Crystal River Preserve State Park is beloved by naturalists and photographers, who come to view and record the park’s bird life, and its various ecosystems. A series of dioramas in the Visitor Center will help first-time visitors to identify the flatwood forests, the marshes, the swamps, and the closed-canopy forests. The park covers twenty miles of Gulf of Mexico coastline in northern Florida, and offers islands, inlets, backwaters, and forested acres.

Canoeing and kayaking are permitted on Crystal River, and anglers will likely catch redfish, trout, and flounder. Boat tours of the coastal estuary instruct passengers about how the area supported the people who lived here in pre-Columbian times. Sunset cruises are available monthly, and venture out into the Gulf to admire the beautiful skies as the sun goes down. Seven miles of hiking and cycling trails are available.

3266 N. Sailboat Avenue, Crystal River, Florida 34428, Phone: 352-228-6028

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