Chapter 4 - Outdoor Recreation Supply 

and Regional Profiles 

4—1 

private sites were identified through the secondary data sources previously listed. 

The updated information on outdoor recreation supply was compiled in the Outdoor 

Recreation Planning Data Base. The data 

base enables DRP to compute totals, summaries and other analyses that are necessary for Florida’s outdoor recreation plan and 

to provide reasonably current, accurate and 

easily accessible data to any public agency 

or interested individual. 

It should be recognized that DRP relies on 

self-reporting of data by the various agencies 

and providers that contribute information to 

the inventory. Additionally, there are certain 

private sector outdoor recreation resources 

and facilities that are not included in the private supply inventory. Included in this group 

are privately-owned lands and facilities 

which may be available to the public on an 

individual basis after receiving permission 

from the landowner. These lands comprise 

thousands of acres and can accommodate 

many outdoor recreation activities including 

hunting, fishing, camping and hiking. Other 

resources that are not included in the inventory are backyard pools, private vacation 

cabins, boat docks, driveway basketball 

courts, apartment complexes and hotel/motel 

recreation facilities. These resources and 

facilities are not available to the public on a 

formal basis, and it is virtually impossible to 

identify them with the degree of accuracy 

required to include them in the private supply 

inventory. 

A complete inventory of the supply of existing outdoor recreation resources and facilities in Florida is vital to outdoor recreation 

planning and implementation. The Division 

of Recreation and Parks (DRP) maintains 

an inventory that provides details regarding 

the existing parks, recreation areas, open 

spaces and other outdoor recreation sites in 

the state. The inventory includes the known 

outdoor recreation facilities and resources 

provided by federal, state, regional, county 

and municipal governments, commercial 

enterprises, non-profit organizations and 

clubs. The supply information presented in 

this chapter is a useful planning tool for public and private recreation interests and it 

should assist them in analyzing outdoor recreation and open space needs and establishing program goals and priorities. 

DRP updates the statewide supply inventory 

every two years. The most recent update 

was completed in September 2007. Public 

outdoor recreation providers were contacted 

and asked to verify or correct the information about their agency’s existing resources 

and facilities and to provide information on 

new sites and facilities. The updated information was conveyed electronically in most 

cases. Inventory forms were mailed to 

agencies that were unable to access the 

supply inventory data electronically. Additionally, DRP used secondary data sources, 

including trade publications, Internet Web 

pages, recreation directories and guides, 

and local government comprehensive plans 

to identify new providers to add to the inventory. In updating the inventory of private 

recreation facilities, emphasis was placed 

on verifying the information for more than 

3,000 recreation areas already contained in 

the inventory from previous updates. New 
4—2 

Outdoor Recreation in Florida, 2008 

Non-Government

2.6%

Municipal

1%

County

3%

State

50%

Federal

43%

Figure 4.1 

Statewide Outdoor Recreation Acreage by Category of Provider 

trails, wildlife management areas and water 

management lands. 

Florida’s local governments supply only four 

percent of the statewide outdoor recreation 

acreage, but they provide two-thirds of the 

individual parks and recreation areas in the 

state. Typically, they provide numerous passive and open space areas and access to 

many water bodies, affording opportunities 

for a variety of water-dependent recreation 

activities. Their primary involvement, however, is in supplying virtually all of the public 

facilities needed for user-oriented recreation. 

Non-government organizations provide the 

remaining lands (346,000 acres) through a 

variety of commercial enterprises, non-profit 

organizations and clubs. A significant porStatewide Overview of Supply 

Table 4.1 shows the statewide results of the 

outdoor recreation supply inventory update 

by level of provider. Public agencies and 

private providers supplied a total of more 

than 13 million acres of land and water for 

outdoor recreational use. Federal and state 

lands constitute 93 percent of the total outdoor recreation and conservation acreage in 

the state. The federal government provides 

43 percent of the statewide acreage through 

various types of areas of national significance, including national parks and preserves, national forests, national wildlife refuges and military lands. State agencies provide fully one-half of the statewide acreage 

through a variety of programs and managed 

areas, including state parks, state forests, 

water management areas, greenways and 
4—3 

Outdoor Recreation in Florida, 2008 

a map of the public conservation lands located in the region, a brief profile of the region’s physical and socio-economic characteristics, and tables that display the outdoor 

recreation resources and facilities available 

in the region. The regional summaries illustrate the diversity of outdoor recreation opportunities that are available throughout the 

state and each region’s uniqueness as a setting for outdoor recreation activities. 

tion of the overall demand for outdoor recreation in Florida is met by these private sector interests. This category also includes 

private and quasi-public organization lands 

and private industry lands. 

Regional Summaries 

The remainder of this chapter provides summaries of the outdoor recreation resources 

and facilities that are found in each of Florida’s 11 planning regions (refer to map on 

page 1-2). Each regional summary includes 

The Nature Conservancy’s Disney Wilderness Preserve, Osceola County 
4—4 

Outdoor Recreation in Florida, 2008 

RESOURCE/FACILITY UNITS Federal State County M unicipal Non-Government TOTAL

OUTDOOR RECREATION AREAS Areas 137 936 3,823 5,254 3,085 13,235

LAND Acres 4,351,881 4,512,461 376,368 106,433 324,095 9,671,238

WATER Acres 1,467,576 2,131,414 48,623 5,774 20,567 3,673,955

ACRES TOTAL Acres 5,806,028 6,663,651 425,061 112,183 346,035 13,352,957

RESOURCE BASED

CABINS Cabins 93 251 85 15 3,728 4,172

TENT CAM PSITES Sites 1,312 4,679 1,674 790 11,590 20,044

RV CAM PSITES Sites 2,229 3,867 3,241 2,027 150,677 162,041

HISTORIC SITES Sites 385 381 143 227 192 1,328

COM M EM STRUCTURES Structures 14 49 100 122 33 318

M USEUM S M useums 34 94 128 90 170 516

PICNIC TABLES Tables 2,243 6,874 20,593 17,626 68,750 116,086

HUNTING AREAS Acres 2,103,620 3,157,725 23,400 2,896 2,855 5,290,496

BIKE TRAIL PAVED M iles 99.5 331.0 433.6 480.2 80.5 1424.8

BIKE TRAIL UNPAVED M iles 140.4 1495.1 487.7 207.3 52.7 2383.2

CANOE TRAIL M iles 480.3 1143.5 231.2 100.7 339.3 2295.0

HIKING TRAIL M iles 839.4 3037.7 860.7 388.2 297.8 5423.8

EQUESTRIAN TRAIL M iles 228.7 1301.9 508.7 152.7 169.4 2361.4

JOGGING TRAIL M iles 85.4 171.7 499.5 496.6 72.3 1325.5

OHV TRAIL M iles 407.0 426.0 <0.1 0.1 <0.1 833.1

NATURE TRAIL M iles 303.8 910.5 671.6 375.6 213.4 2474.9

FRESHWATER BEACH M iles 0.8 2.1 17.6 5.3 33.6 59.5

FRESHWATER BOAT RAM PS Ramps 90 340 629 279 401 1,739

FRESHWATER BOAT RAM PS Lanes 101 372 773 345 458 2,049

FRESHWATER CATWALKS Catwalks 111 234 2,241 4,577 784 7,947

FRESHWATER CATWALKS Feet 908 8,576 52,977 45,126 26,860 134,447

FRESHWATER JETTIES Feet 120 97 3,482 69,742 1,356 74,797

FRESHWATER M ARINAS M arinas 6 2 6 13 430 457

FRESHWATER M ARINAS Slips 44 120 221 633 10,744 11,762

FRESHWATER PIERS Piers 26 45 180 227 92 570

FRESHWATER PIERS Feet 4,425 4,278 15,316 23,114 43,045 90,178

SALTWATER BEACH M iles 180.2 110.1 86.6 87.1 37.1 501.1

SALTWATER BOAT RAM PS Ramps 40 46 260 267 326 939

SALTWATER BOAT RAM PS Lanes 58 64 420 359 367 1,268

SALTWATER CATWALKS Catwalks 57 53 182 192 147 631

SALTWATER CATWALKS Feet 23,197 25,859 59,337 119,175 42,671 270,239

SALTWATER JETTIES Feet 11,050 2,086 8,002 16,205 10,854 48,197

SALTWATER M ARINAS M arinas 18 4 19 68 828 937

SALTWATER M ARINA SLIPS Slips 1,439 309 1,271 5,723 36,974 45,716

SALTWATER PIERS Piers 17 23 119 148 105 412

SALTWATER PIERS Feet 7,514 22,907 40,379 57,172 20,435 148,407

USER-ORIENTED

BASEBALL FIELDS Fields 67 80 2,463 2,666 195 5,471

BASKETBALL GOALS Goals 90 138 3,754 3,285 677 7,944

EQUIPPED PLAY AREAS Areas 66 87 1,790 2,465 473 4,881

FOOTBALL FIELDS Fields 25 57 877 844 95 1,898

GOLF COURSES, 18-HOLE Courses 10 3 15 62 690 780

GOLF COURSES, 9-HOLE Courses 5 1 13 20 138 177

GOLF COURSES, EXECUTIVE Courses 1 1 3 10 190 205

GOLF HOLES TOTAL Holes 243 66 417 1,431 14,544 16,701

M ULTI-USE COURTS Courts 11 14 402 395 170 992

M ULTI-USE FIELDS Fields 14 69 922 676 241 1,922

OUTDOOR SWIM M ING POOLS Pools 23 31 151 290 1,572 2,067

RACQUETBALL COURTS Courts 27 227 653 734 266 1,907

SHUFFLEBOARD COURTS Courts 6 45 380 1,829 2,576 4,836

TENNIS COURTS Courts 115 399 1,786 2,737 4,244 9,281

VOLLEYBALL COURTS Courts 1 54 293 231 53 632

Table 4.1

Outdoor Recreation Resources and Facilities by Category of Provider

Statewide

2007
4-5 

RESOURCE/FACILITY UNITS

WEST 

FLORIDA APALACHEE

NORTH 

CENTRAL NORTHEAST WITHLACOOCHEE

EAST 

CENTRAL CENTRAL

TAMPA 

BAY SOUTHWEST

TREASURE 

COAST SOUTH STATEWIDE

OUTDOOR RECREATION AREAS Areas 1,065 534 640 1,191 591 2,064 804 1,858 1,120 1,314 2,054 13,235LAND Acres 938,399 1,339,773 558,956 622,356 865,648 889,223 351,377 258,583 1,338,840 665,617 1,796,151 9,671,238WATER Acres 131,812 280,243 573,833 114,589 358,458 283,456 40,349 49,684 374,378 76,339 1,350,609 3,673,955ACRES TOTAL Acres 1,070,373 1,620,016 1,132,788 736,964 1,224,136 1,186,592 391,816 325,764 1,713,633 748,130 3,146,974 13,352,957

RESOURCE BASED

CABINS Cabins 164 222 315 644 674 547 306 646 208 63 382 4,172TENT CAMP SITES Sites 1,968 1,684 1,692 1,302 3,323 4,547 1,009 1,191 1,236 804 1,290 20,044RV CAMPSITES Sites 5,231 2,442 4,534 4,664 10,634 35,103 25,434 29,561 25,160 7,071 12,207 162,041HISTORIC SITES Sites 66 176 70 343 91 295 24 17 103 35 108 1,328COMMEM STRUCTURES Structures 21 9 6 23 11 42 5 104 17 40 40 318MUSEUMS Museums 34 18 33 58 27 94 19 55 52 55 71 516PICNIC TABLES Tables 6,567 3,312 4,218 5,021 7,253 25,943 9,965 18,201 15,451 5,897 14,258 116,086HUNTING AREAS Acres 658,525 946,422 342,155 345,394 565,384 429,431 128,767 58,320 771,385 343,366 698,451 5,290,496BIKE TRAIL PAVED Miles 32 48 69 71 99 240 57 136 191 79 404 1,425BIKE TRAIL UNPAVED Miles 84 160 231 228 314 462 177 313 168 173 74 2,383CANOE TRAIL Miles 295 234 252 177 314 244 53 160 211 65 292 2,295HIKING TRAIL Miles 299 555 486 493 564 924 429 393 509 392 420 5,424EQUESTRIAN TRAIL Miles 73 131 246 207 308 530 218 252 95 163 139 2,361JOGGING TRAIL Miles 68 118 69 101 81 314 58 163 83 81 191 1,326OHV TRAIL Miles 0 150 238 192 187 16 0 0 50 0 0 833NATURE TRAIL Miles 105 298 207 186 259 407 195 194 252 117 254 2,475FRESHWATER BEACH Miles 2 1 1 1 2 10 4 24 2 10 3 59FRESHWATER BOAT RAMPS Ramps 225 159 144 155 151 291 249 78 97 80 110 1,739FRESHWATER BOAT RAMPS Lanes 233 210 179 176 168 345 283 102 106 103 144 2,049FRESHWATER CATWALKS Catwalks 43 59 21 67 75 157 59 72 203 7,146 45 7,947FRESHWATER CATWALKS Feet 8,756 7,240 5,905 8,496 8,881 50,395 10,374 18,002 7,756 33 8,609 134,447FRESHWATER JETTIES Feet 525 0 722 0 5 10,927 25,750 30,551 1,340 250 4,727 74,797FRESHWATER MARINAS Marinas 5 16 13 54 46 116 147 11 20 22 7 457FRESHWATER MARINAS Slips 61 425 310 2,526 1,298 3,734 1,082 200 864 937 325 11,762FRESHWATER PIERS Piers 71 25 29 63 34 128 63 61 32 24 39 570FRESHWATER PIERS Feet 7,496 3,160 3,372 8,001 4,455 17,101 6,556 3,134 31,789 3,112 2,002 90,178SALTWATER BEACH Miles 119 51 0 51 0 53 0 52 67 40 68 501SALTWATER BOAT RAMPS Ramps 139 41 25 54 20 116 0 143 108 91 202 939SALTWATER BOAT RAMPS Lanes 177 59 27 69 24 156 0 213 139 121 283 1,268SALTWATER CATWALKS Catwalks 86 9 8 40 8 99 0 147 98 71 65 631SALTWATER CATWALKS Feet 24,702 2,789 535 9,153 1,020 37,181 0 35,738 32,021 19,060 108,040 270,239SALTWATER JETTIES Feet 2,201 0 0 6,306 1,830 1,150 0 2,201 7,750 5,443 21,316 48,197SALTWATER MARINAS Marinas 89 19 8 26 6 60 0 105 163 127 334 937SALTWATER MARINA SLIPS Slips 4,447 859 236 2,292 123 4,119 0 7,825 6,395 5,455 13,965 45,716SALTWATER PIERS Piers 66 10 2 22 9 65 0 66 72 28 72 412SALTWATER PIERS Feet 44,987 2,680 750 14,805 2,035 11,973 0 39,236 13,205 5,295 13,441 148,407

USER-ORIENTED

BASEBALL FIELDS Fields 487 256 210 587 307 820 379 764 314 589 758 5,471BASKETBALL GOALS Goals 335 244 501 677 482 1,368 451 1,043 373 931 1,539 7,944EQUIPPED PLAY AREAS Areas 358 209 252 468 229 855 242 657 296 519 796 4,881FOOTBALL FIELDS Fields 133 60 78 171 101 309 76 260 93 243 374 1,898GOLF COURSES, 18-HOLE Courses 47 9 6 60 48 114 42 90 102 159 103 780GOLF COURSES, 9-HOLE Courses 10 11 8 13 11 15 25 19 21 26 18 177GOLF COURSES, EXECUTIVE Courses 45 2 2 4 4 17 21 26 23 35 26 205GOLF HOLES TOTAL Holes 958 270 216 1,236 702 2,106 1,053 2,097 2,367 3,324 2,372 16,701MULTIUSE COURTS Courts 38 24 57 26 49 153 65 284 31 132 133 992MULTI-USE FIELDS Fields 142 68 170 134 116 296 78 230 92 308 288 1,922OUTDOOR SWIMMING POOLS Pools 118 46 48 137 87 319 139 285 264 230 394 2,067RACQUETBALL COURTS Courts 52 89 73 81 98 314 87 203 85 321 504 1,907SHUFFLEBOARD COURTS Courts 101 14 50 101 234 993 656 1,154 576 433 524 4,836TENNIS COURTS Courts 489 220 196 617 224 1,295 379 1,330 915 1,489 2,127 9,281VOLLEYBALL COURTS Courts 16 11 84 61 42 129 26 23 56 82 102 632

Table 4.2

Outdoor Recreation Resources and Facilities by Region
4—6 

Outdoor Recreation in Florida, 2008 

continue to grow in popularity each year. 

The reopening of repaired access points and 

re-nourished stretches of beach are vital to 

the region’s economy. Tourism continues to 

play a major role in the West region where 

high-rise condominiums, vacation homes, 

timeshares and resorts with beachside 

swimming pools dominate the coastline and 

attract visitors from all over the world. 

West Florida’s two largest river systems, the 

Choctawhatchee and the Escambia, both 

originate in Alabama and flow south creating 

large estuaries before merging with the Gulf. 

Although Holmes and Washington counties 

are the only counties completely inland, the 

northern reaches of each of the region’s 

counties share a similar pattern of development. While the coastal region is highly urbanized and developed, the inland areas 

north of Interstate 10 remain sparsely developed and retain large forest resources that 

provide numerous opportunities for outdoor 

West Florida Region 

The West Florida Region encompasses 

6,507 square miles and contains seven 

counties and 35 municipalities located in the 

western Florida Panhandle. Escambia, 

Santa Rosa, Okaloosa, Walton and Bay 

counties share 135 miles of coastline on the 

Gulf of Mexico. Holmes and Washington 

counties are inland and contain a total of 43 

named freshwater springs, most occurring in 

Washington County. 

The coastal counties are buffered by several 

barrier islands and peninsulas that offer 

miles of high quality white sandy beaches. 

Panhandle Florida beaches with their famous sugar-like sand were, until the last two 

decades, a well-kept secret known mainly to 

visitors from southeastern states who 

flocked to the Gulf Coast in the summer. 

Mexico Beach, Pensacola, Navarre, Destin, 

Ft. Walton and Panama City beaches all 

Figure 4.1.1 

Public Conservation Lands 
4—7 

Outdoor Recreation in Florida, 2008 

recreation. Camping, hunting, trail activities 

and a myriad of freshwater sports - including 

boating, fishing, water skiing, diving and 

swimming - are pleasurable activities with 

no urban area in sight. 

Economy 

The large presence of the United States 

military in this region plays a key role in the 

local economy and is a major factor in land 

use patterns, including the availability of recreation land. Military spending is a major 

component of employment and earnings in 

the region. According to a 2007 study by 

the Hass Center for Business Research at 

the University of West Florida, 45 percent of 

all military and civilian defense employment 

in Florida is centered in the West region. 

Military installations contain more than a half 

million acres of land in the region. Each service of the military provides extensive outdoor recreation opportunities for active and 

retired staff and their dependents. Public 

hunting is provided on more than 287,000 

acres of wildlife management areas on the 

Eglin and Tyndall reservations. 

Demographics 

Estimated population for the seven county 

area exceeded 918,000 in 2007. Mid-range 

projections estimate 1.1 million residents by 

2020, a 32 percent increase from the 2000 

census. Population densities range from a 

low of 40 persons per square mile in Holmes 

and Washington counties to a high of 470 

persons per square mile in Escambia 

County. Table 4.1.1 displays the projected 

population growth for the region through 

2020. 

Eglin Air Force Base, Okaloosa County 

Table 4.1.1 

Current and Projected Population 

West Florida Region 

County 

Projections 

Percentage 

Change 

 2000 2007 2010 2015 2020 2000-2020 

Bay 148,217 167,631 172,000 183,900 194,800 31.4 

Escambia 294,410 311,755 316,200 328,000 338,900 15.1 

Holmes 18,564 19,464 19,700 20,400 21,000 13.1 

Okaloosa 170,498 196,540 202,400 218,000 232,400 36.3 

Santa Rosa 117,743 142,144 148,200 163,400 177,500 50.8 

Walton 40,601 57,093 60,800 70,300 79,300 95.3 

Washington 20,973 23,719 24,800 27,700 29,000 38.3 

Region Totals 811,006 918,346 944,100 1,011,700 1,072,900 32.3 

Source: University of Florida, Bureau of Economic and Business Research, 2008 
4—8 

Outdoor Recreation in Florida, 2008 

State

45.5%

Non-Government

2.1%

Federal

51.7%

County

0.3%

Municipal

0.3%

Figure 4.1.2 

Outdoor Recreation Acreage by Category of Provider 

West Florida Region 

St. Andrews State Park, Bay County 

based recreation. The region has just more 

than one million acres available for outdoor 

recreation from both the public and private 

sectors, or 1.12 acres per capita. Figure 

4.1.2 displays the distribution of outdoor recreation acreage among the various levels of 

providers. 

Outdoor Recreation Resources 

and Facilities 

West Florida’s beaches, bays and estuaries 

are major attractions that offer an abundance of high quality opportunities for water-
4—9 

Outdoor Recreation in Florida, 2008 

Although county and municipal governments 

make up a small portion of the outdoor recreation land in West Florida, they provide the 

overwhelming majority of user-oriented facilities. Local governments manage a total 

of 759 recreation sites containing over 6,000 

acres. These areas provide 434 baseball 

and softball fields, 249 basketball goals, 117 

golf holes and 111 football fields. In addition 

to user-oriented facilities, local governments 

provide 11 miles of saltwater beach, 42 

miles of jogging trails and 22 miles of nature 

trails, much of which are frequently used by 

locals and tourists alike. 

