Florida's Gulf Coast is a region of bridges. Traffic on the Gandy hump. A towering Corps of Engineer causeway replacing a favorite drawbridge to the beach. (Everything but a commuter rail bridge, but that's another story.) Our most cherished crossings are small-scale affairs, and with the indefinite closure of Hillsborough River State Park's wobbly steel cable concoction, the nod for "Best Bridge" must go to Highlands Hammock State Park. Four planks, with a 2x4 guard rail, zig-zagging through a cypress bottom. Follow this bridge to the oldest oak tree you will ever see, or to an historic orange grove; grab an ice cream at the gift shop, then check out the outstanding little Civilian Conservation Corps Museum. We cherish our state parks. We fight for them. Hold onto the mossy railing at Highlands Hammock with one hand, swat a mosquito with the other, and amble—single file—through this miraculous preserve.
floridastateparks.org —Thomas Hallock