Florida’s National Parks

Overview

Florida’s National Parks started as a free-day ride in South Florida and turned into exactly the kind of scouting day I hoped it would be.

I had not been to Biscayne National Park or Everglades National Park since grade school, so the point of the ride was not just to cover miles. It was to revisit both places as an adult, see how the route felt on a motorcycle, and figure out whether this part of Florida deserved a bigger trip later. The bike for the day was a 2021 Indian Scout, and the route covered 138 miles from Fort Lauderdale down to Flamingo Campground in Everglades National Park.

The weather could not have lined up much better. After the rain the day and night before, everything felt clean. The road, the air, and even the light had that washed, reset quality that sometimes shows up after a storm. South Florida can feel crowded and heavy, but this ride felt open, bright, and unexpectedly calm.

Route

The ride started in Fort Lauderdale, FL and ended at Flamingo Campground in Everglades National Park. Along the way, I rode through Biscayne National Park before continuing south and west toward the Everglades. Total distance was 138 miles, and the ride took about 3 hours and 45 minutes.

This was a paved route from start to finish, and that ended up defining the day more than I expected. There were places where I would have liked to wander farther off the main line, but some of the side roads were underwater from the previous rain. That kept the ride focused on the primary route and made it feel more like a deliberate scouting run than an open-ended exploring day.

The route itself was not complicated, but the progression was memorable. It began in the built-up rhythm of Fort Lauderdale, passed through the unusual quiet of Biscayne, and then stretched farther into the long, open miles that lead toward Flamingo.

Stops and Highlights

Biscayne National Park was one of the most memorable parts of the day. Because of the government shutdown, the place felt almost empty. That kind of stillness changes the mood of a stop immediately, and on this ride it made Biscayne feel less like a busy destination and more like something briefly paused.

I also arrived just late enough to miss the only tour boat heading out. In the moment, it was a little frustrating, but it also fit the spirit of a scouting ride. I was there to look, learn, and get a feel for the place rather than force the day into a schedule.

Farther south, the final approach into Flamingo gave the ride its emotional payoff. At the end of the road, I found a bench and sat looking out over the water. That was the center of the whole ride for me. The miles, the weather, the empty park roads, and the long approach all led to that quiet stop at the water.

And then, on the return to Fort Lauderdale, the day ended on a completely different note. Getting back into town just ahead of the next storms and closing the ride out with a drink felt like the right contrast to the stillness of the parks.

Road Conditions

Conditions were excellent overall. The weather was clear, the air felt especially clean after the rain, and the pavement route itself was straightforward. This was a cruiser-friendly day ride in the best sense: easy to follow, visually varied, and more shaped by atmosphere than technical difficulty.

The biggest limitation was standing water on some of the side roads and secondary routes. Because of that, I stayed on pavement and did not deviate much from the main path. In another setting that might have felt restrictive, but on this ride it actually helped sharpen the experience. Instead of chasing detours, I stayed with the route and paid closer attention to the transitions between city, park, open road, and water.

I also made it back to the hotel just ahead of the next set of storms blowing into town, which made the timing of the ride feel especially lucky.

Gear Notes

This was the kind of ride where small practical details mattered more than complicated setup. One of the best parts of the day was having side bags available, because it meant I could leave the backpack at the hotel and keep the ride lighter and simpler. For a scouting day with multiple stops, that made a real difference.

The Scout itself worked well for the route, but at 6'3", the standard configuration was a little cramped in the legs for this kind of mileage. For shorter rides it would have been fine, but over nearly four hours it became noticeable. If the bike had been in an extended configuration—or if I had been a few inches shorter—it would have been close to perfect for a day like this.

The route reinforced something simple: even when the road is easy, fit and comfort still shape the ride.

What I’d Do Differently

If I did this ride again, I would still treat it as a scouting ride, but I would give myself even more time at the stops, especially in Biscayne. Since part of the point was revisiting places I had not seen since I was a kid, it would have been worth slowing down more and giving each location a little more room.

I would also want a more relaxed riding setup on the Scout for this distance. The standard configuration was manageable, but for my height it was cramped enough that I noticed it by the end of the day. A few more inches of legroom would have changed the ride considerably.

And if I had been able to turn the day into a multi-day trip, I would have kept going south through Key Largo and eventually Key West. As it was, this worked well as a one-day scouting run, but it also made the next step obvious: come back with more time and make the route bigger.