Road Trip Guide

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Florida#

Phase: 5 — East Coast: South to North Best Time to Visit: November through April Avoid: June–September (hurricane season, brutal heat and humidity, afternoon thunderstorms daily, mosquitoes overwhelming in Everglades)

Florida is one of the most ecologically and culturally diverse states in the country, offering everything from subtropical wilderness and crystal-clear springs to space exploration history and centuries-old colonial architecture. For a couple in a minivan, the state rewards slow travel: the Everglades alone can absorb multiple days, the Florida Keys are a bucket-list drive, and the Gulf Coast beaches rank among the finest in the world. Winter and early spring are peak season — comfortable temperatures, low humidity, and active wildlife make this the ideal window.

Enter from Georgia on I-95 or US-1 along the Atlantic Coast. Stop in St. Augustine first, then head south through Canaveral National Seashore and Kennedy Space Center. Continue south on US-1 or A1A toward Miami, then swing west into the Everglades (Ernest Coe entrance → Flamingo). Loop back north via US-41 (Tamiami Trail) through Naples and Fort Myers, then north along the Gulf Coast through Sarasota (Siesta Key), Clearwater, and Ocala National Forest. Exit the state heading north toward Georgia via I-75 or US-19.

Camping (Free/Van-Friendly)#

Free National Forest/State Forest/BLM Dispersed#

Ocala National Forest is the crown jewel for free camping in Florida. The forest covers nearly 400,000 acres of sand pine scrub and offers extensive dispersed camping throughout — no permit required, 14-day limit. Pull off forest roads in designated areas, particularly around Lake Dorr, Halfmoon Lake, and the areas east of SR-19. Cell signal is spotty, which is a feature, not a bug. The forest also contains several first-magnitude springs that are among the clearest water you'll find anywhere.

Apalachicola National Forest (northwest Florida, best combined with a separate Gulf Coast leg) similarly offers dispersed camping on forest roads with no fee.

  • Flamingo Campground, Everglades NP — At the southern tip of the mainland, on Florida Bay. Sites are exposed (little shade), but the birding and wildlife access at dawn and dusk is extraordinary. Free with America the Beautiful Pass. Reserve well in advance November–March.
  • Long Pine Key Campground, Everglades NP — More shaded than Flamingo, closer to the main visitor center, also free with pass. Good base for Anhinga Trail.
  • Canaveral National Seashore — Primitive beach camping available (Klondike Beach area, backcountry permit). Free with pass. Sea turtle nesting June–August means some areas close overnight.
  • Bahia Honda State Park, Florida Keys — One of the finest campgrounds in the state. Sites within walking distance of the best beach in the Keys. Book months ahead; ~$35–40/night. Not covered by ATB Pass (Florida state parks have their own fee system).
  • Juniper Springs Recreation Area, Ocala NF — Developed campground run by the Forest Service; ~$25/night. Adjacent to the famous swim area and canoe run.

Van-Friendly Overnight#

  • Walmart and Cracker Barrel parking lots throughout the state are generally tolerant of overnight stays — confirm locally.
  • Skyway Fishing Pier State Park (St. Petersburg) has 24-hour access and is van-friendly overnight.
  • Several Flying J/Pilot truck stops along I-75 corridor permit overnight parking.

Shower Stops#

  • Planet Fitness locations in Florida are among the most dense in the country — Orlando, Tampa, Jacksonville, Miami, Fort Lauderdale, and nearly every mid-size city have multiple locations. Black Card covers all of them.
  • Juniper Springs and Alexander Springs (Ocala NF) have basic shower facilities at the developed recreation areas (~$7 day use).
  • Bahia Honda State Park has showers available to campers.

Historical Sites#

  • St. Augustine — Founded in 1565, this is the oldest continuously occupied European settlement in the United States — 55 years older than Plymouth Rock. Walk the historic district, visit the Castillo de San Marcos National Monument (free with America the Beautiful Pass), a 17th-century Spanish stone fort that has never fallen in battle. The old city gates, the Flagler College campus (originally a Gilded Age hotel), and the narrow colonial-era streets reward several hours of exploration on foot.
  • Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex — Technically a private attraction (~$60–70/person), but worth every cent. The Saturn V Center houses an actual Saturn V rocket — the most powerful machine ever built by humans — lying horizontal in a climate-controlled building. Catch a live launch if timing allows; the schedule is posted online and launches from nearby Cape Canaveral are sometimes visible from the parking lot for free.
  • Dry Tortugas National Park — Accessible only by ferry (~$200/person round trip from Key West, Yankee Freedom III) or seaplane. Fort Jefferson, a massive 19th-century coastal fortification on a remote coral island, is one of the most surreal historic sites in the country. The ferry ride itself passes through open Gulf waters; snorkeling around the fort is spectacular. Free with America the Beautiful Pass (ferry fee is separate transportation cost).

Museums#

  • Kennedy Space Center — See above. The Atlantis Space Shuttle pavilion is deeply moving.
  • Hemingway Home and Museum, Key West — (~$16/person) The house where Ernest Hemingway lived and wrote during the 1930s, including A Farewell to Arms and For Whom the Bell Tolls. Dozens of six-toed cats (polydactyl descendants of Hemingway's own cats) roam freely.
  • Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary (Naples area, Audubon Society) — ~$17/person. A 2.5-mile boardwalk through the largest remaining old-growth bald cypress forest in North America. Some trees are 600+ years old. Wood storks, barred owls, and alligators are common. Not technically a museum but a nature sanctuary with interpretive depth.

