What’s the difference between State Parks and State Forests?

I recently mentioned on Facebook that I was in the Seminole State Forest, and a friend responded that they thought State Parks were closed due to the COVID-19 restrictions. She was absolutely correct: State Parks are closed — BUT the State Forest is still open.

It got me thinking, what is the difference between State Parks and State Forests? This answer will only apply to Florida, so if you’re in another state things might be a bit different. If that’s the case, please comment! I’d love to know how things work in other states. After all, we love Florida but it’s not like we never cross the state line!

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Ichetucknee Springs and Santa Fe River

Ichetucknee Springs State Park is a bit of a trek from our Eustis home, but has always been worth the travel. We like to travel the back roads and enjoy the green landscapes, which always look cool even when the temperature is not. On previous trips, we’ve floated down the river in rented innertubes and enjoyed sharing the river with other tubers. On our most recent trip, we met a friend from Gorgeous Ladies on the Water and took our kayaks up to High Springs to see how the trip would be different from our tiny boats.

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