Hontoon Island State Park - Deland, FL

 

For the past couple of years I have been exploring the different state parks around the state of Florida and one really popped out as something different - Hontoon Island State Park.  Why does is stand out? Well because it is the only state park in Florida that you have to take a boat or ferry to get to.

This past weekend Duane and I decided that it was time to explore this island and see what it has to offer.  It took us approximately an hour to get to the park from our house as we decided to take the more scenic route and stay away from the highway.

Upon taking our turn to get to the road for the park we noticed a nice little restaurant on the water and decided to eat before we started hiking. Shady Oaks is a small little restaurant that can be accessed by land or by water using their docks.  The food was very tasty and extremely reasonable.

After lunch we meandered the rest of the way up the back road and finally arrived at our destination.  This park has no entry fee and you will put up directly to the parking lot.  There is an area to stand and that attracts the attention of the ferry guide.  The ferry runs anytime anyone is standing on either bank.  It is an electric, solar driven ferry and the guide tells you a little history of the area.

Upon arriving at the island you are greeted by a concession area, information desk and museum that explains the flora, fauna and history of the island.  There are picnic tables that are setup along the perimeter of the area so that you can enjoy a meal under the shade close to the St. Johns River.  There are a few playground items for the kids to run and play on.

Hontoon State Park is very rich with evidence of the Native American culture that lived in the area.  A lot of the trails were very muddy as this has been an extremely rainy season, so we stayed in the more open, cleared areas.  We will be going back in March when it is more dry to explore the entire island.

You can stay on the island exploring anytime from 8am to one hour before sunset.

To find more about the state park - directions, hours, information - click here - http://www.floridastateparks.org/hontoonisland/

After coming back across the island we decided to see what else was around the area.  A little further down is the Hontoon Island Marina and Resort.  Here you can catch the Blue Heron River Tour - it is a 2 hour tour down the St. Johns River - They leave at 10am and 1pm each day - see website for more information or directions- http://blueheronrivertours.com/Tours.aspx

Want to get away a little and have a mini vacation in your own backyard - why not check out the Hontoon Land Resort - sits right on the St. Johns river next to the Marina - for more information click here - http://hontoon.com/resort.htm

Florida Caverns State Park - Marianna, FL

When I was a little girl, one of my fondest memories of a family vacation was when we went to Mammouth Caves in Kentucky.  I was in awe of the huge rooms filled with dripping liquid.  It was amazing to see that over time that dripping would form these beautiful sculptures that filled the entire space.  I was hooked and have loved caves ever since.  When I found out that Florida had caverns you could tour I couldnt wait.  After patiently waiting, I finally was able to get sometime off to get away.  We decided to do a mini vacation up in the panhandle area and knocked out both the Florida Caverns, but went to the Falling Waters state park as well (you can read all about that in another post).  It was very funny when we passed the Central Time Zone and gained an hour on our many hour drive up there. 

The week before we had headed up the Chipola River had flooded and much of the caverns and the trails were underwater.  The day we arrived was one of the first drier days and they decided to go ahead with the tours. I would definitely suggest if you go during rainy season to call ahead and make sure they are having the tours. (850)482-1228

We paid the basic state fee parking fee $5.00 per vehicle and an extra monies for the tour.  We were told we could walk around and then meet at the main entrance area around 9:30 for the tour.  The trails were really neat and several turned into smaller caverns.  Quite a bit of the land was still flooding from the river - but it made the view even more breathtaking.

Once you have parked you will see a very large stone building.  This has many displays discussing the flora and fauna of the state park.  It was a great place to check out before the tour began.

Some words of warning - you need to be in somewhat good shape for the climbing throughout the caves, the terrain is slippery and the tour lasts around 45 minutes.  Young children have a hard time as they are not allowed to touch anything and once you are in inside there is not wandering on your own.

Guided cave tours are offered Thursday through Monday except Thanksgiving and Christmas (no cave tours on Tuesday and Wednesday). The tour lasts 35-40 minutes and is considered to be moderately strenuous

If you or your family would like to check it out - I would say go for it - you will all be spelunkers in no time - http://www.floridastateparks.org/floridacaverns/default.cfm    

Inside the cave we had to go in the back entrance due to the flooding.  We started at the end, worked our way towards the beginning and then turned and headed back out the way we came.