Sightseeing & Scenic Overlooks#

  • Overseas Highway (US-1), Florida Keys — The 113-mile drive from Florida City to Key West across 42 bridges is one of the great American drives. The Seven Mile Bridge is the centerpiece — you drive with open ocean on both sides. Stop at Bahia Honda State Park for the finest beach in the Keys and a view of the old railroad bridge.
  • Anhinga Trail, Everglades NP — A short (0.8 mile) boardwalk that is perhaps the single best wildlife-viewing trail in the eastern United States. In winter, anhingas, herons, roseate spoonbills, and alligators are so dense and so habituated to humans that photography at close range is effortless.
  • 9-Mile Pond Canoe Trail, Everglades NP — A marked canoe/kayak loop through mangrove tunnels and open sawgrass prairie. Rentals available at Flamingo. Exceptional birding.
  • Mallory Square, Key West — Every evening, the entire waterfront gathers for the Sunset Celebration, a spontaneous street festival of performers, artists, and vendors timed to the sunset. Free, joyful, and genuinely memorable.
  • Siesta Key Beach, Sarasota — Repeatedly voted the #1 beach in the United States. The sand is 99% pure quartz crystal — brilliantly white, powder-soft, and cool to the touch even in summer. Free public access.
  • Clearwater Beach — Consistently ranks among the best Gulf Coast beaches. Pier 60 hosts a nightly sunset celebration similar to Mallory Square.

Cultural & Heritage Landmarks#

  • First African Baptist Church, Savannah — (See Georgia file; just across the border.) In Florida proper: Eatonville, Orange County — the first incorporated African American municipality in the United States (1887), and the hometown of Zora Neale Hurston.
  • Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, Hollywood — The guitar-shaped hotel is a visual landmark, and the complex is built on land belonging to the Seminole Tribe of Florida — the only tribe that never signed a peace treaty with the United States.
  • Little Havana, Miami — Calle Ocho (SW 8th Street) is the heart of Cuban-American culture, with domino parks, cafeterias serving ventanita espresso, and murals. The Versailles Restaurant is a Miami institution.

Golf#

TPC Sawgrass Stadium Course (Ponte Vedra Beach) is one of the most recognizable golf courses in the world — home of THE PLAYERS Championship and the famous island-green 17th hole. Public access is available at approximately $200–$300 depending on season. For a serious golfer, this is a bucket-list round on par with Pebble Beach or Augusta National in terms of recognition.

For budget golf: Ocala Municipal Golf Course offers 18 holes for ~$20–30 including cart — a solid round in a low-key setting for those wanting to play without the splurge.

Drone Photography#

  • NPS sites strictly prohibit drone flight — no exceptions at Everglades, Canaveral Seashore, Dry Tortugas, or Biscayne NP.
  • Ocala National Forest open areas are legal for drone flight — forest roads, open scrub areas, and lakeshores away from developed recreation areas. Check for temporary flight restrictions (TFRs) around the Ocala area due to military training airspace.
  • Gulf Coast public beaches (Siesta Key public beach, Clearwater Beach public sections, Naples Pier area) — Florida state law generally allows drone use on public beaches unless posted otherwise. Avoid crowds and respect other beach users.
  • Kennedy Space Center area — The Space Coast is heavily restricted airspace due to launch operations. Check LAANC and notams carefully before any flight near Titusville or Merritt Island. Merritt Island NWR (adjacent to KSC) has its own rules — verify before flying.
  • Florida Keys — Open water views are excellent from public boat ramps and non-park land. Key West itself has significant airspace restrictions near the airport.

Photography & Scenic Opportunities#

  • Anhinga Trail at sunrise — Golden light, zero crowds, maximum wildlife. Get there 30 minutes before sunrise.
  • Seven Mile Bridge, Marathon — The old bridge (now a pedestrian path) provides an unobstructed view of the working bridge and open ocean in both directions. Best at golden hour.
  • Everglades airboat launch areas along US-41 — The sawgrass prairie at sunrise with low mist is extraordinary even from the road.
  • Big Cypress National Preserve — Less visited than the main park; the cypress domes and prairies along Loop Road (unpaved) offer solitude and wildlife.
  • Corkscrew Swamp — The old-growth cypress with Spanish moss in filtered winter light is among the most atmospheric photography in the Southeast.

Practical Notes#

  • America the Beautiful Pass covers entrance to Everglades NP, Canaveral National Seashore, Dry Tortugas NP (entrance fee only — ferry is additional), Biscayne NP, and Big Cypress National Preserve. It does not cover Florida State Parks, which have their own fee structure (~$6–8/person day use; camping separately).
  • Mosquitoes in the Everglades are legendary from May through November. Even in December–January they can be intense near Flamingo at dawn and dusk. DEET is not optional.
  • No-see-ums (biting midges) are invisible and relentless at dusk near beaches and mangroves. A permethrin-treated windshield screen and door mesh is essential for van camping.
  • Alligators are everywhere in Florida — every body of fresh water should be treated as potentially occupied. Never feed them; never approach them near water. They are not aggressive toward humans who give them space.
  • Fuel costs on the Keys are notably higher than the mainland — fill up in Florida City before heading south.
  • Cell coverage drops significantly in the Everglades interior and on the remote Keys islands. Download offline maps (Gaia GPS or AllTrails) before entering.
  • The Florida state park reservation system (ReserveAmerica) books up 11 months in advance for popular parks (Bahia Honda, Anastasia, etc.). Plan ahead.