Great Activities to Do in Mangrove Forests in Florida

When visiting Southern Florida, exploring mangrove forests is a great way to learn more about nature. But what activities can you do in mangroves?

There are a number of activities you can do in mangrove forests, including kayaking, hiking, guided tours, snorkeling, ranger programs, eco-tours, and boat tours. These activities are all good ways for your family to learn more about this vital ecosystem, experience nature, and see wildlife.

Here are some of the activities you can enjoy in mangrove swamps:

Kayaking and Canoeing

Paddling is probably the most common way to visit mangroves, and for good reason. It’s one of the best ways to experience this habitat: paddling gets you close to the water and trees and allows you to quietly immerse yourself into the environment. This increases your chances of seeing wildlife and helps you get a feel for what a mangrove swamp is truly like.

You can go paddling in mangrove swamps on your own in places like John Pennekamp State Park, Collier Seminole State Park, and Everglades National Park, all of which have kayak launches for your paddle craft and rental equipment if you don’t have your own kayaks.

If you want to have a more educational experience or aren’t ready to launch out on your own, you can also take a guided paddling tour in any of these areas (and more). Guided tours are offered by parks themselves, by concessioners, and by private companies authorized to operate in the parks. Any of these options are great choices for an educational and entertaining tour.

Kayaking mangroves is one of the best ways to see wildlife, including marine animals like dolphins and tropical fish. Plus it’s fun! John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park, Florida.

Go for a Hike

Hiking in mangroves may seem counterintuitive at first (aren’t these swamps full of water?) However, there are several ways this can be done. The most obvious is walking on a raised boardwalk or trail. You can find these around the state in many places.

You can also hike in mangroves by doing a wet walk (also called a swamp stomp or slough slog). Most of these take place in cypress swamps or the Everglades, but there are places where mangroves grow in water shallow enough to walk in.

Finally, you can walk along the edge of mangroves where the trail is out of the water but you can still see the plants. This won’t allow you the same access to the water and marine life as a boardwalk, snorkeling adventure, or kayak trip, but it will give you some idea of the life in these forests and the unique lifecycle of the plants

There are places where the water recedes completely during low tide and you can walk among mangrove trees.

Take a Boat Tour

A boat tour is a great way to experience mangroves. This is especially ideal for people who are less adventurous, want to sit back and relax, or have small children with them. Most parks have private concessioners who run boat tours. You can find trips that are a few hours to all-day adventures so there’s an option for everyone.

Dolphins are one of the animals often spotted on a boat ride through the mangroves or Florida Bay.

Go Snorkeling

Snorkeling mangroves is a great adventure. John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park.

This is hands-down my favorite thing to do in mangroves. (Kayaking is a close second!) I believe that snorkeling and kayaking are the only ways to really learn about the huge variety of marine life that makes their homes in the mangroves. Snorkeling along the edges of mangrove forests in John Pennekamp State Park allowed us to observe many different kinds of tropical reef fish, as well as less-expected creatures like rays!

There are some places where you can’t (or shouldn’t) snorkel in mangroves, such as inside Everglades National Park where it is prohibited to swim. However, if you are an experienced snorkeler and understand where it is safe and where it isn’t (avoid areas with a heavy alligator presence, for example), you should be able to enjoy this wonderful activity.

Try a Wet Walk

Have you ever heard of a wet walk, swamp stomp, or slough slog? These adventurous outings are usually led by a ranger or concessioner and involve wading through a swamp to learn more about the environment, plants, and animals. While swamp stomps are better known for exploring the wetlands of the Everglades or cypress forests, you may be able to find one that takes place in a shallow mangrove forest as well.

Attend a Ranger Program

The national parks in southern Florida (Everglades National Park and Biscayne National Park) as well as Big Cypress National Preserve offer a variety of ranger programs for visitors. Most of these programs are only available during the cooler months because this is their time of peak visitation and summers can be dangerously hot. Ranger programs include talks that take place in visitor centers as well as more active programs such as swamp stomps, guided hikes, and guided paddle trips. These programs are usually free or inexpensive and they are one of the great things about our national parks. Don’t miss them!

Rangers usually love talking about nature with eager kids (and adults).
Mammoth Cave National Park, Kentucky.

Take a Fishing Trip

Fishing in the mangroves is something many people love to do. You can either enjoy fishing on your own or join a guided fishing trip. Make sure that you are following all the regulations, understand how to identify and measure the species here, and know where it is legal to fish before setting out on your own fishing adventure.

Go Camping

A tent on a chickee in Everglades National Park.
Credit National Park Service / Jane Gamble

Camping is a great way to spend time in the mangroves, but you won’t find too many camping sites in these swamps. The best way to camp in mangroves is by using back-country platforms called chickees. These campsites are designed for paddlers who are traveling for more than one night and are only accessible by water. Check the public land agency where you will be staying to learn more about regulations and restrictions.

Spend Time in Quiet Observation

Spend some time really studying and learning about these amazing plants. By sitting quietly, you will be able to spot many details that otherwise would pass you by. You will also allow the animals and birds a chance to relax and return to their natural behaviors.

Teach your kids how to sit quietly and observe everything around them. Teach them to slow their breathing and think carefully about each one of their five senses- what they can feel against their skin, the sounds they can hear, the way it smells, and even the way the air tastes (can you taste the saltiness when you are near the ocean?)

Spending time doing quiet observation allows you to see natural behavior and learn more about wildlife.

Sign up for an Eco Adventure

If you are ready for a more immersive, educational, and exciting adventure, consider signing up for an eco-tour. While they are all a little different, these tours allow you to immerse yourself into the environment, learning all you can while enjoying active hands-on activities like paddling, snorkeling, and more. Boat-based eco-tours may be ideal for groups of people who have varying levels of fitness or who don’t all want to get into the water. Some of the party can leave the boat on adventures while others stay behind and enjoy a more relaxed day.

Nature Journaling and Photography

Nature journaling is a great way for artistic people (and those who aren’t artistic but who simply love nature) to document their discoveries and learn more about nature. Sketching and writing about what we see forces us to be more observant of the natural world around us, and helps us see many things we otherwise would have missed. You don’t have to be talented to keep a nature journal as the end result isn’t about art, realism, or beauty, it’s about observing, learning, and recordkeeping.

Photography is also a great activity in the mangroves. There are a number of different plants and animals that you may see here, including small invertebrates, wading birds and songbirds, fish, and more. If you are interested in wildlife photography, mangrove swamps are a fun place to explore.