Summer Solstice 2025: What to Do on the Longest Day of the Year in Wild Florida
Summer solstice 2025 marks the official beginning of summer and the longest day of the year. But let’s be honest, it has been summer in Florida for months, right? So instead, let’s take this day, June 20, as an excuse to log an extra-long day adventuring in Florida’s springs, coastline, and the wild interior of the Florida Wildlife Corridor.
Here are three epic summer solstice itineraries to bask in this Friday’s nearly fourteen hours of glorious daylight.
Words and Photographs by Sara Sheehy
Live Wildly Lead Adventurist
1. High Springs Adventure
Ichetucknee Springs and River Rise Preserve on the Summer Solstice 2025
8:00 AM – Park Opens at Ichetucknee Springs
Arrive as the gates open on the morning of the summer solstice 2025. Enter Ichetucknee Springs State Park, stretch your legs, and wolf down the last bites of your breakfast. We know you brought your breakfast along for the ride, because that’s totally what we did, too.
8:30 AM – Morning Paddle
Rent a kayak or canoe from Ichetucknee Springs (or bring your own!) and paddle down the calm and stunningly beautiful Ichetucknee River. In the quiet of the early morning, keep an eye out for otters, alligators, and even manatees in these clear waters. Train an eye on the forest and shoreline, too, so that you don’t miss spotting one of the many birds that call these springs home.
11:00 AM – Swim at Blue Hole Spring
After your paddle, change into your swimming gear and take the short walk to Blue Hole Spring. This deep pool is a great spot for swimming and snorkeling, though it’s current and depth can be too much for inexperienced swimmers. If in doubt, head to the more friendly waters of the Ichetucknee head spring.
More swimming spots in wild Florida: Best Swimming Holes in the Corridor’s Ocala National Forest
12:00 PM – Picnic Lunch
Unpack your lunch, or buy some grub from the food vendors on-site, and snag a picnic table for some sustenance, as well as a bit of rest and relaxation, along the riverfront.
1:00 PM – Drive to River Rise Preserve State Park
Hop back in your car and drive the 20 minutes to River Rise Preserve State Park. River Rise Preserve is the sister park to nearby O’Leno State Park, where the Santa Fe River goes underground before emerging 3 miles away at “river rise.”
Wild stories: How O’Leno State Park got it’s name
1:45 PM – Hike the River Rise Preserve Yellow Trail
Where the Santa Fe reappears at River Rise Preserve State Park is accessed via the Yellow Trail, a 2.7-mile round-trip hiking trail that wanders through the blissful shade of the forest before arriving at the rise. This trail feels far more remote than it is, which is one of the many delightful things about wild Florida.
Explore Florida’s 10 Best Hiking Trails
3:00 PM – Cast a Line
Find a shady spot along the Santa Fe and cast a line for an hour or two for bass, catfish, and bluegill. When you tire of fishing, perhaps it’s time for a brief nap? It’s been a long day, after all.
5:00 PM – Dinner in High Springs
Wrap up your day with a relaxed meal in downtown High Springs.
8:30 PM – Sunset by the Springs
Return to Ichetucknee Springs and enjoy a peaceful sunset, letting the longest day fade into night.
2. Gulf Coast Adventure
Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary & Lovers Key on the Summer Solstice 2025
8:00 AM – Corkscrew Swamp Boardwalk at Opening
Make an early morning start to arrive at Audubon’s Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary for opening at 8:00 AM. Stop in the visitor center to pay your entrance fee and take a few moments to check out the exhibits on display here, as well as the maps to help orient you to your place in wild Florida.
Adventures await: A Day of Discovery at Audubon’s Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary
8:30 AM – A Slow Start, With Birds!
Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary’s figure 8 boardwalk doesn’t seem that long at 2.25 miles, but be prepared to be so dazzled that you’re going to want to walk slowly and intentionally, with many stops along the way. Start out slow as you wander through the cypress swamp and begin to notice the birdsong and catch glimpses of our feathered friends in the tree canopy.
