Canaveral National Seashore Canaveral National Seashore is on a barrier island which includes ocean, beach, dune, hammock, lagoon, salt marsh, and pine flatland habitats.
The barrier island and adjacent waterways offer a blend of plant and animal life. Records show that 1,045 species of plants and 310 species of birds can be found in the park.
Endangered species include, but are not limited to, loggerhead, green and leatherback sea turtles, West Indian Manatee, Southern bald eagle, wood stork, peregrine falcon, eastern indigo snake, and Florida scrub jay.
The park has two districts and the Seminole Rest Site. The North District is in Volusia County, near New Smyrna Beach, Florida. Seminole Rest is also located in Volusia County in Oak Hill, Florida. The South District, in Brevard County is near Titusville, Florida.
Visitors may enjoy walking the nature and historical trails during the cool winter months. Throughout the year opportunity for recreational activities include; lagoon and surf fishing, boating, canoeing, surfing, sunbathing, swimming, hiking, horseback riding and backcountry camping.
Castillo De San Marcos National Monument The Castillo de San Marcos, built 1672-1695, served primarily as an outpost of the Spanish Empire, guarding St. Augustine, the first permanent European settlement in the continental United States, and also protecting the sea route for treasure ships returning to Spain. Although the Castillo has served a number of nations throughout its history, it has never been taken by military force. During the 18th century, the Castillo went from Spanish control to British and back to the Spanish , who remained in power in Florida until the area was purchased by the United States in 1821. Called Fort Marion at this time, The Castillo was made a National Monument in 1924 and became part of the National Park system in 1933. The park consists of the original historic Castillo fortress itself with its attendant grounds, some 25 total acres.
Cedar Keys NWR Cedar Keys NWR is in Levy County, Florida approximately 60 miles southwest of Gainesville. It was established in 1929 as a refuge and breeding ground for colonial birds. Today the refuge comprises 12 islands ranging in size from 1 to 165 acres. Four of the islands, Snake, Deadman's, North, and Seahorse Key are designated as wilderness areas. The most recent addition to the refuge is Atsena Otie Key, owned by the Suwannee River Water Management District and managed as part of Cedar Keys refuge. The refuge is one of the largest nesting areas in north Florida for colonial birds, including while ibis, brown pelican, common and snowy egret, great blue and tri-colored herons, and double crested cormorants. Other species include Ospreys, frigatebirds, and roseate spoonbills. The interiors of most refuge islands are dominated by maritime forests. Shorelines are bordered with narrow bands of sandy beaches alternating with salt marshes. All of the islands are surrounded by mud flats and seagrass beds which make them relatively inaccessible during low tides.
Chassahowitzka NWR Located about 65 miles north of St. Petersburg, the Chassahowitzka NWR includes 30,500 acres of saltwater bays, estuaries and brackish marshes with a fringe of hardwood swamps along the eastern boundary. The northern boundary parallels and includes much of the Homosassa River. The Refuge extends southward across the scenic Chassahowitzka River for 12 miles to its southern boundary at Raccoon Point.The refuge's diverse ecosystems, including prime estuarine habitat, is home for an incredible variety and abundance of flora and fauna. The marshlands, swamp lands, shallow bays and tidal streams provide both the quantity and quality of aquatic plant and animal life required to support a variety of animal species that depend on a marine environment.The refuge provides a place for approximately 250 species of birds, more than 50 species of reptiles and amphibians and at least 25 different species of mammals. Endangered and threatened species on the refuge include manatees, sea turtles, bald eagles and many others.The refuge is accessible only by boat. Visitors are encouraged to call or stop by the refuge office for information concerning local tour guides and public boat ramps.
Crystal River NWR Located in western Citrus County, next to the town of Crystal River, Florida, the Crystal River NWR was established primarily for the protection of the endangered Florida manatee. The refuge consists of twenty islands and several small parcels of land surrounded by the crystal clear, spring-fed waters of Kings Bay. Crystal River NWR is unique in that it was established specifically for the protection of the endangered West Indian manatee. The refuge aids in preserving Florida's most significant naturally occurring warm water refugium for the manatee and provides critical habitat for approximately twenty 5 percent of the nation's endangered Florida manatee population. Six hundred million gallons of fresh water flow daily from more than thirty natural springs. The temperature of the water flowing from the springs remains a constant 72 degrees Fahrenheit. Manatees, being a tropical species, cannot survive for extended periods when water temperatures fall below 68 degrees Fahrenheit. These warm water springs are essential for manatee survival.
De Soto National Memorial De Soto National Memorial commemorates the landing and legacy of the 1539 expedition of Hernando De Soto. This particular Entrada (Spanish for foray) began when six hundred twenty two Spanish conquistadors, two hundred twenty horses and a pack of vicious war dogs splashed ashore in the lower Tampa Bay area of Florida in May of 1539. What followed were violent encounters with Native Americans while searching fruitlessly for a civilization possessing gold and jewels like the Aztecs of Mexico or the Incas of Peru. Four years later, with Soto dead and half his men gone, the expedition found its way back to Spanish settlements in Mexico. Eventually, the descriptions of new peoples and abundant lands provided by participants would help to inspire other Europeans to colonize North America.
From December 15, 2002, through April 20, 2003, at Camp Ucita, Park Rangers dressed as Conquistadors bring this clash of 16th Century Spanish and Native American culture to life.
