Traveling in northern Florida? To link to northern Florida tourist development councils (TDCs), visitor bureaus or chambers of commerce, please click the appropriate spot on the map below. When contacting TDCs, don't hesitate about asking anything because they are eager to provide travel information about their respective areas.

This part of Florida is known for its history. Here, you'll find areas that call themselves the "Original Florida" and the "First Coast." After all, St. Augustine is the oldest city in North America. Northern Florida boasts age-old forts, cattle ranches, forests (like the Osceola National Forest east of Lake City and some of Ocala National Forest), rivers and springs.

Speaking of springs, most of them bubble up along the famed Suwannee River. Among northern Florida's springs are those in a network of one of the largest underwater cave systems in the country. Another river, the St. Johns, is the longest in the state and flows north instead of south -- like the Nile in Egypt -- to its destination at Jacksonville.

All the rivers and springs make for great snorkeling, paddling, tubing and boating. Another great way to explore the region is to hike in the forests, parks and other natural areas, some of which are crisscrossed by ravines and dotted with sinkholes. And if you're a birdwatcher, take note of the thousands of American robins that arrive in Osceola National Forest every winter.

Northern Florida Nature Tours and Outfitters