A combination of commercial, non-profit and 

club organizations make up the private sector supply, totaling 21,794 acres. The private sector manages 98 of the 118 inventoried outdoor swimming pools, 35 of the 47 

golf courses and 3,500 of the 4,447 saltwater marina slips in the region. In addition, 

the private sector is the leading provider of 

tennis courts, shuffleboard courts and freshwater marina slips. Most notably, the private 

Federal and state agencies provide more 

than 95 percent of the outdoor recreation 

land in the region. Federally-managed lands 

account for 51 percent of the land with Eglin 

Air Force Base providing most of the acreage. Other federally-managed sites include 

Gulf Islands National Seashore, Tyndall Air 

Force Base and Pensacola Naval Air Station. In addition, 45 miles of hiking trails, 

467 RV/trailer campsites, 31 baseball fields 

and 59 tennis courts are provided at federal 

areas. 

State agencies provide 45 percent (468,312 

acres) of outdoor recreation land in the region. The region contains 15 state parks, 

four aquatic preserves and four state forests 

that offer resource-based activities including 

hiking, horseback riding and picnicking. The 

state also provides 166 miles of canoe and 

kayak trails, 18 miles of saltwater beaches, 

four saltwater piers and 16 historic sites. 

Tyndall Youth Center, Bay County 
4—10 

Outdoor Recreation in Florida, 2008 

Lake Stone Campground, Escambia County

Table 4.1.2 displays West Florida’s outdoor 

recreation resources by category of provider. 

Table 4.1.3 displays the major outdoor recreation areas provided or managed by federal, state and local government entities. 

sector accounts for 72 percent of the 

RV/trailer campsites in the region. 

Emerald Beach RV Park, Okaloosa County 
4—11 

Outdoor Recreation in Florida, 2008 

RESOURCE/FACILITY UNITS Federal State County M unicipal Non-Government TOTAL

OUTDOOR RECREATION AREAS Areas 19 76 395 364 211 1,065

LAND Acres 521,593 406,620 2,393 3,175 21,005 954,787

WATER Acres 52,192 77,917 777 137 789 131,812

ACRES TOTAL Acres 573,785 484,700 3,170 3,312 21,794 1,086,762

RESOURCE-BASED

CABINS Cabins 36 46 0 0 82 164

TENT CAM PSITES Sites 555 919 20 2 472 1,968

RV CAM PSITES Sites 467 827 135 0 3,802 5,231

HISTORIC SITES Sites 20 16 2 19 9 66

COM M EM STRUCTURES Structures 1 0 2 16 2 21

M USEUM S M useums 4 2 0 6 22 34

PICNIC TABLES Tables 887 776 1,244 1,071 2,589 6,567

HUNTING AREAS Acres 285,861 371,809 0 0 855 658,525

BIKE TRAIL PAVED M iles 0.0 15.6 1.2 11.9 3.0 31.7

BIKE TRAIL UNPAVED M iles 6.0 71.3 2.4 4.7 0.0 84.4

CANOE TRAIL M iles 80.2 166.0 9.0 0.0 40.0 295.2

HIKING TRAIL M iles 45.0 211.3 9.7 9.1 24.1 299.2

EQUESTRIAN TRAIL M iles 14.5 48.0 10.0 0.4 0.0 72.9

JOGGING TRAIL M iles 17.2 6.3 10.9 30.6 2.7 67.7

OHV TRAIL M iles 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0

NATURE TRAIL M iles 18.8 59.3 10.0 11.7 5.6 105.4

FRESHWATER BEACH M iles 0.2 0.5 0.3 0.9 0.3 2.2

FRESHWATER BOAT RAM PS Ramps 33 80 84 15 13 225

FRESHWATER BOAT RAM PS Lanes 35 82 86 16 14 233

FRESHWATER CATWALKS Catwalks 7 5 3 15 13 43

FRESHWATER CATWALKS Feet 387 605 866 3,364 3,534 8,756

FRESHWATER JETTIES Feet 120 5 150 0 250 525

FRESHWATER M ARINAS M arinas 2 0 0 0 3 5

FRESHWATER MARINAS Slips 6 0 0 0 55 61

FRESHWATER PIERS Piers 14 7 30 13 7 71

FRESHWATER PIERS Feet 3,700 346 1,549 1,405 496 7,496

SALTWATER BEACH M iles 86.0 18.1 4.3 7.2 3.0 118.6

SALTWATER BOAT RAM PS Ramps 14 6 30 45 44 139

SALTWATER BOAT RAM PS Lanes 22 10 35 61 49 177

SALTWATER CATWALKS Catwalks 20 11 7 31 17 86

SALTWATER CATWALKS Feet 15,425 1,150 1,625 3,457 3,045 24,702

SALTWATER JETTIES Feet 1,000 5 250 56 890 2,201

SALTWATER M ARINAS M arinas 9 0 2 3 75 89

SALTWATER M ARINA SLIPS Slips 459 0 15 473 3,500 4,447

SALTWATER PIERS Piers 6 4 18 28 10 66

SALTWATER PIERS Feet 5,950 2,056 11,189 22,407 3,385 44,987

USER-ORIENTED

BASEBALL FIELDS Fields 31 7 196 238 15 487

BASKETBALL GOALS Goals 38 4 73 176 44 335

EQUIPPED PLAY AREAS Areas 17 11 118 174 38 358

FOOTBALL FIELDS Fields 11 2 54 60 6 133

GOLF COURSES, 18-HOLE Courses 6 0 0 6 35 47

GOLF COURSES, 9-HOLE Courses 2 0 0 0 8 10

GOLF COURSES, EXECUTIVE Courses 1 1 1 0 42 45

GOLF HOLES TOTAL Holes 144 3 9 108 694 958

M ULTI-USE COURTS Courts 6 5 8 5 14 38

M ULTI-USE FIELDS Fields 8 3 61 52 18 142

OUTDOOR SWIM M ING POOLS Pools 12 2 0 6 98 118

RACQUETBALL COURTS Courts 9 23 5 10 5 52

SHUFFLEBOARD COURTS Courts 2 6 6 25 62 101

TENNIS COURTS Courts 59 35 38 153 204 489

VOLLEYBALL COURTS Courts 0 0 8 5 3 16

Table 4.1.2

Outdoor Recreation Resources and Facilities by Category of Provider

West Florida Region

2007
4—12 

Outdoor Recreation in Florida, 2008 

*Hunting managed by Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission as a wildlife management area. 

State Parks (continued) Acres

Deer Lake 1,995 

Eden Gardens 162 

Falling Waters 173 

Fred Gannon Rocky Bayou 346 

Grayton Beach 2,172 

Henderson Beach 219 

Navarre Beach 130 

Perdido Key 290 

Ponce de Leon Springs 349 

St. Andrews 1,170 

Tarkiln Bayou 4,262 

Topsail Hill 1,643 

Yellow River Marsh 815 

Water Management District Lands 

Northwest Florida WMD 

Blackwater River 380 

Choctawhatchee River* 60,596 

Econfina Creek* 41,168 

Garcon Point 3,245 

Lower Escambia* 34,919 

Perdido River * 5,456 

Yellow River* 17,721 

Wildlife Management Areas 

Blue Water Creek* 21,000 

Federal Areas 

Military Installations Acres

Eglin Air Force Base 460,909 

Tyndall Air Force Base 28,823 

National Park Lands 

Gulf Islands National Seashore 66,584 

State Areas 

Aquatic Preserves 

Fort Pickens 34,000 

Rocky Bayou 480 

St. Andrew’s Bay 25,000 

Yellow River Marsh 16,435 

Florida Scenic Highways Miles

Pensacola Scenic Bluffs Highway 11 

Greenways and Trails 

Blackwater Heritage Trail 10 

State Forests Acres

Blackwater River* 206,351 

Cottage Hill 31 

Pine Log * 8,621 

Point Washington * 15,321 

(Florida portion)

State Parks 

Big Lagoon 732 

Blackwater River 636 

Camp Helen 182 

Table 4.1.3 

Major Outdoor Recreation Areas 

West Florida Region 

2007 

Reported County and Municipal Areas 

County

Areas Acres Areas Acres

Bay 99 288 120 666 

Escambia 104 1,193 97 630 

Holmes 13 65 8 52 

Okaloosa 50 223 95 1,211 

Santa Rosa 59 300 17 370 

Walton 40 444 16 273 

Washington 30 657 11 112 

Municipal
4—13 

Outdoor Recreation in Florida, 2008 

formed by the confluence of two rivers outside the state: the Flint River in Alabama 

and the Chattahoochee River in Georgia. 

As the Apalachicola flows south to the Gulf 

of Mexico, its waters strongly influence the 

estuarine conditions in the highly productive 

Apalachicola Bay system. Along the coast, 

barrier islands provide sandy beaches and 

help to protect the mainland from the full 

force of tropical storms. Typical natural features in the northern part of the region include riverine swamps and wetlands, forested uplands and vast pinelands. 

Apalachee Region 

The Apalachee Region is comprised of nine 

counties and 29 municipalities covering 

6,757 acres. The coastlines of Franklin, Gulf 

and Wakulla counties extend 86 miles east 

to west along the Gulf of Mexico in the northern Big Bend area. Calhoun, Gadsden, 

Jackson, Jefferson, Leon and Liberty counties are located inland. 

The Apalachicola and Ochlockonee Rivers 

divide the region into three distinct geographical areas. Although the Apalachicola 

River is located entirely within Florida, it is 

Figure 4.2.1 

Public Conservation Lands 
4—14 

Outdoor Recreation in Florida, 2008 

The Old Capitol Building in Tallahassee, Leon County 

Economy 

The economy of the region is heavily dependent on government employment and 

spending. Tallahassee, the state capital, is 

located in Leon County which, as the seat of 

government for the fourth largest state in the 

nation and home to two major state universities, is the most urbanized county in the region and is a principal business and commercial hub. The surrounding counties are 

predominantly rural and contain well over a 

million acres of public conservation land. 

Every county in the region with the exception of Leon County, has been designated 

as a “Rural Area of Critical Economic Concern” by the state. This designation provides incentives and benefits aimed at giving these communities an advantage in attracting industries and jobs. 

Regional employment in timber harvesting, 

pulp and paper manufacturing, and fishing 

and seafood processing has significantly 

declined. In the past two decades, thousands of acres of timberland have been offered for sale in response to structural 

changes in the pulp and paper industry. In 

the 1990s, saltwater net ban legislation seriously curtailed the seafood industry, and 

major storms in 2002, 2004 and 2005 further damaged the region’s fisheries. In 

2007, drought conditions dealt yet another 

blow to one of the region’s remaining seafood sectors - shellfish harvesting. Disruptions to the historical flows of fresh water 

from the Apalachicola River have had substantial negative impacts on the region’s 

once vigorous shellfish industry. 

Tourism is another major component of the 

region’s economy. Many out-of-state visi-
4—15 

Outdoor Recreation in Florida, 2008 

Table 4.2.1 

Current and Projected Population 

Apalachee Region 

County 

Projections 

Percentage 

Change 

 2000 2007 2010 2015 2020 2000-2020 

Calhoun 13,017 14,477 14,800 15,600 16,300 25.2 

Franklin 9,829 12,249 12,400 13,000 13,500 37.3 

Gadsden 45,087 49,398 50,700 52,700 54,600 21.1 

Gulf 14,560 16,815 17,100 17,900 18,600 27.7 

Jackson 46,555 50,416 53,100 54,800 56,500 21.4 

Jefferson 12,902 14,494 14,700 15,300 15,800 22.5 

Leon 239,452 272,896 279,200 297,300 312,400 30.5 

Liberty 7,021 7,772 7,900 8,300 8,700 23.9 

Wakulla 22,863 29,417 32,500 36,500 40,200 75.8 

Region Totals 411,286 467,934 482,400 511,400 536,600 30.5 

Source: University of Florida, Bureau of Economic and Business Research, 2008 

tors and Florida residents vacation in the 

region’s beach towns. Visitors also travel to 

the springs, sinkholes and caverns found in 

the region’s state parks, national forests and 

state forests. The region also has an abundance of historical and archaeological sites, 

which are highly popular among both tourists 

and residents. 

Demographics 

In 2007, the Apalachee Region contained 

2.5 percent of Florida’s total population, 

most residing in Leon County. Total estimated 2007 population for the nine-county 

area was 468,000. Mid-range projections 

estimate 537,000 residents by 2020, a 30 

percent increase from 2000. Population 

density ranges from nine persons per square 

mile in Liberty County to 409 persons per 

square mile in Leon County. Table 4.2.1 

displays population and projected growth for 

the region through 2020. 

Blountstown Greenway, Calhoun County 
4—16 

Outdoor Recreation in Florida, 2008 

Federal

56.7%

State

42.1%

County

0.3%

Municipal

0.2%

Non-Government

0.7%

Figure 4.2.2 

Outdoor Recreation Acreage by Category of Provider 

Apalachee Region 

oped coastlines and many rural communities. 

The Apalachee Region has over 1.6 million 

acres of land available for outdoor recreation 

use, or 3.5 acres per capita. As shown in 

Figure 4.2.2, virtually all of the outdoor recreation land is provided by public agencies. 

Federally-managed lands account for a 

large portion of the resource-based outdoor 

recreation opportunities. Of the hunting 

lands, 60 percent is managed by the federal 

government. Federal agencies also provide 

280 miles of hiking trails, 132 miles of nature 

trails and 47 miles of unpaved bicycle trails. 

The major federal properties are the Apalachicola National Forest, St. Marks National 

Wildlife Refuge and the St. Vincent National 

Wildlife Refuge. 

State agencies are the second largest category of outdoor recreation providers in the 

region. State agencies manage 42 percent 

of the inventoried land available for outdoor 

recreation. There are 98 state owned sites 

that provide 484 tent campsites, 308 

Outdoor Recreation Resources 

and Facilities 

The region’s diverse geography provides a 

variety of outdoor recreation opportunities. 

The sandy Gulf beaches, barrier islands, 

bays and estuaries of the Coastal Lowlands 

and the large areas of forested uplands provide for camping, hiking, nature study, bicycle riding, saltwater and freshwater beach 

activities, fishing and boating. The Apalachicola National Forest covers 569,638 acres in 

Franklin, Leon, Wakulla and Liberty counties 

and offers a wide range of outdoor recreation on a large scale. The largest national 

forest in Florida, it is also one of the largest 

remaining intact areas of freshwater savannas and pine forests in the state. Also in the 

region, St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge is 

a bird watchers paradise which every year 

attracts visitors from all over the world as 

this outdoor recreation activity gains in popularity. Local communities in the region are 

turning to nature-based tourism to promote 

and market the area’s unique natural resources, including the still largely undevel-
4—17 

Outdoor Recreation in Florida, 2008 

larly for the freshwater and saltwater shoreline fishing including seven saltwater fishing 

piers and 14 freshwater piers. 

Within the private sector, there are 96 outdoor recreation sites distributed over 11,934 

acres of land. The private sector provides 

the majority of cabins, tent campsites and 

RV/trailer campsites. This sector also offers 

15 freshwater marinas with a total of 412 

slips and 16 saltwater marinas providing 743 

marina slips for recreational boating use. 

The non-government sector also provides 

the majority of the region’s golfing opportunities. 

RV/trailer campsites, 150 miles of offhighway vehicle trails and 65 miles of unpaved bicycle trails. 

Although less than one percent of the recreation acreage in the region is administered 

by local governments, these suppliers provide the bulk of user-oriented facilities. 

There are 329 local government outdoor recreation sites that provide 239 baseball/softball fields, 202 basketball goals, 176 

equipped play areas and 127 tennis courts. 

In addition to the user-oriented facilities they 

provide, local governments provide extensive resource-based opportunities, particuT.H. Stone Memorial St. Joseph Peninsula State Park, Gulf County
4—18 

Outdoor Recreation in Florida, 2008 

RESOURCE/FACILITY UNITS Federal State County M unicipal Non-Government TOTAL

OUTDOOR RECREATION AREAS Areas 11 98 180 149 96 534

LAND Acres 905,604 472,731 5,046 2,822 11,499 1,397,702

WATER Acres 12,957 266,777 37 37 435 280,243

ACRES TOTAL Acres 918,561 739,508 5,083 2,859 11,934 1,677,945

RESOURCE-BASED

CABINS Cabins 0 50 6 0 166 222

TENT CAM PSITES Sites 40 484 98 2 1,060 1,684

RV CAM PSITES Sites 85 308 115 20 1,914 2,442

HISTORIC SITES Sites 7 75 4 65 25 176

COM M EM STRUCTURES Structures 0 5 0 4 0 9

M USEUM S M useums 0 8 2 5 3 18

PICNIC TABLES Tables 176 757 656 476 1,247 3,312

HUNTING AREAS Acres 571,624 374,798 0 0 0 946,422

BIKE TRAIL PAVED M iles 0.0 29.0 5.8 12.9 0.0 47.7

BIKE TRAIL UNPAVED M iles 47.0 65.3 21.8 26.1 0.0 160.2

CANOE TRAIL M iles 75.2 153.5 5.0 0.0 0.0 233.7

HIKING TRAIL M iles 279.5 182.9 32.6 43.0 16.8 554.8

EQUESTRIAN TRAIL M iles 34.0 67.5 6.8 17.7 5.0 131.0

JOGGING TRAIL M iles 37.0 23.9 13.9 41.9 1.0 117.7

OHV TRAIL M iles 0.0 150.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 150.0

NATURE TRAIL M iles 131.7 75.5 25.8 36.5 28.7 298.2

FRESHWATER BEACH M iles 0.2 0.8 0.1 0.1 0.2 1.3

FRESHWATER BOAT RAM PS Ramps 15 54 68 3 19 159

FRESHWATER BOAT RAM PS Lanes 15 62 103 5 25 210

FRESHWATER CATWALKS Catwalks 1 4 32 4 18 59

FRESHWATER CATWALKS Feet 0 1,710 3,645 564 1,321 7,240

FRESHWATER JETTIES Feet 0 0 0 0 0 0

FRESHWATER M ARINAS M arinas 1 0 0 0 15 16

FRESHWATER M ARINAS Slips 10 3 0 0 412 425

FRESHWATER PIERS Piers 1 5 14 0 5 25

FRESHWATER PIERS Feet 50 384 2,178 0 548 3,160

SALTWATER BEACH M iles 22.3 25.3 1.8 0.3 1.1 50.7

SALTWATER BOAT RAM PS Ramps 1 3 8 12 17 41

SALTWATER BOAT RAM PS Lanes 1 4 13 21 20 59

SALTWATER CATWALKS Catwalks 0 4 3 1 1 9

SALTWATER CATWALKS Feet 0 175 1,700 664 250 2,789

SALTWATER JETTIES Feet 0 0 0 0 0 0

SALTWATER M ARINAS M arinas 0 1 0 2 16 19

SALTWATER M ARINA SLIPS Slips 0 30 0 86 743 859

SALTWATER PIERS Piers 0 0 1 6 3 10

SALTWATER PIERS Feet 0 0 225 2,105 350 2,680

USER-ORIENTED

BASEBALL FIELDS Fields 0 10 95 144 7 256

BASKETBALL GOALS Goals 0 27 105 97 15 244

EQUIPPED PLAY AREAS Areas 0 10 54 122 23 209

FOOTBALL FIELDS Fields 0 12 14 31 3 60

GOLF COURSES, 18-HOLE Courses 0 2 0 1 6 9

GOLF COURSES, 9-HOLE Courses 0 1 0 1 9 11

GOLF COURSES, EXECUTIVE Courses 0 0 0 0 2 2

GOLF HOLES TOTAL Holes 0 45 0 27 198 270

M ULTI-USE COURTS Courts 0 1 8 9 6 24

M ULTI-USE FIELDS Fields 0 11 17 32 8 68

OUTDOOR SWIM M ING POOLS Pools 0 5 0 13 28 46

RACQUETBALL COURTS Courts 0 59 4 21 5 89

SHUFFLEBOARD COURTS Courts 0 1 4 2 7 14

TENNIS COURTS Courts 0 68 36 91 25 220

VOLLEYBALL COURTS Courts 0 0 3 8 0 11

Table 4.2.2

Outdoor Recreation Resources and Facilities by Category of Provider

Apalachee Region

2007
4—19 

Outdoor Recreation in Florida, 2008 

Federal Areas 

National Estuarine Research Reserves** 

Apalachicola Bay 246,766 

National Forests 

Apalachicola* 569,638 

National Wildlife Refuges 

St. Marks (Wakulla and Jefferson 

St. Vincent* 12,490 

State Areas 

Aquatic Preserves 

Alligator Harbor 14,366 

Apalachicola Bay 80,000 

Big Bend Seagrasses (Wakulla 100,000 

Lake Jackson 4,700 

St. Joseph Bay 66,702 

Florida Scenic Highways Miles

Big Bend Scenic Byway 220 

Greenways and Trails 

Tallahassee-St. Marks Trail 16 

State Forests Acres

Lake Talquin* 17,491 

Tate’s Hell* 202,437 

Wakulla* 4,219 

State Parks 

Alfred B. Maclay Gardens 1,179 

Bald Point 4,859 

Constitution Convention 13 

Army Corps of Engineers Acres

Lake Seminole (Florida portion)* 7,952 

 

DeSoto Site 5 

Dr. Julian G. Bruce St. George 

Island 2,023 

County portion)* 69,815 

County portion)

State Parks (continued) Acres

Edward Ball Wakulla Springs 6,055 

Florida Caverns 1,279 

John Gorrie Museum 1 

Lake Jackson Mounds 205 

Lake Talquin 552 

Letchworth-Love Mounds 188 

Natural Bridge Battlefield 9 

Ochlockonee River 544 

Orman House 1 

San Marcos de Apalache 15 

St. Marks River 2,584 

T.H. Stone Memorial St. Joseph 

Peninsula 2,716 

Three Rivers 668 

Torreya 13,204 

Water Management District Lands 

Northwest Florida WMD 

Apalachicola River* 36,315 

Upper Chipola River* 7,377 

Suwannee River WMD 

Middle Aucilla* 9,218 

Wildlife Management Areas and 

Wildlife & Environmental Areas 

Apalachicola River* 64,471 

Aucilla (Jefferson County Portion)* 37,532 

Box-R* 8,397 

Flint Rock* 15,627 

Joe Budd* 11,039 

L. Kirk Edwards* 718 

Robert Brent* 8,532 

Middle Aucilla River* 2,200 

* Hunting managed by Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission as a wildlife management area.

