30 FLORIDA STATE PARKS IN SOUTHEAST FLORIDA REOPEN FOLLOWING HURRICANE MATTHEW

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Media Advisory: Oct. 7, 2016

CONTACT: DEP Press Office, 850.245.2112, DEPNews@dep.state.fl.us

30 FLORIDA STATE PARKS IN SOUTHEAST FLORIDA REOPEN FOLLOWING HURRICANE MATTHEW

~65 parks remain closed to ensure visitor safety~

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – DEP’s Florida Park Service announces that 30 state parks have reopened following Hurricane Matthew. Due to weather conditions and to ensure visitor safety, 65 parks remain closed.

“As we begin our cleanup efforts, we are happy to open these parks for Florida’s residents and visitors,” said Donald Forgione, director of the Florida Park Service. “Our staff work extremely hard to ensure visitor safety and provide access to these important resources.”

The following parks have reopened:

  • Bahia Honda State Park (Monroe County)
  • Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park (Miami-Dade County)
  • Cedar Key Museum State Park (Levy County)
  • Cedar Key Scrub State Reserve (Levy County)
  • Crystal River Archaeological State Park (Citrus County)
  • Crystal River Preserve State Park (Citrus and Levy) 

  • Curry Hammock State Park (Monroe County)
  • Dagny Johnson Key Largo Hammock Botanical State Park (Monroe County)

  • Dr. Von D. Mizell-Eula Johnson State Park (Broward County)
  • Ellie Schiller Homosassa Springs Wildlife State Park (Citrus County)
  • Fanning Springs State Park (Levy County)
  • Florida Keys Overseas Heritage Trail (Monroe County)
  • Fort Cooper State Park (Citrus County)
  • Fort Zachary Taylor Historic State Park (Monroe County)
  • Highlands Hammock State Park (Highlands County)
  • Hillsborough River State Park (Hillsborough County)
  • Hugh Taylor Birch State Park (Broward County)
  • Indian Key Historic State Park (Monroe County)
  • John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park (Monroe County)
  • Lake June-in-Winter Scrub Preserve State Park (Highlands County)
  • Lignumvitae Key Botanical State Park (Monroe County)
  • Long Key State Park (Monroe County)
  • Manatee Springs State Park (Levy County)
  • Nature Coast State Trail (Dixie, Gilchrist and Levy counties)
  • Oleta River State Park (Miami-Dade County)
  • The Barnacle Historic State Park (Miami-Dade County)
  • Waccasassa Bay Preserve State Park (Levy County)
  • Windley Key Fossil Reef Geological State Park (Monroe County)
  • Withlacoochee State Trail (Citrus, Hernando and Pasco counties)
  • Yulee Sugar Mill Ruins Historic State Park (Citrus County)

The following state parks are closed until further notice:

