Florida State Parks That Beat a Theme Park Day

September 28, 2026 · 5 min read · My FL Guide

The best-value day out in Florida usually costs about six dollars. State park entry is charged per vehicle, the gates generally open at 8am, and what you get for it runs from a 72-degree swimming spring to nine miles of undeveloped beach. Here is a spread across the state, with the fees the parks actually post.

Springs you can swim in

• Blue Spring State Park (2100 W French Ave, Orange City) - a designated manatee refuge where hundreds of West Indian manatees gather in the 72F spring run from November through March. $6 per vehicle for 2-8 people, $4 single-occupant, $2 for pedestrians and bicyclists.
• Wekiwa Springs State Park (1800 Wekiwa Cir, Apopka) - a crystal-clear 72F spring pumping 42 million gallons a day, about 20 minutes from downtown Orlando, with 13 miles of hiking trails. $6 per vehicle; canoe and kayak rentals from $20.
• Silver Springs State Park (5656 E Silver Springs Blvd) - Florida's oldest tourist attraction, where glass-bottom boats glide over more than 30 bubbling spring vents. $8 per vehicle; glass-bottom boat tours from $22 per adult.
• Rainbow Springs State Park (19158 SW 81st Place Rd, Dunnellon) - crystal-clear headspring water and a gentle freshwater snorkel basin for $2 per person, parking included.
• Ichetucknee Springs State Park (12087 SW US Hwy 27, Fort White) - a six-mile spring-fed river that stays 72F year-round and is famous for tubing. $7 per vehicle; tube rentals extra, or bring your own and float free.
• Fanning Springs State Park (18020 NW US Highway 19) - 65 million gallons a day into a short run on the Suwannee, with a sandy swim shore and an 18 to 21 foot basin for snorkeling. $6 per vehicle; pavilions run $15 to $25 a day and two-bedroom cabins are $100 a night with a two-night minimum.

Gulf beaches inside a park gate

• Grayton Beach State Park (357 Main Park Rd, Santa Rosa Beach) - sugar-white sand, emerald water and Western Lake, a rare coastal dune lake where fresh and salt water mix. $5 per vehicle.
• Henderson Beach State Park (17000 Emerald Coast Pkwy, Destin) - over 6,000 feet of shoreline, a nature trail through coastal scrub and covered picnic pavilions, with far fewer people than the public accesses nearby. $6 per vehicle.
• St. Andrews State Park (4607 State Park Ln, Panama City Beach) - 1.5 miles of Gulf beach on one side and calm Grand Lagoon water on the other, plus two fishing piers and a jetty popular with snorkelers. $8 per vehicle; the Shell Island shuttle is $25 per adult round trip.
• T.H. Stone Memorial St. Joseph Peninsula State Park (8899 Cape San Blas Road, Port St. Joe) - powdery white sand, shelling, surf fishing and sea-turtle nesting habitat on Cape San Blas. About $6 per vehicle.
• Cayo Costa State Park (8800 Cayo Costa Ct, Bokeelia) - boat access only, with nine miles of completely undeveloped beach, no roads and no cars. Park entry is $2 per person, collected by the ferry operator in cash for day passengers 6 and up.

Atlantic and inland wild places

• Fort Clinch State Park (2601 Atlantic Ave, Fernandina Beach) - a 19th-century brick fort, six miles of beach and shaded maritime-hammock trails, with two campgrounds. $6 per vehicle; fort entry is an extra $2.50 per person.
• Anastasia State Park (300 Anastasia Park Rd, St. Augustine) - four undeveloped miles of beach, plus the Ancient Dunes trail and coquina quarries. $8 per vehicle; camping $28 a night.
• Myakka River State Park (13208 State Road 72, Sarasota) - alligators, a canopy walkway and airboat tours from $22 per adult, with canoe rentals at $25 an hour. $6 per vehicle.
• Jonathan Dickinson State Park (16450 SE Federal Hwy, Hobe Sound) - kayaking, hiking and birding on the Loxahatchee, with a good chance of alligators and both tent and RV camping. $6 per vehicle.
• Paynes Prairie Preserve State Park (100 Savannah Blvd, Micanopy) - wildlife, birding, hiking and alligators in a big open preserve, with camping and RV sites. $6 per vehicle.
• John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park (102601 Overseas Hwy, Key Largo) - a park built around living coral reef, with snorkel tours from $30 per adult and a glass-bottom boat at $32 per adult. $8 per vehicle for 2-8 people, $4 single occupant, $2 pedestrians.

Before you go

• Fees are per vehicle, and most parks charge less for a single-occupant car and for walkers and cyclists.
• Several parks keep 8am-to-sunset hours, and the honor-box parks expect correct change - Werner-Boyce Salt Springs lists $4 per vehicle with a $2 pedestrian and bicyclist rate.
• Springs parks close the water to swimmers during manatee season, so check the park's own page before you promise anyone a swim.
• Weekend mornings fill up early. If you want to stay overnight, Blue Spring, Grayton Beach, Anastasia, Jonathan Dickinson and Paynes Prairie all offer camping.

Every park here has a full card in My FL Guide with its address, entry fee, parking and directions. Filter the Parks tab by region, and you can build a spring-and-beach weekend out of state parks alone.