** National Estuarine Research Reserves are designated by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and 

managed by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, Office of Coastal and Aquatic Managed Areas. 

Table 4.2.3 

Major Outdoor Recreation Areas 

Apalachee Region 

2007 
4—20 

Outdoor Recreation in Florida, 2008 

J. Lewis Hall, Sr. Park, Leon County 

County Municipal

Areas Acres Areas Acres

Calhoun 11 240 4 36 

Franklin 35 165 18 26 

Gadsden 20 45 32 134 

Gulf 22 343 13 149 

Jackson 24 1,310 20 410 

Jefferson 5 87 1 2 

Leon 42 2,310 56 2,067 

Liberty 7 93 0 0 

Wakulla 14 524 5 45 

Reported County and Municipal Areas 

Table 4.2.3 

Major Outdoor Recreation Areas 

Apalachee Region 

2007 

(continued) 
4—21 

Outdoor Recreation in Florida, 2008 

Estuaries formed by the region’s many rivers and creeks support an excellent fishery, 

which contributes to the area’s significance 

as a recreational resource. The inland 

counties of Alachua, Bradford, Columbia, 

Gilchrist, Hamilton, Lafayette, Madison, Suwannee and Union are a mix of forested uplands, agricultural lands and wetlands crisscrossed by rivers and streams. The region’s 

dominant hydrological system is the Suwannee River, which originates in the Okefenokee Swamp in Georgia and flows 245 

miles through this region before it empties 

North Central Florida Region 

The North Central Florida Region encompasses 7,245 square miles. It contains 11 

counties and 33 municipalities located on 

the Coastal Lowlands and Central Highlands 

physiographic regions. The coastal counties 

of Dixie and Taylor share approximately 60 

miles of coastline that contains large expanses of seagrasses, shallow banks and 

tidal marshlands along the upper Gulf of 

Mexico. 

Figure 4.3.1 

Public Conservation Lands 
4—22 

Outdoor Recreation in Florida, 2008 

to the University of Florida, is the most urbanized of the 11 counties in the region. 

With the highest enrollment in the State University System, the university and its many 

institutes, research units and medical facilities is a catalyst for innovation and entrepreneurial activity that spills over into the surrounding communities. 

Tourism in the North Central region is beginning to play an increasingly important role in 

the economy. Perhaps the largest tourist 

draw in the region is the University of Florida. Successful sports and athletic programs draw thousands of out-of-state visitors to these widely attended games. In addition, the Suwannee River, one of the bestknown rivers in the United States, draws 

visitors year-round. 

into the Gulf. The Suwannee and its several 

main tributaries are dotted with towns, parks 

and trails from which visitors can explore the 

river and its surrounding areas by canoe, 

kayak, bicycle, horse, automobile or on foot. 

Economy 

Agriculture, forest industries and fishing 

have provided employment for the region’s 

population for generations. Changes in 

many traditional resource-based industries 

have resulted in job losses and worker displacement. All of the counties in the region 

with the exception of Alachua County are 

designated as “Rural Areas of Critical Economic Concern” and qualify for state economic development incentives. Due to its 

abundance of high quality natural resources, 

the region is positioning itself as a naturebased tourism destination under the theme 

of “Original Florida.” Alachua County, home 

Suwannee River Wilderness Trail, Alachua County 
4—23 

Outdoor Recreation in Florida, 2008 

Steinhatchee River, Dixie County 

percent increase from 2000 census figures. 

Population densities range from 15 persons 

per square mile in Lafayette County to 283 

persons per square mile in Alachua County. 

Table 4.3.1 displays projected population 

growth for the region through 2020. 

Demographics 

In 2007, the North Central region contained 

2.7 percent of Florida’s total population, 

reaching 496,000. Mid-range projections 

estimate 572,000 residents by 2020, a 31 

Table 4.3.1 

Current and Projected Population 

North Central Florida Region 

County 

Projections 

Percentage 

Change 

 2000 2007 2010 2015 2020 2000-2020 

Alachua 217,955 247,561 253,400 269,900 283,200 29.9 

Bradford 26,088 29,055 29,600 30,900 32,200 23.4 

Columbia 56,513 65,373 67,700 72,700 77,300 36.8 

Dixie 13,827 15,808 16,300 17,500 18,600 34.5 

Gilchrist 14,437 17,106 17,800 19,700 21,500 48.9 

Hamilton 13,327 14,705 14,900 15,400 15,800 18.6 

Lafayette 7,022 8,215 9,200 10,100 10,500 49.5 

Madison 18,733 19,944 20,300 21,000 21,700 15.8 

Suwannee 34,844 39,608 42,800 46,100 49,100 40.9 

Taylor 19,256 22,516 22,900 23,900 24,800 28.8 

Union 13,442 15,722 16,100 16,900 17,600 30.9 

Region Totals 435,444 495,613 511,000 544,100 572,300 31.4 

Source: University of Florida, Bureau of Economic and Business Research, 2008 
4—24 

Outdoor Recreation in Florida, 2008 

Federal

12.1%

Non-Government

1.0% Municipal

0.9%

County

1.1%

State

84.9%

ally-managed lands are available for public 

hunting. 

State agencies provide more than 960,000 

acres of outdoor recreation lands in the region, or 85 percent of the total recreation 

acreage. Most of the state-managed sites 

were acquired by the Suwannee River Water Management District. The region’s 17 

state parks provide more than 46,000 acres 

of land. The state is the largest provider of 

recreational trails in the region with 205 

miles of unpaved bicycle trails, 151 miles of 

equestrian trails, 354 miles of hiking trails, 

104 miles of nature trails and 38 miles of offhighway vehicles trails. State agencies also 

provide 219 tent campsites, 213 RV/trailer 

campsites and 27 cabins, among other facilities. 

Outdoor Recreation Resources 

and Facilities 

The diversity of this region’s natural, cultural 

and historic resources supports a wide and 

diverse array of recreation opportunities. 

Many of these are water-based, owing to the 

vast marshes, estuaries and seagrasses of 

the Gulf coast and the largest concentration 

of first magnitude freshwater springs in the 

entire world. 

More than 1.1 million acres are available for 

outdoor recreation in the North Central region. Three federally-administered management areas are located in the region. The 

Osceola National Forest, Lower Suwannee 

River National Wildlife Refuge and St. Marks 

National Wildlife Refuge provide 136,767 

acres of land for low-intensity outdoor recreation. Nearly 115,000 acres of the federFigure 4.3.2 

Outdoor Recreation Acreage by Category of Provider 

North Central Florida Region 
4—25 

Outdoor Recreation in Florida, 2008 

Alachua County Fairgrounds, Alachua County 

Local governments provide 392 individual 

outdoor recreation sites in the region containing over 22,000 acres. County and municipal governments account for 90 percent 

of the baseball fields, 83 percent of the basketball goals and 85 percent of the football 

fields in the region. Local governments also 

provide the majority of museums, paved bicycle trails, and both freshwater and saltwater shoreline fishing facilities. 

The private commercial sector plays a vital 

role in providing recreation areas and facilities. Non-governmental providers make 

more than 11,000 acres available for public 

uses at 108 sites. Private campgrounds and 

fish camps play a particularly important role 

in providing water access facilities, including 

28 boat ramps, 5,560 campsites and 288 

rental cabins. The private sector also provides many user-oriented sites, including 

swimming pools, golf courses and tennis 

courts. Some of these sites are provided by 

private forest management operations. 

The Suwannee River Wilderness Trail is the 

centerpiece of a large-scale, cooperatively 

managed recreational resource that ties together federal, state and water management 

district lands in partnership with local governments and private sector businesses in 

the region. The trail consists of a series of 

recreational hubs and more remote river 

camps spaced a day’s paddle apart. Visitors 

can enjoy the Suwannee on a trip of a day or 

two, or travel the entire 170-mile length of 

the trail from the town of White Springs to 

the river’s mouth at the town of Suwannee. 
4—26 

Outdoor Recreation in Florida, 2008 

RESOURCE/FACILITY UNITS Federal State County M unicipal Non-Government TOTAL

OUTDOOR RECREATION AREAS Areas 4 136 217 175 108 640

LAND Acres 136,767 389,737 11,721 9,660 11,072 558,956

WATER Acres 100 572,166 775 573 219 573,833

ACRES TOTAL Acres 136,867 961,902 12,496 10,232 11,291 1,132,788

RESOURCE-BASED

CABINS Cabins 0 27 0 0 288 315

TENT CAM PSITES Sites 25 219 64 15 1,370 1,692

RV CAM PSITES Sites 0 213 125 6 4,190 4,534

HISTORIC SITES Sites 1 39 21 4 5 70

COM M EM STRUCTURES Structures 0 2 3 1 0 6

M USEUM S M useums 0 18 5 8 2 33

PICNIC TABLES Tables 20 526 756 618 2,298 4,218

HUNTING AREAS Acres 114,361 227,794 0 0 0 342,155

BIKE TRAIL PAVED M iles 0.0 26.8 25.8 16.7 0.0 69.3

BIKE TRAIL UNPAVED M iles 0.1 204.5 15.1 0.0 11.0 230.7

CANOE TRAIL M iles 7.0 184.5 22.0 0.0 38.0 251.5

HIKING TRAIL M iles 27.3 354.0 42.3 22.9 39.8 486.3

EQUESTRIAN TRAIL M iles 50.0 150.7 25.0 0.3 20.0 246.0

JOGGING TRAIL M iles 0.0 31.3 17.3 18.9 1.1 68.6

OHV TRAIL M iles 200.0 38.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 238.0

NATURE TRAIL M iles 3.0 103.8 45.5 31.9 22.7 206.9

FRESHWATER BEACH M iles 0.0 0.3 0.4 0.1 0.5 1.4

FRESHWATER BOAT RAM PS Ramps 1 25 84 6 28 144

FRESHWATER BOAT RAM PS Lanes 2 28 93 7 49 179

FRESHWATER CATWALKS Catwalks 0 2 2 2 15 21

FRESHWATER CATWALKS Feet 0 120 90 2,520 3,175 5,905

FRESHWATER JETTIES Feet 0 0 722 0 0 722

FRESHWATER M ARINAS M arinas 0 0 0 0 13 13

FRESHWATER M ARINAS Slips 0 3 2 0 305 310

FRESHWATER PIERS Piers 0 8 7 7 7 29

FRESHWATER PIERS Feet 0 1,040 580 1,514 238 3,372

SALTWATER BEACH M iles 0.0 0.0 0.2 0.0 0.0 0.2

SALTWATER BOAT RAM PS Ramps 2 7 7 0 9 25

SALTWATER BOAT RAM PS Lanes 2 7 8 0 10 27

SALTWATER CATWALKS Catwalks 2 0 0 0 6 8

SALTWATER CATWALKS Feet 20 0 0 0 515 535

SALTWATER JETTIES Feet 0 0 0 0 0 0

SALTWATER M ARINAS M arinas 0 0 0 0 8 8

SALTWATER M ARINA SLIPS Slips 0 0 0 0 236 236

SALTWATER PIERS Piers 1 0 1 0 0 2

SALTWATER PIERS Feet 50 0 700 0 0 750

USER-ORIENTED

BASEBALL FIELDS Fields 0 10 83 104 13 210

BASKETBALL GOALS Goals 0 30 212 206 53 501

EQUIPPED PLAY AREAS Areas 0 7 93 115 37 252

FOOTBALL FIELDS Fields 0 5 34 32 7 78

GOLF COURSES, 18-HOLE Courses 0 0 0 1 5 6

GOLF COURSES, 9-HOLE Courses 0 0 0 0 8 8

GOLF COURSES, EXECUTIVE Courses 0 0 0 0 2 2

GOLF HOLES TOTAL Holes 0 0 0 18 198 216

M ULTI-USE COURTS Courts 0 1 37 11 8 57

M ULTI-USE FIELDS Fields 0 16 102 42 10 170

OUTDOOR SWIM M ING POOLS Pools 0 2 2 8 36 48

RACQUETBALL COURTS Courts 0 18 17 37 1 73

SHUFFLEBOARD COURTS Courts 0 4 3 16 27 50

TENNIS COURTS Courts 0 50 41 71 34 196

VOLLEYBALL COURTS Courts 0 30 28 16 10 84

Table 4.3.2

Outdoor Recreation Resources and Facilities by Category of Provider

North Central Florida Region

2007
4—27 

Outdoor Recreation in Florida, 2008 

Federal Areas 

National Forests Acres

Osceola (Columbia County portion)* 108,300 

National Wildlife Refuges 

Lower Suwannee River (Dixie 

County portion)* 27,866 

St. Marks (Taylor County portion)* 681 

 

State Areas 

Aquatic Preserves 

Big Bend Seagrasses (Taylor 545,000 

and Dixie County portion) 

St. Martins Marsh 23,000 

Florida Scenic Highways Miles

Old Florida Heritage Highway 48 

Greenways and Trails 

Palatka to Lake Butler Trail 

(Bradford and Union County 

Segment) 20 

Nature Coast Trail (Dixie and 

Gilchrist County segment) 23 

State Forests Acres

Big Shoals* 1,629 

Twin Rivers * 14,882 

State Parks 

Big Shoals 1,652 

Devil’s Millhopper 67 

Dudley Farm 327 

Econfina River 4,528 

Forest Capital 14 

Ichetucknee Springs 2,534 

Lafayette Blue Springs 195 

Madison Blue Spring 44 

Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings 72 

O’Leno 1,714 

Paynes Prairie 20,795 

Peacock Springs 278 

River Rise 4,482 

San Felasco Hammock 6,986 

Stephen Foster 846 

Troy Spring 78 

Suwannee River 1,934 

University of Florida Acres

Austin Cary Memorial Forest 2,083 

Water Management District Lands 

St. Johns River WMD 

Lochloosa * 10,333 

Longleaf Flatwoods 1,388 

Newnans Lake 6,504 

Suwannee River WMD 

47 Bridge 392 

Alapahoochee 1,075 

Allardt 443 

Allen Mill Pond 608 

Avoca 126 

Bay Creek 2,233 

Belmont 93 

Big Pine 128 

Blue Sink 710 

Branford Bend 1,025 

Cabbage Creek* 2,387 

Cabbage Grove* 2,047 

Camp Branch 200 

Christian 338 

Cuba Bay 1,988 

Cypress Creek * 1,328 

Cypress Creek South 21 

Duck Pond 151 

Falling Creek 504 

Falmouth Spring 276 

Fox Trail 199 

Gar Pond 877 

Goose Pasture* 1,060 

Hart Springs Estate 99 

Hartsfield 326 

Holton Creek* 2,531 

Hopewell 550 

Hunter Creek 276 

Jennings Bluff 500 

Jerry Branch 519 

Jones Mill Creek* 2,884 

Trail 170 

Suwannee River Wilderness Trail Miles

Table 4.3.3 

Major Outdoor Recreation Areas 

North Central Florida Region 

2007 

*Hunting managed by Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission as a wildlife management area.
4—28 

Outdoor Recreation in Florida, 2008 

*Hunting managed by Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission as a wildlife management area. 

Suwannee River WMD (continued) Acres

Shelly 812 

Sneads lake 150 

Steinhatchee Falls 1,766 

Steinhatchee Rise 3,559 

Steinhatchee Springs* 20,909 

Sugar Creek 670 

Sunnyvale 540 

Suwannee Springs 135 

Suwannee Street 624 

Swift Creek 319 

Trillium Slopes 60 

Troy Springs * 1,810 

Tyree 213 

White Springs 277 

Woods Ferry 1,094 

Wildlife Management Areas, 

Aucilla 1,000 

Big Bend 71,813 

Fort White* 1,329 

Grove Park* 19,637 

PotashCorp-White Springs* 2,000 

Raiford* 16,000 

San Pedro Bay* 21,760 

Suwannee Ridge* 1,425 

and Mitigation Parks 

Sapp Landing 433 

Wildlife Environmental Areas, 

Suwannee River WMD (continued) Acres

Lamont* 804 

Levings 193 

Lindsey 876 

Linville 173 

Little Creek 558 

Little River* 2,203 

Little Shoals 400 

Log Landing 1,147 

Mallory Swamp* 30,501 

Mattair Springs 1,188 

McAlpin 1,045 

Mt. Gilead* 2109 

Mud Swamp 837 

Natural Well Branch 3,713 

New Pine Landing 43 

Osteen 203 

Peacock Slough 1,174 

Purvis Landing 335 

R.O. Ranch 2,500 

Rocky Creek 251 

Ruth Springs 649 

Sandlin Bay* 4,128 

Santa Fe Swamp* 5,708 

 

Jones Mill Creek* 2,884 

Jerry Branch 519 

Jennings Bluff 500 

Table 4.3.3 

Major Outdoor Recreation Areas 

North Central Florida Region 

2007 

(continued) 

County Municipal

Areas Acres Areas Acres

Alachua 69 9,354 98 9,097 

Bradford 9 17 17 64 

Columbia 18 1,130 19 394 

Dixie 25 193 5 10 

Gilchrist 17 303 7 29 

Hamilton 13 64 6 19 

Lafayette 17 618 1 4 

Madison 13 222 7 45 

Suwannee 18 289 4 24 

Taylor 11 176 7 67 

Union 8 100 4 487 

Reported County and Municipal Areas 

*Hunting managed by Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission as a wildlife management area.

Suwannee River WMD (continued) Acres

Sneads Lake 150 

Steinhatchee Falls 1,766 

Steinhatchee Rise 3,559 

Steinhatchee Springs* 20,909 

Sugar Creek 670 

Sunnyvale 540 

Suwannee Springs 135 

Suwannee Street 624 

Swift Creek 319 

Trillium Slopes 60 

Troy Springs * 1,810 

Tyree 213 

White Springs 277 

Woods Ferry 1,094 

Wildlife Management Areas, 

Wildlife & Environmental Areas, 

and Mitigation Parks 

Aucilla (Taylor County portion)* 1,000 

Big Bend* 71,813 

Fort White 1,329 

Grove Park* 19,637 

PotashCorp-White Springs* 2,000 

Raiford* 16,000 

San Pedro Bay* 21,760 

Suwannee Ridge* 1,429 

 

Suwannee River WMD (continued) Acres

Lamont* 804 

Levings 193 

Lindsey 876 

Linville 173 

Little Creek 558 

Little River* 2,203 

Little Shoals 400 

Log Landing 1,147 

Mallory Swamp* 30,501 

Mattair Springs 1,188 

McAlpin 1,045 

Mt. Gilead* 2,109 

Mud Swamp 837 

Natural Well Branch 3,713 

New Pine Landing 43 

Osteen 203 

Peacock Slough 1,174 

Purvis Landing 335 

R.O. Ranch 2,500 

Rocky Creek 251 

Ruth Springs 649 

Sandlin Bay* 4,128 

Santa Fe Swamp* 5,708 

Sapp Landing 433 

Shelly 812 

Owens Spring 474 
4—29 

Outdoor Recreation in Florida, 2008 

Figure 4.4.1 

Public Conservation Lands 

Northeast Florida Region 

The Northeast Florida Region encompasses 

5,096 square miles in seven counties located across the Coastal Lowlands and 

Central Highlands. The coastal counties of 

Nassau, Duval, St. Johns and Flagler extend 

140 miles along the Atlantic Ocean from the 

Georgia border to the southern border of 

Flagler County. Five primary barrier islands 

offer miles of sandy beach access and vast 

marshlands, open water and small islands of 

coastal scrub and hammock vegetation. 
4—30 

Outdoor Recreation in Florida, 2008 

gion’s outstanding natural and cultural resources support excellent outdoor recreation 

opportunities, many of which are waterbased. 

 

Economy 

Consolidated Duval County/City of Jacksonville is one of the largest metropolitan areas 

in the United States, in terms of size. It is 

the economic engine for this region and its 

dynamic mix of business and industrial development is unique in Florida. Anchored by 

an excellent airport with extensive domestic 

flights and one of Florida’s busiest deepwater ports, this region continues to rely on a 

mix of natural resources, industrial development, military bases, history and culture, and 

a sophisticated hospitality infrastructure that 

is attractive to visitors. 

The region has a dynamic tourism industry. 

The success of tourism in this region is due 

to the amenities that a large metropolitan 

area can offer, such as downtown areas, 

sporting events, concerts, restaurants and 

special events. A large metropolitan area 

combined with nearby, yet isolated beaches, 

The inland counties of Baker, Clay and Putnam extend north to south along a central 

ridge of continuously high ground that straddles the boundary between the Northern 

Highland and the Trail Ridge physiographic 

regions. The Trail Ridge is a relict barrier 

island dominated by well-drained sandhill 

soils, remnants of a geological era when 

these areas formed the Atlantic coastline. 

The region is crisscrossed by rivers, creeks 

and blackwater streams, and its river basins 

were critical factors in shaping the state’s 

history and development. The region’s 

dominant system is the lower St. Johns 

River. The St. Johns, originating in central 

Florida, is the longest river lying completely 

within the state and flows northward for 310 

miles before emptying into the Atlantic 

Ocean at the town of Mayport. After merging with the Nassau River, it forms a vast 

and highly productive estuarine system of 

salt marshes and tidal creeks. The St. 

Mary’s River flows in a southerly and then 

eastern direction from the Okefenokee 

Swamp, dipping into Florida through Baker 

and Nassau counties before moving northward to form the state border and empty into 

the Atlantic at Kings Bay. The Northeast rePellicer Creek, St. Johns County 
4—31 

Outdoor Recreation in Florida, 2008 

range projections estimate 652,400 new 

residents by 2020, (a 52 percent increase 

from 2000), making this region one of the 

fastest-growing in Florida. Population density ranges from a low of 44 persons per 

square mile in Baker County to a high of 

1,160 persons per square mile in Duval 

County. Table 4.4.1 displays the current 

and projected population for the sevencounty area through 2020. 

