Florida State Parks: Let your iPhone be your guide

Great places to snorkel. Quiet spots for a picnic. Snippets of Florida history. And some of the best campgrounds for waterfront fun. They’re all around us, us lucky Floridians, as we have one of the largest and most diverse state park systems in the United States. But what’s nearby?

Pull out your iPhone and take a peek. By downloading Florida State Parks from the iPhone store, you can use your phone to find summer fun. Using the built-in geolocation capabilities of your iPhone, you can sort through information on our award-winning state parks by both their proximity to you and a wide range of activities such as camping, surfing, and wildlife watching. Selections can also be narrowed by areas of interest, including accessibility, child-friendliness, and festivals.

“I’d been collecting information to write a guidebook on Florida State Parks,” said author Sandra Friend, whose award-winning “50 Hikes” and “Explorer’s Guide” series guidebooks cover outdoor recreation in Florida. “When Sutro Media suggested it become an iPhone app, I realized the outstanding potential of making guidebook information portable and easily updated.”

First launched on Earth Day 2010, this guidebook for the small screen has just been updated to include new features to make your trip planning even easier. In addition to details about each park and nearly 2,000 images providing virtual tours to the parks, entries now include:

• Offline locator maps – no 3G needed!
• Details on accessibility, such as free beach wheelchairs, accessible nature trails, and accessible park tours
• Links to online park maps and campsite reservations
• Live phone links to call outfitters and make tour or rental reservations
• Links to background information on each park, including websites managed by the “Friends of” Citizen Support Organizations that support Florida State Parks with volunteers and fundraising
• Links to hiking information provided by the author, who’s written hiking guides covering all of Florida
• Links to recommended eateries near the park
• Links to other outdoor recreation near the park

July is Florida Recreation and Parks Month—discover where to celebrate with the latest edition of Florida State Parks from Sutro Media. Learn more at http://www.floridahikes.com/apps/florida-state-parks