20 Hidden Gem Attractions in Florida That Won't Be Too Crowded

With stunning beaches, vibrant cities, and some of the world's most-visited theme parks, the Sunshine State is one of the most popular destinations in the U.S. When you think about Florida attractions, theme park resorts like Walt Disney World and Universal Orlando likely come to mind, as well as other places like the Kennedy Space Center and South Beach in Miami.

If you've been to any of Florida's hot spots, you know just how busy they can be. Here, we've rounded up 20 hidden gem attractions to visit in Florida without the crowds. Get ready to see manatees and alligators in their natural habitats, hike along stunning nature trails, admire Florida's highest waterfall, visit beautiful caverns, and explore one of the country's least-visited national parks. You'll be surprised to see just how many incredible attractions are often overlooked by the average tourist.

1. Ellie Schiller Homosassa Springs Wildlife State Park

About an hour north of Tampa, Ellie Schiller Homosassa Springs Wildlife State Park is home to one of the best natural springs in Florida and a great place to spot native flora and fauna. Keep an eye out for whooping cranes, endangered Florida panthers, black bears, bobcats, alligators, and red wolves within the park's 210 acres. You can learn about the magnificent manatees that live here year-round by catching an educational program at the Fish Bowl Underwater Observatory. Afterward, go for a stroll along the 1.1-mile elevated boardwalk trail, take a boat tour, or give birding a try on the 0.75-mile Pepper Creek Trail.

2. Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens

Sixteen acres of Japanese gardens are Delray Beach's best hidden gem. This beautiful and serene spot features a world-class bonsai collection, trails, ponds filled with koi, and picnic areas, so you can immerse yourself in nature. You can also learn all about Japanese culture through the clubs and workshops, which include lessons in Japanese ink painting, traditional Japanese music, and more.

3. Dry Tortugas National Park

One of the nation's least-visited national parks, Dry Tortugas National Park is well worth visiting if you're traveling to the Florida Keys. Although Dry Tortugas isn't a secret to locals or national park lovers, its remote location means you can explore Fort Jefferson, snorkel among the coral reefs, or dive to a shipwreck without the crowds you might find on the Sunshine State's other popular beaches. It is, after all, only accessible by boat or seaplane. 

4. Devil’s Den Spring

Located in Levy County, Devil's Den Spring is a prehistoric natural spring inside a cave that offers diving and snorkeling in crystal clear, 72-degree waters all year long. Fossils dating back to the Pleistocene Age were found at this incredible site, which got its name from early settlers who thought the steam emanating from the underground space looked like smoke rising from hell.

5. Florida Caverns State Park

Did you know that you can take a cave tour in Florida? At Florida Caverns State Park, you can see the stalactites, stalagmites, flowstones, and draperies hiding below the surface in Jackson County in the Panhandle. The park also offers trails, swimming, and other activities.

6. Venetian Pool

This Coral Gables gem isn't your average public pool. The Venetian Pool was carved out of a coral rock quarry in the 1920s, and today, it's the largest freshwater pool in the United States (it's emptied and refilled each day). Swimmers can splash in waterfalls and grottos, while palm trees and porticos make this a scenic place to spend a day in the water.

7. Wacissa Springs County Park

With more than a dozen crystal-clear springs to choose from, this park is a dream for swimmers, snorkelers, and boaters. Wacissa Springs County Park is also an ideal place for wildlife viewing and fishing. If you want to spend some time soaking up the great outdoors, you can camp at the Goose Pasture Group Campground for up to 10 days.

8. Southwest Florida Ale Trail

Oregon and Vermont receive a lot of praise as the country's best destinations for beer lovers, but did you know that there's a brewery trail in Florida? The Southwest Florida Ale Trail connects 18 breweries across four Florida counties, and even offers a passport you can have stamped at the participating locations to win prizes. Many of them are just a short distance from the coast, too, making for a great day of beach and beer.

9. Ravine Gardens State Park

This unique park in Palatka offers 60 acres of nature to explore. Suspension bridges cross the park's ravines over 30 feet above the ground, and there's a 1.8-mile loop that you can drive, bike, or walk to soak in the incredible views. If you're an avid hiker, you might prefer the moderately difficult trails that go down into the park's ravines.

10. Florida Historic Golf Trail

Florida is known around the world as a major golf destination, and the Florida Historic Golf Trail combines great golf courses with sports history. The trail provides a mix of famous spots created by renowned golf course architects along with some lesser-known public links.

11. Rainbow Springs State Park

Located about a 90-minute drive from Tampa or Orlando, Rainbow Springs State Park in Dunnellon has been a popular spot for rest and relaxation for more than 10,000 years. Long before it was a modern-day tourist attraction, Florida's Indigenous Timucua people visited the springs, leaving stone tools, arrowheads, and other relics behind. Today, the 72-degree springs are a great place to take a dip. Expect a calm, beautiful oasis of clear water to swim, snorkel, paddle, and float in all year long. There's also a section dedicated to tubing. Plan your visit for a weekday if you can, as the park will close to the public once it reaches capacity, which it sometimes does during summer weekends and holidays, when Florida's temperatures soar.

