Outdoor & Nature in Orlando-Daytona Beach-Melbourne
The rivers, springs, and lagoon threading through this metro carry federal and state protective designations verified by the National Park Service, the EPA, and Florida's own environmental agencies — not just scenic reputations.
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Wekiva River
Designated October 13, 2000, the Wekiva River system — which rises at Wekiwa Springs near Apopka and winds past the edge of College Park and Winter Park before joining the St. Johns River — is one of only two rivers in the entire state of Florida to hold National Wild and Scenic River status, and is also a state-designated Outstanding Florida Water and Aquatic Preserve.
Indian River Lagoon
Running through Melbourne and the Space Coast, the Indian River Lagoon is designated an Estuary of National Significance under the EPA's National Estuary Program and is documented as North America's most diverse estuary, home to more than 4,300 plant and animal species and 35 threatened or endangered species — more than any other estuary on the continent.
Blue Spring State Park
The Florida Department of Environmental Protection acquired Blue Spring, the largest spring on the St. Johns River, in 1972 specifically to launch its manatee protection program. Researchers have tracked individual manatees here by scar pattern since 1978, building what is documented as one of the world's longest-running and most comprehensive manatee databases.
Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge
Established by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service on land NASA acquired for Kennedy Space Center operations, Merritt Island NWR shelters more than 1,500 documented species of plants and animals, 21 of which carry federal or state endangered status — a refuge whose access NASA itself can restrict for launch operations.