Pick a trail. Or a reef.

Follow the canoe trail into the sawgrass at Sawgrass Gate, launch a kayak on the bay at Bayfront Hammock, ten minutes from Downtown Vice City, or paddle the calm coves of Lake Leonida from the public boat ramp.

Every paddler needs a life jacket, and every boat a whistle. Kayaks and paddleboards without a motor need no registration. Head back to shore when you hear thunder.

At Coral Shoals, in the Keys, a living reef starts 300 yards from the beach. Masks and fins are rented at the dock from 9 a.m., and glass-bottom tours leave from the same dock for those who would rather stay dry.

Fly a dive flag, never snorkel alone and never stand on the coral: one step breaks years of growth. Ask the rangers about the currents before you swim out.

• The Ridge Loop, from the springs of Kalaga Springs State Park into the hills.
• Forty miles of trails under the old longleaf pines of Longleaf Ridge.
• Raised boardwalks over the sawgrass at Sawgrass Gate, with step-free access.
• Two miles across the water on the 1912 bridge of Old Rail Bridge Historic State Park.

Carry more water than you think you need. Around Mount Kalaga, deer season opens on November 14: wear blaze orange on the trails, even if you only came to walk.

Six parks have campgrounds, from the dunes of Pelican Bar to the pines of Longleaf Ridge, and two have cabins: Lake Leonida and Kalaga Springs. Reserve online up to 14 nights; the fee is settled at the ranger station on arrival.

Check in after 3 p.m. Quiet hours run from 10 p.m. to 7 a.m. At Sawgrass Gate, sites are primitive: bring your own water.

Cast from the 600-foot pier at Pelican Bar, from the old rail bridge between the Gulf and the ocean, or for bass on Lake Leonida.

Anglers from 16 to 64 need a fishing license from POACH, fresh water or salt water. Seasons, sizes and bag limits are set by POACH every year.

The dry season, from November to April, is the best time for birds in the Grassrivers: herons, ibises and spoonbills gather where the water is low. Alligators sun on the banks all year, and the reef at Coral Shoals has parrotfish, turtles and lobsters.

Use binoculars, keep 30 feet from any alligator and never feed an animal: it is against the law, and it teaches them to come to people.

• Guided walks on Saturday mornings at Bayfront Hammock and Sawgrass Gate.
• Campfire talks on Friday and Saturday nights in every campground.
• Night sky evenings on the astronomy field of Longleaf Ridge, on the weekends of the new moon.
• Junior Ranger booklets for children from 6 to 12, free at every ranger station, with a badge at the end.

Programs are free with park entry. Ask at the ranger station for the week’s times.