This Florida forest is one of the 25 best places to travel in 2025, according to National Geographic

Iconic travel publication National Geographic has just dropped its annual travel bucket list for the upcoming year and one Florida locale has made the cut. In fact, out of the 25 entries, it was the only destination in the United States to make the list. 

Located just north of Orlando, Ocala National Forest in Florida came in at No. 2 on Nat Geo‘s roundup of the best places in the world to travel to in 2025. The feature typically highlights intriguing, under-the-radar spots, and this year, they’re giving due recognition to Ocala National Forest as “one of Florida’s last wild places.”

“Most visitors to Central Florida are drawn to the area’s theme parks and beaches—but tucked between them is a green oasis,” the writer reasons. “The southernmost national forest in the continental United States, Ocala is home to manatees, black bears and rare plants, along with 600 lakes and natural springs spread across 387,000 acres.”

If you’re based in Miami and looking for a fun fall road trip, now might be a great time to visit Ocala National Forest. You can drive there in around five hours and enjoy the park’s unique longleaf pine ecosystem plus new amenities implemented by the National Forest Foundation, including expanded recreation opportunities like fishing piers and improved trails.

Other notable entries on National Geographic’s “Best places in the world” 2025 feature include the Cenobitic Monasteries in Italy and the brand-new South African safari destination Kwazulu-Natal opening next year, which will provide a much less tourist-saturated experience than Kruger National Park. Check out the rest of the list below.

The 25 best places to travel in the world, according to National Geographic

1. Antigua, Guatemala
2. Ocala National Forest, Florida
3. Bangkok, Thailand
4. Raja Ampat, Indonesia
5. Guadalajara, Mexico
6. Cenobitic Monasteries, Italy
7. Los Angeles, California
8. Greenland
9. Kanazawa, Japan
10. Eastern & Oriental Express, Malaysia
11. Brasov, Romania
12. Cerrado, Brazil
13. Northland, New Zealand
14. Senegal
15. Haida Gwaii, British Colombia
16. Barbados
17. Suru Valley, India
18. Boise, Idaho
19. Abu Dhabi, UAE
20. Murray River, Australia
21. Kwazulu-Natal, South Africa
22. Stockholm Archipelago, Sweden
23. Cork, Ireland
24. Outer Hebrides, Scotland
25. Tunisia

For more inspo on where to travel in 2025, check out Time Out’s roundups of the world’s coolest neighborhoods, coolest streets and the world’s best cities. 

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