State Park Superlatives

There are 150 state parks in the Florida state park system. Besides providing us with places for recreation, all have their own claim to being unique in some way. Read on to find out which Florida state parks have the most interesting claims.

A coral reef, sugar plantation, lighthouse and waterfall are just some of the features that populate Florida state parks and recreation areas. But which park is biggest? Which has the best beach? Which is the busiest? Among parks meriting particular distinction, consider these facts from the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, Division of Recreation and Parks

Most Admired Beach

Andrews State Recreation Area on the Gulf of Mexico with its white sand and emerald water was named "the world's best beach" by Travel Magazine in 1995. Near Panama City Beach, the 1,260-acre park is also good for fishing and spotting wildlife.

One of the World's Purest Sand-Bottomed Rivers

Canoers find nirvana paddling along the Blackwater River in the state park of the same name. The river is shallow and also the focus of Blackwater River State Forest, the largest state forest with 183,000 acres. This pristine spot, near Pensacola but not far from Alabama, is a real gem.

One of the World's Largest and Deepest Freshwater Springs

The three-acre spring at Edward Ball Wakulla Springs State Park can produce more than a billion gallons of 70-degree water per day, at 125 feet deep and flowing with 600,000 gallons per minute! You can take a glass-bottomed boat tour to see the spring's wildlife and the place where both Tarzan and Creature from the Black Lagoon were filmed. It is said that more than 200 species of birds have been seen here, and that Ice Age fossils remain in the caverns of the spring. South of Tallahassee, it's worth a trip.

One of America's Longest Underwater Cave Systems

Speaking of caverns, Peacock Springs State Recreation Area is home to endangered cave crustaceans and is a fascination to certified cave divers. The park's pristine sinkholes and springs also comprise Florida's most extensive underwater cave complex. Between Lake City and Perry, the park is relatively new, having been purchased by the state and The Nature Conservancy in 1987.

Highest Florida Waterfall

Falling Waters State Recreation Area, north of Panama City, has the highest waterfall in the state at 70 feet. (Other sources give 61 and 67 feet, but it still wins.) Falling Waters falls into a 100-foot-deep, 20 -foot-wide sink. The final destination of this water is still unknown. At the park, you can hike, swim, picnic and camp. Oh, and don't forget to see the waterfall.

Largest

Mighty Myakka River State Park spans 45 square miles of backcountry, woodlands and wetlands. And once there, sightseers can cruise freshwater lakes aboard the world's largest airboats, Gator Gal or Myakka Maiden. With all of this "bigness," you'd expect to find this park in Texas, not Florida.

Most Visitors

Hands down, it's John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park. With more than a million visitors per year and one of the most beautiful places to snorkel, it's one of the Florida Keys' most popular destinations. Most of the Keys is too rocky to have much of a beach, but you'll not only find a beach here, you'll find a boat ramp, trails through a mangrove forest and great underwater viewing -- and it's all public access. The park may not seem very big, but that's because most of it is underwater! In fact, it was the first underwater park in the United States when the state acquired it in 1959. Come in late winter or early spring for usually calm waters and a look at its famous underwater statue, Christ of the Deep.

Smallest

Dead Lakes State Recreation Area, in Wewahitchka, is just 65.5 acres. Despite its size, the park is home to deer, foxes, alligators, beavers, raccoons, opossums, turtles, skunks and many other animals. The floodplain area is said to have been created by natural sand bars that formed and blocked the Chipola River. Visitors can walk trails, picnic, canoe or put in their boats, and enjoy fishing and camping.

One of the Oldest

Fort Clinch State Park offers a living history museum complete with costumed re-enactors. On Amelia Island north of Jacksonville, the fort was occupied by Confederate and Union troops during the Civil War. The buildings are still standing, and you can see how the troops lived. If you're lucky, when you visit the park, uniformed re-enactors will demonstrate how the canons were fired and will be on hand to answer your questions and discuss the Civil War. If you're not into history, you can still enjoy the park's nature or bike trails, or the maritime hammock and estuarine tidal marsh plant communities.