9:30 AM – Breakfast Picnic
Pause at one of the many overlooks for a breakfast snack and to rest in the shade. Listen for frogs and the whisper of dragonfly wings nearby. Perhaps train your binoculars on the mid-distance to see what lives a bit further away from the boardwalk itself.
10:00 AM – Deeper Into the Sanctuary
Spend the rest of the morning exploring the far loops of the boardwalk. Discover air plants, spot owls, and look for baby alligators. There are a few spots on the boardwalk where you might be able to see orchids, including the rare ghost orchid.
Hooo are you? We spotted a beautiful owl at Corkscrew Swamp on our last visit.
12:00 PM – Eat Lunch
The sanctuary’s cafe is unfortunately not open this time of year, but no matter. Dig out your packed lunch and eat in the cool embrace of the visitor center, or at a shaded picnic table outside.
1:15 PM – Drive to Lovers Key State Park
Leave the quiet of the swamp and head west toward the coast to explore Lovers Key State Park.
2:00 PM – Kayaking the Estuary at Lovers Key
Rent a kayak at Lovers Key and paddle through mangrove tunnels and open estuary. Look out for dolphins, herons, and other shorebirds from the comfort of your boat.
3:30 PM – Beach Time and Shelling
Settle onto the sands of Lovers Key Beach. Swim in the Gulf or stroll the tideline for shells and driftwood. Bring a book and relax as the waves lull you into relaxation.
5:00 PM – Early Dinner in Fort Myers Beach
Head to a beachfront café in Fort Myers Beach for a relaxed meal and cold drink—Gulf shrimp, fish sandwiches, or a veggie wrap. Celebrate a day well spent on the summer solstice 2025.
8:20 PM – Beach Walk at Sunset
Head back to Lovers Key to catch the sunset – it’s often spectacular! – and enjoy the sand beneath your toes.
8:30 PM – Stargazing
If you have energy left, stick around the keys. While Lovers Key State Park closes at sunset, you can head to nearby Bonita Beach to catch the stars blink to life overhead on summer solstice 2025.
3. Wild Heart of Florida
A Day in the Florida Wildlife Corridor for Summer Solstice 2025
8:00 AM – Gates Open at Myakka River State Park
Arrive as Myakka River State Park opens on the summer solstice 2025. Grab a park map from the entry booth and get acquainted with the layout of this spacious park.
8:15 AM – Nature Loop Safari
Bike or drive the park’s scenic loop. Watch for wild turkeys, deer, and bobcat.
Did Myakka River make the cut on Adventurist Sara’s Biased Guide to the Best Florida State Parks?
9:00 AM – Walk the Canopy
Climb up the Myakka canopy walkway. This unique structure places you right in the tree canopy and also gives a cool view into wild Florida from above. Hurricanes damaged the structure, and it has just recently reopened to the public again. Don’t miss it!
10:30 AM – Boat Adventure
If the water levels are high enough, you can hop on a guided boat tour of the Myakka River right from the park. The naturalist guide will help you spot alligators, turtles, wood storks and more from the deck of a flat-bottomed river boat.
12:30 PM – Picnic Lunch with a View
Snag a seat at a shaded picnic table and eat your packed lunch along the Myakka River.
2:00 PM – Go Geocaching
Take part in the biggest treasure hunt in the world by seeking out one or more of Myakka River’s geocaches. Download the free Geocaching app to get started.
4:30 PM – Birdwatch
Myakka is a spectacular spot to birdwatch. The park’s 37,000-plus acres are home to raptors, songbirds, migratory birds, and ducks. Pick up a bird list at the ranger station and see how many species you can observe.
7:30 PM – Sunset Picnic Dinner
There aren’t eateries that close to Myakka River, so best to pack a picnic dinner to enjoy as the sun goes down.
8:30 PM – Stargazing
If you still have energy, linger longer and let the sky fill with summer stars. The remoteness of Myakka River State Park gives a front-row seat to the brilliance of the summer solstice 2025 night sky.
No matter which adventure you choose for the summer solstice 2025, the longest day of the year in Florida is one for the books. From cool springs to beautiful coastlines and wildlife corridors, every moment is an adventure in wild Florida.