12. Myakka River State Park

Myakka River State Park, located on Florida's west coast about 30 minutes from Sarasota, is one of the best places to visit in the state if you want to view alligators in the wild. Check the website to see if boat tours are running (they sometimes stop if water levels are too low), as that's the best way to see them up close. Otherwise, there are tram tours to take you around the park, and you can view the river from a number of hiking trails and lookout points, such as The Birdwalk. Nearby, the Myakka Canopy Walkway, a 100-foot-long treetop trail that's 25 feet above the ground, and its 74-foot observation tower provide epic wetlands views from above.

13. Pelican Island National Wildlife Refuge

On the opposite coast near Vero Beach, Pelican Island National Wildlife Refuge is a nature lover's dream, with impressive mangrove and salt marsh habitats you can view from one of two three-mile loop trails or the 500-foot accessible observation tower. Opened in 1903 as the country's first-ever national wildlife refuge, the park is home to more than 130 species of birds, including brown pelicans, yellow-crowned night herons, great egrets, ospreys, snowy egrets, and bald eagles, among others. At 5,445 acres, there's more than enough space for everyone to enjoy the peace and quiet natural Florida provides.

14. Kampong National Tropical Botanical Garden

If you're seeking some respite from the South Florida crowds, head to The Kampong National Tropical Botanical Garden in Miami's Coconut Grove neighborhood. At this former estate of botanical enthusiast Dr. David Fairchild, you'll find Kampong Planting Heritage collections that hail from all over Southeast Asia, the Caribbean, Central and South America, and other tropical places. Experience the vivid colors and heady scents on a self-guided stroll, or take a guided tour if you want to learn more about the diverse plants in this beautiful place.

15. Dinosaur World

For a quirky and low-key alternative to the other big Florida theme parks, head to Dinosaur World in Plant City, just a 20-minute drive from downtown Tampa or an hour's drive along I-4 from Orlando. Dinosaur lovers of all ages will appreciate the life-size models of a triceratops, stegosaurus, and T. Rex, among other species. You'll also be able to dig for replicas of fossils, explore the park's many boardwalk nature trails, and check out the museum and its life-like animatronic dinosaurs. With two playgrounds, this dog-friendly attraction makes a great pit stop during a Florida road trip, or a fun day trip for the whole family.

16. Caladesi Island State Park

Just north of Clearwater Beach in the Tampa Bay Area, Caladesi Island State Park is accessible by private boat or via a 20-minute ferry ride from Honeymoon Island State Park. Whether you plan to rent kayaks and paddle through the mangrove forest, hike along the island's nature trails, have a seaside picnic, or relax with a good book on a blanket, you can expect to do so in solitude. Keep an eye out for ospreys, egrets, blue herons, bald eagles, dolphins, and manatees, which all call the area home.

17. Bean Point

Bean Point, a remote beach area on the northern tip of Anna Maria Island, is known for its soft white sands and epic views of the Sunshine Skyway Bridge as much as its blissful lack of crowds. One reason for this is the presence of strong currents that make it unsafe for swimming — you won't find a parking lot or restroom facilities here either. But if you're looking for a peaceful spot to lounge near the waves or settle in with a picnic and a great beach read, this is it.

18. Blowing Rocks Preserve

On the southeastern coast about 30 minutes from West Palm Beach, Blowing Rocks Preserve is one of the best places in Florida to see green, leatherback, and loggerhead sea turtles in their natural habitat. Since the 1980s, it's been where biologists and other scientists have come to assist baby sea turtles each year as they embark on their journey from the nest to the ocean. The preserve gets its name from the "blowing rocks," a natural phenomenon that occurs when the waves are especially rough (during storms or high tide, for example) and the water is pushed up through the limestone with such force it erupts like a geyser, sometimes as high as 50 feet!

19. Ten Thousand Islands National Wildlife Refuge

Down by the Everglades on the Naples side, Ten Thousand Islands National Wildlife Refuge is a wonderful place to get away from it all, especially if you're into birding, kayaking, wildlife photography, or fishing (only permitted at certain times of the year). The refuge is made up of vast mangrove forests, brackish marshlands, and tons of tiny islands, making it an ideal place to spot some of the many animals that live here, including more than 200 species of birds and fish, American alligators and crocodiles, Florida panthers, manatees, river otters, and bottle-nosed dolphins.

20. Falling Waters State Park

Located on Florida's panhandle about an hour from Tallahassee, Falling Waters State Park is home to Florida’s highest waterfall. The Falling Waters Sink is actually a 100-foot-deep sinkhole with a 74-foot stream that drops into it, forming the waterfall. While the force of the waterfall varies with the amount of rainfall the area receives, it's still an impressive sight year-round, with the water seemingly disappearing into the cave system that lies beneath it. Use the boardwalk trails to reach the viewing points — the upper section is drier, while the lower one lets you have a closer look for the price of a light spray of water.