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Sports and Outdoor Activities

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An ice hockey match in progress between the Florida Panthers and the Tampa Bay Lightning

Florida’s sunny climate means that families can enjoy outdoor activities and sports year-round. The state’s excellent nature parks and preserves attract hikers and cyclists, while its numerous beaches and rivers offer opportunities for boating, fishing, sailing, surfing, snorkeling, and swimming. There are also tennis courts and the well-developed golf courses that Florida is so famous for. Fans of all ages can enjoy cheering on some of America’s top sports teams.

Biking

Cyclists will find bike paths in nature preserves, parks, state forests, and on beaches. Rails-to-Trails, former railroad routes that are now paved for bikers and hikers, are ideal for family outings. The 14-mile (23-km) Jacksonville–Baldwin Trail near Jacksonville winds beneath a leafy canopy. The Myakka River State Park offers miles of bike trails through scenic landscapes. The state’s official bike trails guide can be found online.

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Cyclists exploring a picturesque trail in the Myakka River State Park

Hiking

Florida’s many state and national parks offer excellent hiking. The Florida Trail, stretching over 1,500 miles (2,500 km) across the state, has options for short hikes. In Ocala National Forest, trails take hikers through pine and hardwood forests, and prairies. The 10-mile (16-km) trail from Clearwater Lake Recreation Area to Alexander Springs includes one of the region’s largest natural springs. Park websites have maps and suggestions for hikes.

City trails

The path through Sarasota’s Bayfront Park borders Sarasota Bay, while Tampa’s 4.½- mile (7-km) Bayshore Boulevard is called “the world’s longest continuous sidewalk.” Jacksonville’s Arlington Lions Club Park offers a path and boardwalks along the St. Johns River (see Vizcaya Museum and Gardens), and Miami’s mile- long Riverwalk through Bayfront Park has shops, cafés, and art galleries. The trail in Matheson Hammock County Park offers a taste of wilderness in the city.

Kayaking and canoeing

Most parks, nature centers, and wildlife refuges on the coast or on rivers offer paddling; John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park, and Everglades National Park are both scenic. The Suwannee River Wilderness Trail has multiday paddling trips, and the Wekiva River, near Orlando, offers kayak and canoe rentals.

Fishing

Islamorada in the Florida Keys is the state’s sport-fishing capital, while the Panhandle’s Destin has its largest charter boat fleet. The Destin Fishing Rodeo has big money prizes, and categories for kids and teens too. Lake Okeechobee, inland from the Treasure Coast, is the choice spot for freshwater fishing.

Snorkeling and diving

The Keys are the site of America’s largest living coral reef, and Biscayne National Park is rich with colorful coral. The Keys Shipwreck Heritage Trail features nine sites to explore. The Shipwreck Snorkel Trail, near Fort Lauderdale, is an artificial “shipwreck,” and shallow-water snorkeling can be enjoyed on Siesta Key’s Crescent Beach, or around the rock jetty at St. Andrews State Park on the Panhandle.

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Snorkeler near coral reefs in Key Largo

Watersports

The calmer waters off the Gulf Coast, and the Intracoastal Waterway, are ideal for sailing. The Fort Lauderdale area offers 300 miles (480 km) of inland waterways and Sebastian Inlet State Park offers great surfing opportunities. Short sailing courses are available at Windward Sailing at Fernandina Beach or at the Offshore Sailing School® at Fort Myers. Cocoa Beach is the state’s undisputed surfing and parasailing center, and the Ron Jon Surf School offers lessons.

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Surfing in Sebastian Inlet State Park, Vero Beach

Golf and tennis

The golf courses at the Doral Resort in Miami and the Mangrove Bay Golf Course in St. Petersburg are well known. There are miniature golf courses in almost every Florida town, and no experience is required. Tennis enthusiasts will find public courts in most towns, many offering lessons, and tennis programs at most resorts. In Bradenton, the IMG Bollettieri Tennis Academy, where top pros train, offers teen programs.

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Spectacular view of the TPC Blue Monster golf course at the Doral Resort, Miami

Spectator sports

In the fall, the Miami Dolphins, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and Jacksonville Jaguars provide football action. Late fall and winter are best to catch the Miami Heat and Orlando Magic basketball teams, and ice hockey competition gets fierce for Miami’s Florida Panthers and the Tampa Bay Lightning. March brings the Grapefruit League, the chance to see 15 baseball teams prepare for the season. The Tampa Bay Rays and Miami Marlins are in action from April through October.

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