Edward Ball Wakulla Springs State Park

A huge spring south of Tallahassee with a 1937 lodge on its bank, where you can stay the night and take a ranger-led riverboat down the Wakulla River in under an hour. Expect alligators, wading birds and, in the cooler months, manatees. Hollywood used it as a ready-made jungle: underwater scenes for Creature from the Black Lagoon were shot in the spring, and Tarzan films came before it. Boat tours depend on weather and water conditions, so book ahead and check the day before.