Outdoors
Refuges, lakes and wild areas near Orlando for wildlife viewing and birdwatching.
Good to know: Early mornings and evenings are best for wildlife; bring binoculars and keep a respectful distance.
The refuge traces its beginnings to the development of the nation’s Space Program. In 1962, NASA acquired the lands and waters adjacent to Cape Canaveral to establish the John F. Kennedy Space Center.
Discover a dynamic barrier island shaped by dunes, coastal hammocks, and Mosquito Lagoon. Walk among ancient Timucua shell mounds and connect with thousands of years of human history.
Perennially popular with off-road vehicle enthusiasts, Big Scrub Campground sits in the Ocala National Forest in central Florida. A trailhead within the facility offers riders campsite-to-trail access.
Doe Lake is a group campsite with a variety of activities. Centered around a historic lodge with a large group kitchen, it's an ideal place for major outdoor gatherings of up to 250 people.
Juniper Springs Campground is one of the most popular campgrounds in the Ocala National Forest. The location offers deeply shaded sites within walking distance of some of Florida's most beautiful natural springs.
The Archie Carr National Wildlife Refuge stretches across 20.5 miles of beach and shoreline habitat between Melbourne Beach and Wabasso Beach along Florida's east coast in Brevard and Indian River Counties.
Pelican Island National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) is situated in the Indian River Lagoon estuary, which runs 156 miles down Florida’s eastern coastline.
Chassahowitzka NWR was established in 1943 for waterfowl conservation. The refuge protects saltwater bays, estuaries, brackish marshes, and hardwood swamps in Homosassa, FL.
Crystal River National Wildlife Refuge, established in 1983, is the only refuge created specifically for the protection of the threatened Florida manatee, a subspecies of the West Indian manatee.
The Guana Tolomato Matanzas National Estuarine Research Reserve encompasses approximately 55,000 acres of salt marsh and mangrove tidal wetlands, oyster bars, estuarine lagoons, upland habitat and offshore seas in Northeast Florida.
Egmont Key NWR was designated as a national wildlife refuge in 1974. Egmont Key is managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service as a national wildlife refuge to protect the island’s diverse natural, cultural, and historical features.
St. Lucie Campground provides a relaxing camping experience on the St. Lucie Canal, part of the 152 mile Okeechobee Waterway that spans South Florida from the Atlantic Ocean to the Gulf of Mexico.
Cedar Keys National Wildlife Refuge was established in 1929 by President Herbert Hoover to protect a breeding ground for colonial nesting migratory birds during a time when market hunters, desiring feathers for the ladies' apparel…
Ortona South is a perfect campground for a quiet, sunny escape to South Florida. The campground is set along the Caloosahatchie River.
As lake, waterway and surrounding countryside, Okeechobee shows the many faces of Florida. A canopy of moss-draped live oaks hides clusters of sabal palms. A tangle of water plants marks the boundary where wetland meets lakeshore.
The refuge is bisected by 20 miles of the famous Suwannee River and includes 30 miles of coastal marsh habitat along the Gulf of Mexico.
Visitors flock to W.P. Franklin Campground for its well-kept facilities and location on the Caloosahatchee River, where campers can fish, boat and take it easy in sunny southwest Florida.
Nathaniel P. Reed Hobe Sound National Wildlife Refuge contains the largest contiguous section of undeveloped beach in Southeastern Florida and is considered one of the most productive sea turtle nesting areas in the Southeastern United…
The Jupiter Inlet Lighthouse Outstanding Natural Area (ONA) is part of the Bureau of Land Management’s 27-million acre National Conservation Lands; and the only complete unit east of the Mississippi River.
Distances are straight-line miles from downtown Orlando. Listings come from Recreation.gov’s federal recreation database; check each official page for hours, fees, fire restrictions and closures before you go.
Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge (Fish and Wildlife Service), about 37 miles east of Orlando as the crow flies. Next are Canaveral National Seashore (41 mi) and Big Scrub Campground (48 mi).
Federal agencies including Fish and Wildlife Service, US Army Corps of Engineers, USDA Forest Service. Each listing links to its official page for hours, fees, closures and current conditions.