South Florida Park Ranked One of the Best Adventure Destinations in the U.S.

When outsiders think of Florida, adventure travel isn't necessarily the first thing that comes to mind (though 24-hour nightclubs are their own kind of adventure). For a sizable chunk of the population, the most strenuous activity our strange state has to offer is pushing a stroller through Disney World's four theme parks. Locals, of course, know this is a simplistic misconception — consider Miami's hiking scene and running clubs if you're not convinced.

If you're wondering where exactly one might hike in South Florida, you clearly haven't spent too much time in the swamp. Sure, the Everglades might not have Yosemite's towering peaks, but what it lacks in mountains it makes up for in wildlife spotting, camping, boating, hiking, biking, and other heart-pumping recreational activities.

A recent ranking of U.S. adventure destinations gives the national park its due recognition. Though the usual suspects topped the list — Yosemite National Park, Maui, Mammoth Lakes, Big Sur — the Everglades came in at number 13, just barely outranking another Florida spot, Silver Springs in Ocala National Forest, which ranked at number 14.

BetterNurse.org, a nursing career and education platform, managed the survey of more than 3,000 respondents "from a geographically representative online panel." If that sounds like an odd source, consider that the site partially caters to traveling nurses, for whom leisure information about the places in which they'll be embedded is vital.

The organization said Florida's strong showing was surprising: Fernandina Beach, on Amelia Island, ranked even higher than the Everglades and Silver Springs, coming in at number 9 on the list.

"While Florida is typically associated with theme parks and relaxing beaches, the state shows up in unexpected ways," the organization wrote of its findings. "Survey respondents clearly want to get to know the Sunshine State’s backwaters, springs, and salt marshes — they offer a different kind of thrill."