  • Addison Blockhouse Historic State Park (Volusia County)
  • Allen David Broussard Catfish Creek Preserve State Park (Polk County)
  • Amelia Island State Park (Nassau County)
  • Anastasia State Park (St. Johns County)                 
  • Atlantic Ridge Preserve State Park (Martin County)
  • Avalon State Park (St. Lucie County)
  • Big Shoals State Park (Hamilton and Columbia counties)
  • Big Talbot Island State Park (Duval County)
  • Blue Spring State Park (Volusia County)
  • Bulow Creek State Park (Volusia County)
  • Bulow Plantation Ruins Historic State Park (Flagler County)
  • Colt Creek State Park (Polk County)
  • De Leon Springs State Park (Volusia County)
  • Devil's Millhopper Geological State Park (Alachua County)
  • Dudley Farms Historic State Park (Alachua County)
  • Dunns Creek State Park (Putnam County)
  • Faver-Dykes State Park (St. Johns County)
  • Fernandina Plaza Historic State Park (Nassau County)
  • Fort Clinch State Park (Nassau County)
  • Fort George Island Cultural State Park (Duval County)
  • Fort Mose Historic State Park (St. Johns County)
  • Fort Pierce Inlet State Park (St. Lucie County)
  • Gainesville-to-Hawthorne State Trail (Alachua County)
  • Gamble Rogers Memorial State Recreation Area at Flagler Beach (Flagler County)
  • George Crady Bridge Fishing Pier State Park (Nassau County)
  • Haw Creek Preserve State Park (Flagler, Putnam and Volusia counties)
  • Hontoon Island State Park (Volusia and Lake counties)
  • Ichetucknee Springs State Park (Columbia and Suwannee counties)
  • Indian River Lagoon Preserve State Park (Brevard County)
  • John D. MacArthur Beach State Park (Palm Beach County)
  • Jonathan Dickinson State Park (Martin County)
  • Kissimmee Prairie Preserve State Park (Okeechobee County)
  • Lake Griffin State Park (Lake County)
  • Lake Kissimmee State Park (Polk County)
  • Lake Louisa State Park (Lake County)
  • Little Talbot Island State Park (Duval County)
  • Lower Wekiva River Preserve State Park (Lake and Seminole counties)
  • Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings Historic State Park (Alachua County)
  • Marjorie Harris Carr Cross Florida Greenway (Citrus, Levy, Marion and Putnam counties)
  • Mike Roess Gold Head Branch State Park (Clay County)
  • North Peninsula State Park (Volusia County)
  • Okeechobee Battlefield Historic State Park (Okeechobee County)
  • O'Leno State Park (Alachua and Columbia counties)
  • Olustee Battlefield Historic State Park (Baker County)
  • Palatka-to-Lake Butler State Trail (Bradford, Clay, Putnam and Union counties)
  • Palatka-to-St. Augustine State Trail (St. Johns County)
  • Paynes Prairie Preserve State Park (Alachua County)
  • Price's Scrub (Marion County)
  • Pumpkin Hill Creek Preserve State Park (Duval County)
  • Rainbow Springs State Park (Marion County)
  • Ravine Gardens State Park (Putnam County)
  • River Rise Preserve State Park (Columbia County)
  • Rock Springs Run State Reserve (Orange, Lake and Seminole counties)
  • San Felasco Hammock Preserve State Park (Alachua County)
  • Savannas Preserve State Park (St. Lucie and Martin counties)
  • Seabranch Preserve State Park (Martin County)
  • Sebastian Inlet State Park (Brevard and Indian River counties)
  • Silver Springs State Park (Marion County)
  • St. Lucie Inlet Preserve State Park (Martin County)
  • St. Sebastian River Preserve State Park (Broward and Indian River counties)
  • Stephen Foster Folk Culture Center State Park (Hamilton County)
  • Tomoka State Park (Volusia County)
  • Washington Oaks Gardens State Park (Flagler County)
  • Wekiwa Springs State Park (Orange County)
  • Yellow Bluff Fort Historic State Park (Duval County)

    Florida Governor Rick Scott has declared a state of emergency.

    Visitor safety is paramount in the decision to close and open Florida state parks during times of severe weather. The Florida Park Service is in constant communication with state and local emergency operations centers and will close parks as necessary to ensure visitor safety.

    Following severe weather events, the Florida Park Service works to reopen parks as quickly as possible to provide recreation for Florida's residents and visitors. Strike teams from parks unaffected by Hurricane Matthew have been sent to the areas hardest hit by the storm to assess damage and begin cleanup efforts. State parks will be opened as quickly as visitor safety can be assured. Parks that have reopened may have reduced amenities.

    Please visit floridastateparks.org and the Florida State Parks Facebook page for continuously updated information.

    The 2016 Atlantic Hurricane season runs from June 1 – Nov. 30. For additional information about severe weather in Florida, and to Get A Plan, visit FloridaDisaster.org and FLGetAPlan.com. Follow the State Emergency Response Team on Twitter at @FLSERT and Facebook at www.Facebook.com/FloridaSERT.