 

world class golf courses and the largest river 

in Florida provide tourists and residents with 

a large variety of activities from which to 

choose. 

Demographics 

The Northeast region’s population represented eight percent of Florida’s total population in 2007, reaching 1.5 million. MidTimucuan Ecological and Historic Preserve, 

Nassau County 

Table 4.4.1 

Current and Projected Population 

Northeast Florida Region 

County 

Projections 

Percentage 

Change 

 2000 2007 2010 2015 2020 2000-2020 

Baker 22,259 25,623 26,400 28,400 30,200 35.7 

Clay 140,814 184,644 194,700 221,200 245,800 74.6 

Duval 778,879 897,597 922,800 989,900 1,051,800 35.0 

Flagler 49,832 93,568 103,500 129,400 153,800 208.6 

Nassau 57,663 69,569 72,500 80,100 87,200 51.2 

Putnam 70,423 74,799 75,800 78,400 80,800 14.7 

St. Johns 123,135 176,935 185,800 216,800 245,800 99.6 

Region Totals 1,243,005 1,522,735 1,581,500 1,744,200 1,895,400 52.5 

Source: University of Florida, Bureau of Economic and Business Research, 2008 
4—32 

Outdoor Recreation in Florida, 2008 

Outdoor Recreation Resources 

and Facilities 

More than 730,000 acres of public and private outdoor recreation land and water are 

located in the Northeast region. As shown in 

Figure 4.4.2, state agencies are the largest 

category of providers in terms of acreage, 

accounting for over 60 percent of all recreational acreage. Some 448,000 acres are 

provided at 76 separate areas, variously 

designated as state parks, state forests and 

wildlife management areas. These areas 

provide 19 miles of saltwater beach, 221,917 

acres of hunting lands, 263 miles of hiking 

trails, five freshwater piers and two saltwater 

piers. 

Federal agencies provide nearly 29 percent 

of the region’s recreational acreage, totaling 

212,295 acres, at seven primary management areas. The region contains portions of 

the Ocala and Osceola National Forests and 

the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge, as 

well as four units of the National Park SysCounty

1.1%

Municipal

4.7%

Non-Government

4.5%

State

60.9%

Federal

28.8%

Figure 4.4.2 

Outdoor Recreation Acreage by Category of Provider 

Northeast Florida Region 

Anastasia State Park, St. Johns County 
4—33 

Outdoor Recreation in Florida, 2008 

Golf Course, Duval County 

tem. Over half of the federally-administered 

acreage is available for public hunting. In 

addition to hunting, the federal agencies provide three freshwater piers, nine commemorative structures and 248 saltwater marina 

slips, among other facilities. 

County and municipal governments administer 42,433 acres of land and water at 895 

separate outdoor recreation areas. Useroriented activities are a major source of recreation for residents and tourists in the region. Local governments provide 94 percent 

of the baseball fields, 84 percent of the basketball goals and 92 percent of the football 

fields in the region. Local governments are 

the largest providers of many resourcebased facilities, including bicycle, jogging 

and nature trails, freshwater and saltwater 

boat ramps, and freshwater and saltwater 

shoreline fishing facilities. 

The private sector plays an important role as 

well. Private suppliers provide 205 recreation areas and 33,344 total acres. They account for 3,855 RV/trailer campsites, 590 

cabins and 384 tent campsites and supply 

more freshwater and saltwater marinas than 

any other category. In addition, 88 percent 

of the region’s golf courses are provided by 

the private sector. 

Table 4.4.2 shows the Northeast region’s 

outdoor recreation resource facilities by provider. Table 4.4.3 displays outdoor recreation opportunities provided or managed by 

national, state and municipal entities. 
4—34 

Outdoor Recreation in Florida, 2008 

RESOURCE/FACILITY UNITS Federal State County M unicipal Non-Government TOTAL

OUTDOOR RECREATION AREAS Areas 15 76 255 640 205 1,191

LAND Acres 258,205 345,556 7,971 33,982 31,992 677,706

WATER Acres 6,715 112,371 65 415 1,332 120,899

ACRES TOTAL Acres 251,490 458,927 8,036 34,397 33,344 786,194

RESOURCE-BASED

CABINS Cabins 0 16 34 5 590 645

TENT CAM PSITES Sites 88 514 182 134 384 1,302

RV CAM PSITES Sites 32 331 90 356 3,855 4,664

HISTORIC SITES Sites 246 51 13 24 9 343

COM M EM STRUCTURES Structures 9 4 0 9 1 23

M USEUM S M useums 5 12 8 16 17 58

PICNIC TABLES Tables 281 831 829 1,985 1,095 5,021

HUNTING AREAS Acres 123,477 221,917 0 2,896 0 348,290

BIKE TRAIL PAVED M iles 2.5 0.0 46.1 22.1 0.0 70.7

BIKE TRAIL UNPAVED M iles 1.2 138.0 22.5 64.2 2.0 227.9

CANOE TRAIL M iles 5.1 158.8 3.8 1.0 8.0 176.7

HIKING TRAIL M iles 44.2 263.6 54.4 72.7 18.7 453.6

EQUESTRIAN TRAIL M iles 0.0 136.3 33.5 32.3 5.0 207.1

JOGGING TRAIL M iles 5.5 5.0 26.8 60.1 3.5 100.9

OHV TRAIL M iles 0.0 192.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 192.0

NATURE TRAIL M iles 4.2 66.7 29.0 84.4 2.0 186.3

FRESHWATER BEACH M iles 0.0 0.1 0.1 0.5 0.7 1.4

FRESHWATER BOAT RAM PS Ramps 6 13 38 63 35 155

FRESHWATER BOAT RAM PS Lanes 7 15 45 67 42 176

FRESHWATER CATWALKS Catwalks 0 3 8 24 32 67

FRESHWATER CATWALKS Feet 0 1,740 1,411 2,518 2,827 8,496

FRESHWATER JETTIES Feet 0 0 0 0 0 0

FRESHWATER M ARINAS M arinas 0 0 3 4 47 54

FRESHWATER M ARINAS Slips 0 0 173 107 2,246 2,526

FRESHWATER PIERS Piers 3 5 19 26 11 64

FRESHWATER PIERS Feet 75 285 2,135 3,254 2,252 8,001

SALTWATER BEACH M iles 1.6 18.8 13.2 16.5 1.0 51.1

SALTWATER BOAT RAM PS Ramps 0 5 20 15 14 54

SALTWATER BOAT RAM PS Lanes 0 4 24 26 15 69

SALTWATER CATWALKS Catwalks 0 16 14 3 7 40

SALTWATER CATWALKS Feet 0 5,648 2,750 455 300 9,153

SALTWATER JETTIES Feet 1,250 6 50 5,000 0 6,306

SALTWATER M ARINAS M arinas 1 0 1 4 20 26

SALTWATER M ARINA SLIPS Slips 248 0 0 243 1,801 2,292

SALTWATER PIERS Piers 0 3 10 4 5 22

SALTWATER PIERS Feet 0 8,150 1,589 3,500 1,566 14,805

USER-ORIENTED

BASEBALL FIELDS Fields 16 6 235 318 12 587

BASKETBALL GOALS Goals 9 30 255 312 71 677

EQUIPPED PLAY AREAS Areas 22 10 130 275 31 468

FOOTBALL FIELDS Fields 3 3 64 94 7 171

GOLF COURSES, 18-HOLE Courses 1 0 0 6 53 60

GOLF COURSES, 9-HOLE Courses 3 0 3 3 4 13

GOLF COURSES, EXECUTIVE Courses 0 0 0 0 4 4

GOLF HOLES TOTAL Holes 45 0 27 135 1,029 1,236

M ULTI-USE COURTS Courts 0 2 3 16 5 26

M ULTI-USE FIELDS Fields 2 11 39 60 22 134

OUTDOOR SWIM M ING POOLS Pools 3 3 23 33 75 137

RACQUETBALL COURTS Courts 6 10 34 13 18 81

SHUFFLEBOARD COURTS Courts 0 0 5 50 46 101

TENNIS COURTS Courts 28 23 109 203 254 617

VOLLEYBALL COURTS Courts 1 3 31 23 3 61

Table 4.4.2

Outdoor Recreation Resources and Facilities by Category of Provider

Northeast Florida Region

2007
4—35 

Outdoor Recreation in Florida, 2008 

Table 4.4.3 

Major Outdoor Recreation Areas 

Northeast Florida Region 

2007 

Greenways and Trails (continued) Miles

Palatka to Lake Butler Trail (Putnam 

and Clay County Segment) 16 

State Forests Acres

Belmore 8,736 

Cary ** 13,044 

Etoniah Creek ** 8,702 

Four Creeks 10,616 

Jennings ** 23,995 

John Bethea** 37,736 

Matanzas ** 4,668 

Ralph E. Simmons ** 3,638 

Watson Island 506 

Welaka ** 2,288 

State Parks 

Amelia Island 230 

Anastasia 1,644 

Big Talbot Island 1,708 

Bulow Creek (Flagler County 

portion) 406 

Bulow Plantation Ruins 151 

Dunns Creek 6,235 

Faver-Dykes 6,046 

Fernandina Plaza 1 

Fort Clinch 1,436 

Fort George Island 659 

Fort Mose 41 

Gamble Rogers 134 

George Crady Bridge Fishing Pier 2 

Haw Creek (Flagler and Putnam 

County portion) 1,335 

Little Talbot Island 1,916 

Mike Roess Gold Head Branch 2,365 

Olustee Battlefield 691 

Pumpkin Hill Creek 3,967 

Ravine 146 

Federal Areas 

National Estuarine Research Reserves* Acres

Guana Tolomato Matanzas 55,000 

National Forests 

Ocala (Putnam County portion)** 23,622 

Osceola (Baker County portion)** 120,055 

National Parks 

Castillo San Marcos National 

Monument 25 

Fort Caroline National Monument 125 

Fort Matanzas National 

Monument 299 

Timucuan Ecological and Historic 

Preserve 46,000 

National Wildlife Refuges 

Okefenokee (Florida portion) 4,024 

State Areas 

Aquatic Preserves 

Fort Clinch 9,000 

Guana River 51,500 

Nassau River-St. Johns River 

Marshes 55,000 

Pellicer Creek 605 

Florida Scenic Highways Miles

A1A Scenic & Historic Coastal 

Byway 72 

Florida Black Bear Scenic Byway 

(Putnam County segment) 14 

William Bartram Scenic & 

Historic Trail 17 

Greenways and Trails Acres

Jacksonville-Baldwin Rail Trail 172 

Marjorie Harris Carr Cross 

Florida Greenway (Putnam 

County portion) 18,000 

West Jacksonville Greenway 

Connector 95 

* National Estuarine Research Reserves are designated by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and 

managed by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, Office of Coastal and Aquatic Managed Areas. 

**Hunting managed by Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission as a wildlife management area.
4—36 

Outdoor Recreation in Florida, 2008 

County Municipal

Areas Acres Areas Acres

Baker 12 1,672 3 12 

Clay 42 1,525 9 51 

Duval/City of Jacksonville 515 33,726 

Flagler 62 2,192 27 193 

Nassau 39 236 19 598 

Putnam 24 135 51 391 

St. Johns 76 1,650 16 99 

Reported County and Municipal Areas 

Table 4.4.3 

Major Outdoor Recreation Areas 

Northeast Florida Region 

2007 

(continued) 

**Hunting managed by Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission as a wildlife management area.

St. Johns River WMD (continued) Acres

Murphy Creek 1,842 

Pellicer Creek 3,865 

Rice Creek 4,202 

Stokes Landing 274 

Twelve Mile Swamp 378 

Wildlife Management Areas, 

Wildlife & Environmental Areas 

and Mitigation Parks 

Branan Field Mitigation Park 386 

Camp Blanding** 56,000 

Caravelle Ranch (Putnam County 13,373 

portion) 

Nassau** 13,892 

Relay** 19,672 

Twelve Mile Swamp** 19,696 

Guana River** 9,815 

State Parks (continued) Acres

Washington Oaks 426 

Yellow Bluff Fort 2 

University of Florida 

Ordway-Swisher Preserve 9,100 

Water Management District Lands 

St. Johns River WMD 

Bayard** 10,320 

Black Creek Ravines 965 

Crescent Lake (Flagler County 4,529 

portion) 

Deep Creek North 4,483 

Dunns Creek** 3,182 

Graham Swamp 3,084 

Julington-Durbin Creek 2,006 

Moses Creek 2,042 

 
4—37 

Outdoor Recreation in Florida, 2008 

Although the region has some 106 miles of

coastline, it has only 4.2 miles of sandy 

beach fronting on the Gulf of Mexico, of 

which less than one-half mile is available for 

public recreation. What the region lacks in 

naturally occurring saltwater beach resources is made up for by its extremely diverse coastal and aquatic areas, which are 

among the most remote and pristine in Florida. These resources and others in the region provide excellent opportunities for 

many outdoor recreation activities including 

camping, hiking, hunting, horseback riding, 

birdwatching, fishing, boating, diving and 

swimming. 

Withlacoochee Region 

TheWithlacoochee Region in west central 

Florida encompasses 5,017 square miles. It 

is comprised of five counties and 21 incorporated municipalities. The coastal areas of 

Citrus, Hernando and Levy counties are predominantly lowlands consisting of intermittent swamps, saltwater marshes and islands 

along the Gulf of Mexico. The inland portions of these counties and the landlocked 

counties of Marion and Sumter feature gently rolling hills covered with woodlands, agricultural areas, freshwater lakes, rivers and 

springs. 

Figure 4.5.1 

Public Conservation Lands 
4—38 

Outdoor Recreation in Florida, 2008 

Nature-based tourism is a major component 

of the region’s economy and relies heavily 

on its resource-based public outdoor recreation lands. Major recreation resources in the 

region consist of state parks and forests, a 

portion of the Ocala National Forest and the 

wildlife-rich coastal areas. Visitors can easily access the region through Interstate 75 

and major federal and state highways. 

Economy 

Rapid population growth is the primary factor 

in the region’s economy. In-migration has 

not only changed the character of the region, 

but has also altered its economic base. 

Many traditional natural resource-based jobs 

in agriculture, fishing, forestry and mining 

have been displaced over several decades, 

and today the economy is dominated by services and retail trade. Marion County, 

known as “the horse capital of the world”, 

has more horses than any other county in 

the United States, with 45 to 50 different 

breeds represented in the area. Nearly 

29,000 residents are employed in the 

county’s thoroughbred and equestrian industry. In addition, the development of large 

retirement communities has brought new 

growth to the area, but at a cost of placing 

increasingly greater demands on local governments for public services of all types. 

 

Private Hunting Land, Levy County 

Cross Florida Greenway Land Bridge, Marion County 
4—39 

Outdoor Recreation in Florida, 2008 

the region’s population, while the statewide 

percentage of this age category is 17 percent. Population density ranges from 36 

people per square mile in rural Levy County 

to 339 people per square mile in Hernando 

County. Table 4.5.1 displays current and 

projected population for the region through 

the year 2020. 

Demographics 

In 2007, population in the five-county region 

reached 757,000, or four percent of Florida’s 

population. Projections estimate 979,000 

residents by 2020, a 64 percent increase 

from the 2000 census. Persons aged 65 

and older make up more than 25 percent of 

Ocala National Forest, Marion County 

Table 4.5.1 

Current and Projected Population 

Withlacoochee Region 

County 

Projections 

Percentage 

Change 

 2000 2007 2010 2015 2020 2000-2020 

Citrus 118,085 140,024 145,000 158,200 170,300 44.2 

Hernando 130,802 162,193 169,100 187,800 205,100 56.8 

Levy 34,450 40,045 41,400 45,200 48,600 41.1 

Marion 258,916 325,023 340,500 381,400 419,300 61.9 

Sumter 53,345 89,771 97,400 117,400 136,100 155.1 

Region Totals 595,598 757,056 793,400 890,000 979,400 64.4 

Source: University of Florida, Bureau of Economic and Business Research, 2008 
4—40 

Outdoor Recreation in Florida, 2008 

State

70.1%

County

0.9% Municipal

0.2%

Non-Government

1.7%

Federal

27.0%

that comprise the Withlacoochee State Forest. They also include Marion County’s portion of the Ocala National Forest, the Cedar 

Keys, Chassahowitzka, Crystal River and 

Lower Suwannee National Wildlife Refuges 

and many state parks, preserves, wildlife 

management areas and aquatic preserves. 

The Marjorie Harris Carr Cross Florida 

Greenway, another of the region’s major outdoor recreation resources, connects Ocala 

National Forest to the Gulf of Mexico. Significant historic resources exist at Dade Battlefield and Yulee Sugar Mill Ruins Historic 

State Parks and at many state and local museums. 

Over one million acres of land and water are 

available for outdoor recreation in the Withlacoochee Region. As shown in Figure 

4.5.2, 98 percent of the region’s outdoor recreation acreage is supplied by public agencies. Federally-provided outdoor recreation 

sites make up 27 percent of the region’s total 

supply of outdoor recreation land and water. 

Nearly 300,000 acres of hunting land are 

provided within the region’s national forests 

and wildlife refuges. Federal agencies are 

Outdoor Recreation Resources 

and Facilities 

The freshwater resources of the Withlacoochee Region include more than 800 

lakes and rivers of various sizes. Lakes in 

the region may be small enough to swim 

across or large enough to support power 

boats, water skiing and sailing. The Tsala 

Apopka chain of lakes near Inverness links 

several large lakes and marshes into a continuous body of water more than 20 miles in 

length. Nine first magnitude springs are 

found in the region. Eight of these are contained in federal or state outdoor recreation 

areas. Silver Springs, in Ocala, is among 

the largest and most famous in the United 

States. The region lacks the saltwater 

beach resources of other regions in Florida, 

with less than one-half mile of beach in public and private outdoor recreation areas. 

Nevertheless, the numerous islands and 

miles of coastal shoreline offer a full range of 

other saltwater recreation opportunities. 

Large-scale outdoor recreation resources in 

the region include most of the seven tracts 

Figure 4.5.2 

Outdoor Recreation Acreage by Category of Provider 

Withlacoochee Region 
4—41 

Outdoor Recreation in Florida, 2008 

vide virtually all the opportunities for useroriented types of recreation. Local governments provide a combined total of 330 recreation sites containing more than 13,500 

acres. These provide 289 public baseball/softball fields, 454 basketball goals, 97 

football fields and 145 tennis courts. Local 

agencies are the region’s largest provider of 

jogging trails and freshwater and saltwater 

shoreline fishing facilities. 

The private sector provides only 1.7 percent 

of the total recreation acreage of the region, 

but nearly one-third of all recreation areas. 

In addition, commercial businesses provide 

the majority of the region’s camping, picnicking, freshwater boating, fishing and golf 

courses. A total of 645 cabins, 12,221 

campsites, 60 freshwater boat ramps and 

1,267 freshwater marina slips are provided 

by private commercial operations. 

also major providers of canoe trails, 

RV/trailer camping and shoreline fishing facilities. 

As shown in Figure 4.5.2, state agencies are 

the largest provider of outdoor recreation 

acreage, supplying 70 percent of the total 

acreage in the region. State agencies are 

the largest public provider of tent camping, 

RV/trailer camping, hunting and recreational 

trails. Residents and visitors can access 

374 miles of hiking trails, 259 miles of unpaved bicycle trails, 170 miles of equestrian 

trails and 30 miles of OHV trails on lands 

managed by state agencies. 

