The great outdoors go way beyond swimsuits and golf clubs in Florida, but it wouldn’t hurt to bring both when you’re visiting one of Florida’s many state parks, because you never know what you’ll find. From historic lighthouses and Native American festivals, to beaches, birding and overnight facilities, to nothing at all—just you and the wilderness—nature, culture, land and water all converge at 160 parks scattered throughout the peninsula.
Oh, and bring your PowerPoint presentation as well, because plenty of Florida’s state parks offer facilities for all types of group events, including seminars and social gatherings. Fort George Island in Jacksonville, for one, features the recently restored Ribault Club, once an exclusive resort but now a visitor center with meeting space.
In Inverness, Fort Cooper offers a recreation hall that can seat about 50, while Highlands Hammock in Sebring also has a recreation hall and picnic pavilions available for rental.
Staying overnight? Thirteen of Florida’s state parks include cabins that have been designated as official Green Lodging venues, while others offer full and primitive camping facilities.
“Visiting a state park for a meeting or breakout session provides a unique setting for meeting planners to engage their clients,” says Jessica Kemper, information director for the Tallahassee-based Florida Park Service. “It’s always valuable for groups to experience the outdoors and get a different sense of the area they’re in.”
To book facilities, simply contact your state park of choice.
“Florida’s state parks reserve meeting and event space and arrange group activities on a park-by-park basis,” Kemper notes.
For More Info
Florida State Parks 850.245.2157 www.floridastateparks.org
