mile to 18 miles, looping through surrounding woodlands with panoramic views of both rivers. We hiked the Suwannee River Trail, the Balance Rock Trail, and the Lime Sink Run Trail — all excellent, all uncrowded. Jake explored every inch of riverbank he could reach and slept hard afterwards.
The historical layers here are as interesting as the natural ones. Along the riverbanks, long earthwork mounds survive from the Civil War — fortifications built to defend against Union Navy gunboats attempting to control this strategic inland waterway. The park also contains one of Florida’s oldest cemeteries, and a paddle-wheel shaft from a 19th-century steamboat lies preserved along the bank, a reminder that this river was once a working commercial highway through the wilderness.
Visitor Information
Highlands Hammock State Park is located at 5931 Hammock Road, Sebring, FL 33872. Open daily 8 a.m. to sunset. Camping is available on-site; reservations recommended. The CCC Museum is open during park hours at no additional charge.
Suwannee River State Park is located at 20185 County Road 132, Live Oak, FL 32060. Open daily 8 a.m. to sunset. Full-facility camping with hookups is available; reservations through the Florida State Parks reservation system are strongly recommended.
Practical Tips
- At Highlands Hammock, the boardwalk is the must-do trail. The elevated cypress swamp boardwalk is short — about a mile — but unforgettable. Start there, then extend your hike into the longer forest loops if time allows.
- Bring insect repellent to both parks. Central and northern Florida in winter is manageable, but any warmth brings out mosquitoes near standing water. DEET-based repellent is the most effective here.
- The CCC Museum at Highlands Hammock is easy to skip but worth half an hour. The photographs of young men building infrastructure through this jungle with hand tools put the modern park in perspective.
- At Suwannee River, hike multiple trails. The Balance Rock and Lime Sink Run trails are easy to miss if you stick only to the main river trail, but both offer distinct terrain and excellent views. The full loop is well-marked.
- Dogs are welcome on leash at both parks, on most trails. Jake was an enthusiastic participant and held up well on the longer Suwannee routes.
- Combining both parks in one trip is very manageable — they are about 175 miles apart on US-27/US-129, a pleasant inland drive through the heart of Florida that feels nothing like the coast.