The Withlacoochee Region’s county and 

municipal governments play an important 

role in providing recreation opportunities. As 

in other regions, the local governments proChassahowitzka River Campground and Recreation Area, Citrus County 
4—42 

Outdoor Recreation in Florida, 2008 

RESOURCE/FACILITY UNITS Federal State County M unicipal Non-Government TOTAL

OUTDOOR RECREATION AREAS Areas 6 68 214 116 187 591

LAND Acres 315,619 519,499 9,561 2,589 20,922 868,190

WATER Acres 15,150 341,675 1,383 57 193 358,458

ACRES TOTAL Acres 330,769 861,179 10,944 2,646 21,140 1,226,678

RESOURCE-BASED

CABINS Cabins 2 23 4 0 645 674

TENT CAM PSITES Sites 85 403 221 0 2,614 3,323

RV CAM PSITES Sites 400 514 113 0 9,607 10,634

HISTORIC SITES Sites 3 57 6 18 7 91

COM M EM STRUCTURES Structures 0 3 7 0 1 11

M USEUM S M useums 0 17 4 0 6 27

PICNIC TABLES Tables 77 555 887 419 5,315 7,253

HUNTING AREAS Acres 274,629 287,355 3,400 0 0 565,384

BIKE TRAIL PAVED M iles 0.0 60.9 19.3 4.1 15.0 99.3

BIKE TRAIL UNPAVED M iles 1.9 259.0 35.6 16.6 1.0 314.1

CANOE TRAIL M iles 54.0 210.0 31.5 0.0 18.0 313.5

HIKING TRAIL M iles 62.4 373.9 67.7 13.4 47.0 564.4

EQUESTRIAN TRAIL M iles 102.0 169.8 17.3 15.0 4.0 308.1

JOGGING TRAIL M iles 0.0 14.7 50.7 15.3 0.5 81.2

OHV TRAIL M iles 157.0 30.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 187.0

NATURE TRAIL M iles 1.4 172.8 47.6 15.5 22.0 259.3

FRESHWATER BEACH M iles 0.2 0.2 0.3 0.1 0.8 1.6

FRESHWATER BOAT RAM PS Ramps 17 20 48 6 60 151

FRESHWATER BOAT RAM PS Lanes 18 22 58 7 63 168

FRESHWATER CATWALKS Catwalks 1 4 19 5 46 75

FRESHWATER CATWALKS Feet 300 867 1,309 1,050 5,355 8,881

FRESHWATER JETTIES Feet 0 0 0 0 5 5

FRESHWATER M ARINAS M arinas 1 0 0 0 45 46

FRESHWATER M ARINAS Slips 12 19 0 0 1,267 1,298

FRESHWATER PIERS Piers 2 3 15 4 10 34

FRESHWATER PIERS Feet 200 1,150 712 818 1,575 4,455

SALTWATER BEACH M iles 0.0 0.0 0.3 0.1 0.0 0.4

SALTWATER BOAT RAM PS Ramps 1 0 15 2 2 20

SALTWATER BOAT RAM PS Lanes 1 0 19 2 2 24

SALTWATER CATWALKS Catwalks 0 0 4 0 4 8

SALTWATER CATWALKS Feet 0 0 1,020 0 0 1,020

SALTWATER JETTIES Feet 0 0 1,830 0 0 1,830

SALTWATER M ARINAS M arinas 0 0 1 1 4 6

SALTWATER M ARINA SLIPS Slips 0 6 39 2 76 123

SALTWATER PIERS Piers 2 0 5 0 2 9

SALTWATER PIERS Feet 800 0 1,115 0 120 2,035

USER-ORIENTED

BASEBALL FIELDS Fields 0 5 169 120 13 307

BASKETBALL GOALS Goals 0 3 367 87 25 482

EQUIPPED PLAY AREAS Areas 0 7 130 54 38 229

FOOTBALL FIELDS Fields 0 0 76 21 4 101

GOLF COURSES, 18-HOLE Courses 0 0 0 2 46 48

GOLF COURSES, 9-HOLE Courses 0 0 0 2 9 11

GOLF COURSES, EXECUTIVE Courses 0 0 0 0 4 4

GOLF HOLES TOTAL Holes 0 0 0 54 648 702

M ULTI-USE COURTS Courts 0 0 28 14 7 49

M ULTI-USE FIELDS Fields 0 2 80 20 14 116

OUTDOOR SWIM M ING POOLS Pools 0 2 5 3 77 87

RACQUETBALL COURTS Courts 0 8 48 32 10 98

SHUFFLEBOARD COURTS Courts 0 3 37 49 145 234

TENNIS COURTS Courts 0 15 78 67 64 224

VOLLEYBALL COURTS Courts 0 3 24 7 8 42

Table 4.5.2

Outdoor Recreation Resources and Facilities by Category of Provider

Withlacoochee Region

2007
4—43 

Outdoor Recreation in Florida, 2008 

Table 4.5.3 

Major Outdoor Recreation Areas 

Withlacoochee Region 

2007 

*Hunting managed by Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission as a wildlife management area.

Federal Areas 

National Forests Acres

Ocala (Marion 

National Wildlife Refuges 

Cedar Keys 891 

Chasshowitzka* 31,000 

Crystal River 80 

Lower Suwannee River (Levy 

County portion)* 23,353 

State Areas 

Aquatic Preserves 

Oklawaha River 4,600 

Rainbow Springs 125 

St. Martins Marsh 23,000 

Florida Scenic Highways Miles

Florida Black Bear Scenic Byway 

(Marion County segment) 44 

Suncoast Scenic Parkway 

Greenways and Trails Acres

Marjorie Harris Carr Cross 40,178 

Florida Greenway (Marion 

County segment)* 

General James A. Van Fleet Trail 

(Sumter County segment) 4 

Nature Coast Trail (Levy County 

segment) 9 

Withlacoochee Trail (Citrus and 44 

State Forests Acres

Goethe * 51,851 

Ross Prairie * 3,527 

Withlacoochee * 97,333 

State Parks 

Cedar Key Museum 13 

Big Bend Seagrasses 300,000 

Cedar Key Scrub* 5,022 

Crystal River Archaeological Site 62 

Crystal River 25,355 

Dade Battlefield 81 

County portion)* 275,600 

(Hernando County segment) 21 

Miles

Hernando County segment) 

Indian Lake 4,461 

State Parks (continued) Acres

Fanning Springs 198 

Fort Cooper 738 

Homosassa Springs 200 

Manatee Springs 2,443 

Rainbow Springs 1,472 

Silver River 4,230 

Waccasassa Bay 34,099 

Yulee Sugar Mill Ruins 5 

Water Management District Lands 

St. Johns River WMD 

Ocklawaha Prairie 6,077 

Orange Creek * 3,512 

Sunnyhill 4,405 

Southwest Florida WMD 

Annutteliga Hammock 2,200 

Chassahowitzka River and 5,676 

Coastal Swamp 

Flying Eagle* 10,950 

Green Swamp-East Tract* 27,488 

(Sumter County portion) 

Halpata Tastanaki 8,146 

Lake Panasoffkee* 9,911 

Panasoffkee Outlet 1,118 

Potts* 8,500 

Weekiwachee 11,206 

Suwannee River WMD 

Devil's Hammock* 7,636 

Wildlife Management Areas, 

Wildlife & Environmental Areas 

and Mitigation Parks 

Andrews * 3,800 

Caravelle Ranch (Marion County 

portion)* 13,422 

Chassahowitzka* 33,919 

Chinsegut 828 

Half Moon* 9,480 

Fort McCoy* 8,688 

Gulf Hammock* 24,625 

Perry Oldenburg 368 

 
4—44 

Outdoor Recreation in Florida, 2008 

Table 4.5.3 

Major Outdoor Recreation Areas 

Withlacoochee Region 

2007 

(continued)

Reported County and Municipal Areas 

County Municipal

Areas Acres Areas Acres

Citrus 66 1,558 23 303 

Hernando 40 1,727 1 88 

Levy 17 3,679 26 914 

Marion 72 2,583 50 1,130 

Sumter 19 1,393 16 210 

Silver Springs, Marion County 
4—45 

Outdoor Recreation in Florida, 2008 

northern border of Indian River County. Barrier islands and coastal lowlands define the 

coastal portions of the region, offering miles 

of sandy beach access on the Atlantic and 

thousands of acres of marshlands and open 

water in the region’s tidal lagoons. Separating the mainland of Brevard County from the 

barrier islands, the Indian River Lagoon is 

East Central Florida Region 

The East Central Florida Region contains six 

counties and 67 municipalities spanning 

more than 7,000 square miles. The coastal 

counties of Volusia and Brevard extend 120 

miles along the Atlantic Ocean from the 

southern border of Flagler County to the 

Figure 4.6.1 

Public Conservation Lands 
4—46 

Outdoor Recreation in Florida, 2008 

The tourism infrastructure in the East Central region is the major source of employment and earnings. The region is best 

known for the major attractions that are centered around the Orlando-Kissimmee-St. 

Cloud area. It is also home to Florida’s 

Space Coast and the city that is synonymous with space exploration and technology, Cape Canaveral. Daytona Beach, 

world famous for its wide beach, is also a 

center for automobile and motorcycle racing. 

The East Central region contains more than 

2,000 square miles of public conservation 

land. These areas play an increasingly important role in the region’s tourism-based 

economy and quality of life. This network of 

land protects watersheds and maritime areas, sustains native plants and animal species, and connects wildlife corridors. It not 

only expands outdoor recreational activities 

for the region’s population, but also stimulates nature and heritage based tourism. 

the most biologically diverse estuary in North 

America. The inland counties of Lake, Orange, Osceola and Seminole contain forests 

and prairies, lakes, streams and rivers 

where one can view ancient cypress and 

oaks, abundant native wildlife and Native 

American mounds, among many other diverse resources. The headwaters of the St. 

Johns, Tomoka, Kissimmee, Wekiva and 

Palatlakaha Rivers offer abundant freshwater outdoor recreation opportunities. 

Economy 

The economic base of the East Central region is a mix of tourism, agriculture, technology and services. Theme parks and sunshine have made the greater Orlando area 

famous as a world-class travel destination. 

The Orlando International Airport, a major 

global hub, handles millions of passengers 

each year who visit the region’s naturebased recreation features, man-made attractions and cruise ships. 

Lake Louisa State Park, Lake County 
4—47 

Outdoor Recreation in Florida, 2008 

Demographics 

In 2007, the East Central region’s population 

of 3.1 million comprised 17 percent of Florida’s total population. Estimates predict 1.4 

million new residents by 2020, a 54 percent 

increase from 2000 census figures. Population densities range from a low of 201 persons per square mile in Osceola County to a 

high of 1,381 persons per square mile in 

Seminole County. Table 4.6.1 displays 

population and projected growth for the six 

counties from the 2000 census and estimates through 2020. 

Agriculture remains an important factor in 

the economy of the region. Cattle and sod 

farms still predominate much of the landscapes of interior counties. Ornamental 

nurseries are a major activity as well. Until 

the devastating freezes of the late 1980s, the 

rolling hills of the region were covered in citrus groves. Today, most of the citrus acreage has been replanted for silviculture or is 

in the process of residential and commercial 

development. 

 

Table 4.6.1 

Current and Projected Population 

East Central Florida Region 

County 

Projections 

Percentage 

Change 

2000 2007 2010 2015 2020 2000-2020 

Brevard 476,230 552,109 568,500 612,700 653,300 37.2 

Lake 210,527 286,499 303,500 347,900 389,500 85.0 

Orange 896,344 1,105,603 1,154,200 1,282,200 1,401,200 56.3 

Osceola 172,493 266,123 287,500 343,200 395,500 129.3 

Seminole 365,199 425,698 439,200 475,400 508,700 39.3 

Volusia 443,343 508,014 522,500 561,000 596,500 34.5 

Region Totals 2,564,136 3,144,046 3,275,400 3,622,400 3,944,700 53.8 

Source: University of Florida, Bureau of Economic and Business Research, 2008 

Bull Creek Wildlife Management Area, Osceola County 
4—48 

Outdoor Recreation in Florida, 2008 

State

58.8%

County

4.5% Municipal

2.0%

Non-Government

4.1%

Federal

30.6%

Figure 4.6.2 

Outdoor Recreation Acreage by Category of Provider 

East Central Florida Region 

in providing outdoor recreation acreage in the 

region, second only to the Southwest Florida 

Region in terms of total acreage provided. 

The federal government provides more than 

360,000 acres of land and water distributed 

among 12 major outdoor recreation areas. Of 

the federal lands, 33 percent is available for 

public hunting. Merritt Island National Wildlife 

Refuge, the largest managed area in the region, provides more than 138,000 acres of 

land and water. The federal category is also 

the largest single provider of saltwater 

beaches in the region, supplying more than 

30 miles. 

State agencies together provide the largest 

percentage of outdoor recreation lands in the 

region, accounting for over 58 percent of all 

outdoor recreation acreage and close to 

700,000 total acres. The state supplies miles 

of unpaved bicycle, equestrian, hiking and 

canoe trails. State agencies also provide 

nearly 85 percent of the total hunting lands in 

the region. 

Outdoor Recreation Resources 

and Facilities 

East Central Florida’s topography, water resources and vegetation provide a diverse 

contrast in outdoor recreation resources. 

The region’s principal rivers - the St. Johns 

and Kissimmee - and their major and minor 

tributaries provide an abundance of riverrelated recreation opportunities. The region’s more than 100 miles of Atlantic 

beaches and vast coastal lagoon systems 

provide extensive saltwater recreational opportunities. The region’s large tracts of wet 

and dry prairie and the scrub communities of 

the Lake Wales Ridge provide many excellent areas for wildlife-related outdoor recreation. 

Nearly 1.2 million acres of public and private 

conservation and recreation lands are available for outdoor recreation in the region. 

Public agencies provide 96 percent of the 

outdoor recreation acreage, with state agencies providing the largest share. The private 

sector also plays an extremely important role 
4—49 

Outdoor Recreation in Florida, 2008 

Table 4.6.2 displays East Central Florida’s 

outdoor recreation resources by category of 

provider. Table 4.6.3 lists the major outdoor 

recreation areas provided or managed by 

national, state and municipal agencies. 

East Central Florida’s county and municipal 

governments provide nearly 1,500 parks and 

recreation sites and six percent of the total 

outdoor recreation acreage in the region. 

Cities and counties are the largest providers 

of facilities for freshwater and saltwater 

shoreline fishing and recreational boating 

access. They also provide the majority of 

recreational trails for nature study, bicycling, 

jogging and horseback riding. 

The private sector provides four percent of 

the region’s total outdoor recreation lands. 

Private suppliers provide the most tent and 

RV/trailer campsites. As seen in other regions of the state, the private sector also 

provides the vast majority of freshwater and 

saltwater marinas. 

Lake Norris, Lake County 
4—50 

Outdoor Recreation in Florida, 2008 

RESOURCE/FACILITY UNITS Federal State County M unicipal Non-Government TOTAL

OUTDOOR RECREATION AREAS Areas 12 120 601 882 449 2,064

LAND Acres 180,887 599,346 49,794 21,917 45,268 897,212

WATER Acres 182,723 91,915 3,475 2,363 2,981 283,456

ACRES TOTAL Acres 363,609 691,261 53,268 24,281 48,266 1,180,686

RESOURCE-BASED

CABINS Cabins 2 35 0 5 505 547

TENT CAM PSITES Sites 129 685 417 521 2,795 4,547

RV CAM PSITES Sites 145 362 653 32 33,911 35,103

HISTORIC SITES Sites 94 48 38 32 83 295

COM M EM STRUCTURES Structures 0 0 4 26 12 42

M USEUM S M useums 3 6 20 18 47 94

PICNIC TABLES Tables 182 657 4,210 3,125 17,769 25,943

HUNTING AREAS Acres 60,668 363,763 5,000 0 0 429,431

BIKE TRAIL PAVED M iles 0.0 53.7 109.0 76.8 0.0 239.5

BIKE TRAIL UNPAVED M iles 40.0 249.7 126.2 32.6 13.7 462.2

CANOE TRAIL M iles 15.5 101.0 46.0 0.2 81.0 243.7

HIKING TRAIL M iles 60.2 495.8 290.5 42.2 35.4 924.1

EQUESTRIAN TRAIL M iles 12.2 249.7 201.6 20.4 45.7 529.6

JOGGING TRAIL M iles 0.0 64.2 129.2 96.3 23.9 313.6

OHV TRAIL M iles 0.0 16.0 0.0 0.1 0.0 16.1

NATURE TRAIL M iles 25.7 51.0 197.6 68.6 64.4 407.3

FRESHWATER BEACH M iles 0.2 0.1 4.9 1.9 2.5 9.5

FRESHWATER BOAT RAM PS Ramps 7 34 84 70 96 291

FRESHWATER BOAT RAM PS Lanes 10 27 114 88 106 345

FRESHWATER CATWALKS Catwalks 0 4 43 62 48 157

FRESHWATER CATWALKS Feet 0 460 26,760 16,667 6,508 50,395

FRESHWATER JETTIES Feet 0 50 900 8,926 1,051 10,927

FRESHWATER M ARINAS M arinas 0 0 1 3 112 116

FRESHWATER M ARINAS Slips 0 62 6 214 3,452 3,734

FRESHWATER PIERS Piers 1 7 36 62 22 128

FRESHWATER PIERS Feet 50 352 3,197 7,714 5,788 17,101

SALTWATER BEACH M iles 30.6 4.0 14.8 3.3 0.4 53.1

SALTWATER BOAT RAM PS Ramps 12 5 27 41 31 116

SALTWATER BOAT RAM PS Lanes 16 6 45 47 42 156

SALTWATER CATWALKS Catwalks 32 2 17 42 6 99

SALTWATER CATWALKS Feet 7,277 88 19,962 8,604 1,250 37,181

SALTWATER JETTIES Feet 0 500 0 0 650 1,150

SALTWATER M ARINAS M arinas 3 0 1 2 54 60

SALTWATER M ARINA SLIPS Slips 373 29 92 592 3,033 4,119

SALTWATER PIERS Piers 3 5 27 24 6 65

SALTWATER PIERS Feet 284 876 4,325 3,928 2,560 11,973

USER-ORIENTED

BASEBALL FIELDS Fields 9 12 328 429 42 820

BASKETBALL GOALS Goals 24 6 666 536 136 1,368

EQUIPPED PLAY AREAS Areas 16 9 308 419 103 855

FOOTBALL FIELDS Fields 6 9 144 125 25 309

GOLF COURSES, 18-HOLE Courses 1 1 2 10 100 114

GOLF COURSES, 9-HOLE Courses 0 0 0 1 14 15

GOLF COURSES, EXECUTIVE Courses 0 0 1 0 16 17

GOLF HOLES TOTAL Holes 18 18 54 189 1,827 2,106

M ULTI-USE COURTS Courts 0 4 28 86 35 153

M ULTI-USE FIELDS Fields 2 3 151 95 45 296

OUTDOOR SWIM M ING POOLS Pools 3 7 14 49 246 319

RACQUETBALL COURTS Courts 8 33 90 140 43 314

SHUFFLEBOARD COURTS Courts 3 26 59 478 427 993

TENNIS COURTS Courts 8 54 265 475 493 1,295

VOLLEYBALL COURTS Courts 0 11 57 51 10 129

Table 4.6.2

Outdoor Recreation Resources and Facilities by Category of Provider

East Central Florida Region

2007
4—51 

Outdoor Recreation in Florida, 2008 

*Hunting managed by Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission as a wildlife management area. 

Federal Areas 

National Forests Acres

Ocala (Lake County portion)* 84,361 

National Parks 

Canaveral National Seashore 57,627 

National Wildlife Refuges 

Archie Carr (Brevard County 

portion) 230 

Lake Woodruff* 21,800 

Merritt Island* 138,263 

St. Johns 6,255 

National Wild and Scenic Rivers Miles

Wekiva River 41.6 

 

State Areas 

Aquatic Preserves Acres

Banana River 29,899 

Indian River Lagoon 27,966 

Mosquito Lagoon 36,000 

Tomoka Marsh 8,000 

Wekiva River 19,000 

Florida Scenic Highways Miles

Florida Black Bear Scenic Byway 

(Lake and Volusia segments) 58 

Green Mountain Scenic Byway 20 

Indian River Lagoon Scenic 166 

Highway 

Ormond Scenic Loop and Trail 34 

Greenways and Trails 

General James A. Van Fleet Trail 

(Lake County segment) 14 

State Forests Acres

Holopaw 58 

Lake George* 21,176 

Little Big Econ* 10,236 

Seminole* 27,064 

Tiger Bay* 27,396 

State Parks 

Addison Blockhouse 6 

Blue Spring 2,644 

Bulow Creek (Volusia portion) 4,715 

State Parks (continued) Acres

De Leon Springs 606 

Haw Creek (Volusia portion) 1,727 

Hontoon Island 1,648 

Indian River Lagoon 502 

Kissimmee Prairie (Osceola 

County portion) 520 

Lake Griffin 559 

Lake Kissimmee 5,934 

Lake Louisa 4,408 

Lower Wekiva River 17,405 

North Peninsula 564 

Rock Springs Run* 13,717 

Sebastian Inlet (Brevard County 541 

portion) 

St. Sebastian River (Brevard 

County portion) 10,465 

Tomoka 1,497 

Wekiwa Springs 7,737 

Water Management Districts Lands 

St. Johns WMD 

Buck Lake* 9,638 

Bull Creek* 23,470 

Canaveral Marshes 6,741 

Clark Bay* 4,793 

Emeralda Marsh* 7,089 

Heart Island* 12,082 

Lake Apopka Restoration Area 19,825 

Lake George* 11,973 

Lake Jesup 5,257 

Lake Norris 2,352 

Pine Island 850 

River Lakes* 36,156 

Seminole Ranch* 29,145 

Three Forks Marsh* 53,112 

Wekiva River Buffer 2,570 

Wiregrass Prairie 1,401 

Table 4.6.3 

Major Outdoor Recreation Areas 

East Central Florida Region 

2007 
4—52 

Outdoor Recreation in Florida, 2008 

 County Municipal

Areas Acres Areas Acres

Brevard 247 12,014 184 1,619 

Lake 45 713 103 1,055 

Orange 92 16,211 246 5,926 

Osceola 64 2,129 28 336 

Seminole 37 6,131 84 1,048 

Volusia 116 16,068 237 14,342 

Reported County and Municipal Areas 

Table 4.6.3 

Major Outdoor Recreation Areas 

East Central Florida Region 

2007 

(continued)

University of Central Florida, Orange County 

South Florida WMD 

Lower Reedy Creek (Osceola 5,039 

Shingle Creek 1,650 

Upper Reedy Creek 4,070 

Southwest Florida WMD Acres

Green Swamp-Little 

Withlacoochee Tract* 37,545 

County portion)* 

Wildlife Management Areas, 

Wildlife & Environmental Areas 

and Mitigation Parks Acres

Hilochee (Lake County portion)* 6,246 

Prairie Lakes Unit - Three Lakes* 8,859 

Salt Lake* 7,800 

Split Oak 1,689 

Three Lakes* 52,976 

Tosohatchee* 30,701 

Triple N Ranch* 15,391 

*Hunting managed by Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission as a wildlife management area.
4—53 

Outdoor Recreation in Florida, 2008 

Central Florida Region 

The Central Florida Region is the only one 

of the 11 planning regions with no coastal 

border and its outdoor recreation profile reflects this key distinction. The region encompasses 5,286 square miles and contains five counties and 25 municipalities. 

The physiographic spine of the region is the 

Lake Wales Ridge, which contains prime 

examples of many highly imperiled ecosystems, imperiled plant and animal species, 

and numerous large freshwater lakes. The 

Green Swamp in the northwestern part of 

the region forms the headwaters of five river 

systems and is the primary recharge area for 

the Floridan Aquifer in central Florida. The 

Kissimmee River and Lake Okeechobee are 

the region’s other principal hydrological features, both of which play an important role in 

providing outdoor recreation opportunities. 

