This week in an episode of our podcast Sunshine State of Mind, we asked ourselves the question, “If there Seven Natural Wonders of the World, what would be considered the Seven Natural Wonders of Florida”. We instanlty agreed on a few, then discussed and debated the rest until we landed on this list. Here’s what we came up with; our Seven Natural Wonders of Florida!
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The Florida Everglades
Of course, the Florida Everglades is the easy, and most obvious choice for any list of Florida Natural Wonders. The Florida Everglades is a 7,800 square mile tropical wetlands that make up much of South Florida. It’s the largest wilderness area west of the Mississippi River and one of the most biodiverse places in the United States. Here you’ll find just about every bird, reptile, and mammal that can be found in Florida. It’s the only place in the world where crocodiles and alligators share the same habitat, but is also home to bears, manatees, and the endangered Florida Panther.
The Everglades is an ecosystem that’s found nowhere else on Earth. It’s a wide, slow-moving river system that actually begins as far north as Orlando at the Kissimmee River, which flows toward Lake Okeechobee, and finally spills out into what we know as the Florida Everglades. The Everglades is an iconic part of Florida’s story and the first of Florida’s Natural Wonders.
The Florida Reef
When coming up with this list I tried to think of some natural Florida wonders that parallel the Seven Natural Wonders of the World, one of which is Australia’s Great Barrier Reef. The Florida Reef, which runs along with the Florida Keys from Biscayne Bay to Dry Tortugas, is the third-largest coral reef in the world.
The Florida Reef is why the Florida Keys are a world-famous paradise for SCUBA divers attracting underwater enthusiasts from all over the globe. The reef runs through portions of two national parks, Biscayne National Park and Dry Tortugas National Park, but most say the best diving can be found at John Pennekamp State Park. This state park in Key Largo is a 70 square mile underwater playground for divers, snorkelers, and fishermen. Its most famous landmark is the underwater statue “Christ of the Deep” and nearby there is even an underwater hotel where you can “sleep with the fishes’.
Devil’s Den Prehistoric Spring
North Florida is world-famous for its several crystal clear springs that dot the landscape, and underwater cave systems that wind through Florida’s limestone bedrock. At Devils Den in Williston you can experience the best of both of these worlds. Devil’s Den Prehistoric Spring is a portion of a subterranean river that’s been partially exposed when the ground above it collapsed. Picture a large, underground, natural swimming pool with crystal clear water and just enough light coming in to give this place an otherworldy appearance.
Devil’s Den is now a popular attraction for scuba divers, especially new divers who come here to get some experience outside of a swimming pool while getting to dive in a natural body of water. It got its name from some of the locals who discovered it when they saw steam rising from the 72 degree water during a cold winter day in north Florida. The steam must of looked like smoke rising from the underworld…the Devil’s Den.
My only minor complaint about Devil’s Den is that it’s a privately-owned attraction, rather than something that’s covered in the Florida State Park system where it probably should be. There’s really nothing else around it though, like woods or hiking trails, that would make it a good state park contender. It sits alone among a fairly rural farming area.
5390 N.E 180th Ave
Williston, FL 32696
(352) 528-3344
www.DevilsDen.com
Payne’s Prairie Preserve State Park
I like to call Paynes Prarie Preserve State Park, near Gainesville, the “Everglades of North Florida”. While not quite as large, this vast marshy savanna is one of the best state parks in Florida for wildlife encounters and biodiversity. The park is home to over 300 species of birds, lots of gators, and a few bears. But what makes Paynes Prarie unique is one animal you’ve probably never associated with the Florida wilderness. Bison! When you think of bison, you might think of places out west like Wyoming or the Dakotas. But this park is home to a herd of wild bison and wild horses that freely roam the park. They can sometimes been seen from the observation tower near the visitors center, but if you get lucky, you might encounter them while hiking on the 30 miles of trails here.
If you’ve ever driven on I-75 in north Florida, you’ve probably seen this park, even if you didn’t realize it. Paynes Prarie is that vast open area just south of Gainesville that suddenly transports you out of the pine flats and into a wide-open savanna. Next time, get off I-75 at the Micanopy exit and spend a couple of hours here. Bison and horses, living in the same park as gators and bears put this park right in the middle of our list of Natural Wonders of Florida.
Paynes Prairie Preserve State Park
100 Savannah Blvd
Micanopy, FL
https://www.floridastateparks.org/parks-and-trails/paynes-prairie-preserve-state-park
Crystal River National Wildlife Refuge
When putting together this list (and arguing about it on the podcast!) we knew we had to include the Florida Springs, but couldn’t really agree on which one. Which Florida spring deserves to be called out as a Florida Natural Wonder? It was tough to pick just one, so we landed on the entire Crystal River National Wildlife Refuge. This wildlife refuge on Florida’s “Nature Coast’ was established to protect the endangered manatees that call this refuge home much of the year. The crown jewel of the refuge is the Three Sisters Spring. This crystal clear spring is the wintertime home tp dozens of manatees who come here to enjoy the constant 72-degree water temperature.
Three Sisters Springs is only one of the many springs in this area that attract both manatees and tourists. Nearby Homossassa Springs State Park usually has lots of manatees too, and a nice little zoo full of Florida animals. Just up the road is Weeki Wachee Springs State Park, the world-famous home of the mermaid show, and more crystal clear blue water to swim in or explore by kayak.
Crystal River National Wildlife Refuge
1502 SE Kings Bay Dr
Crystal River, FL
https://www.fws.gov/refuge/crystal_river
Florida Caverns State Park
North Florida has miles of underwater caves that will only ever be seen by the most daring & experienced scuba divers, but there’s at least one Florida cave that the rest of us can explore. Florida Caverns State Park, located in the northern panhandle, is the only air-filled cave system in the state that’s open to visitors.
The 3-mile cave system is every bit as enchanting as some of the countries most famous caves. The cave features all the classic features like stalactites, stalagmites, flowstones, that would you hope to see. Many people are shocked to learn that a state that’s as flat and low lying as Florida would have such a beautiful cave system like this right underneath them. The Florida Caverns are a true Florida natural wonder!
Florida Caverns State Park
3345 Caverns Rd
Marianna, FL
https://www.floridastateparks.org/parks-and-trails/florida-caverns-state-park
Siesta Key Beach
We really wanted to include at least one beach on this list, because a list of Florida’s Natural Wonders just didn’t seem complete without one. We debated between two Sarasota area gulf coast beaches; Venice Beach and Siesta Key Beach. Venice Beach was considered because of the seemingly endless number of sharks’ teeth that can be found in the sand there. After all these years, you’d think they’d all be found, but they just keep coming up from underground and that’s a pretty cool natural Florida wonder. (See also: Our guide to Venice Beach shark tooth hunting.)
Siesta Key Beach, however, just keeps popping up near the top of every list of the best beaches in Florida. The sand there is a fine powder that’s almost the consistency of flour. It’s won awards for being the finest sand in the world, and it’s exactly what you’re probably thinking about when you imagine that picture-perfect white sand gulf coast beach. We also love that Siesta Key isn’t quite as touristy and overbuilt as some of the other more famous Florida beaches like Clearwater, Daytona, and South Beach. It still has a bit of a locals beach vibe to it, while still welcoming visitors. Put your feet in the cool white sand here, that’s perfect for building castles, and you’ll never want to leave.
Siesta Key Beach (Public Parking)
948 Beach Rd
Sarasota, FL