Figure 4.7.1 

Public Conservation Lands 
4—54 

Outdoor Recreation in Florida, 2008 

location in the heart of the Interstate 4 corridor between Tampa and Orlando makes it 

an attractive location for many transportation-related industries. Hardee, DeSoto, 

Highlands and Okeechobee counties have 

been designated as “Rural Areas of Critical 

Economic Concern” to encourage economic 

development in the area. 

Economy 

The Central region remains largely rural in 

character. Agriculture, cattle production and 

phosphate mining represent the backbone of 

the regional economy. Most of the phosphate mining in the United States is conducted in the region. Polk County is the exception to the rural pattern of the region. Its 

Highlands Hammock State Park, Highlands County 
4—55 

Outdoor Recreation in Florida, 2008 

2000. Population density ranges from 43 

persons per square mile in Hardee County 

to 310 persons per square mile in the more 

urbanized Polk County. Table 4.7.1 displays 

the population for the five-county area and 

projections through 2020. 

Demographics 

The region contained 4.2 percent of Florida’s 

total population in 2007. Projections are for 

275,000 new residents to migrate to the region by 2020, a 41 percent increase from 

Fort Fraser Trail, Polk County 

Table 4.7.1 

Current and Projected Population 

Central Florida Region 

County 

Projections 

Percentage 

Change 

 2000 2007 2010 2015 2020 2000-2020 

DeSoto 32,209 33,983 34,700 37,500 39,200 21.7 

Hardee 26,938 27,520 27,700 28,300 28,700 6.5 

Highlands 87,366 98,727 101,600 109,400 116,500 33.3 

Okeechobee 35,910 39,030 39,700 41,500 43,100 20.0 

Polk 483,924 581,058 602,500 660,500 713,900 47.5 

Region Totals 666,347 780,318 806,200 877,200 941,400 41.3 

Source: University of Florida, Bureau of Economic and Business Research, 2008 
4—56 

Outdoor Recreation in Florida, 2008 

Federal

26.6%

State

52.6%

Non-Government

9.4%

Municipal

0.7%

County

10.6%

Peace and Kissimmee Rivers and Lakes 

Okeechobee, Arbuckle and Istokpoga. 

These waters support an outstanding freshwater fishery that attracts fishermen and 

other sportsmen from across the United 

States. The Peace River winds 67 miles 

Outdoor Recreation Resources 

and Facilities 

Central Florida’s landscapes provide a rich 

diversity of natural resources that support an 

abundance of high quality outdoor recreation 

opportunities. Particularly important are the 

region’s rivers and lakes - including the 

Figure 4.7.2 

Outdoor Recreation Acreage by Category of Provider 

Central Florida Region 

Peace River, Hardee County 
4—57 

Outdoor Recreation in Florida, 2008 

Private Fish Camp, Polk County 

Private sector providers (commercial, club 

and non-profit organizations) supply nearly 

39,000 acres of outdoor recreation land and 

water in the region. In this regard, they play 

a more significant role in providing outdoor 

recreation here than in any other region of 

the state. In addition, this category provides 

119 of the 139 outdoor swimming pools, 981 

of the 1,053 golf courses and 1,054 of the 

1,082 freshwater marina slips in the region. 

Table 4.7.2 shows Central Florida’s outdoor 

recreation resources by category of provider. Table 4.7.3 identifies the major outdoor recreation opportunities provided or 

managed by national, state and municipal 

entities. 

through Polk, Hardee and DeSoto counties 

providing excellent canoeing and kayaking. 

Public and private parks and recreation areas surrounding these waters provide opportunities for boating, camping, fishing and 

many other activities. More than 391,000 

acres of outdoor recreation land and water 

are made available by the region’s public 

and private providers. 

Two federal properties offer limited public 

access in the region. Avon Park Air Force 

Range, managed by the U.S. Air Force, contains a portion of the Florida National Scenic 

Trail and conducts limited public hunting on 

a periodic basis. The Lake Wales Ridge National Wildlife Refuge is managed cooperatively by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 

and non-profit organizations as the first refuge designated for the recovery of endangered and threatened plants. 

Just more than half of the total outdoor recreation acreage in the region is provided by 

state agencies. Eight state parks offer diverse resource-based activities for visitors. 

Public hunting is provided at eight state wildlife management areas and cooperatively 

managed sites. State level suppliers provide 

nearly 200 miles of single-purpose recreation trails for horseback riding, hiking, canoeing, bicycling, jogging and nature study. 

Counties and municipalities provide a 

greater share of outdoor recreation acreage 

in the Central region than those anywhere 

else in the state. Local governments manage 503 recreation sites on over 46,000 

acres. Together, they are the largest provider of resource-based facilities for historic 

site interpretation, jogging, paved-trail bicycling, freshwater shoreline fishing and freshwater boat ramps. 
4—58 

Outdoor Recreation in Florida, 2008 

RESOURCE/FACILITY UNITS Federal State County M unicipal Non-Government TOTAL

OUTDOOR RECREATION AREAS Areas 3 73 221 282 225 804

LAND Acres 107,967 208,992 14,619 2,866 31,414 365,858

WATER Acres 0 4,917 28,526 38 6,868 40,349

ACRES TOTAL Acres 107,967 213,909 43,145 2,904 38,372 406,298

RESOURCE-BASED

CABINS Cabins 0 0 0 0 306 306

TENT CAM PSITES Sites 25 287 46 10 642 1,009

RV CAM PSITES Sites 0 251 371 0 24,812 25,434

HISTORIC SITES Sites 0 1 9 6 8 24

COM M EM STRUCTURES Structures 0 0 0 4 1 5

M USEUM S M useums 0 2 5 3 9 19

PICNIC TABLES Tables 55 210 392 966 8,342 9,965

HUNTING AREAS Acres 78,000 50,767 0 0 0 128,767

BIKE TRAIL PAVED M iles 0.0 11.7 7.6 21.4 16.3 57.0

BIKE TRAIL UNPAVED M iles 0.0 154.7 7.5 4.2 10.5 176.9

CANOE TRAIL M iles 0.0 15.0 10.0 0.5 27.3 52.8

HIKING TRAIL M iles 65.7 295.0 31.1 10.5 26.5 428.8

EQUESTRIAN TRAIL M iles 16.0 176.7 24.7 0.0 0.1 217.5

JOGGING TRAIL M iles 7.7 15.8 2.7 22.9 8.8 57.9

OHV TRAIL M iles 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0

NATURE TRAIL M iles 8.2 121.4 27.2 15.9 22.4 195.1

FRESHWATER BEACH M iles 0.0 0.0 0.2 0.7 2.7 3.7

FRESHWATER BOAT RAM PS Ramps 1 19 100 50 79 249

FRESHWATER BOAT RAM PS Lanes 1 24 116 56 86 283

FRESHWATER CATWALKS Catwalks 1 2 9 11 36 59

FRESHWATER CATWALKS Feet 100 90 4,504 3,095 2,585 10,374

FRESHWATER JETTIES Feet 0 0 0 25,750 0 25,750

FRESHWATER M ARINAS M arinas 0 0 0 0 147 147

FRESHWATER M ARINAS Slips 0 18 10 0 1,054 1,082

FRESHWATER PIERS Piers 2 1 16 23 21 63

FRESHWATER PIERS Feet 10 45 2,015 2,808 1,678 6,556

SALTWATER BEACH M iles 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0

SALTWATER BOAT RAM PS Ramps 0 0 0 0 0 0

SALTWATER BOAT RAM PS Lanes 0 0 0 0 0 0

SALTWATER CATWALKS Catwalks 0 0 0 0 0 0

SALTWATER CATWALKS Feet 0 0 0 0 0 0

SALTWATER JETTIES Feet 0 0 0 0 0 0

SALTWATER M ARINAS M arinas 0 0 0 0 0 0

SALTWATER M ARINA SLIPS Slips 0 0 0 0 0 0

SALTWATER PIERS Piers 0 0 0 0 0 0

SALTWATER PIERS Feet 0 0 0 0 0 0

USER-ORIENTED

BASEBALL FIELDS Fields 0 1 180 186 12 379

BASKETBALL GOALS Goals 0 0 214 190 47 451

EQUIPPED PLAY AREAS Areas 0 3 74 130 35 242

FOOTBALL FIELDS Fields 0 0 39 34 3 76

GOLF COURSES, 18-HOLE Courses 0 0 0 2 40 42

GOLF COURSES, 9-HOLE Courses 0 0 0 4 21 25

GOLF COURSES, EXECUTIVE Courses 0 0 0 0 21 21

GOLF HOLES TOTAL Holes 0 0 0 72 981 1,053

M ULTI-USE COURTS Courts 0 0 10 32 23 65

M ULTI-USE FIELDS Fields 0 1 25 36 16 78

OUTDOOR SWIM M ING POOLS Pools 0 1 4 15 119 139

RACQUETBALL COURTS Courts 0 3 19 51 14 87

SHUFFLEBOARD COURTS Courts 0 2 9 234 411 656

TENNIS COURTS Courts 0 8 53 134 184 379

VOLLEYBALL COURTS Courts 0 0 3 17 6 26

Table 4.7.2

Outdoor Recreation Resources and Facilities by Category of Provider

Central Florida Region

2007
4—59 

Outdoor Recreation in Florida, 2008 

South Florida WMD (continued) Acres

Gardner-Cobb Marsh & Drasdo* 1,714 

Kicco and Blanket Bay Slough* 12,164 

Lake Hatchineha/Catfish Creek* 958 

Lake Marion Creek * 8,083 

Micco Landing* 1,550 

Oak Creek, No Name & 

Starvation Slough* 4,106 

S-65E Impoundment & Paradise 

Run* 2,358 

Seaboard, Yates & Telex Marsh 2,105 

Sumica* 4,109 

Turkey Hammock & Cornwell 4,659 

Marshes 

Southwest Florida WMD 

Alafia River Reserve 334 

Deep Creek 2,000 

Green Swamp-East Tract* 23,961 

(Polk County portion) 

Jack Creek 1,286 

RV Griffin Reserve 6,000 

Wildlife Management Areas, 

Wildlife & Environmental Areas, 

Fish Management Areas 

and Mitigation Parks 

Hilochee* 3,123 

Osprey Unit - Hilochee* 6,093 

Platt Branch 1,973 

Tenoroc 1,972 

Lake Wales Ridge* 14,482 

*Hunting managed by Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission as a wildlife management area. 

County Municipal

Areas Acres Areas Acres

DeSoto 19 481 15 163 

Hardee 7 1,446 17 50 

Highlands 52 29,262 41 168 

Okeechobee 25 460 2 8 

Polk 118 11,496 207 2,525 

Reported County and Municipal Areas 

Federal Areas 

Military Installations Acres

Avon Park Air Force Range 106,000 

National Wildlife Refuges 

Lake Wales Ridge 1,857 

 

State Areas 

Florida Scenic Highways Miles

The Ridge Scenic Highway 35 

Greenways and Trails 

General James A. Van Fleet Trail 12 

(Polk County segment) 

Lake Okeechobee Trail 20 

(Okeechobee County segment) 

State Forests Acres

Lake Wales Ridge* 26,563 

State Parks 

Allen David Broussard Catfish 8,087 

Creek 

Colt Creek 5,062 

Highlands Hammock 9,251 

Kissimmee Prairie (Okeechobee 53,766 

County portion) 

Lake June-in-Winter Scrub 846 

Lake Kissimmee 5,934 

Okeechobee Battlefield 145 

Paynes Creek 410 

Water Management District Lands 

South Florida WMD 

Boney Marsh, Bluff Hammock & 9,060 

Hickory Hammock * 

Table 4.7.3 

Major Outdoor Recreation Areas 

Central Florida Region 

2007 
4—60 

Outdoor Recreation in Florida, 2008 

Figure 4.8.1 

Public Conservation Lands 

Tampa Bay Region 

The Tampa Bay Region encompasses 

3,467 square miles and includes Pinellas, Pasco, Manatee and Hillsborough 

counties. The region is favored with 

nearly 700 miles of saltwater shoreline 

and all four counties in the region have 

frontage on the Gulf of Mexico or 

Tampa Bay. Both Manatee and Pinellas are buffered by barrier islands that 

offer miles of sandy beaches. The 

coastal areas of the region are heavily 

populated and highly urbanized, in 

contrast to the sparsely populated rural 

lands east of the metropolitan areas. 

The region’s diverse water resources 

(both freshwater and saltwater) together with its miles of sandy Gulf 

beaches and thousands of acres of 

public lands, offer many excellent outdoor recreation opportunities. 

Economy 

Anchored by Tampa International 

Airport, with extensive domestic and 

international scheduled flights, and 

three deep-water ports, business and 

industry play a major role in the region. 

The metropolitan area of Tampa-St. 

Petersburg-Clearwater dominates as 

the region’s economic center. Trade, 

services and construction are the major industries in the area. The coastal 

area continues to be a magnet drawing retirees, seasonal residents and 

tourists to the many miles of sandy 

beaches, boating access facilities and 

the relaxed lifestyle that this area has 

typified for generations. 

Demographics 

In 2007, the Tampa Bay Region’s population of 

2.8 million people made up 15.5 percent of 

Florida’s population. Estimates project that an 

additional 846,000 residents will move to the 

region by 2020, a 34 percent increase from 
4—61 

Outdoor Recreation in Florida, 2008 

Outdoor Recreation Resources 

and Facilities 

The beaches and coastal wetlands of the 

Tampa Bay Region make it one of the 

state’s best areas to enjoy saltwater-related 

outdoor recreation. The region’s Gulf barrier 

islands, which include Honeymoon, Ca2000. Population density ranges from a low 

of 426 persons per square mile in Manatee 

County to a high of 3,370 persons per 

square mile in Pinellas County, the highest 

population density in the state. Table 4.8.1 

displays current and projected population for 

the area from 2000 through 2020. 

Table 4.8.1 

Current and Projected Population 

Tampa Bay Region 

County 

Projections 

Percentage 

Change 

2000 2007 2010 2015 2020 2000-2020 

Hillsborough 998,948 1,192,861 1,234,900 1,346,600 1,449,900 45.1 

Manatee 264,002 315,890 327,500 358,400 387,000 46.6 

Pasco 344,768 434,425 454,200 507,400 556,600 61.4 

Pinellas 921,495 944,199 950,300 966,900 982,200 6.6 

Region Totals 2,529,213 2,887,375 2,966,900 3,179,300 3,375,700 33.5 

Source: University of Florida, Bureau of Economic and Business Research, 2008 

Alafia River State Park, Hillsborough County 
4—62 

Outdoor Recreation in Florida, 2008 

than one percent of the region’s total. Half 

of the federal areas are comprised of national wildlife refuges. Although public access is restricted in some areas, public use 

opportunities include beach use and wildlifedependent public uses such as wildlife observation, bird watching, fishing and photography. 

State government agencies administer more 

than 156,000 acres and 85 sites in the region. One-third of the state-administered 

lands are within 17 state parks. Stateadministered areas provide 11 miles of saltwater beach, over 43,000 acres of hunting 

lands and 144 miles of hiking trails. State 

agencies provide more than 50 percent of 

the outdoor recreation lands in the Tampa 

Bay Region. 

County and municipal governments play a 

large role in providing both resource-based 

and user-oriented recreation opportunities. 

Together, they provide programs and activities on over 146,000 acres of land and water 

ladesi, Anna Maria, Anclote Key, Longboat 

Key and Mullet Key, possess some of the 

best sandy beaches in the country. The region’s freshwater resources are significant 

as well. Rivers, including the Hillsborough, 

Manatee, Little Manatee, Myakka, Anclote, 

and Pithlachascotee, provide abundant 

boating, fishing, hunting and canoeing. 

Nearly 326,000 acres of public and private 

outdoor recreation land and water are located in the Tampa Bay Region. Similar to 

other regions, over 90 percent of the acreage is managed by federal, state and local 

governments. Although private entities provide only six percent of the total acreage in 

the region, they provide a majority of the 

camping and boating-related facilities. 

The federal government plays a relatively 

smaller role in providing outdoor recreation 

land in this region than in any other region in 

the state. The six federal recreation areas 

contain less than 3,800 acres, or just more 

Federal

1.1%

Non-Government

5.7%

Municipal

2.8%

County

39.8%

State

50.6%

Figure 4.8.2 

Outdoor Recreation Acreage by Category of Provider 

Tampa Bay Region 
4—63 

Outdoor Recreation in Florida, 2008 

Pinellas Trail, Pinellas County 

in 1,370 outdoor recreation areas. Useroriented activities are major activities for 

residents and tourists in the region. Local 

governments provide the majority of public 

water access facilities, including freshwater 

and saltwater boat ramps and shoreline fishing facilities. They also provide 711 of the 

764 baseball fields, 942 of the 1,043 basketball goals and 238 of the 260 football fields 

in the region. 

The private sector provides more than 

19,000 acres for outdoor recreation at 396 

sites. Private entities supply the majority of 

RV/trailer campsites, cabins and freshwater 

and saltwater marina slips in the region. 

They also provide 1,800 of the 2,097 golf 

holes. 

Figure 4.8.2 displays the distribution of outdoor recreation acreage by category of managing agency for the Tampa Bay Region. 

Table 4.8.2 shows the region’s outdoor recreation supply by level of provider. Table 

4.8.3 shows the major outdoor recreation 

areas provided or managed by federal, state 

and local governments. 
4—64 

Outdoor Recreation in Florida, 2008 

RESOURCE/FACILITY UNITS Federal State County M unicipal Non-Government TOTAL

OUTDOOR RECREATION AREAS Areas 6 86 417 953 396 1,858

LAND Acres 3,767 115,837 134,727 8,858 17,927 258,583

WATER Acres 9 79,812 1,521 887 1,351 49,684

ACRES TOTAL Acres 3,776 195,649 136,315 9,745 19,389 364,873

RESOURCE-BASED

CABINS Cabins 0 5 10 5 626 646

TENT CAM PSITES Sites 50 312 284 7 538 1,191

RV CAM PSITES Sites 294 295 265 0 28,707 29,561

HISTORIC SITES Sites 0 2 5 9 1 17

COM M EM STRUCTURES Structures 2 10 69 17 6 104

M USEUM S M useums 2 5 27 7 14 55

PICNIC TABLES Tables 60 636 4,811 3,207 9,487 18,201

HUNTING AREAS Acres 0 43,320 15,000 0 0 58,320

BIKE TRAIL PAVED M iles 0.0 4.0 90.3 41.6 0.0 135.9

BIKE TRAIL UNPAVED M iles 5.0 124.9 163.8 14.0 5.0 312.7

CANOE TRAIL M iles 2.0 55.8 48.8 27.8 26.0 160.4

HIKING TRAIL M iles 1 184.6 158.5 41.7 6.7 392.5

EQUESTRIAN TRAIL M iles 0.0 99.0 94.8 2.3 55.4 251.5

JOGGING TRAIL M iles 7.5 3.2 90.7 56.8 4.7 162.9

OHV TRAIL M iles 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0

NATURE TRAIL M iles 4.9 20.9 126.3 37.5 4.6 194.2

FRESHWATER BEACH M iles 0.0 0.1 0.4 0.0 23.4 24.0

FRESHWATER BOAT RAM PS Ramps 0 10 36 10 22 78

FRESHWATER BOAT RAM PS Lanes 0 11 53 15 23 102

FRESHWATER CATWALKS Catwalks 0 4 18 31 19 72

FRESHWATER CATWALKS Feet 0 530 9,210 7,707 555 18,002

FRESHWATER JETTIES Feet 0 0 0 30,551 0 30,551

FRESHWATER M ARINAS M arinas 0 0 0 1 10 11

FRESHWATER M ARINAS Slips 0 0 0 2 198 200

FRESHWATER PIERS Piers 0 6 7 46 2 61

FRESHWATER PIERS Feet 0 240 1,466 1,328 100 3,134

SALTWATER BEACH M iles 3.3 11.4 9.4 17.9 9.8 51.7

SALTWATER BOAT RAM PS Ramps 1 3 48 57 34 143

SALTWATER BOAT RAM PS Lanes 2 3 99 69 40 213

SALTWATER CATWALKS Catwalks 1 8 45 70 23 147

SALTWATER CATWALKS Feet 175 13,896 9,335 9,394 2,938 35,738

SALTWATER JETTIES Feet 1,000 5 250 56 890 2,201

SALTWATER M ARINAS M arinas 1 1 1 13 89 105

SALTWATER M ARINA SLIPS Slips 35 108 8 1,655 6,019 7,825

SALTWATER PIERS Piers 1 2 12 37 14 66

SALTWATER PIERS Feet 60 11,725 12,525 10,789 4,137 39,236

USER-ORIENTED

BASEBALL FIELDS Fields 6 10 374 337 37 764

BASKETBALL GOALS Goals 2 22 425 517 77 1,043

EQUIPPED PLAY AREAS Areas 3 12 258 339 45 657

FOOTBALL FIELDS Fields 3 5 137 101 14 260

GOLF COURSES, 18-HOLE Courses 2 0 3 8 77 90

GOLF COURSES, 9-HOLE Courses 0 0 0 1 18 19

GOLF COURSES, EXECUTIVE Courses 0 0 0 3 23 26

GOLF HOLES TOTAL Holes 36 0 54 207 1,800 2,097

M ULTI-USE COURTS Courts 4 0 157 101 22 284

M ULTI-USE FIELDS Fields 0 6 85 83 56 230

OUTDOOR SWIM M ING POOLS Pools 2 1 9 42 231 285

RACQUETBALL COURTS Courts 0 13 44 95 51 203

SHUFFLEBOARD COURTS Courts 0 0 19 529 606 1,154

TENNIS COURTS Courts 6 67 226 396 635 1,330

VOLLEYBALL COURTS Courts 0 4 7 10 2 23

Table 4.8.2

Outdoor Recreation Resources and Facilities by Category of Provider

Tampa Bay Region

2007
4—65 

Outdoor Recreation in Florida, 2008 

*Hunting managed by Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission as a wildlife management area. 

Table 4.8.3 

Major Outdoor Recreation Areas 

Tampa Bay Region 

2007 

State Parks (Continued) Acres

Hillsborough River 3,789 

Honeymoon Island 2,810 

Lake Manatee 549 

Little Manatee River 2,416 

Madira Bickel Mound 10 

Myakka River (Manatee County 

portion) 10,132 

Skyway Fishing Pier 20 

Terra Ceia 1,876 

Werner-Boyce Salt Springs 3,999 

Ybor City 1 

Water Management District Lands 

Southwest Florida WMD 

Cypress Creek 7,400 

Green Swamp - West Tract* 37,350 

Edward Chance Reserve - Coker 1,200 

Prairie Tract 

Edward Chance-Gilley 5,800 

Creek Tract 

Little Manatee River - Southfork 970 

Tract 

Myakka River - Flatford Swamp 2,357 

Upper Hillsborough* 9,961 

Wildlife & Environmental Areas 

and Mitigation Parks 

Bullfrog Creek 833 

Little Gator Creek 566 

Serenova Tract 6,533

Starke Wilderness Preserve 

Lower Hillsborough 16,000 

Federal Areas 

National Parks Acres

DeSoto National Monument 25 

National Wildlife Refuges 

Egmont Key 272 

Passage Key 64 

Pinellas 394 

State Areas 

Aquatic Preserves 

Boca Ciega Bay 22,000 

Cockroach Bay 8000 

Terra Ceia 26,000 

Florida Scenic Highways Miles

Bradenton Beach Scenic Highway 2 

Courtney Campbell Causeway 9 

Palma Sola Scenic Highway 5 

Suncoast Scenic Parkway 

Greenways and Trails 

Withlacoochee State Trail 2 

State Forests Acres

Withlacoochee (Pasco portion)* 7,043 

State Parks 

Alafia River 6,312 

Anclote Key 12,177 

Beker 1,739 

Caladesi Island 4,528 

Cockroach Bay 103 

Egmont Key 545 

Judah P. Benjamin Confederate 

Memorial at Gamble Plantation 33 

(Hillsborough and Pasco 

County portion) 21 
4—66 

Outdoor Recreation in Florida, 2008 

Reported County and Municipal Areas 

County Municipal

Areas Acres Areas Acres

Hillsborough 186 58,139 182 21,253 

Manatee 83 27,354 105 538 

Pasco 41 32,749 46 349 

Pinellas 107 18,072 620 6,618 

Table 4.8.3 

Major Outdoor Recreation Areas 

Tampa Bay Region 

2007 

(continued) 

Cypress Forest Park, Pinellas County 
4—67 

Outdoor Recreation in Florida, 2008 

Southwest Florida Region 

The Southwest Florida Region covers 7,277 

square miles and contains six counties lying 

between Sarasota Bay, the Ten Thousand 

Islands and Lake Okeechobee. The coastal 

counties of Charlotte, Collier, Lee and Sarasota together contain 128 miles of Gulf 

coastline that offer miles of sandy beach access. The region’s estuarine areas are 

among the most biologically productive in 

the state. The wildlife of these areas provide 

outstanding opportunities for nonconsumptive and consumptive recreational 

activities. The far southern portion of the 

region’s coastline remains virtually undeveloped due to the protected status of the extensive federal and state public lands. The 

region's vast mangrove ecosystems are 

some of the last remaining examples of the 

system that once flourished along south 

Florida’s tidal wetlands. The non-coastal 

counties of Glades and Hendry are bordered by Lake Okeechobee on the east. 

These areas are primarily agricultural and 

rural, but also contain many large, intact 

natural areas. 

Figure 4.9.1 

Public Conservation Lands 
4—68 

Outdoor Recreation in Florida, 2008 

to Tampa to the north and Miami to the 

south, while Southwest Florida International 

Airport offers extensive domestic and international air service. The opening of Florida 

Gulf Coast University in 1997, the state’s 

12th state university, and the expansion of 

several other colleges and universities into 

the region have spurred the development of 

technology firms and research parks that 

attract new business and create new jobs, 

especially in information technology and bioscience. Although not as widespread as it 

once was, agriculture continues to be an important source of income in the area. Truck 

crops and citrus grown on the western 

fringes of the Everglades supply much of the 

nation’s winter supply of fresh vegetables. 

Cattle ranching continues to be a major 

component of the economies of Glades, 

Charlotte, Lee and Hendry counties. 

The region is drained by several river systems that originate inland and flow southwest to the Gulf. The Myakka and Peace 

Rivers discharge into Charlotte Harbor forming a vast estuary of some 2.9 million acres. 

The Myakka River was designated as a Florida Wild and Scenic River in 1985. The Caloosahatchee River, channelized in the 

1880s to permit boat traffic directly between 

the Atlantic Ocean and Gulf of Mexico, was 

pivotal to opening up southwest Florida to 

development. 

Economy 

The Southwest Florida Region relies on a 

mix of natural resources, history and culture, 

and a sophisticated hospitality industry to 

maintain its position as a premier tourism 

destination. The high quality of life and efficient transportation network that attracts visitors from all over the world also attracts a 

well-educated work force. The Interstate 75 

transportation corridor provides easy access 

Delnor-Wiggins Pass State Park, Collier County 
4—69 

Outdoor Recreation in Florida, 2008 

Demographics 

Total population for the region reached 1.5 

million in 2007. Projections estimate that an 

additional 825,000 people will reside in the 

region in 2020, a 68 percent increase from 

2000. Population densities range from 14 

people per square mile in Glades County to 

766 people per square mile in Lee County. 

As in other parts of Florida, the region’s 

eastern counties are beginning to experience increasing urban development in rural 

areas. As this trend continues, and as 

Table 4.9.1 

Current and Projected Population 

Southwest Florida Region 

County 

Projections 

Percentage 

Change 

2000 2007 2010 2015 2020 2000-2020 

Charlotte 141,627 164,584 169,700 183,300 195,900 38.3 

Collier 251,377 333,858 353,900 406,300 455,300 81.1 

Glades 10,576 11,055 11,600 12,100 12,600 19.1 

Hendry 36,210 39,651 40,800 43,800 46,700 29.0 

Lee 440,888 615,741 654,600 756,700 852,000 93.2 

Sarasota 325,961 387,461 400,600 436,100 468,800 43.8 

Region Totals 1,206,639 1,552,350 1,631,200 1,838,300 2,031,300 68.3 

Source: University of Florida, Bureau of Economic and Business Research, 2008 

Myakka Wild and Scenic River, Sarasota County 
4—70 

Outdoor Recreation in Florida, 2008 

County

Municipal 4.2%

0.2%

Non-Government

4.6%

Federal

46.1% State

45.0%

uges provide more than 790,000 acres. 

These federal lands offer most of the region’s public hunting opportunities and all of 

its inventoried supply of off-highway vehicle 

trails. They also provide an important share 

of the region’s available supply of hiking and 

nature trails. 

State agencies administer over 770,000 

acres at 60 separate areas, representing 45 

percent of the regional total. This figure 

does not include the 73,236-acre Babcock 

Ranch property which was acquired under 

the Florida Forever program in 2007. Thirteen state parks provide a wide range of activities, from saltwater swimming and camping to visiting the early 20th century utopian 

settlement at Koreshan. Three state forests 

and five wildlife management areas provide 

the majority of the state-supplied public 

hunting in the region. State agencies are the 

largest providers of canoe, equestrian and 

hiking trails in the region. They play a major 

role as well in providing opportunities for 

shoreline fishing. 

coastal lands become less available for development, population is expected to shift 

more and more toward these inland counties. 

Outdoor Recreation Resources 

and Facilities 

The region’s coastal natural resources and 

its numerous rivers and lakes provide generous opportunities for outdoor recreation. 

Much attention by federal, state and local 

governments has been focused on acquiring 

and protecting these areas. The region has 

over 1.7 million acres of land and water 

available for outdoor recreation use. As 

shown in Figure 4.9.2, 95 percent of all outdoor recreation acreage is provided by public agencies. 

Federally managed lands account for 46 

percent of the available recreation acres in 

the region. Two major national parks—Big 

Cypress National Preserve and Everglades 

National Park—and five national wildlife refFigure 4.9.2 

Outdoor Recreation Acreage by Category of Provider 

Southwest Florida Region 
4—71 

Outdoor Recreation in Florida, 2008 

Local park and recreation programs in the 

Southwest region play a more important role 

in providing water and beach access opportunities than in most other regions of the 

state. Cities and counties are the largest 

providers of saltwater and freshwater 

beaches, freshwater boat ramps and freshwater and saltwater fishing facilities. They 

are major providers of recreational trails as 

well, providing more paved bicycle trails, jogging trails and nature trails than any other 

category. As in the other regions, local governments are the principal providers of useroriented facilities. 

Within the private sector, there are 404 outdoor recreation sites encompassing 78,494 

acres, or four percent of total regional acreage. The commercial sector provides the 

majority of cabins, RV/trailer campsites and 

tent campsites. As in many regions, the 

Southwest region’s non-government providers are also the largest suppliers of freshwater and saltwater marinas (a combined total 

of 6,668 slips) and saltwater boat ramps.

Table 4.9.2 shows outdoor recreation resources and facilities by level of provider. 

Table 4.9.3 lists major outdoor recreation 

opportunities provided or managed by federal, state and municipal entities. 

Imperial River Boat Ramp, Lee County 
4—72 

Outdoor Recreation in Florida, 2008 

RESOURCE/FACILITY UNITS Federal State County M unicipal Non-Government TOTAL

OUTDOOR RECREATION AREAS Areas 19 60 417 220 404 1,120

LAND Acres 724,705 473,831 69,533 2,508 76,117 1,346,694

WATER Acres 65,312 304,669 2,187 324 1,887 374,378

ACRES TOTAL Acres 790,017 778,500 71,722 2,748 78,498 1,721,486

RESOURCE-BASED

CABINS Cabins 0 17 0 0 191 208

TENT CAM PSITES Sites 99 407 60 8 662 1,236

RV CAM PSITES Sites 149 377 80 37 24,517 25,160

HISTORIC SITES Sites 12 64 8 10 9 103

COM M EM STRUCTURES Structures 1 3 3 7 3 17

M USEUM S M useums 10 8 11 8 15 52

PICNIC TABLES Tables 94 562 2,184 791 11,820 15,451

HUNTING AREAS Acres 525,000 246,385 0 0 0 771,385

BIKE TRAIL PAVED M iles 71.0 5.0 49.9 29.7 35.0 190.6

BIKE TRAIL UNPAVED M iles 9.0 89.3 50.2 11.6 7.5 167.6

CANOE TRAIL M iles 51.0 58.5 30.9 20.0 51.0 211.4

HIKING TRAIL M iles 120.5 236.0 74.8 4.8 73.0 509.1

EQUESTRIAN TRAIL M iles 0.0 60.4 29.0 0.0 6.0 95.4

JOGGING TRAIL M iles 9.0 0.0 60.9 5.3 7.9 83.1

OHV TRAIL M iles 50.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 50.0

NATURE TRAIL M iles 85.5 81.9 53.4 6.9 24.2 251.9

FRESHWATER BEACH M iles 0.0 0.0 0.5 0.1 1.3 2.0

FRESHWATER BOAT RAM PS Ramps 2 17 40 6 32 97

FRESHWATER BOAT RAM PS Lanes 3 22 46 7 28 106

FRESHWATER CATWALKS Catwalks 1 4 10 10 178 203

FRESHWATER CATWALKS Feet 120 2,345 1,553 2,933 805 7,756

FRESHWATER JETTIES Feet 0 0 0 1,340 0 1,340

FRESHWATER M ARINAS M arinas 0 0 0 1 19 20

FRESHWATER M ARINAS Slips 0 0 0 20 844 864

FRESHWATER PIERS Piers 3 1 21 2 5 32

FRESHWATER PIERS Feet 340 86 822 221 30,320 31,789

SALTWATER BEACH M iles 16.8 12.7 25.7 6.7 5.4 67.3

SALTWATER BOAT RAM PS Ramps 1 3 31 8 65 108

SALTWATER BOAT RAM PS Lanes 1 7 48 16 67 139

SALTWATER CATWALKS Catwalks 0 7 50 12 29 98

SALTWATER CATWALKS Feet 0 3,180 15,465 6,534 6,842 32,021

SALTWATER JETTIES Feet 0 0 100 7,600 50 7,750

SALTWATER M ARINAS M arinas 0 0 2 5 156 163

SALTWATER M ARINA SLIPS Slips 0 34 34 503 5,824 6,395

SALTWATER PIERS Piers 1 0 28 15 28 72

SALTWATER PIERS Feet 50 0 4,856 4,849 3,450 13,205

USER-ORIENTED

BASEBALL FIELDS Fields 1 0 231 76 6 314

BASKETBALL GOALS Goals 0 4 267 63 39 373

EQUIPPED PLAY AREAS Areas 0 7 178 72 39 296

FOOTBALL FIELDS Fields 0 0 72 20 1 93

GOLF COURSES, 18-HOLE Courses 0 0 2 4 96 102

GOLF COURSES, 9-HOLE Courses 0 0 0 1 20 21

GOLF COURSES, EXECUTIVE Courses 0 0 0 0 23 23

GOLF HOLES TOTAL Holes 0 0 36 81 2,250 2,367

M ULTI-USE COURTS Courts 0 0 16 6 9 31

M ULTI-USE FIELDS Fields 0 0 57 13 22 92

OUTDOOR SWIM M ING POOLS Pools 0 0 26 11 227 264

RACQUETBALL COURTS Courts 1 0 44 19 21 85

SHUFFLEBOARD COURTS Courts 0 3 106 24 443 576

TENNIS COURTS Courts 0 4 264 87 560 915

VOLLEYBALL COURTS Courts 0 0 44 5 7 56

Table 4.9.2

Outdoor Recreation Resources and Facilities by Category of Provider

Southwest Florida Region

2007
4—73 

Outdoor Recreation in Florida, 2008 

Table 4.9.3 

Major Outdoor Recreation Areas 

Southwest Florida Region 

2007 

Federal Areas 

National Estuarine Research Reserves* Acres

Rookery Bay 110,000 

National Parks 

Big Cypress (Collier County 

portion)** 575,684 

Everglades (Collier County portion) 39,262 

National Wildlife Refuges 

Caloosahatchee 40 

Florida Panther 26,400 

J. “Ding” Darling 6,300 

Matlacha Pass 512 

Pine Island 584 

Ten Thousand Islands 31,150 

 

State Areas 

Aquatic Preserves 

Cape Haze 11,168 

Cape Romano-Ten Thousand 

Islands 50,000 

Estero Bay 11,300 

Gasparilla Sound-Charlotte 149,168 

Harbor 

Lemon Bay 7,667 

Matlacha Pass 10,000 

Pine Island Sound 50,000 

Florida Scenic Highways Miles

Tamiami Trail Scenic Highway 69 

Greenways and Trails 

Lake Okeechobee (Glades and 

Hendry County segment) 46 

State Forests Acres

Myakka** 8,593 

Okaloacochee ** 32,039 

Picayune Strand** 77,827 

State Parks Acres

Cayo Costa 2,458 

Charlotte Harbor 42,475 

Collier-Seminole 7,272 

Delnor-Wiggins Pass 166 

Don Pedro Island 231 

Estero Bay 10,457 

Fakahatchee Strand 75,898 

Gasparilla Island 127 

Koreshan 164 

Lovers Key 1,463 

Mound Key 172 

Myakka River (Sarasota County 

portion) 27,065 

Oscar Scherer 1,382 

Stump Pass Beach 255 

State Wild and Scenic Rivers Miles

Myakka River 34 

Water Management District Lands Acres

South Florida WMD 

Corkscrew Marsh** 25,089 

Nicodemus Slough 2,219 

STA 5* 5,120 

Southwest Florida WMD 

Deer Prairie Creek 10,128 

Wildlife Management Areas, 

Mitigation Parks and 

Babcok/Webb** 65,770 

Dinner Island Ranch** 21,714 

Fisheating Creek** 18,272 

Spirit of the Wild** 7,000 

Hickey Creek 768 

 

* National estuarine research reserves are designated by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and 

 managed by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, Office of Coastal and Aquatic Managed Areas. 

**Hunting managed by Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission as a wildlife management area.
4—74 

Outdoor Recreation in Florida, 2008 

Table 4.9.3 

Major Outdoor Recreation Areas 

Southwest Florida Region 

2007 

(continued) 

Reported County and Municipal Areas 

 Municipal

Areas Acres Areas Acres

Charlotte 78 4,415 11 102 

Collier 54 3,144 46 57 

Glades 12 502 1 2 

Hendry 13 716 31 342 

Lee 136 10,683 70 1,435 

Sarasota 161 52,263 61 850 

County

Ft. Myers Beach, Lee County 
4—75 

Outdoor Recreation in Florida, 2008 

Figure 4.10.1 

Public Conservation Lands 

Treasure Coast Region 

The Treasure Coast Region along the south 

central Atlantic coast encompasses 4,445 

square miles and includes Indian River, St. 

Lucie, Martin and Palm Beach counties. 

The region’s outstanding barrier island 

shoreline stretches 111 miles and provides 

some of the best recreational beaches in 

Florida. Large lagoons, including Indian 

River Lagoon, support highly productive estuarine systems that offer outstanding recreational opportunities. Inland, large areas 

of wetlands have been set aside for water 

management, conservation and recreation 

by federal and state governments. Lake 

Okeechobee’s eastern shoreline lies within 

this region, offering nationally renowned 

freshwater fishing, boating and hunting. 
4—76 

Outdoor Recreation in Florida, 2008 

county, it still leads the nation in the production of sugar cane and many winter vegetable crops. Similarly, while citrus production 

is still viable in western St. Lucie and Indian 

River counties, the groves and other agricultural areas continue to be converted to other 

uses. 

The region is home to two deep water ports 

at Fort Pierce and Palm Beach. Palm Beach 

International Airport is a major gateway for 

residents and visitors to the region. The vast 

array of business involved in all aspects of 

tourism continues to play a major role in the 

area’s economy. 

Economy 

The region’s economy depends heavily on 

services, tourism, agriculture and the development of new communities to meet the 

needs of a rapidly expanding population. 

While the western areas of the region are 

bordered by conservation lands that protect 

water resources for southern Florida, many 

of the former agricultural lands are in the 

process of being converted to urban development. Palm Beach County, the largest 

county in terms of land area east of the Mississippi River, is the most economically diverse county in the region. Even as development encroaches upon the Everglades 

Agricultural Area in western portions of the 

Blue Cypress Conservation Area, Indian River County 
4—77 

Outdoor Recreation in Florida, 2008 

gration of retirees and seasonal residents. 

Population density ranges from a low of 259 

persons per square mile in Martin County to 

a high of 656 persons per square mile in 

Palm Beach County. Table 4.10.1 displays 

current and projected population through 

2020. 

Demographics 

In 2007, the Treasure Coast’s population 

stood at 1.8 million, or 10 percent of the 

state’s total population. By 2020, nearly 

250,000 new residents are projected to live 

in the region, a 45 percent increase. The 

population is growing as a result of the miSebastian Inlet State Park, Indian River County 

Table 4.10.1 

Current and Projected Population 

Treasure Coast Region 

County 

Projections 

Percentage 

Change 

2000 2007 2010 2015 2020 2000-2020 

Indian River 112,947 139,757 145,800 162,000 176,900 56.6 

Martin 126,731 143,737 147,900 158,900 169,000 33.4 

Palm Beach 1,131,191 1,295,033 1,335,500 1,444,000 1,543,800 36.5 

St. Lucie 192,695 271,961 288,900 335,000 378,400 96.4 

Region Totals 1,563,564 1,850,488 1,918,100 2,099,900 2,268,100 45.0 

Source: University of Florida, Bureau of Economic and Business Research, 2008 
4—78 

Outdoor Recreation in Florida, 2008 

a nursery area for many species of fish and 

other aquatic species. Its outstanding wildlife values are one of the region’s most significant outdoor recreation resources. 

Nearly three-quarters of a million acres of 

land and water are available for outdoor recreation in the region. Consistent with distributions in other regions, federal agencies 

provide one-fifth of the recreation acreage, 

all of which is contained in three national 

wildlife refuges managed by the U.S. Fish 

and Wildlife Service. These areas offer outstanding opportunities for wildlife viewing, 

nature study, canoeing and hiking. 

State agencies administer roughly two-thirds 

of the recreation lands in the region at 66 

separate areas. State agencies are the largest suppliers of hunting acres and many 

types of recreational trails (unpaved bicycle 

trails, equestrian trails, hiking trails and naOutdoor Recreation Resources 

and Facilities 

The primary natural features of the Treasure 

Coast Region include the sandy beaches of 

the Atlantic coast, a chain of barrier islands 

and their associated inlets and estuaries, 

diverse upland natural communities, large 

and intact wetland systems, and the freshwater resources of Lake Okeechobee. 

These resources provide opportunities for 

the full range of resource-based outdoor recreation activities. Of particular significance 

to the region is the Indian River Lagoon, 

which covers an area of more than 883,000 

acres and spans some 156 miles from north 

to south. In 1991, the Lagoon was designated a national estuary and today is the focus of joint state, federal and local land acquisition, planning and management to reverse the harm done in the past by impoundments, drainage practices and pollution. 

The Lagoon is vital to the Treasure Coast as 

Federal

20.5%

State

65.6%

County

8.0% Municipal

1.0%

Non-Government

4.8%

Figure 4.10.2 

Outdoor Recreation Acreage by Category of Provider 

Treasure Coast Region 
4—79 

Outdoor Recreation in Florida, 2008 

ture trails). Five state parks provide 3.5 

miles of highly popular saltwater beaches 

and some of the best camping opportunities 

in the region. Water management lands protect slightly less than 180,000 acres for water resource protection and compatible resource-based activities. 

County and municipal governments play a 

major role in providing both resource-based 

and user-oriented resources and facilities. 

Together, they provide nine percent of the 

region’s total recreation land. Local agencies are the region’s leading public providers 

of many types of resource-based facilities, 

including historic sites and museums, 

RV/trailer campsites, picnicking facilities, 

freshwater and saltwater beaches, piers, 

boat ramps and some types of recreational 

trails. As is typical of other regions, they provide virtually all of the user-oriented facilities 

offered by the public sector. 

The private sector provides 315 recreation 

areas and 21,794 acres, just less than five 

percent of the region’s total. Private agencies account for the majority of RV/trailer 

and tent campsites and cabins. They are 

also the primary providers of freshwater and 

saltwater marina slips and golfing facilities. 

Table 4.10.2 displays outdoor recreation resources in the Treasure Coast Region by 

category of provider. Table 4.10.3 lists major outdoor recreation opportunities provided 

by national, state and municipal agencies. 

Calypso Bay, Palm Beach County 
4—80 

Outdoor Recreation in Florida, 2008 

RESOURCE/FACILITY UNITS Federal State County M unicipal Non-Government TOTAL

OUTDOOR RECREATION AREAS Areas 8 66 464 461 315 1,314

LAND Acres 149,313 424,939 51,816 6,870 32,679 665,617

WATER Acres 4,144 60,392 8,340 443 3,020 76,339

ACRES TOTAL Acres 153,457 491,046 60,156 7,316 36,155 748,130

RESOURCE-BASED

CABINS Cabins 0 12 14 0 37 63

TENT CAM PSITES Sites 8 227 132 62 375 804

RV CAM PSITES Sites 138 186 591 996 5,160 7,071

HISTORIC SITES Sites 0 3 5 11 16 35

COM M EM STRUCTURES Structures 1 18 9 6 6 40

M USEUM S M useums 3 6 24 9 13 55

PICNIC TABLES Tables 12 408 1,413 1,771 2,293 5,897

HUNTING AREAS Acres 30,000 311,366 0 0 2,000 343,366

BIKE TRAIL PAVED M iles 0.0 0.0 18.4 52.1 8.4 78.9

BIKE TRAIL UNPAVED M iles 12.0 117.9 21.6 20.2 1.0 172.7

CANOE TRAIL M iles 5.5 14.5 12.0 32.5 0.0 64.5

HIKING TRAIL M iles 14.5 291.1 54.6 25.8 5.5 391.5

EQUESTRIAN TRAIL M iles 0.0 140.8 18.4 0.0 4.2 163.4

JOGGING TRAIL M iles 0.0 1.7 34.7 35.4 9.1 80.9

OHV TRAIL M iles 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0

NATURE TRAIL M iles 1.4 44.9 38.6 24.0 7.6 116.5

FRESHWATER BEACH M iles 0.0 0.0 9.6 0.1 0.1 9.8

FRESHWATER BOAT RAM PS Ramps 4 20 27 20 9 80

FRESHWATER BOAT RAM PS Lanes 6 20 36 32 9 103

FRESHWATER CATWALKS Catwalks 100 200 2,086 4,385 375 7,146

FRESHWATER CATWALKS Feet 1 4 13 10 5 33

FRESHWATER JETTIES Feet 0 0 150 50 50 250

FRESHWATER M ARINAS M arinas 2 1 2 4 13 22

FRESHWATER M ARINAS Slips 16 0 20 290 611 937

FRESHWATER PIERS Piers 0 2 5 16 1 24

FRESHWATER PIERS Feet 0 350 340 2,422 0 3,112

SALTWATER BEACH M iles 3.5 7.8 12.3 10.4 6.4 40.4

SALTWATER BOAT RAM PS Ramps 0 3 33 39 16 91

SALTWATER BOAT RAM PS Lanes 0 5 51 50 15 121

SALTWATER CATWALKS Catwalks 1 3 35 15 17 71

SALTWATER CATWALKS Feet 150 262 4,897 6,525 7,226 19,060

SALTWATER JETTIES Feet 0 620 2,427 2,126 270 5,443

SALTWATER M ARINAS M arinas 0 0 4 16 107 127

SALTWATER M ARINA SLIPS Slips 0 45 78 507 4,825 5,455

SALTWATER PIERS Piers 1 0 14 10 3 28

SALTWATER PIERS Feet 200 0 2,325 2,095 675 5,295

USER-ORIENTED

BASEBALL FIELDS Fields 0 8 354 214 13 589

BASKETBALL GOALS Goals 0 4 565 304 58 931

EQUIPPED PLAY AREAS Areas 2 5 236 236 40 519

FOOTBALL FIELDS Fields 0 11 155 69 8 243

GOLF COURSES, 18-HOLE Courses 0 0 4 9 146 159

GOLF COURSES, 9-HOLE Courses 0 0 7 3 16 26

GOLF COURSES, EXECUTIVE Courses 0 0 1 3 31 35

GOLF HOLES TOTAL Holes 0 0 138 225 2,961 3,324

M ULTI-USE COURTS Courts 0 0 76 34 22 132

M ULTI-USE FIELDS Fields 0 5 206 86 11 308

OUTDOOR SWIM M ING POOLS Pools 1 2 11 20 196 230

RACQUETBALL COURTS Courts 0 20 199 74 28 321

SHUFFLEBOARD COURTS Courts 1 0 37 186 209 433

TENNIS COURTS Courts 0 18 295 305 871 1,489

VOLLEYBALL COURTS Courts 0 2 49 28 3 82

Table 4.10.2

Outdoor Recreation Resources and Facilities by Category of Provider

Treasure Coast Region

2007
4—81 

Outdoor Recreation in Florida, 2008 

Reported County and Municipal Areas 

County Municipal

Areas Acres Areas Acres

Indian River 71 8,858 50 494 

Martin 74 2,134 29 141 

Palm Beach 251 41,123 322 6,202 

St. Lucie 68 8,042 60 479 

*Hunting managed by Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission as a wildlife management area. 

State Parks (continued) Acres 

Jonathan Dickinson 11,479 

John D. MacArthur Beach 438 

Savannas 7,192 

Seabranch 922 

Sebastian Inlet (Indian River 

County portion) 430 

St. Sebastian River (Indian River 

County portion) 10,883 

St. Lucie Inlet 4,835 

Water Management District Lands 

St. Johns River WMD 

Blue Cypress* 54,458 

Fort Drum Marsh* 20,862 

Oslo Riverfront 336 

South Florida WMD 

Allapattah Flats* 20,946 

DuPuis* 21,875 

STA 1W* 6,848 

Wildlife Management Areas and 

Wildlife & Environmental Areas 

Holey Land* 35,350 

J.W. Corbett 60,228 

John C. and Marianna Jones/ 

Hungryland* 12,415 

Rotenberger* 28,760 

STA 3/4* 16,772 

Everglades & Francis S. Taylor 

(Palm Beach County portion)* 36,832 

Table 4.10.3 

Major Outdoor Recreation Areas 

Treasure Coast Region 

2007 

Federal Areas 

National Wild and Scenic Rivers Acres

Loxahatchee 8 

National Wildlife Refuges 

Arthur R. Marshall Loxahatchee* 147,368 

Hobe Sound 1,035 

Pelican Island 4,756 

State Areas 

Aquatic Preserves 

Indian River-Vero Beach to 11,000 

Ft. Pierce 

Jensen Beach to Jupiter Inlet 22,000 

Loxahatchee River-Lake Worth 

Creek 9,000 

North Fork-St. Lucie 6,100 

Florida Scenic Highways Miles

Indian River Lagoon—Treasure 

Coast Scenic Highway 42 

Greenways and Trails 

Lake Okeechobee (Martin and 39 

State Parks Acres 

Atlantic Ridge 5,747 

Avalon 658 

Fort Pierce Inlet 1,141 

Archie Carr (Indian River County 

portion) 62 

Palm Beach County segment) 
4—82 

Outdoor Recreation in Florida, 2008 

natural resources, the region offers outstanding urban recreation opportunities centered around a vibrant, diverse culture, the 

waters of Biscayne Bay and nearly 70 miles 

of sandy Atlantic Ocean beach. 

Economy 

As the state’s most populated region, the 

South region offers a number of advantages 

to businesses, including proximity to more 

South Florida Region 

The South Florida Region encompasses 

7,488 square miles at the southern tip of the 

state. It is comprised of Broward, MiamiDade and Monroe counties and 71 municipalities. Florida’s most populated region, it 

is also home to the state’s two best-known 

natural treasures, the Everglades and the 

Florida Keys. These areas possess inestimable natural values and support a tremendous diversity of resource-based recreation 

opportunities. To complement these unique 

Figure 4.11.1 

Public Conservation Lands 
4—83 

Outdoor Recreation in Florida, 2008 

Tourism is big business in South Florida. 

The famous beaches, world-class maritime 

facilities and services, entertainment, arts 

and the unique natural attractions of the Everglades and the Keys bring millions of people to the area each year. According to data 

collected by the Greater Miami Convention 

and Visitors Bureau, 11.6 million people visited the Miami area in 2006. Of these, 54 

percent were domestic visitors and 46 percent were international visitors. During their 

stays, they contributed $16.3 billion in direct 

economic impact. Similarly, tourism is the 

major economic driver of the Keys. For the 

same time period, Monroe County bed tax 

revenue generated by transient hotel stays 

totaled $14.6 million, a 2.3 percent increase 

over the previous year. 

than 4.2 million residents and an annual visitor flow of more than twice that number. The 

region’s highly diverse population and its 

proximity to markets in the Caribbean and 

Central and South America are advantages 

for the region’s competitiveness in the global 

economy. Retail trade, services and construction are major sectors of the region’s 

economy. The region is served by three international airports and three major seaports 

that are important in passenger traffic and 

cargo shipments. Miami International Airport 

is the 15th largest airport in the United States 

and served 32.5 million passengers in 2006. 

It provides extensive service to Central and 

South America. Fort Lauderdale/Hollywood 

International Airport primarily handles domestic traffic. The Port of Miami and Port 

Everglades are major freight and cruise terminals serving the Caribbean and other destinations. Key West has scheduled air service and a deep water port that handles 

cruise traffic. 

Miami Marina at Bayside, Miami-Dade County 
4—84 

Outdoor Recreation in Florida, 2008 

the most significant source of growth in the 

region. Population density ranges from a 

low of 78 persons per square mile in Monroe 

County to a high of 1,461 persons per 

square mile in Broward County, the second 

highest density in the state. Table 4.11.1 

displays current population and projected 

future growth for the three–county area 

through 2020. 

Demographics 

In 2007, the South region was home to 4.3 

million people, or more than 23 percent of 

total Florida population. Projections estimate that 905,000 additional residents will 

live there by 2020, a 23 percent increase 

from 2000 census figures. The region’s 

population continues to grow more diverse 

and slightly younger as a result of the influx 

of younger international immigrants who are 

Table 4.11.1 

Current and Projected Population 

South Florida Region 

County 

Projections 

Percentage 

Change 

2000 2007 2010 2015 2020 2000-2020 

Broward 1,623,018 1,765,707 1,806,300 1,915,800 2,016,400 24.2 

Miami-Dade 2,253,779 2,462,292 2,512,300 2,645,500 2,768,300 22.8 

Monroe 79,589 78,987 78,700 77,800 77,000 -3.3 

Region Totals 3,956,386 4,306,986 4,397,300 4,639,100 4,861,700 22.9 

Source: University of Florida, Bureau of Economic and Business Research, 2008 

John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park, Monroe County 
4—85 

Outdoor Recreation in Florida, 2008 

have attracted visitors from all over the world 

for years. The sanctuary contains one of 

North America's most diverse assemblages 

of estuarine and marine wildlife and vegetation, including mangrove-fringed shorelines, 

seagrass meadows and hardbottom habitats, thousands of patch reefs, and one of 

the world’s largest natural coral reef tracts. 

There are over three million acres of land 

and water available for outdoor recreation in 

the South region. The federal government is 

by far the largest supplier in terms of overall 

acreage, providing 69 percent of the total 

available. Nearly half of these acres are 

contained within one management unit, Everglades National Park. In no other region 

does the federal government play as large a 

role compared to other levels of providers. 

The federal lands provide ample outdoor 

recreation areas for participation in activities 

such as hunting, saltwater boating, freshwater boating, fishing and canoeing and kayaking. 

Outdoor Recreation Resources 

and Facilities 

South Florida’s diverse natural, cultural and 

historical resources are unlike any other region in the state. The Atlantic Ocean and its 

sandy beaches, numerous bays, coastal 

marshes and marine sanctuaries offer excellent opportunities for camping, hunting, hiking, swimming, bicycling, fishing, bird watching, boating and saltwater beach activities. 

The Florida Keys provide South Florida with 

a rich diversity of plant and animal life within 

its low coastal topography, and support 

some of the most interesting and productive 

diving, snorkeling and fishing opportunities 

in the world. The 3,800-square mile Florida 

Keys National Marine Sanctuary surrounds 

the entire archipelago and includes the productive waters of Florida Bay, the Gulf of 

Mexico and the Atlantic. Unique and precious cultural resources are also contained 

within the sanctuary. The proximity of coral 

reefs to centuries-old shipping routes has 

resulted in a high concentration of shipwrecks and an abundance of artifacts that 

State

29.0%

Federal

69.1%

Non-Government

0.8%

County

Municipal 0.7%

0.4%

Figure 4.11.2 

Outdoor Recreation Acreage by Category of Provider 

South Florida Region 
4—86 

Outdoor Recreation in Florida, 2008 

addition, local governments provide a major 

share of recreational trails and water access 

facilities such as freshwater and saltwater 

boat ramps, marinas and shoreline fishing 

structures. 

The commercial sector supplies the majority 

of camping opportunities in the region with a 

total of 10,202 RV/trailer campsites, 292 

cabins and 678 tent campsites. Of all the 

suppliers in the region, commercial businesses are the largest providers of freshwater and saltwater boat ramps and marina 

slips. In addition, 83 percent of the golf 

courses in the region are located on club or 

commercial properties. 

Table 4.11.2 shows the South region’s outdoor recreation resources by provider. Table 4.11.3 lists major outdoor recreation opportunities provided or managed by national, 

state and municipal entities. 

State government agencies provide more 

than 910,000 acres of outdoor recreation 

land and water at 77 managed sites ( 29 percent of the region’s acreage total). State 

agencies are the region’s largest provider of 

hunting acres, hiking and nature trails, and 

freshwater boat ramps. State suppliers provide a larger than average amount of some 

user-oriented facilities (tennis courts, racquetball courts and playing fields) primarily 

at state universities and community college 

campuses. 

South Florida’s county and municipal governments are among the state’s most accomplished at providing a balanced range of 

resource-based opportunities for their residents and out-of-state visitors. They administer programs and activities on over 32,000 

acres and nearly 1,500 outdoor recreation 

areas. User-oriented activities are major 

activities for residents and tourists in the 

South region. Local governments provide 

the vast majority of baseball fields, basketball goals and football fields in the region. In 

Fort Lauderdale, Broward County 
4—87 

Outdoor Recreation in Florida, 2008 

RESOURCE/FACILITY UNITS Federal State County M unicipal Non-Government TOTAL

OUTDOOR RECREATION AREAS Areas 34 77 442 1,012 489 2,054

LAND Acres 1,047,455 694,124 19,187 11,186 24,200 1,796,151

WATER Acres 1,128,275 218,803 1,537 502 1,492 1,350,609

ACRES TOTAL Acres 2,175,730 912,927 20,724 11,743 25,850 3,146,974

RESOURCE-BASED

CABINS Cabins 53 20 17 0 292 382

TENT CAM PSITES Sites 208 225 151 29 678 1,290

RV CAM PSITES Sites 519 203 703 580 10,202 12,207

HISTORIC SITES Sites 2 25 32 29 20 108

COM M EM STRUCTURES Structures 0 4 3 32 1 40

M USEUM S M useums 7 10 22 10 22 71

PICNIC TABLES Tables 399 956 3,211 3,197 6,495 14,258

HUNTING AREAS Acres 40,000 658,451 0 0 0 698,451

BIKE TRAIL PAVED M iles 26.0 124.3 60.2 190.9 2.8 404.2

BIKE TRAIL UNPAVED M iles 18.2 20.5 21.0 13.1 1.0 73.8

CANOE TRAIL M iles 184.8 25.9 12.2 18.7 50.0 291.6

HIKING TRAIL M iles 119.1 149.5 44.5 102.1 4.3 419.5

EQUESTRIAN TRAIL M iles 0.0 3.0 47.6 64.3 24.0 138.9

JOGGING TRAIL M iles 1.5 5.6 61.7 113.1 9.1 191.0

OHV TRAIL M iles 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0

NATURE TRAIL M iles 19.0 112.3 70.6 42.7 9.2 253.8

FRESHWATER BEACH M iles 0.1 0.0 0.6 0.9 1.0 2.6

FRESHWATER BOAT RAM PS Ramps 4 48 20 30 8 110

FRESHWATER BOAT RAM PS Lanes 4 59 23 45 13 144

FRESHWATER CATWALKS Catwalks 0 2 11 28 4 45

FRESHWATER CATWALKS Feet 0 105 3,616 4,698 190 8,609

FRESHWATER JETTIES Feet 0 42 1,560 3,125 0 4,727

FRESHWATER M ARINAS M arinas 0 1 0 0 6 7

FRESHWATER M ARINAS Slips 0 15 10 0 300 325

FRESHWATER PIERS Piers 0 0 10 28 1 39

FRESHWATER PIERS Feet 0 0 322 1,630 50 2,002

SALTWATER BEACH M iles 16.2 12.0 4.7 24.8 10.0 67.7

SALTWATER BOAT RAM PS Ramps 8 11 41 48 94 202

SALTWATER BOAT RAM PS Lanes 13 18 78 67 107 283

SALTWATER CATWALKS Catwalks 1 2 7 18 37 65

SALTWATER CATWALKS Feet 150 1,460 2,583 83,542 20,305 108,040

SALTWATER JETTIES Feet 7,800 950 3,095 1,367 8,104 21,316

SALTWATER M ARINAS M arinas 4 2 7 22 299 334

SALTWATER M ARINA SLIPS Slips 324 57 1,005 1,662 10,917 13,965

SALTWATER PIERS Piers 2 9 3 24 34 72

SALTWATER PIERS Feet 120 100 1,530 7,499 4,192 13,441

USER-ORIENTED

BASEBALL FIELDS Fields 4 11 218 500 25 758

BASKETBALL GOALS Goals 17 8 605 797 112 1,539

EQUIPPED PLAY AREAS Areas 6 6 211 529 44 796

FOOTBALL FIELDS Fields 2 10 88 257 17 374

GOLF COURSES, 18-HOLE Courses 0 0 4 13 86 103

GOLF COURSES, 9-HOLE Courses 0 0 3 4 11 18

GOLF COURSES, EXECUTIVE Courses 0 0 0 4 22 26

GOLF HOLES TOTAL Holes 0 0 99 315 1,958 2,372

M ULTI-USE COURTS Courts 1 1 31 81 19 133

M ULTI-USE FIELDS Fields 2 11 99 157 19 288

OUTDOOR SWIM M ING POOLS Pools 2 6 57 90 239 394

RACQUETBALL COURTS Courts 3 40 149 242 70 504

SHUFFLEBOARD COURTS Courts 0 0 95 236 193 524

TENNIS COURTS Courts 14 57 381 755 920 2,127

VOLLEYBALL COURTS Courts 0 1 39 61 1 102

Table 4.11.2

Outdoor Recreation Resources and Facilities by Category of Provider

South Florida Region

2007
4—88 

Outdoor Recreation in Florida, 2008 

State Parks Acres

Bahia Honda 491 

Bill Baggs Cape Florida 432 

Curry Hammock 970 

Dagny Johnson Key Largo 2,421 

Hammock 

Fort Zachary Taylor 56 

Hugh Taylor Birch 175 

Indian Key 110 

John Pennekamp Coral Reef 63,836 

John U. Lloyd Beach 311 

Lignumvitae Key 10,818 

Long Key 980 

Oleta River 1,033 

San Pedro 644 

The Barnacle 10 

Windley Key Fossil Reef 32 

Water Management District Lands 

South Florida 

Everglades Buffer Strip 1,713 

Southern Glades/Frog Pond* 33,938 

Wildlife Management Areas and 

Wildlife & Environmental Areas 

Everglades & Francis S. Taylor 

(Miami-Dade and Monroe 

Florida Keys 2,854 

County portion)* 639,180 

Federal Areas 

National Marine Sanctuaries Sq. Miles 

Florida Keys 1,792,000 

National Parks Acres

Big Cypress (Miami-Dade and 

Monroe County portion) 151,179 

Biscayne 172,971 

Dry Tortugas 64,657 

Everglades (Miami-Dade and 

Monroe County portion) 1,469,279 

National Wildlife Refuges 

Crocodile Lake 6,800 

Great White Heron 168,960 

Key West 240,000 

 

State Areas 

Aquatic Preserves 

Biscayne Bay 69,000 

Biscayne Bay-Cape Florida to 

Monroe County Line 67,000 

Coupon Bight 9,000 

Lignumvitae Key 7,000 

Florida Scenic Highways Miles

Florida Keys Scenic Highway 106 

Greenways and Trails 

Florida Keys Overseas Heritage 

Trail 100 

*Hunting managed by Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission as a wildlife management area. 

Reported County and Municipal Areas 

County Municipal

Areas Acres Areas Acres

Broward 145 7,412 594 7,317 

Miami-Dade 272 7,317 386 17,295 

Monroe 25 160 32 283 

Table 4.11.3 

Major Outdoor Recreation Areas 

South Florida Region 

2007